Hi,did the nc 500 a couple of years ago on my XDiavel,I fitted one of the expensive alarm locks every night,and had no problems.We stayed in hotels and b+bs,none of which advertised secure parking.You can spend the rest of your life worrying about it getting nicked.........
I'm in agreement with this, be sensible...attach some locks...and enjoy the trip. I did the NC500 on my 999 a while back..no troubles at all. I even left all my bike kit on it at a remote hiking trail head parking for 2 days while hiking.
You could take one of these with you. Protects the bike from the rain and adds security. I have still got one that I bought for the Fireblade, for use on trips away. Took it away a few times, but got fed up with carrying it. And you had to be careful where you parked the bike, as a car driver would likely not see it at night and might knock the bike over. So I never used a car parking space when using this cover. One morning, started packing it up and this huge moth flew out at me - made me jump !!
Imo you need a lot of luck with the weather if you're heading to Scotland,great roads, fantastic scenery especially the west coast,but we spent most of the time riding in wet weather gear, I'm glad we did it but I'decided to head south in future.....
Security is a valid subject. I always have a couple of locks on and (in my opinion) most important is a sheet to cover up, keeps the weather off and eyes off what's underneath
Secure hard luggage is a bonus but maybe not practical if on a sports bike. When touring I tend to keep away from towns anyway, otherwise, on the occasions when I've not, I look for hotels with off-street parking. Certainly on the continent they are pretty bike sympathetic and will be very accommodating. Have had hotels let me park in courtyards and on more than one occasion the owner has opened his own garage for us to park in. Have done the NC500 three times, and toured every year on the continent since 2010 and a few times before that, and had no issues whatsoever. Be cautious/sensible, pack a decent disk lock. I also have/had alarm and tracker (next bike will too) for peace of mind.
When planning tours I look for hotels with off-street parking, even if I have to pay extra for it. If the place is in the middle of nowhere then I will happily park on the road or pavement. Use Google streetview to scope out the place and its environment.
Parked a 1098s in the garden st the hotel Europa in Bourg d’Oisans one year. Big thunderstorm during the night. Next morning the Ducati alarm unit was full of water. Played up constantly after that. Finally ripped it out in a hotel car park just north of Milan some three days later.
Hi at the end of May beginning of June 2024 i did a bucket list trip to France. I had been very ill for two years but i recovered. My Ducati 996 that i have owned for 10years had also been neglected for this period so i sent the machine to Pro-twin Sussex who did a great job of fettling the 996. So the trip was arranged and a friend of mine joined me on a BMW GS1200 with storage as i only had a tank bag on my Ducati. We headed to the Belgium side of the Ardenne and crisscrossed Belgium and French Ardenne . We had pre-booked hotels. The weather was terrible for 4 days and France was not really open for the summer at that time so not many petrol stations. After Ardenne we rode to Alsace Lorraine area and headed to Annecy and Taloire where the weather improved The 996 was so uncomfortable to ride we had 4days to get to Taloire and we stayed there for two days. We then had only two days to ride to Calais. However the bike was reliable never missed a beat around 130miles to a tank and the longest day was 275miles in a day. Through the rain on very treacherous roads the bike stuck to the road with Dunlop road smart that were brilliant in the wet especially in the Ardenne You rarely see a Ducati 996 used for a trip like this i was nuts taking it but i am glad i did it and tick it off my bucket list. We met many friendly people a great road trip but never on a Ducati 996 again
My best mate and touring buddy rides a 996. We've toured every year since 2010, his bike ticked over to 50,000 miles in 2022 on the way to the Harz mountains. He's good on maintenance, never had an issue on tour. Dolomites trip being planned for '25. We have swapped bikes a few times, no idea how he copes with the riding position for big miles.
