And Now...The Case For Traveling Light
AND NOW...THE CASE FOR TRAVELING LIGHT
Hate Windshields, Panniers, Bags And Excess Weight? Here's A Cafe Racer's Kit For Europe. Or Anywhere.
DAN HUNT
TOURING EUROPE in a well equipped state is fun, but there are more than a few touring riders who like to “gas it.” If you don’t know it now, be forewarned: European roads are mouth-watering. If you are at all inclined to sample the delights of fast, swerving motion, 50 lb. of baggage and a windshield will stifle your attack. So, if you want to take up the challenge inevitably offered by a bloke on a big Twin with clip-ons, the pert Parisienne who slides alongside in a hot MiniCooper S, or the rapacious Italiano who harasses you in the hillsides with his Alfa, you don’t want to be encumbered. Cafe racing with dead weight just doesn’t make it.
Assuming that you are not a guitarist, a big camera enthusiast, or a poet with a typewriter, the following kit will get you by in moderate comfort.
THE RIGHT MOTORCYCLE
Should be capable of 90 mph or better, therefore 350cc, on up. Reliable. Moderate tune. Street trim, low pipes, 24to 28-inch handlebars (avoid clipons, which are back-breaking), 2.5to 3.5-gal. gasoline tank, touring or road racing tires (with ribbed front tire) or Dunlop K70s (or equivalent) front and rear. K70s adapt well to the occasional dirt road. Gasoline costs about $1 a gal., and oil is $1.50 a pt., so hot, large-bore two-strokes will prove expensive. It is handy if the gas tank has a luggage rack, or presents a relatively flat top on which to place luggage. You don’t need a tachometer, if you have a good ear. Most people seem to delight in violating a red-line, just because it’s there to see.
ONE BAG & ONE HELMET
That’s right. You will step off the boat or airplane with one flat-bottomed airplane bag in your left hand, and the helmet in your right hand. That is all you will carry on your motorcycle besides a rain suit. The bag is clamped on the gas tank with bungee cords: this forward spot is the best location for weight distribution and control of the motorcycle. Not behind you where it will make the bike wobble. When it is too warm for your rain suit, you fold it up and strap it to the top of your bag.
WHAT'S INSIDE THE BAG?
Two pairs of undershorts, two “thermal” wide-net T-shirts, four pairs of socks, and handkerchiefs to match nose activity. One drip-dry dress shirt, one dark-colored turtle-neck shirt (washable), one drip-dry pair of nice looking slacks, one pair of denims, one crumpled-up drip-dry tie, one drip-dry lightweight, wrinkled sport coat, one pair of loafers, one medium ski sweater with high turtle-neck collar, one mediumheavy scarf. One 35-mm camera and case (a Nikkormat with a 45to 86-mm zoom lens would be my ideal choice).
Your medicine kit, wrapped in a heavy plastic bag, contains: one small tube of toothpaste, one tooth brush, one Mennen’s Speed Stick deodorant, one small multi-current electric razor or portable battery razor (or wet razor and blades), one comb, assorted band-aids, one small vial of Geritol vitamins, one small box of No-Doz, two or three waterproof packets of Alka-Seltzer, a packet of needles and a roll of heavy, dark-grey thread, and several packets of cold-water detergent.
Add one packet of thoughtfully selected tools, such as an adjustable crescent wrench large enough to remove a rear axle bolt, a 6-inch crescent, 3/8inch drive ratchet with a full set of sockets (plus plug socket) appropriate to the bike you’ll ride, screwdrivers, knife, 2 ft. of insulated copper wire, 18 in. of anti-theft chain and a combination lock, plus any other small tools you think appropriate to the machine you’re riding. A spare clutch and throttle cable is a smart idea.
If you think this is unbelievable, stop moaning. It will all go into the bag, if you buy the right bag, which is about 20 in. long, 14 in. wide and about 16 in. high. I lasted for 6 months straight on this kit, which demands a proper selfcare routine, if you aren’t going to smell like a stable. Before you go to bed you use the basin to wash the socks and shirts you have dirtied and let them dry overnight on the heater or by a window. The reason for Alka-Seltzer and Geritol will be evident after your first low-price meal with cheap wine. The “SpeedStick” deodorant is compact and will not drip or melt. Cold water soap really works on clothes and even Mummy uses it at home. If you don’t know how to sew, you’ll learn quick enough; make a big, clumsy-looking knot with the loop of thread, go one side and then the other with the needle, and finish off the rip with another clumsy-looking knot.
YOUR "RACIN'" CLOTHES
One pair of moderate weight, hopefully waterproof riding boots, shin-high, or some Sears 10-in. high carpenter boots. A two-piece rain suit, Barbour or Belstaff. When it rains you wear both pants and jacket, with the pants over the boots. When it shines, you wear only the half-zipped jacket, with your denims. One pair of summer-weight riding gloves, and one pair of lined winter gauntlets, which cover your sleeve opening at least one-third the way up your forearm. When it really gets cold, you buy a local newspaper and stuff your chest area with it. You will also begin to understand what large-net thermal underwear is all about when it gets cold. The turtleneck sweater will help to seal off drafts at the neck, as will the scarf in your bag. A skier’s head band will save your ears in wintertime. Of course, you have brought along your full-coverage American helmet, and clear lens goggles of your choice. To keep your face from being cut up by rocks and the bugs that abound in Europe in the fertile months, you should consider using either a faceplate or a leather chin and nose cover, commonly used by British cafe racers.
NOW YOU'RE READY
After you’ve digested the general principles of Frommer’s Europe On $5 A Day,” throw it out; it’s too big and touts places overrun by Americans. You might rip out the few pages referring to your favorite European cities. Keep the Youth Hostel book handy. If you should happen on one of the hotels recommended by Frommer, walk in the door to get warm, and then walk out again. Two doors down there’s probably a place that costs half as much.
When out cafe racing, maintain a constant check on brake cables, axle and swinging arm bolts, spokes and tire condition and pressure. With the above kit, you’ll be carrying only 30 lb. more than the local bikie you’ll be up against (and there will be lots), so you’re going to be doing some mighty hard riding. Stay cool, careful, and remember that you’re going for the distance. That is to say, you want to get back on the plane the same way you stepped off—on both feet.
The advantages of one-bag traveling are many. Besides the aforementioned maximum maneuverability obtained from your racer/tourer, you have only one bag to deal with when 1) your bike breaks down and you have to leave it, 2) when it’s raining and you have to get under cover quick, 3) when you’re shipping the bike across the channel or to the Isle of Man, and 4) when you go into a slum-area restaurant and want to carry it inside so that some punk doesn’t rip it off.
Remember, fellow travelers, the less you carry, the less you have to lose. Traveling light is poetic. It frees the soul. It follows the American tradition as set forth from generation to generation by such greats as Thoreau, Kerouac, Dylan, and, ah, even Bronson. Traveling light by motorcycle is very, very heavy.
