Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 The longest drive

Hello everyone,

With my Malvern rental weekend coming up very soon I'm now spending time preparing my road trip and I obviously have little experience in what distances are comfortable in a day. I intend to hit the country and hills of western England and avoid any kind of motorway.


I do come prepared with helmet, goggles, all weather-windproof-waterproof clothing and of course a sharp sense of adventure. However i'd like to know your natural limits so I can stay within reason. I am an early bird so I'll enjoy the little bath tub as much as I can in day light hours and soak in the atmosphere.

Any experience - tips - warnings let me know.

Also what kind of gear do you use to fix gopro's on the hoops or the body ?

Best,

E.

Good stuff ! The Brecon’s are not far away and a good drive. Getting to W England might involve a little of the M5 though you could go via Cotswolds / Bath / Cheddar / Mendips...

I use a Manfrotto clamp for my roll loop GoPro as its the taller version with no gap for a U clip mount. But I also use a power lead to it from a long cable to the USB power plug in the power socket...

If you are going to avoid motorways then you will not average much more than 30mph over any sort of distance. So use that to base your daily distance on, for the first time driving a M3W you will find 180-200 miles a day plenty, the longest drives I have done are 440 miles on motorway and 300 miles non motorway, you will find it much more tiring than a modern car. The UK school holidays start this weekend so the roads in the popular holiday areas will be busier than usual for the next 6 weeks.

Consider some improvisation to lift the leading edge of the seat an inch of so to avoid straight legs , with something non invasive like putting a book underneath the seat to slightly raise it.
I find it much more comfortable on long runs with slightly bent knees.

I'd suggest not worrying about maxing out your mileage but go for quality over quantity. about 150 -200 miles a day on backroads will be plenty and give you a real taste of the fun of these cars.

As Roger has said, it's the UK school holiday season so Devon and Cornwall will be packed. I'd aim for mid and north Wales to start with.

South Wales (around the Brecon Beacons, Black Mountains, Abergavenny and Usk) is very beautiful and has some lovely driving roads. The Gliffaes Hotel near Crickhowell is a nice place to stay although is very popular so you would need to book in advance. Have a great trip and good luck with our weather!

I have done just north of 400 miles in one day. Not the most pleasant experience, but not impossible. A few thoughts.

I have a memory foam cushion behind my back which works for me and keeps the pressure well distributed. Took a while to find the right one, but night and day on my back.

Back roads much more relaxing than having massive trucks passing you at speed. I found I could take only so much of that.

Prefer motorcycle glasses to goggles. Less protection I know, but more comfortable.

I always have a good towel handy within reach. Multiple reasons to use at all times.

I always keep a set of wrenches, tape and wire handy. Have replaced the battery in a Walmart parking lot on a long drive. Also, something is always falling off.

Always pack my phone away during a drive so I have no distraction. If I need to figure out where I am I stop. A M3W is a car where I want to be 100 percent engaged and part of the charm is focusing on the driving to the exclusion of all else.

Otherwise, enjoy the most direct and connected drive you can. Free your mind and your M3W will follow.

Not knowing anyone else's height (I am 5'6") I found a 4" cushion raised me up enough to know where the heck the front of the vehicle was.

I am also 5’6” and since I am used to driving things that are impossible to know where the ends are located the ride height is ok. In fact when you sit lower in the little tub you are subject to less wind blast. It takes a bit getting used to knowing what’s up front, but more difficult is what’s behind you. Impossible to see the rear. I have considered other methods to observe the front and rear when parking, like cameras but not for driving at speed.

I use a open face helmet with two pull down shields, the little one that acts like sun glasses and the big one that protects the face from sand wind and cuts the noise a bit.

For a long trip I would use ear plugs. The whine from the bevel box and general noise will fatigue you considerably.

But what a fun little ride👍👍👍😎😎😎

Last but certainly not least, plan for extra time at stops because people will ask questions, lots of questions. I have considered having a small card made up to hand out to the curious. Morgan should pay people by the mile for the advertising!

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/aaf-all99161

Check out these guys for roll bar clamps. There are a couple others but more money.

Good points on the seating.

As this is a rental and you need a spanner (wrench) to adjust the pedals do make sure MMC adjust them for you before you set off.

There are 4 fixed positions to choose from.

The pedal area is quite narrow so if you have large feet make sure you wear your narrowest shoes.

+1 for earplugs.

Sun cream if sunny, and if you're in shorts make sure to cover your knees.