1st tour, off to Ireland for a week in May
 

First off, the bike

Luggage wise i have added the Givi top box and pannier rack. Pannier rack is rusty so going to grind the flakey bits off and paint it up before fitting. I also have a small Hein Gericke tank bag.

Other things i changed/added
*Renthal flat bar conversion
*Braided lines
*Easy pull clutch lever
*Heated grips
*Zero gravity touring screen
*Bandit mirrors (longer arms to work with flat bar conversion)
*Brighter bulbs and cree side lights
*Bright LED indicators and a flasher relay
*Gel seat
*Adjustable foot pegs (have them set slightly lower)

On my to do list are handguards, 12v socket and a sat nav case and mount for a car sat nav.

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps196e04c9.jpg

The plan,

I am going to watch the NW200 in Portrush which is up the fameous Antrim Coast Road.
I will be getting the ferry across to Dublin the week prior to the race and plan to go from Dublin straight across the country to Galway and follow the coast road up to Sligo.
From there i will go towards the lakes of Enniskillen, through some of the dodgey border towns and into Joey Dunlop country.
Next stop will be visit parents in County Down and visit all the NI road race routes and a trip to silent valley followed by up the coast road to watch the races.
Back down to Dublin for the ferry home and then journey down through Wales and back to good old Bracknell.

Just a brief run down, should take 8 or 9 days all together.

Re: 1st tour, off to Ireland for a week in May
 

Would like info on places or roads/routes you reccomend i should visit, especially in the South of Ireland.
Also any additions you think i could look into for the bike to make life on the SV a bit easier (Please bear in mind i am very very tight and do everything on a super budget).

This tour is set to be short and in an English speaking (sort of) country to make my first tour nice and easy. If it all goes to plan and i love it then i will be visiting some of Europe next year and checking out some of the places you guys and girls have mentioned on here.

Re: 1st tour, off to Ireland for a week in May
 

well jealous :) love NI and the Antrim coast road is a must - but if you from NI then you know that already :) have you done the Larne to Ballymena road? (A36, Shanes Hill Road) its a lovely twisty climb up towards the big B'mena roundabout - up or down, both great! cant suggest any roads to the south as I lived in Portrush and had a rather anti irish BF at the time and the only advise, from what I've heard, is watch for the dosey drivers.. :)

the road from Ballymoney to Portrush is a long straight lovely road - easy to open it up - becareful, the police sit just out of view on the rise into Ballybogey.

have a great time!

Re: 1st tour, off to Ireland for a week in May
 

Thanks, A36 added to the list. When i left NI i didn't have a driving licence (no point, a 1.0l corsa cost £3000 Tpft to insure!) so don't know many roads at all. Been up the Antrim coast road pillion a few times though.

Cheers