motorcycle camping

[kitesurfer2]

when you travel and hotel it, you meet the front desk clerk and maybe a waitress. when you camp (on a bike) you meet everyone in the campground. you talk, share stories and often food too. no tv or radio...just a camp fire. Under $20 usually for the night and 3 tanks of gas per day (600 miles). I've been motorcycle camping since 2004....

 

[SonofCohoes]

Looks like fun except the 2nd and 4th pictures. The tag along trailers look like the way to go. My wife won’t sit on a bike so that mode of travel is out for us. I’ve had or been around motorcycles since 1969, it gets into your dna. I still watch all the SX and MX races every weekend on the tube. My brother is still riding MX at 58.

Enjoy!!!

 

[kitesurfer2]

My wife won’t sit on a bike so that mode of travel is out for us.
Enjoy!!!

my wife won.t ride with me any more either. when i rode the gold wing to new England, she flew into and out of Boston for her 12 day part while i was gone for 29 days. she loved it she said, but that was her last. i rode to Canada just to pick up the thirdwheel.com trailer for my trip to Colorado. there was no room on the bike for my wife and the camping gear too, hence the need for the trailer. so...i drove the Miata to Colorado and she flew into and out of Denver--her 2 weeks and me 1 month.

 

[davismills]

I don't own a motorcycle, but totally agree with the use of hammocks. I could never go back to using tents and the cold ground for sleeping.

 

[bingybear]

I did the blue ridge parkway and Shenandoah from Ohio on a Wee Strom 9 years ago. It was great. Sold the bike last year. I was not using it enough to justify it. We do plenty of camping now, just not on bike. We do more hiking now.

Looks like fun.

 

[Walt34]

My idea of "roughing it" is Motel 6.

 

[skipro33]

I've motorcycle camped all over the West on a BMW Dakar. Trips include;
The Oregon Trail
The Continental Railroad
The Lewis and Clark Trail
The Pony Express Route

Plus trips to Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Tetons, Lost Coast, Yosemite.

I've a million photos too! On photobucket so it's a link, not able to show since photobucket got greedy.

I've never paid for a camp ground, just take a road off a road off a road until it looks like I'm far enough in. The only people I spoke with was my riding buddy and the occasional gas station attendant or the clerk at the store. The journey was to get away and for mile after mile, just me with my own thoughts.

Here are a few photos;

 

[Bamaman]

My hat is off to you. I was looking at the 2018 Goldwing online last night. My wife's arthritis keeps her riding in cars, and some car travel is in our future.

But It must be nice to have an independent spiritmtomyiu.

 

[sengsational]

"I'm not sure how much camping I'll do, but this is the bike I might be taking across Romania:

 

[NW-Bound]

Oh man! That would be a lot of fun. I learned from Sarah-in-SC in this forum about the Adventurists' Monkey Run.

The problem is how much one can pack on a 50cc monkey bike.

 

[sengsational]

That video is Morocco, the first one, but there's another "pioneer" run, this time in Romania in July. Says "sold out", but if anybody wants to go, PM me. I think that an ER team would show them how wise we all are (or not).

 

[savory]

I use two wheels as well but I pedal mine. When motorcycles pass us, they often wave. I call them my big brothers. We (DW) have bicycled across the USA twice, the Mexican Baja, The North Sea route in Europe and many weekly trips all over the USA and Canada.

I am sure traveling on a motorcycle is a great way to travel as it is at human speed. It must be the two wheels.

 

[NW-Bound]

In the same spirit, here's a group of Europeans who traveled US Route 66 on the VeloSolex. It's a moped with a clamp-on motor which drives the front wheel with a friction roller.

But my hero is a Canadian who traveled 11,500 miles (19,000 km) round trip from Toronto to Alaska and Inuvik, on a French moped called the Mobylette in 1978.

Both the VeloSolex and the Mobylette have a 2-stroke engine. The Mobylette however is a bit better than the VeloSolex, and allows Walter Muma, the lone traveler, to pack enough to camp along the route for the 3-month trip.

Read about that Alaskan trip by moped here: Moped Trip - 18660 km by moped.

 

[RobbieB]

I'm building a 50cc moped now, a Motoped. Should be lots of fun!

 

[Sunset]

.......
I've never paid for a camp ground, just take a road off a road off a road until it looks like I'm far enough in. The only people I spoke with was my riding buddy and the occasional gas station attendant or the clerk at the store. .....

So basically you just camp in somebody's field, or forest ?

I could see bringing food/water and toilet paper with you before stopping for the night, but what about cooking or fire ?

 

[NW-Bound]

I don't remember how I ran across the blog of this British gal some years ago. Her name is Lois Pryce, and she rode a Yamaha XT225 from Anchorage down to the tip of Argentina.

Later, she rode from London down the Africa continent to Cape Town, South Africa.

I was able to read her chronicles on the Web, but she decided to publish a book about her adventures, so deleted all that material off the Web.

 

[skipro33]

So basically you just camp in somebody's field, or forest ?

I could see bringing food/water and toilet paper with you before stopping for the night, but what about cooking or fire ?

Yes, I camp in somebody's forest. You a problem with that?

This ain't Chicago, it's the WEST.
1.1% of Illinois is Federal land. (I see you're from Chicago)

Idaho 61% Federal land.
Nevada 85% Federal land.
Montana 30%
Wyoming 48%
Washington 30%
Oregon 53%
Utah 65%
Even CALIFORNIA is 48% Federal land.

For cooking, look at the photos. I use a small butane stove. You don't see a campfire.

 

[nobody]

I started moto camping in 2012 once I got my norge, I head out to CO for a week once a year, looking for the right city I want to retire to.

kitesurfer2, I pack a wee bit lighter then you, will post some pics when I get time at home. The tail was fun but I enjoyed some of the other rides a lot more out there.

 

[frayne]

Have taken a number of bike trips on the FJR and V-Strom and there is nothing like a nice hot shower and soft bed after a long day on the road.

 

[Badger]

I would still be on the road and on the trails camping but getting up has become more difficult than getting down.

Cheers!

 

[kitesurfer2]

I started moto camping in 2012 once I got my norge, I head out to CO for a week once a year, looking for the right city I want to retire to.

kitesurfer2, I pack a wee bit lighter then you, will post some pics when I get time at home. The tail was fun but I enjoyed some of the other rides a lot more out there.

i totally agree about the dragon. i never ride it now. i have become partial to the va mountains now. better riding and accommodations. my 2nd home has become willville motor cycle campground at meadows of dan, va.
i do pack much lighter now...one burner, coffee and a cup...

 

[Sunset]

Yes, I camp in somebody's forest. You a problem with that?

This ain't Chicago, it's the WEST.
1.1% of Illinois is Federal land. (I see you're from Chicago)

Idaho 61% Federal land.
Nevada 85% Federal land.
Montana 30%
Wyoming 48%
Washington 30%
Oregon 53%
Utah 65%
Even CALIFORNIA is 48% Federal land.

For cooking, look at the photos. I use a small butane stove. You don't see a campfire.

Don't sweat it, I give you permission to camp on my portion of Federal land

Your photos did not show up, in this thread for me, so that's why I asked about cooking as I'd not want to eat cold meals all the time.

 

[Koogie]

In the same spirit, here's a group of Europeans who traveled US Route 66 on the VeloSolex. It's a moped with a clamp-on motor which drives the front wheel with a friction roller.

But my hero is a Canadian who traveled 11,500 miles (19,000 km) round trip from Toronto to Alaska and Inuvik, on a French moped called the Mobylette in 1978.

Both the VeloSolex and the Mobylette have a 2-stroke engine. The Mobylette however is a bit better than the VeloSolex, and allows Walter Muma, the lone traveler, to pack enough to camp along the route for the 3-month trip.

Read about that Alaskan trip by moped here: Moped Trip - 18660 km by moped.

You might enjoy this guy too (he's a bit of a character).

Travelling the world on a 90cc moped.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVqpNG1R72i21jh-nAxEk4A

 

[skipro33]

Don't sweat it, I give you permission to camp on my portion of Federal land

Your photos did not show up, in this thread for me, so that's why I asked about cooking as I'd not want to eat cold meals all the time.

Well, thank you I guess...
Nope, no cold meals. I'd have my stove set up so I wouldn't have to leave my sleeping bag to start my coffee in the morning. Then usually bacon/eggs, but sometimes pancakes, oatmeal. Lunch was cold, mostly dry salami, cheese and crackers w/ a beer. Unless we were in a town to get fuel, then we would search out a locals diner. I've found some great eats that way. Dinner is always good; steak, asparagus, mushrooms, baked potato even. Sometimes salmon or fresh caught fish if camping near water.

Anyways, this poster always struck a cord with me and when I start to think I'm needing to maybe slow down and pass on a trip, I look at this and get off my butt and go. I've never regretted going on a trip and always regretted not going when I would pass up the opportunity.

 

[NW-Bound]

You might enjoy this guy too (he's a bit of a character).

Travelling the world on a 90cc moped.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVqpNG1R72i21jh-nAxEk4A

Thanks for sharing.

If I were to travel with a small motorcycle, this Honda would be preferable to a moped or a monkey bike.

Many guys do long-range travel on this type of Honda scooter (a step-through design similar to the Italian Vespa). It is built with different engine sizes: 50cc, 70cc, and 90cc. The engines are 4-stroke.

It is not really a moped. A moped has pedals, looks closer to a bicycle, and the motor can be disengaged for pedaling. The Honda scooter is stronger, heavier, and much better built for traveling, has a superior engine, and cannot be pedaled.

Here's the original Mobylette, a true moped with a 2-stroke engine.