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ought ten posted:Strife are you in NYC? I'm trying to think what's 5+ hours from northern VT, and what's good motocamping closer than that. About an hour south of Boston (soon to be an hour north of Boston). In retrospect it's closer to 4~ hours. I gauge it by how long it would take to get to The Alchemist. There are a number of "campgrounds" read: places to park an RV in a field, but there's likely some decent motocamping out in western MA.
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Aug 12, 2021 13:11
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Strife posted:About an hour south of Boston (soon to be an hour north of Boston). In retrospect it's closer to 4~ hours. I gauge it by how long it would take to get to The Alchemist. There are a number of "campgrounds" read: places to park an RV in a field, but there's likely some decent motocamping out in western MA. Yeah Western Mass is probably a good bet. There’s also southern NH, like the Monadnock region, and southern VT. I can’t remember specific spots I’ve camped but there should be plenty of campgrounds and state parks, etc. Not as good as northern VT but closer. And depending on traffic it’s only a few hours to the White Mountains, which is obviously incredible riding, and plenty of camping.
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Aug 12, 2021 14:39
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Yesterday's camp. Riding around lower Telemark area. Testing out a firebox/stick burner this fall.  Works both for cooking and light/heat/bug repellent.  You got to feed it more often than a normal campfire, but if I fed it 1-1/2 inch(3-5cm) thick, 3 inch(10cm) long pieces of wood it wasn't that bad. No need for a big fire riding solo. Hydro regulated lakes got decent firewood at the shores, especially in dry months.
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Sep 5, 2021 23:14
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Sep 6, 2021 00:34
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japan trip unshockingly cancelled for the third time (second year) in a row, so I am making my rounds through TN mostly up in LBL rn since that's okay offroading for the south: gotta keep the weight low   also fit a second cold snack, a modelo michelada (for breakfast of course), and a 32oz high life plus some melted ice in there  no work from yesterday til week after thanksgiving so idk where I'll go after this, but might do another night in LBL and maybe ride over to kentucky. who knows! flying out to NYC next weds for a little over a week to catch david byrne's show and finally get some good loving food (miss u portland). moto camping rules
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Nov 11, 2021 01:11
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finally done camping. resupplied half way through so I could grab my switch for SMTV at night and grab more beer where I set up camp (dispersed camping at a different (better) section of LBL):  how I transported firewood from the gas station lol (also chopped a few downed smaller trees since that's explicitly kosher and I brought my hatchet):  fires and sunsets were excellent. blasting cigs while reading by firelight owns:   and then I left on a dreary (warmer) day:  off to NYC now!
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Nov 16, 2021 21:24
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 Went brapping last weekend. Around -5 c most of the weekend. Tested my new härkila heated base layers, worked real nice. Pretty nice beach area though wrong season. Woke up all night from cracking ice on the lake.  Sidecar means easy firewood. My brother just brought along his chainsaw + some dry logs to start the fire.  Hammock with under quilt and winter sleeping bag worked ok, but should have boiled some water on the campfire for a flask for sleeping bag heat and unfrozen drinking water in the morning. Supradog fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Jan 29, 2022 |
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Jan 29, 2022 23:15
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I did the shakedown run / wear in of the new bore and piston last weekend.  Ready to go. Noted some rough running above 4k rpm, (late 80 keihin Yamaha split carb with one intake for below 4k and one for above.) that progressively got worse over the weekend, on the return trip also issues below 4k, plus carb sometime pissed fuel. I'll take of the carb and dismantle and order what I need from kedo.de, they got everything in stock. Other tech issues was the battery. Ran fine, but could not crank. Since it was a shakedown and I had noted the battery behaved a little strange on the charger(took ages to charge, Saw a drop in voltage when probed with multimeter) we carried a jump pack, so we got started at the gas station, and dropped by the closest Biltema store to grab a new battery. That fixed it and the bike started fine all weekend. Just as we rode away from the parts store I spotted something on my brothers bike. Can you spot the difference?   Yeah.. we turned around, got some square bracket with the correct sized hole and nylock nuts. After all the "adventure" the ride to the camp spot went fine  Plenty of firewood as the local cross-country skiing club cuts the regrowth near the tracks and leave it for recreational use. We also rebuilt the fire pit for better reflection.  We bothered to lug some nice logs for less fire maintenance too.  Camp more, it's fun. 
Supradog fucked around with this message at 23:42 on Apr 29, 2022 |
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Apr 29, 2022 23:37
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Apr 30, 2022 15:17
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I managed to strap all my camping gear (which is decidedly not the stuff meant for traveling light) to my SV650. That means i can start actually planning a trip! Main goal is to find some nice twisty mountain roads, which is something i don't have at home - or anywhere within 250km, really. Probably first around the Ardennes for two days, perhaps then trekking towards the Eiffel and spending another two days there before heading home.
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Jul 23, 2022 18:38
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I am in the Ardennes now. It is beautiful here and it probably completely ruins riding in my own super flat area. First night was poo poo. I have been suffering from insomnia for a while now, and after i arrived here i was too tired to do a good job of putting the tent in a spot where the ground is flat, so i had the feeling of rolling out of bed for the whole night. Thankfully i put the tent on a tarp so the next day i just removed the ground anchors and moved the tent with all my crap in it as a whole  Finally some roads where my ability limits the speed. I'm so totally not used to this kind of riding. Feels like a beginning rider all over again. Pictures will follow, the internet here is pretty spotty and only dial up size images will upload reliably LimaBiker fucked around with this message at 08:49 on Aug 3, 2022 |
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Aug 2, 2022 21:35
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Right, third post in a row in this thread, but i finally got around to sifting through some pictures.  An SV is not the greatest luggage carrying bike. But i could just about take enough things with me to camp. On the tank i strapped my backpack with one of those generic red luggage nets. Behind me are the rolled up sleeping bag, self inflating mat (Therm-A-Rest, big and thick, it is super comfy) and a little pillow. Everything i stuffed into one of those vacuum bags some folks use to store things, because i expected rain and i didn't wanna end up with soaking wet things to sleep on. I also stuffed a respro rain suit into my backpack. In the end, there was indeed rain but it was so little that it was negligible. On the way back home it again rained, but it was only 10 minutes and it was warm so although i got wet while wearing the mesh summer suit, i also was dry again 10 minutes later. So in the end, the rain gear was a massive waste of space. Space was a big issue for me. All the extra gear i took didn't help, but another issue is that my actual camp stuff is pretty big, much more suitable for car travel thanf or bike travel. On top of the camping stuff is my summer suit. I was fretting about taking it at first because usually i prefer riding in my leathers, but i ended up only riding in the mesh gear for the whole trip because it got too hot. The whole week it was about 25 to 32 deg C.  Almost at the border with Belgium. The tent is the long skinny thing in the orange/grey bag on the side.  Finally arrived in Malmedy. It was about 2,5 hours of mind numbing dutch highways, and then another hour through the nice rolling landscape of belgium. The tent is long to pack and also quite heavy, but truly amazing to put up. It has a sturdy upside down umbrella like mechanism and it literally takes less than 2 minutes to put up or pack up again. I bought the tent as an emergency tent for 50 bucks after losing the poles of my Nice And Proper Tent on the way to a festival. But this 'lovely' 50 euro thing has been holding up for quite a few uses already. I figured out quickly that having a tarp in front of the tent was really nice, so i simply cut off that bit that sticks out, and moved it to the front of the tent. That meant not tracking as much dirt and dew into the tent.  Tiny detail. I'm missing most of the depravity of the Amsterdam pride because i like riding more than being in huge crowds. But i did wanna queer up the place a bit. Also yes that is indeed a computer fan. I lit the tent with a LED strip tied to the inside of the tent (which worked really well) and the fan ran from the same battery. An extra Yuasa lead-acid battery charges nicely under my buddy seat. This way i didn't have to gently caress around with finding places to charge a power bank etc because my large power bank takes 7ish hours to charge on a car USB charger. The lead acid battery charged far more quickly (3-4 hours) as long as the bike's own battery was already full. My phone could be charged from the car charger hooked up to the 12v battery. When i arrived, first thing was to find a supermarket that was still open. I took a wrong turn, and immediately ended up on a beatiful road with great views.    The next day i went for a ride through a whole bunch of little towns in the Hautes Fagnes nature area. Beautiful. I used the TomTom Go Ride app which worked, but sometimes glitched out for a few seconds. The 'extra exciting roads' option just meant the smallest possible roads, not necessarily those most enjoyable. The 'medium' option was the nicest, sending me over some nice and twisty roads that weren't village or farm roads.   Chicken strips were not in stock this week. poo poo's twisty here.  Quick selfie before i had to blast off again to get some air cooling of myself. The Rev'It jacket did a lovely job at that.  I especially loved this road. This is a straight bit where i could safely stop at a logging road, but this is also the top of a mountain. It goes down to the valley where Malmedy sits, via a bunch of great corners. The maximum speed was either 90 or 70km/h which both are 'if you dare' speeds. The second full day i spent on the road through the Eifel  I did shorten this route a bit. I set off at the blue dot, continued through the Eifel part in germany, and around Eupen i decided to go home again. I am NOT at all used to actual twisty roads full with blind corners and hairpins, so after about 3 hours i started to get tired. The Eifel was particularly beautiful, although i didn't really get many opportunities to stop and take pictures of the amazing views.  Little buses casually working their way up and down mountains. The bus drivers must be the Sabine Schmidts of these roads in their spare time.   Even someone's bloody back lot looks picturesque.  Onwards!  Back at the camp site. Food time. I loved the little foldable gas stove. I have always used those Campingaz ones that you screw on top of a can of gas, but disliked them for their instability. This one has the tank sitting next to it with a small hose and is very solid. After returning from the ride, my bike smelled quite a lot of gas, but i couldn't find any leaks. I also was too tired to really start looking for it. It only got stronger during the night. the next morning...  SHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT. The bottom fairing was dripping fuel (mixed with some tarry road dirt and chain lube residue that collects there). There was a small layer of gasoline sitting in the fairing. No wonder it absolutely reeked. Some other bikers arrived right when the SV decided to leak, and they were at first worried it were their bikes smelling like that...  I put the tank in the upright service position and quickly found out there was a leak between the tank and the fuel petcock. I tightened the bolts (even more than they already were) which initially didn't help. I toweled up all the fuel from the bottom fairing so it wouldnt either combust or spray onto people behind me, and got onto the highway home as quick as i could. It dripped about one droplet per 3 seconds, not too bad but definitely bad enough to cause problems if it can collect somewhere. I assumed the wind on the highway would instantly vaporize it. After about 70km i stopped to check on the leak - it was gone. Probably the heat made the metals expand and seal up again. Made it home safely, and immediately ordered a new seal for between tank and petcock. And that was it. It was absolutely lovely and i really wanna go back. I did learn a few things. like that i definitely gotta try and find some smaller camp gear E: tank seal replaced. Coincidentally i just bought a little fuel transfer pump 3 weeks ago 'just in case'. It already came in handy. LimaBiker fucked around with this message at 11:42 on Aug 6, 2022 |
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Aug 6, 2022 08:47
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lol hell yeah nothing like fixing poo poo while you're camping
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Aug 6, 2022 14:58
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some of my favorite times were wrenching in the parking lot the morning of a multi day long moto tour. sick trip.
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Aug 6, 2022 15:22
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I always bring a big fat tool roll on any trip longer than a day I've needed it maybe once or twice in ten years, but I know, down at the very core of my being, that if I saved weight and space by leaving it home I'd find myself pulled over somewheres going "why didn't I bring my fuckin tools"
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Aug 6, 2022 15:57
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The tools included in the SV'S tool set are surprisingly useful. Could have done the seal replacent purely with that set. But the seal itself is not super common and i didn't have a transfer pump and gas can to empty the tank. LimaBiker fucked around with this message at 17:21 on Aug 6, 2022 |
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Aug 6, 2022 17:18
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Recommendations on travel pillows?
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Aug 10, 2022 12:29
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I use a thermarest pillow. It has little chunks of soft foam inside. Squishes down pretty small, like nalgene sized. They come in a few different sizes. It’s more soft than supportive, so sometimes I put a stuff sack full of clothes (which is a decent pillow in itself) underneath.
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Aug 10, 2022 14:34
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Gorson posted:Recommendations on travel pillows? I have a amaller nemo fillow that you can fill too as stiff as you want it. packs up tiny which is the most important thing for moto camping. had it for >5yr with no problems
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Aug 10, 2022 16:19
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My friend I was just camping with had a Nemo, very versatile and packs down tiny. It's on my to-buy list.
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Aug 11, 2022 01:50
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo378TWmAPI I've had this one for a couple of years. Its very good. light, packs small and not noisy while still being an inflateable pillow.
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Aug 11, 2022 13:58
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Thanks for the ideas, any issues with these sliding around in a hammock? Anyone use a neck pillow?
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Aug 11, 2022 14:05
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Gorson posted:Thanks for the ideas, any issues with these sliding around in a hammock? Anyone use a neck pillow? I typically sleep in a mummy bag so I have zero issues with it moving. if it’s hot (it always is in the south) I’ll usually just do a blanket in the hammock and even then I wake up with it under my head. never used a neck pillow before though so idk about that
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Aug 11, 2022 18:57
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Supradog posted:Hammock with under quilt and winter sleeping bag worked ok
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Aug 19, 2022 20:20
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Anyone recommend any tent-cots? I have one for the track. It is heavy as hell but waterproof and works super well. I wonder if something light enough for a bike exists. I am bad at pitching tents and stuff and it's not super fun. Cot tents just fold out and you are done. It's fine for the track because I trailer the bike and we camp on site. Edit: The tent cot thing I have is like 15 lbs, but it folds up into a sizable 3x3ftx4in thing. I have been tempted to build like a wooden trunk for the back of my adv and testing how it impacts handling 😅 You can find pictures of people moving comical loads of poo poo on bikes in third world countries with bungee cords. Why do we spend thousands on plastic panniers? SSH IT ZOMBIE fucked around with this message at 23:47 on Mar 20, 2023 |
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Mar 20, 2023 23:33
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I have also been looking to upgrade my little "self" inflatable mat thing i use, it works fine but would be nice to be above ground a bit.
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Mar 21, 2023 00:11
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SSH IT ZOMBIE posted:Anyone recommend any tent-cots? I have one for the track. It is heavy as hell but waterproof and works super well. I wonder if something light enough for a bike exists. I am bad at pitching tents and stuff and it's not super fun. Cot tents just fold out and you are done. It's fine for the track because I trailer the bike and we camp on site. that sounds way more difficult / large than just sleeping in a hammock. I slept in one traveling from Portland to Nashville and it was very comfortable and packed up very small. a super small camping cot is either going to be incredibly expensive or just plain not exist as the answer is a hammock e: looks like I’m wrong on price! there’s a few compact ones on amazon that look a bit bigger than a sleeping roll so if you can fit one of those you can definitely fit a compact cot that being said feel free to strap it to your bike. I strap bundles of firewood and beer to my bike and it keeps people away while I ride lol right arm fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Mar 21, 2023 |
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Mar 21, 2023 00:32
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right arm posted:that sounds way more difficult / large than just sleeping in a hammock. I slept in one traveling from Portland to Nashville and it was very comfortable and packed up very small. a super small camping cot is either going to be incredibly expensive or just plain not exist as the answer is a hammock One time to strapped 2 bundles of firewood, a gallon water jug and groceries to my Tuono and then drove down a gravel road with track tires.
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Mar 21, 2023 01:02
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Lol hell yeah
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Mar 21, 2023 01:10
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right arm posted:e: looks like I’m wrong on price! there’s a few compact ones on amazon that look a bit bigger than a sleeping roll so if you can fit one of those you can definitely fit a compact cot Yeah, I saw those. That's what I am wondering. I have a kamp-rite, it is well built and stable but packs very large. It's loving amazing though. Is the one on amazon any good? It seems like they should be more popular. Edit: Kamp-Rite makes a compact one now. Mystery solved. SSH IT ZOMBIE fucked around with this message at 02:36 on Mar 21, 2023 |
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Mar 21, 2023 02:25
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SSH IT ZOMBIE posted:Yeah, I saw those. That's what I am wondering. I have a kamp-rite, it is well built and stable but packs very large. It's loving amazing though. Is the one on amazon any good? idk never used it but you can always just return it if it sucks (or after your trip lol)
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Mar 21, 2023 16:36
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Does anyone bring tools to change motorcycle inner tubes? Half eyeing motion pro bead breakers and zip ties. Wondering if it is a skill worth learning. Or is it like, yeah, you're hosed, uber to a uhaul and drive your bike home? SSH IT ZOMBIE fucked around with this message at 01:01 on Apr 11, 2023 |
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Apr 11, 2023 00:24
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On a dirt bike? Easy work, and pretty necessary especially if you run low pressures. Once you get good at it it can be a 20 minute job depending on the bike.
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Apr 11, 2023 02:04
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It's probably worth practicing at least once at home too before you're forced to do it on a trail/the side of a road
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Apr 11, 2023 02:45
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Yeah, OK, doing it. I'll have the shop do balancing. I'm switching tires around. From Shinko 705s to Hidenau K60 Rangers then back to road 6s. The shinkos are maybe at 40% tread left. I am going to try some localish places for camping first. Seems like figuring everything out will take some practice, and being able to fix tires seems like it could be important on a longer trip. SSH IT ZOMBIE fucked around with this message at 02:54 on Apr 11, 2023 |
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Apr 11, 2023 02:51
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The MotionPro balancing stand is also a truing stand. May be worth considering since your wheels are spoked iirc. Balancing is not difficult.
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Apr 11, 2023 05:17
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SSH IT ZOMBIE posted:Does anyone bring tools to change motorcycle inner tubes? Half eyeing motion pro bead breakers and zip ties. Wondering if it is a skill worth learning. yes. motionpro bead breakers are very good and small which is key for camping. idk what you need zip ties for other than cheating at putting a new tire on at home  my wheels are tubeless though so I just bring a plug kit, a tiny pump, and a tube in case I taco the rim and need to make it home
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Apr 12, 2023 18:45
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I'm fixing to go on my first ever moto camping trip over this weekend - we get monday off work because class struggle so three nights out. Little if any rain is forecast but it will be cold at night so I opted to go with a tent rather than hammock and underquilt since I've never tested those when this cold. This might turn out to be a mistake, but there's always the options of lighting a fire or even checking into some kind of hotel if it's super miserable. I have camped out plenty as a younger man, often with very limited gear, but it's been many years since I slept more than one night in a row outdoors and even longer since I was out in freezing weather. I had hoped to fit all the gear in my new top box and panniers and wear no backpack but the panniers aren't huge, so I'll probably have to strap the thermarest on the pillion and not have any room for the helmet in the top box before all is packed. The trip is Swedish east coast to west coast and back again. I have a bunch of interesting looking small asphalt roads bookmarked but the route is not at all set in stone at this point. Hopefully I'll circle the two big lakes in the middle I guess, weather and time permitting.
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Apr 27, 2023 11:03
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That sounds like an amazing trip, what bike/gear do you have? Im usually able to get everything in my bags without a backpack, which is very nice - but it took me a few trips to work out what I did and didn't need to pack.
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Apr 27, 2023 13:54
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Invalido posted:I'm fixing to go on my first ever moto camping trip over this weekend - we get monday off work because class struggle so three nights out. Little if any rain is forecast but it will be cold at night so I opted to go with a tent rather than hammock and underquilt since I've never tested those when this cold. This might turn out to be a mistake, but there's always the options of lighting a fire or even checking into some kind of hotel if it's super miserable. I have camped out plenty as a younger man, often with very limited gear, but it's been many years since I slept more than one night in a row outdoors and even longer since I was out in freezing weather. I had hoped to fit all the gear in my new top box and panniers and wear no backpack but the panniers aren't huge, so I'll probably have to strap the thermarest on the pillion and not have any room for the helmet in the top box before all is packed. Going around Vänern is sadly pretty boring, the north parts does not have good alternatives to the main roads. south western parts has the most interesting roads, but a good bit of them is pretty restrictive in speed limit. This area and the area just south of this on the map has a good bit of winding rural asphalt roads. Just do some google street view scouting to check for gravel roads if you have a street only bike. 
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Apr 27, 2023 14:17
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