The Scotland trip

Touring on a bike. Touring on a superbike. Touring on a naked superbike. Up to Scotland to do some touring on a naked superbike.

Let’s be honest, that doesn’t sound like something that most people would want to do. But standing by my mantra that you really can tour on anything – and that touring is nothing more than a state of mind – I figured that a round trip of 800-miles or so up to that there Scotland for a bit of wild camping on the Triumph Speed Triple 1050R was the perfect way to put my mantra where my mouth is.

And it’s a firm test for seeing how the bits that I’ve been tweaking on the Speed work in the real world.

So let’s roll through what’s gone where. And yes, the picture of the bike is it all kitted up in Scotland after a few hundred miles of testing in the form I’m talking about here.

On the more raucous front, I’ve had the firm’s Arrow race cans fitted along with the new engine fuelling map to make the most of the free-barking behaviour. And it really is barking. Roll the throttle off from a bit of full-chat fun and what sounds like a Spitfire on a roll turns into a barking and popping joy machine as you barrel into a turn. Plod along on a motorway and the sound isn’t intrusive but there’s still a comforting burble of potential menace. The Arrows are quiet enough to not draw attention in built up areas and fun enough to deliver the audible fun by the race can-shaped bucketload.

In terms of upping performance, that’s been it. I did want to put a quick shifter on the bike but parts are still being waited for as far as that goes.

On the everyday comfort front – and the long trip like this front, too – I’ve gone for the comfort rider’s seat, the moulded tank pad, the grab rail, a power-outlet point and fly-screen extender visor. On the longevity front I’ve also added engine protectors from the Triumph catalogue. Serious bits of metal that I hope I don’t have to use, but they’re reassuring to have on the bike all the same.

It’s obvious why I took the more comfy seat. Thicker and more plush materials and a much more luxurious feel is a no-brainer on a bike like this. Oh sure, the standard seat is pretty good and you can certainly do some miles on it before anything like numb-bum syndrome sets in, but the extra plushness you can have makes it very worthwhile. It’s a straight swap with the original, as you’d expect. No fancy extra fitting bits needed.

If I’m being completely honest the grab-rail does somewhat spoil one of the finest back-ends in biking. As a grab-rail it does the job really Rider: Tony Carter Cost new: £11,500 Spec: 138bhp/82lb-ft Dry weight: 192kg Tank: 15.5 litres Seat: 825mm Miles this month: 1012 Miles on clock: 2642 Average mpg: 45mpg Current tyres: Pirelli Diablo Corsa Modifications: As outlined above well. It’s strong, sturdy, easy to get a hand around with thick gloves on… everything you could want. But I’ve not fixed this on the bike for any pillion purposes – this is on the Speed so that I can carry luggage. To be precise I’m carrying the Enduristan tail bag which in itself is excellent and I highly recommend it, I’ve not found better in the bike world yet. Anyway, without the grab-rail you can see how the sides of the bag would droop onto the cans. The grab-rail serves as solid ‘shoulders’ to mount the bag on and makes life easy and secure. Double thumbs up.

The tank pad is a tank pad. It’s a thick rubber with the typical selfadhesive backing and looks the part, it does the job and stops me worrying that a jacket zip or metal popper is gouging a channel out of the pearlescent white as the miles roll by. So out of everything that’s bolted on to the Triple it’s easy to see where the benefits are with the exception of one bit – and that’s the flyscreen extender. It’s a bolt on few inches of black, smoked plastic that fits directly behind the standard-equipment flyscreen and it meant to just give the mini-fairing a bit of extra ‘flick’ to get more air out of the way.

Does it work? Dunno. I’ll be honest and say that I’ve not noticed any difference with it on. But it looks pretty good on the bike so I know that will be enough for a lot of people, all I’m saying is don’t go bolting this thing on your Speed and expect the weather protection of an old Polarisstyle fairing. Ain’t going to happen.

So if we’re talking about how you turn a genuine superbike without a fairing into a bike that you can cover 400 miles+ a day on and still be fresh then this is my recipe for you to follow. Get the soft seat, get the flyscreen (who knows, it might work) and get the grab rail with Enduristan luggage. Secure your Pack Sack with Rok Straps and secure your Kreiga R20 rucksack to the Pack Sack for added comfort away from your back.

Bingo. Touring on a superbike. It is, after all, only a state of mind. And choice bolt-ons in all the right places.