Taking a scooter to Europe and on Motorways?

[milkround]

I have a silly idea. Now I have a full bike licence. And I also have a big(ish) bike - vstrom 650. But I also have a little 125cc Honda PCX. The Honda reminds me of touring in SE Asia in my younger days. It's also economical and slow enough that I can take stuff in.

I've decided for a laugh to take it on the ferry from Dover to Calais. Head into Belgium and see some sites. Then over into the Netherlands for a couple of days in Amsterdam and the Hague. Then head back. I'm having a semi midlife crisis - so think it would be a great adventure to celebrate my 36th Birthday.

However I wanted to know if anyone has done this? I'm heading from Cardiff so have little option but to use the motorways to get to Dover. I have taken the glorified moped on the motorway before. But I've never set out at midnight to drive along the m4 and onto the m25. My plan is to just pretend I'm driving a lorry and stick to the left. When I'm in mainland Europe, I'll mainly stick to the back roads.

I'll obviously be trying to pack light. And I'll use my GIVI soft panniers. But I'll need to take my big chain to lock it up. And I'm a little worried about the weight. I'll be staying in aribnb's and hostels so no need for camping gear.

So whats your advice guys? Apart from the obvious which is to take the vstrom. I just want any advice on how I can make it as fun as possible? And any tips for things to stop and see along the way?

[myvision]

I had a PCX to get around London I wouldn't have taken it on a motorway.
Good luck.

[A500leroy]

See C90 adventure on the net.

[RizzoTheRat]

I've never ridden a 125 on a motorway but I'd expect it to be bloody terrifying. Google reckons the PCX has a top speed of 73 mph, so presumably with luggage you'll be slower than lorries on the hills! Also motorways are boring on a quick bike, you'll be on hem even longer on a small bike. Why not take longer and go on more scenic roads?

Depending on your budget, you might want to look at the Harwich-Hoek ferry, more expensive than the Dover routes but if you take an overnighter you save the need for a hostel/hotel for a night, and save a lot of miles on boring roads from Calais/Dunkirk. If you want to stick with the Dover routes look at Dunkirk rather than Calais, its a lot less busy the French end and saves you quite a few km too.

If you're visiting The Hague then the Louwman museum is well worth a visit for any petrol head https://louwmanmuseum.nl/ and if you fancy a bit of culture there's loads of good museums around, Escher being my favorite. Delft and Leiden are also beautiful towns that most tourists miss. If you're doing in the spring or summer head up towards Liss to look at the tulip fields.

[Wacky Racer]

You can have a lot of fun on a small machine, in 1970 I took my little Honda 90 sports from Manchester down to Torquay and across to Bournemouth and back, never going over 40 mph and keeping off Motorways, on the home stretch I left Bournemouth at 9.30pm and arrived home at 6,30am. Off memory, I stopped overnight at Stow on the Wold, Bristol, Torquay, and Beer. Great fun, you don't need a 1000c monster to have fun.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/369770523573822

[lancslad58]

Have a look on the C90 owners club

https://www.c90club.co.uk/index.php


Readers rides......

https://www.c90club.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=12

[milkround]

RizzoTheRat said:

I've never ridden a 125 on a motorway but I'd expect it to be bloody terrifying. Google reckons the PCX has a top speed of 73 mph, so presumably with luggage you'll be slower than lorries on the hills! Also motorways are boring on a quick bike, you'll be on hem even longer on a small bike. Why not take longer and go on more scenic roads?

Depending on your budget, you might want to look at the Harwich-Hoek ferry, more expensive than the Dover routes but if you take an overnighter you save the need for a hostel/hotel for a night, and save a lot of miles on boring roads from Calais/Dunkirk. If you want to stick with the Dover routes look at Dunkirk rather than Calais, its a lot less busy the French end and saves you quite a few km too.

If you're visiting The Hague then the Louwman museum is well worth a visit for any petrol head https://louwmanmuseum.nl/ and if you fancy a bit of culture there's loads of good museums around, Escher being my favorite. Delft and Leiden are also beautiful towns that most tourists miss. If you're doing in the spring or summer head up towards Liss to look at the tulip fields.

Cheers for the advice. I think the plan is to travel as light as possible. A lorry will do 56 so I'll just stick to that sort of speed. My problem isn't money as much as time - within reason I don't really care what I spend. I only have 6 days due to my dogs. So I don't want to waste a large amount of time on ferries. If I use the motorways to get to Dover according to google maps it will take just over 4 hours. If I use the back roads it will take 7 hours. I could compromise and use the M4 up to swindon and then get off the motorway as it gets me over the bridges. I want to get a shorter early morning ferry so I can crack on and enjoy my first day.

Thanks for the tip about Dunkirk. I'll change my plan and head from Dover to Dunkirk instead. Especially if the ride from Calais to Dunkirk is not up to much.

Thanks for the tips with the museums. I'll definaly look into them. I'll be setting off in a week. This is all a bit last minute. But if I thought about it too much I'd end up taking the vstrom and being normal.

[milkround]

lancslad58 said:

Have a look on the C90 owners club

https://www.c90club.co.uk/index.php


Readers rides......

https://www.c90club.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=12

This has opened my eyes a bit. Thanks. I didn't think anyone else would be stupid enough to do such things. But it appears there are loads of mentalists doing it.

[Huntsman]

I've ridden a 1957 Lambretta from Le Havre to Milan and back, you'll be fine. The slower you go the more you see.

[Bob_Defly]

milkround said:

RizzoTheRat said:

I've never ridden a 125 on a motorway but I'd expect it to be bloody terrifying. Google reckons the PCX has a top speed of 73 mph, so presumably with luggage you'll be slower than lorries on the hills! Also motorways are boring on a quick bike, you'll be on hem even longer on a small bike. Why not take longer and go on more scenic roads?

Depending on your budget, you might want to look at the Harwich-Hoek ferry, more expensive than the Dover routes but if you take an overnighter you save the need for a hostel/hotel for a night, and save a lot of miles on boring roads from Calais/Dunkirk. If you want to stick with the Dover routes look at Dunkirk rather than Calais, its a lot less busy the French end and saves you quite a few km too.

If you're visiting The Hague then the Louwman museum is well worth a visit for any petrol head https://louwmanmuseum.nl/ and if you fancy a bit of culture there's loads of good museums around, Escher being my favorite. Delft and Leiden are also beautiful towns that most tourists miss. If you're doing in the spring or summer head up towards Liss to look at the tulip fields.

Cheers for the advice. I think the plan is to travel as light as possible. A lorry will do 56 so I'll just stick to that sort of speed. My problem isn't money as much as time - within reason I don't really care what I spend. I only have 6 days due to my dogs. So I don't want to waste a large amount of time on ferries. If I use the motorways to get to Dover according to google maps it will take just over 4 hours. If I use the back roads it will take 7 hours. I could compromise and use the M4 up to swindon and then get off the motorway as it gets me over the bridges. I want to get a shorter early morning ferry so I can crack on and enjoy my first day.

Thanks for the tip about Dunkirk. I'll change my plan and head from Dover to Dunkirk instead. Especially if the ride from Calais to Dunkirk is not up to much.

Thanks for the tips with the museums. I'll definaly look into them. I'll be setting off in a week. This is all a bit last minute. But if I thought about it too much I'd end up taking the vstrom and being normal.

The PCX would be perfect if you're not limited by time, but you are.

[DirtyHarley]

milkround said:

if I use the motorways to get to Dover according to google maps it will take just over 4 hours. If I use the back roads it will take 7 hours.

That timing is quite unlikely; I'm over between Canterbury/Dover area and my mum lives in Kidwelly/Trimsaran area - I don't think I've ever done that journey in under 6 1/2 hours even on a big bike leaving at 1 or 2 in the morning and only stopping twice for fuel/bathroom at Reading and then Cardiff. Oddly enough I'll be doing it again this Friday only this time with the Mrs as pillion (her first long distance journey) - she'll need regular breaks so I suspect it will take us about 8 or 9 hours but we won't be in any rush.

Also worth noting that Op Brock is coming into force again in the next day or two for summer so the M20 will be down to 50 for a big stretch from Maidstone to Dover which always causes nice long queues towards the ferry. The alternative is to go a little further around the M25 and come off at the M2 - its 2 lane for most of it but generally less lorries and less issues with queing at junction turn offs than the M20 - but when there is an incident, its almost always guarenteed to come to a complete stop. Early morning though its generally free flowing and more pleasant than the M20.

Other bits on your route - on the M4 between Swindon and Reading can get a bit blowy as its quite exposed as you go through the North Wessex downs - worth bearing in mind if on a lighter 125. Its defintiely doable if you have the time and patience, but I'd take any google maps timings with a fairly hefty pinch of salt. If time is more important to you why not take the vstrom instead? get the crappy UK motorway bits done quicker and then enjoy your time in europe at a slower pace.

[milkround]

DirtyHarley said:

That timing is quite unlikely; I'm over between Canterbury/Dover area and my mum lives in Kidwelly/Trimsaran area - I don't think I've ever done that journey in under 6 1/2 hours even on a big bike leaving at 1 or 2 in the morning and only stopping twice for fuel/bathroom at Reading and then Cardiff. Oddly enough I'll be doing it again this Friday only this time with the Mrs as pillion (her first long distance journey) - she'll need regular breaks so I suspect it will take us about 8 or 9 hours but we won't be in any rush.

Also worth noting that Op Brock is coming into force again in the next day or two for summer so the M20 will be down to 50 for a big stretch from Maidstone to Dover which always causes nice long queues towards the ferry. The alternative is to go a little further around the M25 and come off at the M2 - its 2 lane for most of it but generally less lorries and less issues with queing at junction turn offs than the M20 - but when there is an incident, its almost always guarenteed to come to a complete stop. Early morning though its generally free flowing and more pleasant than the M20.

Other bits on your route - on the M4 between Swindon and Reading can get a bit blowy as its quite exposed as you go through the North Wessex downs - worth bearing in mind if on a lighter 125. Its defintiely doable if you have the time and patience, but I'd take any google maps timings with a fairly hefty pinch of salt. If time is more important to you why not take the vstrom instead? get the crappy UK motorway bits done quicker and then enjoy your time in europe at a slower pace.

Cheers for the advice.

I think doing it on the vstrom would be too easy. And it wouldn't really take my back to my early 20's when I was going around asia doing some mad mileage on a 125 along dirtroads and through mountains during rainy season. Basically it's just a way for me to pretend I'm still young and still can do it.

I'll definitely leave a bit of extra time. My plan is for an early morning ferry so I'm hoping traffic isn't going to be an issue. I don't think the 50mph hour limit is going to cause me too many problems on the scooter!

[hondajack85]

There a lot off nothing between the sights. I guess you will be taking the boredom in at snails pace.
Personally dont think lorries thundering past you all day is fun either.
I would use the minor back roads there and back myself if I was on a small bike.

[Huntsman]

hondajack85 said:

There a lot off nothing between the sights. I guess you will be taking the boredom in at snails pace.
Personally dont think lorries thundering past you all day is fun either.
I would use the minor back roads there and back myself if I was on a small bike.

I would say contrary, slower you go, the more you see.

Use the A roads.

[milkround]

hondajack85 said:

There a lot off nothing between the sights. I guess you will be taking the boredom in at snails pace.
Personally dont think lorries thundering past you all day is fun either.
I would use the minor back roads there and back myself if I was on a small bike.

How slow do you think a scooter goes?

I have taken them on motorways before. As long as you have a bit of common sense and sit behind an artic you are fine. Lorries won't be thundering past me that's for sure. Well they might but I've never thundered past a scooter in all my years of driving artics. You do get blown around a bit and they are underpowered but in lots of the world 125 scooters are the default form of transport. In Asia I went from the top of vietnam to the bottom on a 125 geared bike. And I've done stuff in the mountains of Thailand on a scooter that would make some people with BWM bikes swerve. It's all relative.

I don't expect to see much on the UK section. But I'll be massively disappointed if I don't see anything nice in France, Belgium or the Netherlands. I'm maybe a bit more basic and simple than most. But I genuinely like taking different places in. Even if I fly somewhere I always like looking out of the windows on trains or seeing the towns from above as you land.

I totally get that this trip might be pathetic for you. But I'm not as experienced as most on here. Which is why I asked for any tips. In fact once I've got the scooter thing out of my system I plan on touring Europe on my real bike as holidays now I'm divorced and live alone.

[Moulder]

Sounds a great idea, let us know how it goes. To cover some of your points...

- I ride my Honda XR125 on the motorway, it'll just about crack 50mph. No issues with bigger stuff coming past, they've seen you 10 miles/minutes back so it's not like they don't know you're there. Surely we've all passed bigger stuff on the motorway a bit quicker than it's going, it's just the opposite.

- I have ridden my Kymco scooter on the motorway as well with no issues, including M25/M4 commute.

- Looks like your PCX will sit at 60mph, so you won't be the slowest thing. Though when I am on the XR it is quite therapeutic being the slowest as there is nothing to really plan or get the arse about

- Will your lock go under the seat where the helmets go? If so that's the weight no higher than a bikes petrol tank.

Me and a mate did a Wales tour on ours and they were perfect for it, easy to carry stuff, and a nice way to get around.

Good luck.

[A500leroy]

Sounds like an awesome trip, if you need any help I'm sure the guys at Obsession Engineering ( YouTube) would give good advice.

[Sam Aigal]

I think it's a great idea as long as you avoid motorways. OK it'll take a few hours more but the idea is to enjoy it so why stress? Same when you get to the continent. Bit of planning, bit of stopping for coffee or light lunch. Ok so you won't get as many miles done but is that a problem?

[andyalan10]

This is trivial in the scheme of things, but going A329M Bracknell, Bagshot, M3, M25 knocks 7 miles off, and adds 4 minutes based on Google maps which I guess is based on 70mph.

Or even Bagshot, straight across the M3, Chobham, Ottershaw, Junction 11 of the M25, saves another mile.

Or Reading J11, Hartley WIntney, Farnham and the A31, then A3 to J10 of the M25, same distance as M4-M25, buy much less Motorway mileage, very slightly more scenery.

Good Luck

[hondajack85]

milkround said:

hondajack85 said:

There a lot off nothing between the sights. I guess you will be taking the boredom in at snails pace.
Personally dont think lorries thundering past you all day is fun either.
I would use the minor back roads there and back myself if I was on a small bike.

How slow do you think a scooter goes?

I have taken them on motorways before. As long as you have a bit of common sense and sit behind an artic you are fine. Lorries won't be thundering past me that's for sure. Well they might but I've never thundered past a scooter in all my years of driving artics. You do get blown around a bit and they are underpowered but in lots of the world 125 scooters are the default form of transport. In Asia I went from the top of vietnam to the bottom on a 125 geared bike. And I've done stuff in the mountains of Thailand on a scooter that would make some people with BWM bikes swerve. It's all relative.

I don't expect to see much on the UK section. But I'll be massively disappointed if I don't see anything nice in France, Belgium or the Netherlands. I'm maybe a bit more basic and simple than most. But I genuinely like taking different places in. Even if I fly somewhere I always like looking out of the windows on trains or seeing the towns from above as you land.

I totally get that this trip might be pathetic for you. But I'm not as experienced as most on here. Which is why I asked for any tips. In fact once I've got the scooter thing out of my system I plan on touring Europe on my real bike as holidays now I'm divorced and live alone.

You misunderstand,Its quite possible,I dont think theres anything wrong with it.
Good luck.