It is rather a matter of psychology, a mind game. But before doing so, it must be clear in your mind t that you are ready for anything, that you may not get what you expect.
You must get used to the constraints of being on a vehicle in which everything is contained in a space a bit wider than your body: your clothes, personal items, cameras, books, tools, etc. Your personal space lies between the handlebars and saddle.
Then, there’s the equipment. Get used to the idea of wearing a helmet and a motorbike jacket for many hours, without multizone automatic air conditioning, ABS+TCS, refreshment fridge, GPS navigation, frappe holder, mp3 player for you and DVD players for the children in back. At a minimum, you must protect your body against a fall that could otherwise land you in the local Health Centre with burns caused by being dragged on the tarmac. Plus the blazing sun takes its toll after hours of exposure. I have only a winter jacket, causing me to sweat constantly in 35-40 C heat, even in the shade; I hope next year to buy a summer one. And even though temperatures don't fall below 22-23C at night, it can get chilly on a bike, so the heavier jacket pays off.
Remember, realistically speaking, problems will develop due tostraining a scooter on a trip far beyond its usual operational range and continuous use. It is much like us human beings, working around the clock for several weeks, months or years with very little rest. Having a minor mechanical problem while far from the repair shop might easily develop into a major one, and consequently set off a chain of events. This could lead to a major damage and possibly rendering your vehicle immobile, possibly in an isolated area of wilderness, where road assistance (or any assistance at all) is very far away. After the loss of tachymeter indicators while still in Paxi, I had no way to check the average speed, thus pressing the Vespa for longer periods at a speed that was not very clear, but nonetheless intense. At about 10 kilometers before the Rio-Antirrio bridge, this led to the transmission belt overheating and the transmission spools refusing to release the belt while the engine stood idle. Then the "backup" plan had to be activated. With another 220 kilometers to go, and the nature of damage unknown, I had to keep a low rhythm as I was dreaming of my bed and shelter. So my estimated average speed was not over 30-50 km/h. The trip took a lot longer, but it was worth it.
Trip stats
Total distance covered: 1040 km
travelling days: 2
Markopoulo-Igoumenitsa part
Distance: 520 km
Departure time: 12:45
Arrival time: 21:27
Average speed: 70-75 km/h
Stops: 4
Average time on stops: 4-10 min
Fuel consumed: 15 lt
Failures: none
Route:
Markopoulo, Peania, Athens-centre, Aspropyrgos, Elefsina, Megara, Kinetta, Ag. Theodoroi, Korinthos, Xylokastro, Akrata, Egeira, Diakopto, Egio, Rio, Antirrio, Messologi, Etoliko, Lesini, Astakos, Mytikas, Paleros, Vonitsa, Aktio, Preveza, Igoumenitsa, Kerkyra (ferry)
Igoumenitsa-Markopoulo part
Distance: 520 km
Departure time: 16:25
Arrival time: 04:50
Average speed: 70-75 km/h Igoumenitsa-Antirrio section
30-40 km/h Rio-Markopoulo section
Stops: 8
Average time on stops: 3-60 min
Fuel consumed: 15 lt
Failures: Severed tachymeter wire (Paxi), overheating and wearing of transmission belt drums (Messologi-Antirrio)
Route:
Kerkyra (ferry), Igoumenitsa, Preveza, Aktio, Vonitsa, Mytikas, Paleros, Astakos, Lesini, Etoliko, Messologi, Antirrio, Rio, Egio, Diakopto, Egira, Akrata, Xylokastro, Korinthos, Ag. Theodori, Kinetta, Megara, Elefsina, Aspropyrgos, Athens-centre, Peania,
Markopoulo
Fuel type: 100 oct. unleaded petrol
Oil consumed: 150 ml
Oil type: 10W/40
Scooter: Piaggio Vespa ET4, mod.'97
Engine: 125 cc, 4-stroke, air cooled,
electric/cick starter
Odometer: 40329 km