Adventures in Motorcycle Camping

Should I get a trailer?

2012-01-24T04:54:00.000-08:00

Motorcycle camping becomes more enjoyable if you can bring more with you for comfort. I can tell you right now that you will get a better nights sleep on a nice big soft cot than on the ground on a sleeping pad. Sleeping pads are great for 90 pound toothpicks that are still in their 20's, they are not something an experienced adult with some age and added weight should sleep on at night. At least not if they want to get a good nights sleep and feel great in the morning. I put a very high value on the quality of my sleep, even more when I am motorcycling. I need every bit of my mind to be alert and ready to avoid the next day's cagers.

Unfortunately nobody makes a cot that fits easily on a motorcycle.

The other problem is when you ride 2 up on the bike. Your rider will take up valuable cargo space AND double the amount of gear you need to bring. Not a problem if you are motel camping or cabin camping, but can be a big problem if you want to do the roadside tent across america.

So what kind of Trailer. Well it depends. First any bike can pull a trailer, I have seen Honda Rebels that were dragging a trailer behind them. The problem is, if you are not handy with a welder, very few motorcycles have hitch adapters made for them. If you find someone who is handy with fabrication they can make a trailer hitch for any bike.

Many motorcyclists pull a small 2 wheeled trailer all the way up to almost car sized campers. These have the advantage of handling more weight but the disadvantage of having two wheels that can hit potholes you avoid and alignment issues that can cause a "weave/wander" that will get you into trouble. The biggest advantage for these kinds of trailers is that they are readily available and useful behind a car when you are not riding.

My personal favorite is a single wheel trailer.

When designed right, this kind of trailer keeps the weight load very low so the stability of the motorcycle is not compromised. The wheel also tracks where the rear tire went so any potholes you avoided, the trailer avoids as well. They do not hold as much gear due to weight restrictions and size, but most times you don't need to bring 500 pounds of gear. This small amount of added storage very low is safer than putting that 80 pound tent on top of your trunk rack. It makes a long trip a lot more enjoyable because the bike handles better, and you don't have to spend 20 minutes every morning tying everything down again. just throw everything in the box and ride away.

And when riding 2 up for a long camping trip, this small trailer allows you more leeway in buying junk to bring back home.

Not everyone needs a trailer to enjoy motorcycle camping. It's another option for when you are riding two up and need a better nights sleep, or you are the pack mule for the group carrying a 12 man tent, the kitchen, beer, etc.. It delivers more options for carrying equipment safer, cleaner, or just a whole lot more stuff.

Remember, packing minimal is not the only option, it's just the easiest and cheapest option.

What's in your safety kit?

2012-01-23T10:01:00.000-08:00

I will be the first to admit, my safety kit on the bike is nearly empty. I have a basic toolkit, but not first aid or anything else. I really should have at least 2 flares in there, broken down on the side of the road you really need something to catch the attention of the driver that is busy texting his BFF about OMG... plus if you did take a mild crash off the bike and hurt yourself you still need to get to a hospital. Most of the time the bike will still be drivable unless you went off the road at 90mph. so if you needed to splint your broken fingers so you can at least ride 10 miles to a hospital, you need the stuff to do it. Sometimes it's even something simple as needing a bee sting kit for that honeybee that went in your helmet at 55mph. I also try to have $20.00 in cash in the safety kit or stashed on the bike. $20.00 will get you somewhere safe. $50.00 is even better, but some people cant spare $50.00 to sit around in an emergency kit.

First aid Kit: nothing special, but some band-aids, gauze, medical tape and two pop-sickle sticks. add a neosporin spray as well if you want. but keep it tiny. I like to throw in a first aid space blanket as well. they are small cheap and will save your butt when broken down on the side of the road in the middle of a rain storm when the temps dropped to 40. You need to get one.

Safety kit: Tools, you need your bikes toolkit, or if you own a newer bike then your bike maker hates you and gave you no tools. you need to build a toolkit with a multi-screwdriver, and at least 2 wrenches with double ends that have the 4 most used sizes on your bike. you also need a sparkplug wrench that actually works well on your bike. ALL of the tools must work well for your bike. The last thing you want is to fight with junk on the side of the road. I also bring 2 extra spark plugs. Also a tire plug kit, you never know when you need to fix a nail hole. set of 6 zip ties, 6" to 8" long. they work great for fixing a broken fairing or other bike part. Also at least 2 small road flares, waterproof matches in a container and a film can stuffed with cotton balls. the matches + cotton balls = instant fire. If you get a little gasoline on a cotton ball it will light instantly and burn hot and long. Yes you might have to start a fire. the 1.2 ounces for the cotton balls and matches are worth the rare chance of you needing to start a fire to save your life or at least be comfortable. A LED flashlight, crank type is best because you will forget and the thing will have dead batteries when you need it. But also add a small tube of sunscreen and a small tube of insect repellent.

Why? stuck for 5 hours in the sun being baked to a crisp is not fun. neither is getting eaten alive by mosquitoes in the eventing while you try and put a plug in the tire to limp to a motel.

This should be enough to make your breakdown comfortable and fix the cut on your knuckle when you bash it trying to fix the bike on the side of the road. 99% of the time it will not be a life or death thing, but you need to prepare for that 1%. Also having something to help a fellow rider who crashed is a big thing. if you can help a biker who is down until the ambulance arrives, you will feel better about yourself. Bikers help bikers, at least real ones do.

Winter Camping.

2011-10-19T05:35:00.000-07:00

It's late October and I am unwilling to let go of riding season up here in Michigan. Honestly, we use the camping cabins this time of year nowadays simply because both my wife and I are getting older. But tent camping can be done in the colder temperatures, it just takes different gear.

First, you need a 4 season tent. These tents have rain-fly's that reach to the ground and vents that can be closed. These tents can be bulkier, and are certainly more expensive than a summer only tent, but are well worth the expense. Don't skimp on a tent for fall/winter camping. You do not want a tent that will fold under a November storm.

Second, you really need to take double the ground sleeping pads. having more insulation under you is important to keep it from sucking the heat out of your body. You would be surprised as to how fast a good cold weather sleeping bag can go from warm to cold in 4 short hours directly on the ground.

Lastly, a GOOD cold weather sleeping bag. Something rated down to the temperatures you will be expecting. I also bring along summer fleece bags as well because you can get inside that bag and then inside the big bag for lots of extra warmth.

This presents a problem on the bike. you will be taking extra gear to deal with the colder weather. the nice small sleeping bags have to stay home in favor for the big bulky cold weather bags as well as any extra gear you need for cold weather. This can really present a problem if you are a purist and want everything on the bike. 1 up camping is not much harder, but trying to ride 2 up with 2 fleece bags, 2 cold weather bags, a heavier tent, extra sleeping pads, etc... suddenly becomes a big problem. DO NOT get clever and tie anything to your forks. the last thing you need is to add weight to the forks or pus something up there that can jam steering. Also watch your center of gravity, the extra gear can make the bike really top heavy and twitchy.

Your "always with me" kit...

2011-08-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

On your bike or camping trip or a backwoods trail ride. There is a list of things you REALLY need with you at all times. These items will save you a lot of pain and suffering, and sometimes save your life. But as a motorcycle camper, some are not as important unless you are adventure riding off the beaten path...

1 - a good knife. I used to carry a nice pocket knife everywhere before 9/11 now you are a terrorist if you do. But my bike has a ka-bar in it's tool kit. MULE Folder. I prefer folding knives, I'm not rambo so I dont need a full military survival 9 inch monster.

2 - a GOOD multitool. Leatherman Blast. I have yet to find another brand that works as well after being wet and used in the rain. If I do I'd love to try it. A leatherman is a lifesaver all in one tool.

3 - a minimal first aid kit. some band aids big and small, some gauze in a package and a small spool of medical tape is required. I add others, in fact I now carry in my saddlebag a full field guide's first aid kit. It's nice to have a medicine chest with you.

4 - small roll of electrical tape. Small roll of duct-tape. I have used duct tape to fix a tire to make it to a shop. duct-tape on the inside of a tubeless will seal a slice long enough at low pressure to get to where you are going if you are lucky.

5 - tools to get a tire off. two good screwdrivers will do this. add them to your bikes standard toolkit. Also a way to INFLATE that tire. small hand pumps for bicycles do work well.

6 - "emergency food" such as a couple of packs of sugar gum. not sugar free, you need calories so a fat pack of juicyfruit is a good thing. each stick is 10 calories. I'd throw in a few jolly ranchers as well. something that can last a few years forgotten in a bag.

7 - my favorite is an emergency "$50" bill hidden on the bike. Fifty bucks will get you out of trouble. Even someone that does not want to be bothered to help you will help you for $50.00

8 - a GOOD super bright 1 Watt or brighter LED flashlight and a set of duracell batteries taped in a baggie outside the flashlight. you want them fresh and to stay that way. in the flashlight you might drain the batteries.

9 - if you are off the beaten path, a decent spare compass. Sorry, but that compass has a far better sense of direction than you do.

10 - some kind of firestarter in a waterproof package. Camp matches, striker, etc.. having a way to start a fire is important. I'm talking a backup not your main way of starting a fire.

This kit can be very small or huge depending on what you want with you. Some people add more items to it like parts, repair bits for camping gear, etc... It's all about how far away from civilization you will be. If you are 24 miles away from anything in the Arizona desert, you need a LOT more than the family camping in the back yard of a friends home. Error on the safe side. If you did not need it, it's still a win for you.

Interesting tent for the adventure motorcycle rider...

2011-08-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

It always seems that Europeans get the cool new stuff first. This is the forst tent designed for Motorcyclists, specifically "adventure" motorcyclists. It's innovative design not only houses you in a nicely designed tent but it also has a vestibule large enough for your motorcycle. This keeps the bike out of view and covered so it's not all wet from the early morning dew. Another nice advantage is it gives you a place to get dressed in riding gear after the bike is pushed out of it's sleeping space.

What is Motorcycle Camping?

2011-08-10T07:18:00.000-07:00

Some people define Motorcycle Camping as going to a state park and camping just like how they would with a car. Some consider it riding across the country and setting up camp off the road hidden from view at night. While the more adventurous consider it riding the bike up impassable trails and setting up camp in a remote location the real answer to Motorcycle Camping. It's all in what you call enjoyment. But they all encompass the same requirements. A bike, a desire, and determination. It is a LOT easier to go camping in a RV or car. You can carry 80X more things and have a inflatable apartment, or if you RV pull up your apartment building and position the Satellite dish. Motorcycle Camping requires a lot less "stuff" simply because you cant carry it. It makes you feel closer to your bike and your world. Even camping in a state park between the RV's or even in a private campground that has cabins, going minimal makes you look at things differently.

Riding across America with 2 pairs of jeans, 3 shirts, 3 pairs of socks (One wool for the cold days), and 3 pairs of underwear really makes you understand the difference between WANT and NEED. Remember, one pair of that underwear is the under-armor for cold weather riding. Nothing makes riding stink more than 100 miles of cold rain and being chilled to the bone because you did not bother to bring cold weather underwear when you left home in 102 degree temperatures. As motorcycle campers we are not there to see the campground, it's just a stop for the night.

Motorcycle Camping is about freedom and exploration. It's about not looking at the map and just riding over that way. It's about not caring and just enjoying the ride.

HJC Sy-MAX II helmets may be defective..

2011-07-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

I have been riding with an HJC helmet on my noggin for years. I was appalled by the very low quality that the chin bar in the HJC Sy-MAX II helmet is that I will be evaluating a different brand on my next purchase. I ride with a modular to get the protection of the chin bar, not for something that is just there for looks. Looking at the photos, it is obvious that the chin bar on HJC helmets are not for any safety use.

When to replace your tires...

2011-06-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

A lot of guys will ride until they see cords on their tires. Completely worn out. This if fine if you ride where it never rains and the roads are perfectly clean and flat. For me I use the same trick as the car. if Abraham's head on a penny is completely visible I start shopping for tires. Do you really want to risk a blowout or flat at 70mph? Have you ever had the enjoyment of a blowout on a motorcycle at highway speeds? It's not fun. at 70mph the chances of you not dropping the bike and enjoying road rash are about 30%. It's not fun, the bike will buck from side to side and even ride what seems to be sideways. touching the rear break will cause the bike to swap sides, etc.. I got to enjoy this a very long time ago and it is STILL fresh in my head. Fresh enough to shake my head and call the kids on crotch rockets dumb for riding in shorts and t-shirt. I would have been history if it was not for the safety gear I was wearing.

Replace your tires please. It's not worth the excitement and waking up on the ground with your head and back hurting and your gloves full of blood is not fun.

fullface or composite helmet face shield sun shield DYI.

2011-04-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

There is a helmet sunshield out there that you stick to your visor. IT works great but is expensive for $1.00 with of automotive cling tint.

http://www.amazon.com/Insta-Cling-Extra-Dark-Professional-Tint/dp/B000EBKG9A is the same stuff except not green in color. you can cut about 50 of the visor sunshields out of this roll. If you don't want to buy a roll to have forever, go to a automotive tint shop and ask if they have any of the static cling tint scraps. A good shop will give them to you.

I personally have been doing this for a few years, the problem is that I don't like riding with my visor completely closed. so I need to place it lower or cut mine to be taller.

Just a quick tip for riding comfort this summer!

Food on the road.....

2011-04-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Motorcycle camping typically leaves out carrying food with you. Honestly a cooler with enough food and cooking supplies for a weekend camp-out will be larger than your tent and sleeping bag. But there are things you can bring with you if we dip into the deep woods backpacker menu.

Dry soup mixes: like cup a soup and others make a very small meal that only needs water heated to 140 degrees. that means a small camp stove. (No heating the water on your motorcycle pipes will not be an acceptable substitute) This kind of meal is easy and many are quite satisfying. They are a favorite of mine on cold days. I prefer cup-a-soup brand.

Instant Oatmeal packets: Great for breakfast and work as easy as the dry instant soups. You can get assorted flavors that make a nice change of pace. Hearty enough to make you feel full and are packed with energy.

Instant Meals, I.E, MRE's: This is the expensive option and honestly I have not found one that I think is worth the price. They are handy but I dont see them as a real meal.

Granola or trail mix: Dried fruits nuts and honey oat clusters all work great as a snack that can be packed tightly.

Granola bars: the hard type not the gooey chocolate covered ones. Nothing makes a snack or dinner stink than dealing with a chocolate mess in your bags from a bar that melted in the 90 degree heat.

Coffee: I actually really like the Starbucks VIA sticks, they actually make a very good cup of coffee and are super small to carry. IT's a whole lot better than any other instant coffee I have tried and easier than carrying a french press or small coffee pot. It's like a decent cup of restaurant coffee. If you want to give yourself a morning kick in the pants, dump 2 of them into "water joe" a caffeinated water. It's like drinking a pot of coffee in 5 minutes.

Drinks: carrying anything but water is a waste. I like the drink sticks they have now for water flavoring, the arnold palmer half and half sticks taste just like the tea and lemonade cans so I carry those. there are a lot of options from different places on these. That way all I need to carry is water.

Main meals: If you can hunt or fish, there is your source of meat, just bring some small baggies of spices and you can buy packets of cooking oil or get it at the camp store. Dried beans plus good jerky and some spices make a very good stew if you have a camp fire roaring and can cook for a hour or two. you can even get freeze dried tomatoes, although tomato paste in a toothpaste tube is more convenient. I would skip being adventurous and bringing powdered eggs, I just cant enjoy them after eating them for years at boyscout camp.

Don't plan on never stopping to eat, You are riding and half the fun is the stop in a small town diner. You do not need to carry all your food for your trip with you, you can always stop at a store to pick up a couple cans of beans and steak for that night's meal. Having some smaller things with you to make life more comfortable is nice. I tend to like to eat a packet of oatmeal in the morning with coffee to enjoy the morning and let the sun rise, pack up and hit the road for a 9:30am stop at a small town diner for a nice brunch. It's nice to be able to sit at the camp at night and instead of going out for some pop, open up a bottle of water and mix up a nice soft drink for flavor.

Remember, you can always restock at the next fuel stop. Keep the shiny side up!

Motorcycle Trips, you can do a cross country trip on ANYTHING.

2011-03-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

I ride a large touring bike, It can carry another 300-400 pounds of gear with me, as well as pull a trailer with another 300 pounds of gear on it. some pull campers with the bike I have. do you need a giant touring bike to travel from one side of the USA to the other and back again? Nope. I just read a story on a motorcycling website of a gentleman that rode a Honda Rebel 250 over 7500 miles. Here is his journal about the ride you dont need a big bike or special stuff. in fact many prefer motorcycle camping at the cabins or cheaper motels. Staying in a motel is not cheating. In fact at times I discover staying in a nice clean but small motel is cheaper than a campground and setting up camp. Plus having a real bed and private shower is needed on a week long ride.

Lots of people have taken really long trips of a lifetime on small, old, limited motorcycles and did it with what they had. So you dont need a new BMW adventure bike with $20,000 in special luggage for it and camping gear. you DO need to bring decent base layer and clothing, even on a 60 degree day you can ride into 35 degree weather and strong wind. I in fact did just that bringing home a bike for my wife. I was silly and did not pack long underwear, I was silly and though my chaps over jeans will be enough. It's not. I jammed several packages of hand warmers into my pockets to combat the cold and gave up with a stop at a store to buy sweats to put on under my jeans. i was still cold, but at least I was not going to get frostbite.

Getting ready for the riding season...

2011-01-27T06:06:00.000-08:00

Yes it's the middle of winter, snow 5 feet deep and no end in sight to the bitter cold. I was reminded this week on how you can ride in anything as I watched a guy on his "adventure motorcycle" equipped with studded tires rode to work in 2 feet of snow and ice. It's 18 degrees out snow and ice on the ground and this guy is on his bike at 55mph on the highway.

But it underlines a point. Being ready for conditions. How are the tires on your bike? are they getting thin? are they several years old? do you have a tire plug kit and repair kit? how about your toolkit? When was the last time you looked at it and made sure it was all there and ready for a breakdown? IF you were to break down on a 400 mile ride to the next camping spot, do you call AAA and have them tow you home? or do you break out your toolkit and try to fix the bike so you can ride to the nearest dealer and have it properly fixed? Your kit also should have a list of phone numbers of known big dealers in your state or at least the manufacturers hot-line so you can call and ask where the nearest service center for your brand is. On a long ride I draw those points on my tank map and the other side has all their phone numbers. RED dots are dealers, Blue Dots are Motels, and Green dots are desired fuel stations (I like Speedway).

A tire kit should have everything you need to patch most leaks and refill the tire. A CO2 inflation kit will get your tire back up to full pressure while taking very little space on the bike. What good is fixing the flat if you cant pump up the tire?

It's time to think about the toolkit in your bike. Nothing gives you more satisfaction than spending 2 hours on the side of the road fixing your bike and continuing on the journey. That self reliance is a major rush with the wind in your face knowing that you fixed it yourself. At minimum make sure you have what you need for safety. IF you broke down at night along a highway, a couple of road flares will make the difference between safe and getting ran over by a Sleepy Semi truck driver.

Something for the Newbies....

2010-10-25T04:59:00.001-07:00

If you like the idea of Motorcycle camping and have NOT picked out a bike yet, I have some tips for you. Many people buy a bike based completely on how it looks. They dont car about any of the specs, the reliability, ease of maintenance, or ride comfort. They look at that one sexy ride they like and say "give me that one!" It's only a month later they discover that their decision was a bad one or there are quirks or compromises they did not realize they had to make. For example, a friend of mine wanted a bike, he LOVES sport bikes. He had drooled over a Ducati Streetfighter for months for two reasons. One, he loved how it looked. Sexy and nothing like the other bikes out there. Two, it was a brand that is not as popular so he would stand out. "I ride a Ducati!" is what he wanted to say. Well 3 months later and he discovered that this fine bike has Fuel injection problems, parts and mechanics are hard to come by to fix issues, and being a performance sport-bike any long trips are grueling uncomfortable rides with everything strapped to your back. A 350 mile ride to me is a comfortable fun ride. The same ride to him is a torture chamber. The difference? what the bike is designed for. My bike is designed to ride 300-600 miles with 2 passengers and about 200 pounds of gear. His bike is designed for 1 rider, no gear and to make it from stoplight to stoplight at the speed of light, or around a track at incredible speed. It is not designed for comfort. It's designed for performance and racing. In a drag race he will win every time. In a race across the USA from NYC to LA I'll beat him without effort.

This translates to camping as well. I can carry on my bike 10X more stuff than he can. This means I get a sleeping pad, warmer and thicker sleeping bag, and a larger tent as well as some extra things. He has to pack very minimal only what fits in his backpack and what fits on the tiny tail bag he can strap behind him. This raises his center of gravity DRASTICALLY causing a serious unbalance in his bike. When we discover some twisties he can not enjoy them. I have it easier than he dies even when riding 2 up and carrying stuff for two.

This does not doom you to riding a geezer glide if you love to camp. Far from it. there are plenty of options in bikes out there you just need to shop smarter. When shopping for a bike take your needs and wants into consideration. Also please take into account reliability. RESEARCH on the internet the bike you want to buy, find the forums, find the people that have had problems and try to discover the common issues. I want to buy a Yamaha FJR1300. It's a sport touring bike. and I know it has a problem with the valve guides wearing out and making the bikes engine complete junk within 50,000 miles. Yamaha will not warranty it, and I cant tell if they fixed the issue yet in the newer bikes. It only affects some bikes ,but enough that I have a good chance of getting one that will fail. MY 1983 Yamaha Venture has a 2nd gear going bad. I knew this was a problem going in and I was lucky enough to get a bike that has it's 2nd gear blowing out. It's going to cost me $2000.00 to get it fixed.

The best low cost bike for touring/camping is the new Honda NT700V. It's got the power to carry 2 and a lot of gear. It's very comfortable, and rides well in all weather including heavy rain. That's an important thing. You might look cool on your naked Harley Vrod cruising down the road in your leather and nut helmet looking like a bad biker... but you look like a drowned rat in the rain and will be miserable. A bike with a windshield keeps you riding in the rain and a lot dryer and comfortable. Many new bikes have adjustable windshields so they can be down for dry weather and up for rain or cold. My big lumbering geezer glide lets me ride comfortably in 30 degree weather with rain because of it's fairing and huge windshield. It does NOT let me enjoy the wind on a hot summer day. the vents on my helmet are ineffective because of the windshield...

ind a bike that you like and can do what you want as well as be comfortable for you.

cheap GPS trip logger.

2010-03-14T19:06:00.001-07:00

Many times on a trip you want to share with others your travels or even simply remember where you have been for your own use. You can use a GPS, some of the better units allow trip logging, but most dont that are best for road trips with all the maps. Enter the GPS logger. Specifically the AGL3080 GPS logger. This little guy is cheap at under $70.00 on amazon.com and it allows you to press a button to record a location or continuously log your travel every second to the end of the day when you can easily save it to your netbook laptop you packed. (more on communication on the road for a later article...)

It's not gonna save your bacon when you get lost, but it will tell you what wrong turn you took 4 hours ago when you are in your hotel room miles from the campsite late at night. It's not useful for a trip, it's useful for after the trip.

Spring is Here!

2010-03-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

Readying the bike for the season, cleaning things up, dont rush getting the bike on the road though. Right now is the time to look over the bike completely. Air up the tires to full air pressure and check them the next day, look for cracks. If you see ANY get the bike to the shop for new tires. nothing will ruin your day or life than a front tire blowout at highway speeds. Check your fluid levels, when was the last time you changed your fork oil? is everything tight? does the bike start easily after it has sat overnight without the battery tender on it? Water level in the battery? check it over carefully. Every minute you spend now is less that will cause you problems later in the year and miles from home. While you are readying your bike, check over your camping gear. make sure mice did not make your new compact sleeping bags their new home. get a can of tent water-proofer and on a good day set up the tent and check it out, at least re-treat the seams. I respray the whole tent with "camp-dry" silicone water-proofer every 3 years. finding problems now means you dont have to scramble later. One thing I added to my kit is the Scala Rider Q2 helmet bluetooth headsets. I can answer the phone on the road and talk to my wife as well as listen to my ipod and GPS. (I plug the gps audio out into a ipod fm transmitter and use the FM radio on the headset to listen, works great) This allows greater freedom and it stops the ripping out of the headset cords the old bike intercom had. Plus these devices are cheaper than replacement stock Yamaha headsets.

Several advancements have came about in camping gear. Some easier to use like a Cot-tent, but they are impossible to carry on a bike. some newer summer tents pack very small and there are new smaller cooking stoves available. One thing that works great is getting a soft fold-able cooler. you can easily stash it when riding, but use it to go get food for cooking after you set up camp if you want to cook over the campfire. I will cover some of the new smaller camping gear soon.

Almost time for riding season again....

2010-02-16T05:28:00.000-08:00

Is your bike ready for the spring riding season? You know that most of the maintenance items you have your dealer perform in the spring you can easily do at home and with the toolkit your bike came with....

Sparkplugs : if you have a carburetor bike these need to be checked and cleaned. carefully remove each one and inspect them, if BLACK then your bike is running rich and needs the carbs adjusted or even the air filter cleaned or replaced. you want them to be slightly rust colored with clean spots probably the electrode will be clean. some light soot is OK.

Gas : you did put in a fuel stabilizer or "seafoam" before you stored the bike last fall right? also how old is your bike, have you checked the fuel filter? it should be replaced every 2-3 years.

Tires : inspect for cracks, make sure they are aired up properly. move the bike to keep from getting flat spots.. I park on carpets to help eliminate the flat spot problem.

Battery: you put a good quality battery tender on it right? if not get one now and get it on the battery, you might be able to save it if it's not went completely dead.

I would NOT start the bike until spring unless you crank it a bit with the gas off to build oil pressure first. you dont want to start a dry engine. If you do start it, then you need to run it for 20 minutes or more until it's up to full temperature, you dont need to fill your mufflers with water from the exhaust and a cold muffler... that makes for rust. If you start it, then let it idle until the engine is hot and at normal running temps, keep going until you no longer see moisture out of the mufflers...

End of summer update.,...

2009-08-31T06:39:00.000-07:00

Well Camping season is almost over. The economy ruined it to the point that we were only able to camp twice this year. I'll be posting a write up of one of our trips and some more tips on supplies we found that are great for Motorcycle camping.

One of them is this years new Bug and suntan packaging in pen size. These pack anywhere and I now keep both on the bike at all times.

Sleeping.....

2009-05-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

One thing that will be more important than gasoline and good tires in motorcycle camping is getting a good nights sleep. I have been through almost ALL of the sleeping pads out there and I'll tell you this point blank. Most of them are garbage. Air mattresses fold up thin, but are not durable or comfortable and they make lots of noise all night. The foam pads that fold up or are corrugated foam feel warm, but after 30 minutes you feel the stones, sticks and things you missed under your tent because they are thin. I'm not one of those people that can sleep anywhere, I need comfort, so I turned to the self-inflating foam pads.

I started with the high priced ones, if you weight more than 90 pounds you will bottom them out and end up uncomfortable at night. The ones I ddid find that were comfy were the ones that had regular sealing points throughout the pad. rings or dots in the middle allow you to fill up the pad with more air to make it firmer and not turn into a balloon that rolls you off. Also make sure it has 1/5" or more of foam inside. the 1" thick pads are pretty much worthless.

Basically you need to try a lot of different ones to find what you like the best. If it's not very comfortable on your living room floor, it will be miserable in the tent. I settled on the Coleman self-inflating mat with pillow. This cheap sleeping mat was far more comfortable to me than even the $250.00 high end outfitters mats. It does not roll up really tiny, but it's a size that is manageable.

The season is getting closer....

2009-04-27T05:21:00.001-07:00

The bike is almost completely ready for the season. I replaced front wheel bearings, repainted it, re-assembled it. I went through the toolkit and replaced all the stamped steel junk tools with nice ratcheting box end wrenches, If you wont love using them in your garage, you will hate the tools when sitting in the gravel on the side of the road. My trailer hitch is finished and out for powder-coat and chrome. I also discovered a wonderful cheap cargo camper for Motorcycles. Harbor Freight now has a tiny motorcycle trailer available that is under $500.00US a better price than the overpriced $3500-$6500 trailers that are available. I will not be using it this year for camping. All camping will be 2 up bike only. If I cant carry it on the bike, it does not come camping! That will be the entire premise of the book, what you need and what you can do camping on just your bike.

I am getting the itch to ride. I have been on some shorter around town runs. Weather here has been rain or heavy winds, so not much in riding yet. I at least went through a tank of gas, 35mpg... I need to tune up the bike, sync the carbs, and clean them out. Getting maintenance done now will mean your summer riding is far more trouble free. Take the time and waste some of the spring riding weather. If you need tires, get them on, get that bike running so you feel confident to ride 400-500 miles and back.

Motorcycle Luggage: a primer.

2009-04-03T05:01:00.000-07:00

yes it's available for every bike. Panniers; from the hard fiberglass and metal ones from the manufacturer that is specially designed for your bike, to soft sided stuff that will fit on anything from a cruiser to the smallest sportbike. There is luggage for your bike that will do what you want and carry what you need.

One of the most useful bags for your bike is the ever popular tank bag. Tank Bags come in a ton of different sizes, from thin little things designed to hold your sunglasses and a granola bar to giant 2 tier ones that almost block the road ahead and can carry enough for 1 person to stay overnight someplace. All along with everything for the day long ride stuffed in there as well, these bags are incredibly useful on your trip. Most tank bags mount with strong magnets to your tank, some of the better ones will also have straps to further secure them. They come in leather, cordoua, cloth, etc... and can make a very long ride more comfortable, although they can be a bother when they sit over your fuel cap, then you have to remove it to fuel up. This minor inconvenience is worth it. A tank bag is the first piece of luggage you should buy it will make even day rides fare more comfortable by keeping smaller items or even a bottle of water handy.

The bigger stuff like sissy-bar bags and tail-bags simply give you more room. Many sissy-bar bags do require a sissy-bar on your bike or a raised backrest. But they typically have enough straps to happily sit strapped down in the passenger spot. These are like very large backpacks, you certainly can live a weekend out of one of these at a friends house or hotel room if this is the only bag you brought along. Tail-bags are smaller. They are designed to strap onto the tail of your bike, mostly sport-bikes but other can have them as well. They range in size from tiny tank-bag size to enough room for 2 helmets. Keep in mind how your bike will allow such a bag to be mounted, you will have a weight limit that your bike's tailpiece can withstand. A bike outfitted with a large sissy-bar bag on his passenger seat and a nice big tank bag can take a week long trip on the open road from motel to motel easily. A lot of guys do this with only those two bags. If your bike can handle it, you can probably ride 2 up with all that gear and still get a week-long trip out of it.

Panniers are another animal. These are either hard panniers like I have on my Venture or soft panniers like you see mounted to many a Soft tail harleys out there on the road. These bags offer even more luggage room to the sides of the bike. 2 typical panniers can hold about what 1 large sissy-bar bag can hold. Some are smaller, the ones that I have seen for the small sportbikes cant hold much, but some of the monsters out there can hold incredible amounts of items in them. hard panniers typically require modifying your bike with mounts. Some bikes come with them or are available for that bike specifically. Those are your best bet to get. They mount perfectly because they were designed for your bike and stay off your pipes. The soft bags can shift or hang too low and melt or get burnt on your pipes. Be sure to test any soft panniers on your bike before any trips to make sure you dont have any issues.

Finally, when you load up your bike, you change how it rides. More weight up top in sissy-bar bags will make the bike more top heavy. More weight makes it slide farther in stopping. Load up your bike and take a test ride. adding another 200 pounds to it can make it handle like a untamed beast with some bikes. Be Aware how your bike rides loaded up.

Welcome!

2009-03-30T07:39:00.001-07:00

I have started YET another blog. This one though will be a companion to my new book I am writing, Adventures in Motorcycle Camping.

I have become frustrated with the lack of information on camping with a motorcycle and just a motorcycle. Most books are incomplete or out of date, and really do not address many things needed for your 2 wheeled camping adventure. I ride a very large vintage 1983 Yamaha Venture but one of my best friends rides a 1979 XS750. This is where we will document all of our thoughts and adventures into Motorcycle camping. Cooking tips over the campfire, packing, gear reviews and more.

Motorcycle camping with 2 people on the bike and no trailer is a challenge that is closer to backpacking. I will show you how to do it, and you can follow along as we camp and travel on our bikes.