Category: Adventure Motorcycles

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Short, of Patience and Stature?

On By PhotomotomanIn Adventure Motorcycles, Motorcycle Touring, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I know how you feel. When I came back to motorcycling about eight years ago, I actually wanted the best of both worlds. A bike that was powerful enough to ride comfortably all day on the highway getting to my destination of choice, and; a bike that was tractable enough, safe enough, adept enough and light enough, to feel comfortable off-road in the mountains or high-plateaus of North America where I like to ride.

Sound familiar?

So the question is, which (lighter) adventure bike will meet all the criteria, or is too much to ask?

Options

First, let’s lay down the criteria I wanted to use, in order to stay on track.

  • Curb Weight – Must be under 500 pounds (preferably 450 lbs.)
  • It must be capable of riding all day on paved roads to get me to my destination without losing the crowns in the top of my mouth.
  • Must have a windshield and at least a modest fairing for protection.
  • It must have reasonable horsepower (60 hp), and preferably 80.
  • Must be a Twin Cylinder Engine.
  • There has to be adequate storage (panniers) available so that I can camp and be comfortable (and safe) carrying my gear.
  • The bike has to be capable of travelling 200 miles before refuelling.
  • It has to have a seat height under or very close to 33 inches.

There are a number of middle-weight adventure motorcycles that will meet most of these criteria. Price isn’t as important for me, as none of the bikes I’ll recommend can be considered ‘expensive’, (maybe with one exception). Note that I probably won’t cover every motorcycle that fits within these specifications, but these will all be sound choices.

Choices

Aprilia Tuareg 660

Wet weight is 449 pounds, It has 80 hp and 52 lb-ft of torque. It will cruise at 80 mph all day, has wind protection, a range of 230 miles on its 4.75 gallon tank and cost about $16,000 CDN.

CFMoto 700 MT

Weight is 480 pounds. It has 65.7 hp and 49 lb-ft of torque. It will cruise all day at 80 mph, has wind protection, a great range with its 18 litre tank. It has a seat height of 32.2 inches and costs around $9,500 CDN.

Honda CB500X

The weight of the Honda is 432 pounds, and the bike produces 47 hp and only 31.7 lbs. of torque. However, the bike will easily accomodate highway speeds without complaint, and has an amazing range of 275 miles. Its price is just shy of $10,000 CDN.

Kawasaki Versys 650

The weight of the 649cc Versys is 460 lbs and its height is just over 33 inches. It has 59.6 horsepower and 41.5 lb-ft of torque. It will easily accomodate highway speeds. Its range is 270 miles per tank. The price is $13,676 CDN.

Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro

The weight of the 888cc Tiger is 437 lbs and its seat height is 32.6 inches, but can be lowered to 31.8 inches. The bike produces 94 brake horsepower and 79.5 lb feet of torque. And yes, travelling at highway speed is a non-issue. Price is $19, 295 CDN.

Suzuki V-Strom 650XT

The V-strom 650 XT (645cc) has a weight of 476 lbs and a seat height of 32.9 inches. It has a 20 litre fuel tank, 66.8 horsepower and 43 foot pounds of torque. Comfortable cruising at 80 mph, is no problem. The V-Strom’s price in Canada is $11,649 CDN.

Choices, Choices

Obviously, my assumption that there wasn’t a lot of choice (and by no means is this list exhaustive) was wrong. If you’re looking for an efficient, cost-effective off-road capable adventure style bike, then these six bikes, and others that I haven’t looked into, will provide yeoman service for those of us who want both comfort and capability.

Each of these bikes meet my arbitrary specification, but each in turn should be seen to be appreciated and needs to be road tested. A couple of these bikes are certainly more off-road capable, so it depends on your riding style and the locations where you intend to ride, but all of them can be ridden safely off-road. I’ll leave it up to you, to tell me which of these bikes most suits your riding lifestyle.

An obvious consideration may well, for many, be price. However, since these bikes range from $9500 CDN to $19,295 CDN, there is pretty much a bike for all at a price point for all that meets ones needs and pocketbook.

I didn’t include the BMW 800 GS, as it’s weight is over 500 lbs., and endemically it’s on every list.

Let me know what you think, and why. Once again, thanks for coming.

Subscribe and I’ll send you the discount Code. Ciao…

Ciao…

The Best Tent, for Me

On By PhotomotomanIn Adventure Motorcycles, Adventure Touring, Motorcycle Camping, Protective Gear, Survival, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Motorcycle camping is something that I have enjoyed, however, now that I have a piece of steel that sticks out of my leg very close to my knee, I can no longer kneel down. It appears that a new tent that can accommodate me walking in and out, instead of crawling in and out, may be necessary. Therefore I’m looking for a new tent that can accommodate my needs, yet is light enough to carry on my sports tourer without becoming a pain in the knee, so to speak.

I started by looking specifically at motorcycle tents, like the Lone Rider, which allows one to bring their bike inside the tent’s vestibule. They sounded like a great idea, the only problem being the size of the tent itself, which I would call, large. I’m not overly worried about anyone rolling my bike away, as I place a lock on both the brake handle and the brake disc so that the bike cannot roll. When combined with my GPS tracker, that alone would require a thief to disassemble the bike to find it.

So my dilemma is simple. Find a tent that has enough height to be able to get into it without getting on my knees, while at the same time being light enough, and small enough to not be an inconvenience to set up and take down. Oftentimes, where I will want to place a tent at altitude there are few flat, earthen locations to be found.

There are some great tents on the market, however for the price of some I might as well stay at motels. Having said that, I have found one in particular that seems suitable. I’m not quite 5’10”, so a tent that has a height where I can walk in the tent, without having to get on my knees, for me that’s doable. The Core 4-person tent meets all of the criteria that I’ve laid out and costs just $325 CDN.

I also wanted a tent that either has a vestibule, where I can keep my riding gear, or one large enough where I can fit a cot and my gear without being left to the elements. The tent (above) that I have in mind enables that as well. It also has two entrances and weighs just 12 pounds, which isn’t bad for a four-season tent. The bagged tent can be easily placed in two dry bags, less than 21 inches wide, so fitting it on my rear seat should be quite easy on the Ninja 1000sx.

If any of you have had experience with the tent I’d appreciate you dropping me a line or making a comment. I’ve looked at writeups for the product and they’ve been quite favorable, rated #1 for a four-person walk-in style tent in 2024.

Ciao…

Featured

Simply, The Best Motorcycle Boot

On By PhotomotomanIn Adventure Motorcycles, Motorcycle Touring, Protective GearLeave a comment

At the end of last year’s motorcycle season, my Icon boots finally gave out and had to be replaced. I looked at pretty much every manufacturers boots on the market before deciding on a new pair. The boot, that for me, seemed to be the best, by far, was the Klim Outlander GTX.

They are seriously waterproof, and the most comfortable boot I’ve worn. They have peg support, discrete joint protection and are super comfortable when walking, which I can say was not the case with a previous pair of ICON boots, that looked similar, but were really uncomfortable on long walks. Being Gore-TEX lined, your feet stay dry and for me, the BOA fit system w/sequence lacing proved to be fantastic.

I tried these on, but I’m a size 10 with a bit of a wide foot, and they fit perfectly. They aren’t the cheapest boot at about $370 CDN, but they are well worth the price.

If you’re looking for a super comfortable and strong set of motorcycle boots that are totally waterproof, even in a deluge, then consider these boots.

https://youtu.be/C1BFqtEGVtg?si=OhoUxLtocaatSj9j

Ciao…

Featured

I Want a Swiss Army Knife of a Bike!

On By PhotomotomanIn Adventure Motorcycles, UncategorizedLeave a comment

These days, motorcycles seem to fall into distinctive categories. So much so, that when a person buys a bike, they seem to buy it for a ‘specific’ purpose. Interestingly, I’ve actually wondered if a smaller bike offers advantages that outweigh many of the obvious disadvantages, particularly if you want to travel off-road.

First, most adventure bikes are quite tall. The Honda CB500X has a seat height of 32.8 inches, which for an adventure machine is reasonable so that someone of my stature at 5’9 3/4” can ride the bike without much flapping about.

Off-road is an interesting term, because I don’t know many motorcyclists who can take their tourer off-road. While the Honda CB500x can handle off-road excursions where you want to run into the mountains or an out of the way gravel or mud road. The weight of the bike is only 437 pounds wet, and its range is exceptional. You can easily tweak between 70 and 80 miles per gallon, if you don’t push the engine too hard on the highway. Maintaining a speed of 70 mph will generally reward you with 75 mpg in range. With a 17.7 litre fuel tank, you can easily expect a range in excess of 250 miles.

While not the best in terms of off-road capability, it is truly capable of decent off-road performance. It’s flexible suspension setup with inverted Showa front forks and a rear mono-shock, while non-adjustable, isn’t bad. And the rubber on the CB500x is quite good, making use of Dunlop Trailmix Mixtour tires with a 19” front and 17” inch rear alloy wheel.

Of course, like everthing else in life, there are limitations. It’s top speed is 113 mph, its 0-60 mph is 5.2 seconds and it only puts out 47 hp and 31.7 foot pounds of torque. For many this may well be called a beginner-friendly motorcycle, but for older riders who want to get where they are going reliably, affordably, yet still be capable of taking routes that your larger sport tourer dare not attempt, and you have what might be called a Swiss Army Motorcycle Knife.

Nor is simplicity a bad thing when it comes to off-roading. And while it comes in a fairly spartan package, there is a huge range of touring accessories. So if you’re looking for capability in a cost-effective package you could do a lot worse than the Honda CB500X. The technology, while basic, including its LED instrumentation provides all the necessary information, along with its basic ABS braking, which cannot be turned off, however it isn’t all that invasive and does as its intended.

This spring of 2024, I’ll be taking one for road test. If anything stands out as less or greater than presented here, I’ll let you know.

Also, I’ll be taking the CFMoto 650 Adventura for a test drive as well. It’s a bike that shows lots of promise, not for the off-road but for touring, yet costs only $8,000 in Canada complete with panniers, and with a 5 Year Warranty. So much for not standing behind their product. However, I digress. So, if anyone owns or has insights into the Honda CB500X motorcycle that haven’t been mentioned here, please drop me a line and explain your thoughts.

And one last thought, and question. How many of you would consider riding a 500 CC adventure bike to get you everywhere you want to go, instead of most of the way you want to go on your Sport Tourer?

It’s a fair question as many of my fellow riders are at the point where a sub-200 kilogram bike is beginning to make sense.

As usual, please let me know what you think.

Ciao…

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The Long Way Home

On By PhotomotomanIn Adventure Motorcycles, Adventure Touring, Motorcycle Touring, Mountains, River, Uncategorized, waterfalls2 Comments

I’ve put together my TripTik for my first trip this summer. Two weeks should be about right as I plan to photograph, vlog, and blog along the way. It’s a good day’s ride each day of about 500 miles or 8 hours on the road. At about 9,000 km for the entire trip, it will take me through Manitoba, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, British Columbian, Alberta, Saskatchewan and back to Winnipeg, Manitoba.

https://a.rever.co/embed/rides/9326959

Four years ago I made a similar trip, spending more time in British Columbia and Alberta’s mountains. I’ll be posting a blog each evening and adding some Vlogging along the way, where and when I have connectivity. The mountains are my main interest, along with the deserts. It’s in these places I’ll spend most of my time photographing.

Hopefully, unlike the last trip, the snakes will be few and far between. I got to see enough rattlesnakes, scorpions and Grizzlies then.

So, this is my first trip of the summer. I hope you’ll post yours and tell me the places and sites that make your trip special to you.

Ciao for now…

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Is Simpler, Better?

On By PhotomotomanIn Adventure Motorcycles, Adventure Touring, Motorcycle Touring, Mountains2 Comments

I’ve been researching options for an adventure style bike that I can still ride coast to coast. Most bikes fall clearly into one side of the equation or the other depending on your viewpoint. For me, there is an added classification, and that is price. Sure there are very competent motorcycles from manufacturers that tick every box, or almost, but some of these have stratospheric prices.

Being retired, I’m looking for a very competent all rounder that won’t clear out my bank account. I found my chosen Sport Tourer, and I’m esctatic with the Kawasaki Ninja 1000sx I purchased. The only downside is that I can’t take it offroad and get to the trailhead where I need to push on, on foot.

Having said that, I’ve been looking at three specific motorcycles each with its own unique capabilities, one leaning more to the offroad environment and one more to the road. The happy medium seems to be one of these three bikes, which I hope to disclose come spring when I can verify my opinion by riding all three. Each is not perfect in its own right, but one has most of the considerations met that are important to a man my age, my height and with my resources.

One clear choice for my mountain forays is Suzuki’s V-Strom 650 XT Adventure. It offers a lower seat height, which for me at 5’10” is an important consideration. There is “enough” power at 66.6 hp, and it’s fuel tank at 5.3 US gal. is excellent, providing almost 300 miles of range. The bike has a great character, both offroad and on, tubeless-spoke wheels and anodized rims. It comes with an engine cowling for protection and has 37 litre panniers, which for me is terrific as I carry an inordinate amount of camping and photographic gear. With ABS and traction control and two modes it is clearly not the most sophisticated of the trio of machines under consideration. But simple, clear instrumentation is what you get with Suzuki, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While there is no TFT or bluetooth, the essential instrumentation utilizes an LCD data display, along with an analog tach and digital speedometer. Stacked halogen headlights illuminate the road, while your taillight is LED along with the brakelight.

I have found that having a simple bike design is not a bad thing, as previously mentioned. Usually my trips lend themselves to visiting out of the way locations, often at altitude, so a bike that offers simplicity actually works in its favour. The weight, however, is not light, with the Suzuki being the chunkiest of all three bikes and coming in at 528 pounds.

The price point for the Adventure variant in Canada is $11,649 and there are new 2023’s in the system which can obviously be had a bit cheaper. This spring I’ll be taking all three machines for a ride and hopefully I’ll have a write up and videos of all three in comparison to each other.

If you aren’t sure, the three motorcycles are the Yamaha Tenere 700, the Suzuki V-Strom 650XT and the Honda Transalp XL750.

Let me know if you have ridden any of the bikes along with your opinion and reasoning for why you would or wouldn’t buy the machine.

For me, these three bikes seem to hit the sweet spot in relation to capability, price and weight. Sure, you can go bigger and faster, but at nearly 71 circles of the sun, I have to ask myself, “Do I want or need to?”

Ciao.

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Honda Transalp for 2024?

On By PhotomotomanIn Adventure Motorcycles, Motorcycle Touring, Mountains, Uncategorized2 Comments
2024 Honda Transalp 755 cc

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a thing for Honda motorcycles. I’ve only owned two, by I’ve ridden about ten models so far in my life. Honda’s engines and their reliability, not to mention their smoothness has always held my attention. While there are some who like vibration and noise, it has never been something I was enamoured with. My average riding day to get where I want to go is usually ten to twelve hours, even today. Do that on a thump bucket and by the end of the day you’re exhausted.

So for me the question is simple. What does the Transalp offer that I’d be willing to give up my inline four, its smoothness and speed for? That’s the $49 question. On top of that, I haven’t rode the bike to date, but will this spring.

The big hook is becoming the fact that it is an off-road adventurer that only weighs 458 pounds, wet. For me, with a bum leg, it makes the difference of being able to take my bike down to a trailhead, rather than hiking in all that extra distance, which in the places I like to go, can be quite a few miles.

One other change, is making this decision more likely. I will be having the steel plate and screws in my leg removed before spring. Based on the information from my surgeon, it sounds like I can anticipate a full recovery, which will then give me back my mobility.

If that’s true, then getting an adventure bike makes a great deal more sense than it did just a month ago. Being able to climb, though not technical once again, will make all the difference in where I can go and how I will get there.

So, back to the Transalp. It seems to have all the necessary power with 91 bhp, a quickshifter, slipper clutch, large TFT screen, 100 litre luggage capacity (which is huge for me) and can handle highway speeds without any issue. On road, the bike delivered 67 miles per gallon, with a range of 249 miles. Now, being retired, and putting on about 6,000 miles on my trip, that reduces my costs for fuel by about $325 over the 6,000 miles.

So I suppose it will all come down to the next trip I take, assuming my leg is intact and back to strength. If I find that walking the extra distance, having the extra comfort, speed and amentities of my Kawasaki Ninja 1000sx proves to be what keeps me on a Kawasaki, or if the walking distances into the outback are too far to walk comfortably, then I’ll make a decision.

What do you think? Weigh in, if you will. For those of you who motorcycle camp and who travel into the outback, let me know what you’ve chosen to do.

Ciao.

Beginners Guide to Motorcycling – Part 1.

On By PhotomotomanIn Adventure Motorcycles, Beginners, Motorcycle Safety, Psychology of RidingLeave a comment

I remember my earliest foray into the world of motorcycling and both the anticipation and trepidation I felt in equal doses. In order to swing the pendulum towards anticipation and enjoyment it’s essential that the newby motorcyclist know some basic truisms about motocycling and the importance of using intelligence over testosterone when reaching conclusions.

First, don’t be enamoured by the largest, fastest, most powerful or heavy motorcycle. Be realistic about your fitness, your strength, your age and your stature. Getting a motorcycle requires that you stay out of the showrooms and the influence of sales personnel until you have enough knowledge and acumen to make a choice that will serve your interests. Read, talk to motorcyclists, especially those in the style and type of riding you want to do. Don’t buy until you have a thorough understanding of what your needs will be, and what that means in relation to your purchase.

I’ll tell you a very short story to illustrate my point.

Three years ago, I was on a rather lengthy and challenging trip into the mountains of Wyoming, Montana, Alberta and British Columbia. I was on the third day of my trip and had just begun to make the climb up Beartooth Pass in Wyoming, having left Red Lodge that morning.

As I reached the first serpentine bend in the road on the ascent to the 13,100 foot peak, I saw a rider ahead of me on a very heavy cruiser. As I got closer I noticed it was a middle aged man ahead of me, with new everything. New bike, new gear, new helmet, boots, the works. I slowed as we were just about to make the first bend and noticed that the rider ahead was definitely entering the turn too slowly to navigate the turn, and sure enough, as he turned to the right, gravity took over and he dropped his bike on its side.

The bike didn’t have a cage, so the bike fell right onto its side, bending his foot brake, scratching his tank and damaging the pannier. I stopped my bike, got off and went over to help him lift his bike. After setting it upright, the angle of the bike was to the wrong side of his side stand and I had to hold the bike while he got back on it.

He accelerated, too fast, and I could smell the clutch as he took off up the slope. He offered a wave and was gone. I went back to my bike, started it and headed back up the mountain. As I came to the next serpentine left hand turn on the mountain, what do you think I saw?

Yup, the same bike was again, lying on its side, this time the clutch lever was damaged and the shift lever was pushed in, almost to the frame. Again, I stopped my bike, climbed off and waved all the following traffic through, and then walked over to the owner and helped him right his bike.

I also suggested that it might be wise for him to actually descend the mountain, as the turns upcoming were more acute and steep than anything he had encountered to date. My suggestion was met with a statement from him that left me in no doubt that for him, this was about to become a very long, expensive and painful day.

“I’m fine, I know what I’m doing.”

“Okay, I said. But maybe you should get your shifter fixed first back in Red Lodge?”

“Nope, I’m fine.”

At that point I wished him luck and passed him on the way up to the peak. In my mirror I noticed at least four other riders coming up the mountain behind him, so I resumed my trip.

I arrived at the parking lot just down from the summit, took a number of photos and was walking back to my bike when the group of motocyclists I had seen in my rear view mirror drove into the parking lot. As it happened, they parked adjacent to my bike and were getting off as I walked up.

“How was the ride up?” I asked.

“Fantastic, except for the idiot who was ahead of us. He dropped his bike twice while we were behind him, and we helped him up, but he was agitated and belligerent and wouldn’t take our advice. Shame too, since he’d done a bunch of damage to his bike. I’m not even sure it was rideable to be honest. We saw you ahead, helping him pick up his bike. I just don’t understand some guys.” And with that, he grabbed his camera and headed to the overlook to take some photographs.

There are a bunch of morals to this story, but a couple are patently obvious.

First, hone your low-speed handling skills. If you can’t handle a heavy bike at low speed, consistently, then you’re destined for trouble. Second, practice your u-turns and slow speed maneuvering until you can be assured that your bike will always be under control. If that isn’t possible, definitely stay away from roads with steep inclines both horizontally and vertically.

Third. When purchasing your bike, consider your strength, ability, stature and the weight and slow-speed characteristics of the bike you intend on buying. Unless you’re an experienced rider, or willing to invest a substantive amount of time building your riding competency, don’t even consider taking your motorcycle to locations where the extremes of weather, handling and stability will test you. Buy a bike that you will enable you to handle it easily, where its size and weight are such that you have confidence in your ability to move the bike laterally while ascending hills and grades.

Fourth. Once you have the bike, enroll in a training course for beginners. We all had to start somewhere and developing skill takes time and effort. You aren’t miraculously endowed with the ability to handle a motorcycle in extreme conditions that you have never encountered or had the time to experience.

Five. Practice. Practice somewhere away from any conditions that will make your learning more difficult. Only once you’ve mastered the basic skills of low-speed turns, circles, figure of eights, and hill holding your bike on a steep incline, do you want to put yourself into situations where you have no idea if you can handle it.

All too often I see people purchasing motorcycles where you just know that the purchaser isn’t going to be physically comfortable or capable with the particular machine. Adventure bikes, for example, may be the rage, however, if you’re 5’2” and your adventure bike has a seat height of 34” it may well be a problem for you. The same holds true for angle at which you have to reach the bars. Comfort is one thing, but safety is something else entirely. Start out by knowing what motorcycles you need to be looking at in order for you to become comfortable, competent and safe, or motorcycling may be a risk you don’t need.

Six. Once you know your motorcyle, your machine, don’t take your knowledge for granted. Don’t jump on a machine that’s twice as powerful, with twice as much torque, with different handling characteristics, a different centre of gravity and heavier in weight and just take off into traffic. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Go back to square one and repeat all of the actions you took on your first bike. Practice low-speed turns, trail braking, u-turns, inclines and all the relevant situations that you’ve encountered to date. Become proficient and you will become safer and the ride more enjoyable. Take nothing for granted and remember situational awareness. Keep your attention on the intersection, blind spots of other drivers, the behaviour of inattention or impatience in those around you. That alone can save your life.

Seven. You will drop your bike. It’s inevitable. Learn how to safely pick up your bike and practice doing so. Being in the middle of nowhere and suddenly realizing that you can’t pick up your bike by yourself is not a situation that you want to find yourself in.

Part II will cover clothing, protection, footwear, bike accessories and features that you may want, or need, along with tips when riding to enhance your situational awareness.

Thanks for coming. Ride safe and stay engaged in your rides.

Eight. Enjoy the ride. Enjoy the planning, the comradery, the sheer exhileration, the peace of riding. You are entering a new tribe. Most, if not all in this tribe are willing and able to help you on your journey. All you need do is ask. Be safe, enjoy.

Ciao…

Motorcycle Touring: Having a Checklist

On By PhotomotomanIn Adventure Motorcycles, Motorcycle Touring, Motorcycling, Mountains, Psychology of Riding, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I’m an avid motorcycle tour-ist, and one of my pet peeves is leaving on a trip, getting to my first destination for the night, whether camping or at a motel, and discovering that I left something behind.

To combat this situation that seems to happen all too often, I have resorted to a checklist. I find it keeps me focused on the size and weight of my bike, dry bags and Everest Pack. Yes, Everest Pack. Since I usually combine my motorcycle trips with outback photography forays, it only makes sense to ensure that everything I need, and cannot readily purchase or easily find in the middle of nowhere, is already in my possession.

Being disciplined in terms of what is essential, is the first step, and it starts with my bike itself, prior to packing anything on it. So first steps first.

The Motorcycle

I begin about two weeks prior to my trip, which usually has me on the road for two weeks. I break the bike down into:

1
Mechanical Components

From the ground up, you have to consider your tires, first. Do they need replacing? Then, what about your brakes? When was the last time that you looked at your brake pads? Rotors? Brake fluid? Tune up? Plugs? Oil change. Bike tools? Do I need a manual? PDF on your phone.

2
Electrical

What about your lights? Spare headlight bulb? Fuses? Stator ok? Regulator ok? Once a year it’s worth a test. Being stranded 30 miles into the wilderness is not how you want a trip to begin.

If your bike is all set, then what about your trip list? If you camp or trek into the outback, then your list will be substantively longer than someone who is staying at motels every night.

Motorcycle Camping

First, the camping list. One thing to note here is to know the environment that you’re going to be in. Ensure, and I do mean ensure that you have the right clothing, and in layers. If altitude is an issue, and inclement weather is always a possibility, be prepared. Rain gear is a must. I almost killed myself several years ago. Death by hypothermia, is more than possible at altitude. Remember the weather can change abruptly, which it did, after I left my base camp.

  • Tent, buy one large enough for all your gear and to sit up comfortably. Here, an extra few pounds can make all the difference between comfort and discomfort. You never can be sure how long you might be stuck in one either. Tent pegs, 1/8 inch kernmantle rope for securing pegs to the tent.
  • A ground pad, a good one. Don’t scrimp or you may not sleep, which is essential.
  • A decent sleeping bag designed for the temperatures you might encounter, and a waterproof cover.
  • A solar panel for charging an emergency beacon, phone or any electronics you might bring. Chargers for whatever you are bringing and capable of being charged with your solar panel. It may require a battery storage brick. Remember: Weight
  • Nutritious, condensed high caloric foods, a piezo stove, small basic utensil pack, water (and lots of it), especially at altitude.
  • LED Headlamps that can charge quickly. And candles. You’d be surprised how much heat a tiny source can provide in a closed space.
  • A water filtration straw for purifying water.
  • Emergency First Aid Kit, emergency beacon, flares, waterproof matches, and an old school compass and maps.
  • If you climb, include a small, compact climbing pack (sit harness, 4 aluminum carabiners, jumars or 2 gibbs with 2 etriers or foot tape, a small figure of eight, some chocks, 100 ft of very light kernmantle rope (1000 lbs. strength) 2-8” prussics. This isn’t for serious climbing but may get you out of a tight spot.
  • Photographic Equipment (separate issue, for another list).
  • Dry bags, for clothing and electrical equipment. Make sure they are high quality. You have to stay warm, and your gear dry.

Okay, you’ve accumulated all your gear. You’re travelling on a bike, right? Will your bike accomodate everything you’ve compiled? The only way to know is to bag everything as you would the day of your trip. Now go get the bathroom scale. Weigh everything that you’re going to carry whereever you’re going. Be realistic. What kind of shape are you in? If you’re climbing up in altitude, remember, you only want to make one trip up and down.

Fitness is important. I met a guy on a trip at about 7,500 feet up who was sitting beside a trail, totally exhausted because his fitness wouldn’t allow him to go any farther.

How much can you carry? Sixty pounds? Eighty pounds? Whatever it is, test your conditioning. Wear your pack and go for a walk. Is it practicable? You can always lengthen your trip to where you’re going as long as your fitness level will get you there and back.

If you’re going to the mountains, put on your pack and walk up ten flights of stairs. Still okay? If not, then you’re not ready for a trek. Finally, consider where you live before you leave on your trip. If you live at sea level, don’t assume you’ll be okay if you want to walk through mountain passes at 8,000 feet.

This list isn’t the most comprehensive and it doesn’t account for your photography or video equipment. Remember. You have to truck everything where you’re going on your back. Be realistic. Be practical and pack as compactly as you possibly can. Look at every item and ask yourself, “Do I really need this.?” And, just as importantly, don’t leave essential pieces of survival gear at home.

Two years ago, I ran headlong into a very unhappy Grizzly Bear near the top of a ridgeline, I didn’t want to descend. The Grizzly made me aware, I had no other option, and the only way down, was down a waterfall. He watched me climb down. Scariest descent I ever made.

One other thing. Once you’re camped, take your food and remove it. Place it in a drybag and put it in a cairn or if there are trees, suspended higher than a bear can reach. Do Not, I say again, Do Not leave your food inside your tent. You don’t want a 900 lb visitor in your tent in the middle of the night, no matter who you are.

Be cogent, be present, be prepared. As a former High Angle Rescue Instructor and Dive Rescue Instructor, I guarantee you it will pay dividends.

Then, get out there and enjoy the experience.

Ciao.

Motorcycle Insurance. Getting Ripped Off To Ride.

On By PhotomotomanIn Adventure Motorcycles, Motorcycle Safety, Motorcycle Touring, MotorcyclingLeave a comment

I’m a Canadian motorcyclist, and I live in the Province of Manitoba, one of the most expensive places in North America to ride a motorcycle. Our rates are, how shall I say this? Ridiculous, irrational, and beyond anything reasonable. It appears that for many riders, when they retire, it may be cheaper to move west to Alberta, where the roads are much better, the dealerships greater in number and quality, and, most notably, where one can ride a motorcycle without having to consider selling a kidney.

The insurance for my four year old Kawasaki Ninja 1000sx, with the highest deductible, only a million liability and insured only for pleasure and not comprehensive coverage is over $2000.00. Add to that the fact that winter arrives sometimes as early as October, and leaves as late at May, and you have an exceptionally expensive five months of riding. On top of that fact, the roads in this Province, are without exception likely vying for the worst in Canada.

Therefore, before you spend dime one on your motorcycle, you’re already faced with a $400.00 per month fee for the privilege. Am I just being cheap, or is this not a bit expensive in contrast to your experience?

I have spent considerable time in five provinces of this country and have found that with rare exception, each of those provinces did a much better job of maintaining and preparing their roads for the summer motorcycling season. In short, living in Alberta is becoming a real consideration.

I actually believe that government in this province is trying diligently to limit or eliminate motorcyclists.

If you think diffently, or have another opinion, please weigh in.

Is your insurance reasonable, and if so, where do you reside?

Thanks in advance for your opinion.

Ciao.