Motorcycle Camping

Jimmy Bottlehead · 14-06-2021 12:21am

goblin59 wrote: »

I just ordered the Aliexpress version of the MSR Hubba hubba for doing North to South France next month.
Hopefully not a piece of **** xD
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000053713094.html?spm=a2g0s.12269583.0.0.4e3664afT72sRD

Let us know how it goes when you test it out. I'm always intrigued by the AliExpress tents.

goblin59 · 14-06-2021 12:37am

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

Let us know how it goes when you test it out. I'm always intrigued by the AliExpress tents.

shall do! my friend had one with him last weekend, (same aliexpress brand) and said it was great.

boredatwork82 · 14-06-2021 10:23am

So a quick update.

Inflated the air bed last night. Came down this morning. A lot of air gone out of it. And this is with no weight on it. No obvious leaks. Everything checked. So I have sent an email to Decathlon. Try get a refund and buy a better quality one. Seems to be an issue with these decathlon ones.

Betsy Og · 14-06-2021 10:26am

Some good tips on the attached. Might buy one of those Klymit Static V sleeping mats. Flew Ryanair to a concert with young fella, camping, these would prob have been the biz (compared to groundsheet) -no standard inflatable mattress as space & weight at a premium.

#parallelsbetweenRyanair&motorbikecamping

Jimmy Bottlehead · 14-06-2021 10:44am

Betsy Og wrote: »

Some good tips on the attached. Might buy one of those Klymit Static V sleeping mats. Flew Ryanair to a concert with young fella, camping, these would prob have been the biz (compared to groundsheet) -no standard inflatable mattress as space & weight at a premium.

#parallelsbetweenRyanair&motorbikecamping

What book is that?

iwillhtfu · 14-06-2021 10:47am

goblin59 wrote: »

I just ordered the Aliexpress version of the MSR Hubba hubba for doing North to South France next month.
Hopefully not a piece of **** xD
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000053713094.html?spm=a2g0s.12269583.0.0.4e3664afT72sRD

The nature hike tents are usually pretty good. Another one that is well used among the camping community is the cloudup tent which is very good and packs down small.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32909103415.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.6dc66bd87iTDXv&algo_pvid=3d39ecf1-bed7-4ce9-b560-e1ba2489aa51&algo_exp_id=3d39ecf1-bed7-4ce9-b560-e1ba2489aa51-4

Betsy Og · 14-06-2021 11:00am

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

What book is that?

It's one by the guy I mentioned earlier Chris Hardy. He has the same section at the back of each of the books - there's about 5 of them - so any of them gives you that section. He's on Kindle (£2), prob hard to find in print. This is probably the best one.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Motorcycle-Touring-Tight-Northerners-Perspective/dp/179452147X

goblin59 · 14-06-2021 11:00am

iwillhtfu wrote: »

The nature hike tents are usually pretty good. Another one that is well used among the camping community is the cloudup tent which is very good and packs down small.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32909103415.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.6dc66bd87iTDXv&algo_pvid=3d39ecf1-bed7-4ce9-b560-e1ba2489aa51&algo_exp_id=3d39ecf1-bed7-4ce9-b560-e1ba2489aa51-4

I did see that one and was deciding between the two models but I figured length isn't too big a factor on the bike, but 2cm difference in the width was worth slightly more room inside the tent.

Plus I was planning on taking a bike out to Wacken open air in Germany at some point, so I'll probally get that add on for the tent to have a gear storage area.

Agent_47 · 14-06-2021 1:22pm

Went for one of these as the number of people having uncomfortable nights sleep due to air matress seems to outweigh other issues.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074QM1WWH?ref=ab_qro_dp_d_re_ad_1_1

hairyslug · 14-06-2021 2:14pm

From my last trip to Wales

iwillhtfu · 14-06-2021 2:22pm

hairyslug wrote: »

From my last trip to Wales

I'd be afraid the exhaust would set those bags on fire

some load out.

goblin59 · 14-06-2021 2:27pm

hairyslug wrote: »

From my last trip to Wales

practising Wheelies xD

I think i need to either get a bigger carryall for my bike for the top, or else learn to pack a tent properly.

hairyslug · 14-06-2021 2:55pm

I was using a gelert 2 man at the time. Unfortunately, they don't make them anymore. Have learnt to video myself unpacking a tent for the first time as I would always forget exactly how it was packed. The CBR was the most planted bike I ever had, never a days trouble but wasn't suitable for longer days

hairyslug · 14-06-2021 2:58pm

I'm using a 60l roll up bag from Motea now. Big enough to hold a tent, sleeping bag and mat with plenty of room to spare

Jimmy Bottlehead · 14-06-2021 2:59pm

iwillhtfu wrote: »

I'd be afraid the exhaust would set those bags on fire some load out.

I was carrying more than that last year on the Blackbird. Three PACKED givi cases, tent and air mattress strapped on the back, tank bag AND also a pillion!

Would not recommend :pac:

hairyslug · 14-06-2021 3:12pm

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

I was carrying more than that last year on the Blackbird. Three PACKED givi cases, tent and air mattress strapped on the back, tank bag AND also a pillion!

Would not recommend :pac:

I tried hard cases last year (they came with the bike) and I was ****ting myself (and they were empty) No matter what I did with the suspension, I had no feel at all of what was happening at the front, don't know how you would do it with a passenger and cases loaded.

Jimmy Bottlehead · 14-06-2021 3:45pm

hairyslug wrote: »

I tried hard cases last year (they came with the bike) and I was ****ting myself (and they were empty) No matter what I did with the suspension, I had no feel at all of what was happening at the front, don't know how you would do it with a passenger and cases loaded.

It felt like driving a train at slow speeds. Grand once she was moving, but the Bird is a big girl when unloaded.
A few months back, I found the official weight load limit and by christ, I was waaaaaaay over last year. The bike never complained once though, to be fair to her.

Anyways! Back to camping. I'm hoping to report on a few new gear items, maybe as soon as this week.

goblin59 · 14-06-2021 5:21pm

My next stage is sort out my trail tools.
I'm packing a few bits that are a little OTT as I'm setting this up for going across Europe where I can't just call for help.
Anything where the engine is ****ed I'll just mark the position, and walk to the nearest town and come back for the bike.
Have Motion pro tyre irons with the ring spanner ends, and then I bought the flex-head ratcheting spanner set from lidl.
Had to order a 12mm spanner as it wasn't in the kit and to work on my Brakes I need a size 12.

Key things I'm looking at are tools to remove my side panels and seat

5mm Allen head
12mm spanner / Socket (will check how easy it is to get the spanner in)

Working on electronics and if I need to repair or bypass something on the bike

Butt Connectors (heat shrink things with the solder inside)
wire stripper / knife
spare wire (I'm going 24awg as I know it can handle the load as most of my bike is LED, if its a wire to the starter motor I'll just touch and go as needed)
spare fuse my bike only runs on one main fuse, everything else is done through the M-unit,
Spark plug and spark plug tool. The DR is a twin spark on a single cyclinder, so if one fails I've a rough back up, but I'm not expecting a situation when both will go if both go, its a coil issue and im screwed anyway.
multimeter - I'm carrying a Pokitmeter for portability. This will let me test for shorts on the bike.
- Tooth brush for scrubbing dirt out
- allen head socket for removing the retaining pin
- spare pads
- I was considering bringing brake cleaner, but I can pick that up in a general hard ware store in towns as I'm going through
- 12mm spanner for removing the brake calipers from the front wheel.
- Half a crutch (If i find one tossed out) - This works by sticking it under the RHS of the swing arm and then with the LHS side stand it works as a dodgy centre stand to allow you to take the back wheel off and work on the rear wheel and brakes
- puncture repair kit
- spare 21" tube - this can be used on the rear wheel too as a tempoary fix
- spare chain links and chain riveter
- air compressor for the tubes (Dad is just bringing a bicycle pump)
I'll be wiring up a back up set of throttle and Clutch leads onto the bike that will be zip tied to the frame and Handlebars, in the event of a snapped cable, its easier than messing with a repair kit on the side of the road,
I'll be bringing a Size 8 spanner as well to allow me to adjust the cables as well

Generic items I'm packing are
- zip ties
- small punch
- tweezers
- Gerber multitool
- size 10 socket and T handle to let me use the socket heads
I'm pretty confident that I will be able to do most of the road side repairs, especially as this is a bike I built up myself, so I know it fairly well.

Once I have assembled the kit I'll be taking pictures of it.
Around 18th - 23rd of July I'll be packing everything onto my bike to head off, so I'll document that well for everyone to see.

goblin59 · 27-06-2021 10:23pm

Going through my trail-camping kit to see what I need to get to finish it off.
I have some bits not shown here such as a spare front tube, brake pads, spark plugs and the actual bike.
I'm going to take a trip to decathalon as well to get a backpack for my hydration bladder and a USB solar charger.
The only thing i'm mainly missing here is my Satnav (Garmin 595)
and I have a MSR jet boil as well.
But I am considering getting the MSR multifuel stove so i can run it on petrol.

mervifwdc · 19-08-2021 10:31am

Did a bit of the Spanish TET at the start of 2020, right up till everywhere was closing and I had to make a serious run for home. It was late Feb / March I seem to recall, and a little cool but still nice sunny days. My few tips might be to do as many practice / test weekends as you can. Anything that does not get used after a few nights gets left behind. Tyres: I went with knobelies, on the basis that I could go slower on tarmac, but at least could stay going in anything tough. My buddy on similar bike had E-07, and they were grand but off road I had it easier. Bed: Scrap the pillow, shove your remaining clean clothes in a T-Shirt and use that, and put your bike gear under your matress to insulate you from the ground, and protect the matress from punctures. Look up Thermarest matresses. Pack small, and work well. Food: Bring a flask type insulated mug. Coffee goes cold bloody fast up a mountain. We had to go get petrol every day, so did that at lunchtimes usually and had a big meal somewhere. Then night time we did'nt need to to cook, just a bread and cheese or whatever. Less to carry.

That wee bike in the photo is my tet bike, a Yamaha XT225cc. Many may laugh, but I can pick it up. That works for me :-)

You seem pretty well sorted. Enjoy!

MackDeToaster · 19-08-2021 1:52pm

Really looking forward to how your TET trip goes as it's on my bucket list as well. Did the Blackbird fully loaded with givis, vividly remember going into a 2lane weave at 150+ on the autobahn years ago, good times. Great to see an XT225 out and about too, had one yonks ago and picked up one from a friend recently and will be doing some jobs on it as soon as I get time. I always had a multifuel Coleman stove on my trips which I ran on petrol, bulky but absolutely bulletproof and has done me well for at least 22 years now! Didn't like the msr, found it extremely fiddly and dirty when running petrol, still have it in the shed somewhere. Look up Thermarest or Big Agnes inflatable pads. A good place for lightweight gear is backpackinglight uk, or was before Brexit. But their tipi like tents are roomy, super light and pack away to nothing.

Esel · 24-08-2021 6:51am

@MackDeToaster sent you a PM.

pegdrums · 25-08-2021 12:20am

Great idea for a thread! Havent managed to read the whole thing just thiught id lob in my exlerience quickly.

Ive a 92 Transalp with 36L hard panniers and 45L top box. Slimmer panniers help in a city but big enough to tue a 40L duffle bag on top.

Thats the setup we used on our honeymoon through France and it worked great.

Gear wise everyone is different. We have a 2 man tent with 2 porches/ entrances. Great for storing gear.

We had 2 small stoves, pots and even a little kettle.

Halfords sleep mats were pretty rubbish. still are....just did ring of kerry for a weekends camping.

A decent light is a must.

In general my guide is adjust your comfort level expectation....even top notch gear will be so so. sure if it was too comfy it wouldnt be moto camping!

so i keep it cheap.

A tank bag is a must on longer trips....I hate using my phone on the bike, prefer a map.

for 2 up camping its tricky to pack but thats what works for us.

Solo is much easier....top box and

duffle bags for short trips.

One thing id DEFINITELY recommend are ROK straps. Unbeleivae useful.

D3V!L · 25-08-2021 6:35pm

The missus is off on her first camping trip this weekend on her bike. A girls only event. Was interesting helping her pack and strap everything down to the bike.

Can't wait to try it myself.

hairyslug · 25-08-2021 10:23pm

Did 2 4 day trips up and down the wild Atlantic way in the last few weeks. Got soaked on the last day of the last trip so next year I’ll be bringing a tarp as well

Ive been using a 5cm mat and 3 season bag, will be ditching that for a quilt next time as it was far to big and heavy. The one luxury I did bring was a real pillow, it was worth the extra space. Im using a robens cook set, a slightly cheaper version of the trangia but is a solid piece of gear.

I ended up beaching the bike in Inch in Kerry, was lucky that one of the locals who makes sure that no one is wild camping found me and was able to lift me out.

Betsy Og · 26-08-2021 10:17am

There's an article in Ride (September) that deals with Motorbike Camping - some gear reviews etc. I got a digital subscription for Ride, good value I think (it is usually the postage that kills off UK subscriptions, so digital avoids all that).

Jarik · 06-09-2021 8:20pm

4 nights of wild camping in Scotland, August 2021. Tent, inflatable mat, sleeping bag, tools and etc in black Karrimor bag + dry bag as medium backpack.

beach along NC500 route

forest next to Cairngorms National Park

goblin59 · 13-09-2021 4:35pm

just back from 6 weeks camping out and travelling along the french / Italian and swiss Trans euro trail

Nearly every lunch box I had stuff packed in got smashed xD

also dented all of my aluminium water bottles and lost my starter button (straight away replaced by rebelmoto which was great) and also fried my front brake as moisture got into the master cylinder and dot4.

Overall did 5897.7km in the end from getting off the Ferry in France to getting off the bike back in the apartment. Trying to upload some pictures at the moment

Jimmy Bottlehead · 22-09-2021 12:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117885709#Comment_117885709

That's some trip though.

I'd be really, really interested to read a detailed report of it, should you wish to share!

Especially, what worked and didn't for the trip. Necessary or unneeded gear, unforeseen challenges, etc. I'm hoping to do a similar trip next year, hence the interest.

goblin59 · 22-09-2021 5:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117923463#Comment_117923463

I keep meaning to write up something on it, but I can't remeber how i was uploading pictures before on here xD

What I mostly found was anything that could break was going to break. So get a good strong topbox to keep valuables / electronics in and then anything that can survive an impact goes into the panniers.

Every lunchbox I took with me to store parts into got smashed.

I had alot of spare parts with me for things that could go wrong on a DR, and thankfully never had to use them, same with my puncture repair kit, but in saying that I'd rather have them with me, than if i broke down on the side of the road.

I was a little excesive on cooking gear. I think next time I just bring the basics and just go from there, better off using boil in a bag and pot noodles / pasta rice / dishes when travelling as you ideally want to just be boiling water on your cooking gear to save the hassle of cleaning grease and sauce off your stuff, especially if your not near a tap or flowing water.

Europe is full of low cost camping spots, with the most expensive being in italy at 17 euro, so that saves hassle of where to camp if you didn't want to wild camp and also gives options of nearby restarants and shops.

Motorcycle Camping

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