Motorcycle Travel: Important Considerations and My Travel Tips
In every spring, we choose different ways and different places to travel. Because, the distance holds poetry and the beauty of spring. A year is determined by spring; seeking the beautiful mountains, rivers, and landscapes within it has become a fashion and pursuit for countless urban dwellers. And I've enjoyed riding my motor scooter to the Sichuan area, specifically west of Chengdu, to places like Yan'an's Mongding Mountain, Pixian's Tiantai Mountain, Nanbao Mountain's Grand Canyon, and Luoshan's Longmen Ancient Town, which are all national-level scenic areas. The high mountains, canyons, stone walls, rivers, trees, and bamboo groves there are always a great beauty in the scenery. Therefore, I always bring my driver's license and vehicle registration, preparing for rain, sun protection, motorcycle repair, tire changes, charging, drinking water, and other essential supplies in case of emergencies. No traveler wishes to encounter unexpected events while on the road; everyone hopes for a smooth journey.
But places more beautiful and farther than spring are chosen with different transportation methods. Over the past two years, I've tried to utilize the four days of vacation offered by my company each month. To save time, I usually depart after work at 9 PM, taking a three and a half-hour night train to my hometown in the Sichuan West mountains. Once, I even took a night train from Chengdu through Pixian, from the foot of Baihe Mountain along the Lu to Longmen Ancient Town. In a place called Ma Lake, there's a four-kilometer arched bridge at its end. Suddenly, my motorcycle sputtered and died, with no electricity, and couldn't restart. I immediately suspected a burnout in the generator coil, and the battery was also drained. It was approximately 20 kilometers to my hometown. Luckily, I had repair tools, a flathead screwdriver, a flashlight, and a battery charger on the motorcycle. At 3 AM, I took a spare battery to a nearby farmer's house for 40 minutes to charge it. After installing it, I returned to my hometown, arriving at 4:30 AM. From then on, I never intended to take night trains to save time, as it was possible to get nothing in return; it's better to arrive early than arrive late.
Because I've ridden my motor scooter for a long time, I've had some setbacks, such as the motorcycle suddenly stalling and not starting. Most modern motorcycles use electronic ignition, so if the generator malfunctions, it can't supply power to the battery and starter. Therefore, adding a spare battery to the motorcycle's storage box is very necessary. And every time I return from a trip and before I depart, I check the motorcycle's starting battery to ensure it has sufficient charge. If it's low, I immediately charge it to ensure the motorcycle starts normally.
When riding a motorcycle, don't make reckless overtakes. You must strictly adhere to traffic rules, keeping to the right, and ensuring safe driving. If it's raining, the slippery road surface requires even greater caution in controlling speed, especially on unfamiliar rural, steep, and narrow winding roads; use the starter to slow down. Don't be hasty, and keep the speed within 25-35 mph. Be careful and cautious; safety is paramount. If you need to stop to take photos, try to park away from the main lane in a wider roadside area. Before parking, always observe the traffic coming from the front and rear.
Early morning rides are few and far between, making them quite safe. And the scenery on rural and urban roads is also very beautiful. Starting at 6 AM, there are still few vehicles on the streets and westbound roads, so you can travel freely. It also avoids the traffic congestion during the city's morning rush hour. Then you can drive to the places you want to go. The greatest benefit of traveling by motorcycle is its excellent maneuverability and flexibility, and you don't have to worry about traffic jams. As long as you know and love your motorcycle well enough, riding a motorcycle to distant places is simple!
This way, you can go to the scenic areas you want to go to, to capture the most beautiful landscapes in spring.
