You can tour on any bike, as long as the back wheel goes round. I bet if you look, someone somewhere has gone round the world on a sit on lawn mower. If you go on a Gold Wing or a 50cc steep through. You don't have to be Einstein to work out what one is going to be better for the job. I see where you are coming from. Any one who has been touring, will tell you that speed at some point is going to be a plus. With that come's MPG and larger cc. So it's a toss up between travel time and money. Me, I would not go touring on anything less that a 250, and that's the very bottom line. 5 to 600 cc, would be a good size to go for. If you ride with Mile's per Gallon in mind. You will be surprised just how many more over the book number's you can get. In my case on a 1,000 cc Honda on a major A road's, going no slower than 50, and no faster than 60. Reading the road so your not braking a great deal. You can get over 55 to the gallon, and some time's up to 60. But you have to work at it. So MPG is more to the rider than the bike.
So my advice is. Go get your self a 4/600 single with electronic ignition and fuel injection. Then get it up on a dino road. Tell the man your looking for the best MPG you can get out of the bike with in a speed range. You will be surprised just how far they can push the number's out to.
Pack you bike out well. You don't need black bag's flapping in the wind. So your looking at stream lining as much as possible. One or two kit bag's, to make less drag. And pack them long way's to the bike. Cargo netting, your need cargo netting if you don't want to lose stuff. And good bungees. Strap's are OK. But you'll find that on a long trip. Thing's pack down, after being shaken round and the strap's get lose. Bungees will take up the pack down slack. And you can all-way retighten strap's. If I use strap's, five min's in to the ride at some lay bye, I stop and go round pulling up the slack in the strap's. There is always slack.
Any way I hope that help's.
Wish you well.
John933
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To buy petrol in Europe. Pull up at station. Wait. Get out a 20 Euro note, then ask someone to fill up the bike. Give person money. Ride away. Simple.
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