Any bikers here???

[tytek]

Are there any bikers (motorbikers) here?

I haven't had much chance to get out on mine in recent days - due to the snow and ice.

I'm wanting to do a bit of semi wild camping on mine in the new year when the weather starts to get better.
I am after some hints and tips for travelling on the bike with all the gear I need but obviously not too much.

I used to have an old 1984 XT600 Tenere but I sold it due to the fact it was terrible on the motorway. I now have a GSXR 1100 so motorways are no longer an issue.

 

[Robbi]

did a 1350 mile round trip to cornwall and back last year on a Vulcan 2000, all the kit plus wife, 11 days and it rained every day !! I love the bikes but not been out for a while due to working away and the weather. ( i loved my XT600, great green lane AND town machines )

 

[rcastillo]

Some random thoughts on this topic:

- Weight isn't such an issue cos it's not on your back, but remember to adjust your rear shock or the handling will be off.

- Minimise on clothing by:
- wearing Draggin Jeans and waterproof over-trousers (avoids taking changes of clothing and it's all stuff good for camping in)
- ride in hiking boots; you'll get used to changing gears in them after 10-15 mins. Remember to tidy the laces or they can get wrapped around the brake pedal or gear shift and you won't know until you try to put your foot down at the lights!

- The problem with road bikes and wild camping is you can't get far off the road unless you find a well-maintained cinder track or suchlike.

- Make sure your bike luggage is waterproof!

- Remember that the pillion seat is a good place to tie akward stuff to, and that anything that is as long as your bike is wide with panniers on (if you're using panniers) will fit. I often tie a comfy tent and a camping chair across the seat if I have panniers on.

- Don't over estimate what you can carry on your back when riding. Let the bike do the work.

- If you're doing distance tank bags can be great to rest your chest on and relieve your wrists. Pack the tank bag firmly enough and at the right height with this in mind, if you think this will be useful.

- Take baby wipes. Amongst all the good camping uses they also do a good job on visors.

- If you're tarp camping the remember the bike can be another object to tie to. (not enough tension to pull the bike on top of you pls!).

- If you're tarp camping you could take a tarp big enough to cover the bike too! Watch where you cook though!

- If you haven't got a buff buy one. They're perfect for on and off the bike, being a balaclava, beanie, neck warmer, etc.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Have fun.

Richard

 

[tytek]

( i loved my XT600, great green lane AND town machines )

Have to agree with you there I used to love filtering through trafic on the way home from work (probably way too fast) - they just don't do motorways too good

The bike I have isn't an 'expedition bike' by any stretch of the imagination.
It's not faired or fitted with panniers.
I have a tank bag and will be on the look out for a hip bag and a rucksack to use.

Like I said before I don't want to go mad on weight and pack loads of stuff - If I wanted to go 'normal camping' I'd take all my gear in the car.

 

[tommy the cat]

Been looking at something to do a bit of greenlaning and camping on....aways seems to be a bit of a compromise when you come to do big distances though.
Me I usually rent a cottage or b&b it when in Scotland too wet to ride all day in the rain then sleep in it!
Gonna do a bushie trip on the bike next year.
D

 

[baggins]

Did a couple of trips up to the lakes earlier this spring on the missus ER5 (my old Honda drinks more oil than petrol when she's opened up these days).
Its not faired or panniered but i managed quite well with plenty of bungees and have now invested in a givi box, so can even carry my Bison Tipi aswell now.
Just remember, unless you have somthing like a GS even campsites can be scary places on slicker road tires, the damp grass and mud can have you off in a blink and you have a alot more weight than normal.

Baggins

 

[deenewcastle]

I went camping four times this year on my F650 I found that it was fine on the motorways as long as you didn't want to do more than 85, which in this country should be fast enough I even found that in bad weather, the dual purpose was actually better on the motorways than my CBR, which I used for non-camping trips. It was particularly bad one Sunday afternoon in May when I rode back up the M1 from the Peak District at times standing up on the pegs to releave my poor bottom. You can't do that at that speed on the CBR I didn't do any wild camping though, so hope to be able to get some in during 2010, especially around the Borders or Dumphries & Galloway area.

I have a pair of plastic 'BMW City' panniers on Bessie (my Beamer) as well as a top box to match, a rear pack and dry bags which I keep on the pillion along with whichever tent I'm using, and a tank bank with tank panniers across the, well, tank

One of the things I hope to achieve for 2010 is to scale down my requirements and reduce the mountain of kit which I take on the bike, although at times it is nice to have all the comforts of car camping, even if not in the car itself. To that end, I've now acquired a small dome tent which I intend to strip down to the bare minimum, little more than a flysheet and a bathtub floor, and a medium sized Omega 300 which I intend to reduce to bathtub with mossie net, for use with a tarp. Mind you. I've also obtained 2 tipis, and intend to convert one to a Bell Tent by adding a 2' skirt, which I want to reduce the other and make it more suitable for the M/C.

I'll try to put up a few piccies later with my main 'camping' set ups.

 

[Stingray]

Best way to keep the bike balanced is to carefully place beer cans in any spaces
All my camping's done on the bike complete with chair,table and comfy bed.

Sometimes we have to rough it in carparks

 

[gsfgaz]

I just you'sed the travell panniers and then fired everything else on to the bike , then put a cargo net round the lot with loads of bungie's ,, then ur away ... it's hard gettin ur leg oor the bike though ma bike the one on the right

 

[maddave]

Dos Bandido's !!!!

Your kit shouldn't be a problem. I can do a fortnight easy on a bike with throwover panniers and a couple of drybags bungied on. I'm on a dragstar1100

 

[Whittler Kev]

I'm just Greedy
Got a 1989 1500 GoldWing in Wineberry red that's been chipped and pursuit tuned by local police as a coppers private bike originally (wheelies 2 up in third, does the clock and still pulling:yikes and a bog standard black and cream 1990 HD 1340 Heritage Softail Classic (reason for avatar)
Not been too well recent years but get out when I can. Always been out for a short ride on New Years day for the last 10 years

 

[Stingray]

Thoroughly recommend biker wandering
Freedom..

Though with the Jap bikes you get headlights,brakes,handling and everything.
Totally indulged....

 

[tommy the cat]

Good pic's
Just one so I don't feel left out.......mines the 02 plate **** you can see.

Dave

 

[lavrentyuk]

Excellent, anybody else coming to the Dragon Rally in North Wales this year then ? I will be spending a night camping near Dolgellau with some mates then go onto wherever the site is this year - rumours of Capel Curig abound.

Bike - mmmm... depends what is working and what the weather is like.

1977 BMW R100S with over 150, 000 miles on it, mostly mine since about 1985. Hard luggage with good balance but heavy.

1986 XT600 Tenere. Knobblies but a long way to fall off ! Soft luggage and good in the mud, not so in the snow. Just need to get the alternator .rewound.

Various MZs, unlikely to be running again in time. Great in the snow for those of us short in leg. Soft luggage. Great fun, best things on two wheels. I have one virtually complete and MUST get a sidecar for it for the snow.

Kit wise I have been known to take everything from a bivvy bag/tarp to a largish tent but this year am planning on the Polish Army tent set up - fast to set up compared to my 'normal' tents.

I have always loved finding campsites by bike, and can get to some surprising places if you know the more remote areas of Wales well enough.

Richard

 

[deenewcastle]

Here are the piccies I promised

 

[tytek]

1986 XT600 Tenere. Knobblies but a long way to fall off ! Soft luggage and good in the mud, not so in the snow. Just need to get the alternator .rewound.

I have a spare coil - PM me if you still need it sorting.

 

[xlfive]

Love camping on the bike,nothing better than warm sunny evenings riding into the sunset,oh hell wish it was spring time
heres my rig,after one use the soft panniers marked the paint work on the bike so I made some support plates,went on a 1500 mile trip round scotland back in september and the luggage was no problem at all

 

[lavrentyuk]

Re the last, lovely bike and good panniers etc, but I can't blame you for not wanting to ride it in the snow !

If I dropped a bike that size I'd need a crane to get it off me.

Richard

 

[Paul3103]

I have a '99 CBR 900 RRX, but don't ride much any more, just do cycle touring instead.

 

[demographic]

GSXR1100?

Slabby 1052, Slingy 1127 or watercooled late model?

Anyway, you can fit a reasonable (not massive mind) sized magnetic tank bag on those (can on my 750 slingshot anyway and mines an expandable Oxford Sport tankbag) and a tail pack or even better panniers cos they don't have an **** warmer/pannier burner high level exhaust on them.

You can't tuck in behind the fairing as well when you have a tank bag and tend to get buffeted about when... Erm...Making good progress but there's no reason at all why you couldn't carry a good amount on one of those geriatric missiles.

Top bikes, proper old school, reliable and can be tuned to absolutely silly horsepower if you feel the need.