Overseas Motorbike Travel
What better way to explore an unknown place than to hop on a bike and make your own path? Travelling by motorbike overseas is an adventurers dream - no expensive flights, no hours of waiting around in bus terminals or airports, no 16 hour rides in cramped buses with seats that don't recline and windows that don't open. Better yet, time is in your hands. You can wake up when you're ready, leave when you feel like it, stop when you see something interesting and hang around in any place for however long takes your fancy.
Whether you're riding on a rickety old two-stroke through the Vietnamese countryside or cruising through Tuscany on a Vespa, this style of travel is perfect for travellers who love to do things their way. For shorter trips motorbikes or scooters can be hired almost anywhere for a very reasonable price. Double check to see if the companies offer long-term hire if you think you'll be gone a while. Another option to think about, especially if you're travelling on a one way or flexible ticket, is buying a bike or scooter when you arrive at your destination, and then selling it at the end of your trip. This can save you money on hire costs, but you should only take this option if you are experienced with bikes and know what to look for, as an inexperienced foreigner is an easy target for a scam.
For those of us who love the idea of touring a foreign place on two wheels but don't have enough time off work to afford getting lost then look into taking a custom guided tour. These can often be as flexible as you want - you can usually choose the length of time, the difficulty of the ride, and the distance you travel - and you have the relief of a guide who is experienced with the bikes, the roads and the people, and can often be a godsend. Without our trusty guide in Vietnam I would still be stranded with a broken bike somewhere close to China with a handful of poorly-spoken Vietnamese words to get me by.
The last and most important thing to check off your list is of course travel insurance. No rider, no matter how experienced, can ever know whether or not they will have an accident, whether they are riding at home or overseas. A motorbike accident overseas can be one of the worst things to happen to any traveller. Not only can you suffer serious injuries with pretty hefty medical bills, but then there's the cost of flying you home and damages to the bike. Usually insurance companies will cover you if you have a full rider licence issued in Australia, Make sure you contact your insurer to double check their cover details when it comes to motorbike.
