Motorcycle tips, tricks and adventures. My name is Ben and I've been riding and wrenching on motorcycles for 30 years. Most of my time is spent in the Southern Appalachian mountains... finding new road, hitting the twisties and getting off road. I've recently jumped on the adventure bike craze and have been focusing on long rides and moto camping. I'm also a professional photographer, so I try to bring those skills to my videos.
That’s messed up. I’ve tried the two by four driving on and the c clamp and it got one bead broke and 3 lived. Then the 2x4 snapped in half. Guess my truck is too heavy for the job. After church I’m gonna try the 2x4 leverage shed option and then probably ask Walmart if they will break it. I’m running out of options.
Finished removing the two tires (100 front, 130 rear) and remounting them on the new rims. The zip ties allowed me to mount them going left to right as the ties act as a bead stopper. No need for that yellow Thing and no need to hold down a tire iron with your knees. I used a modified Harbor Freight stand and mounted them standing, much easier than getting down on the knees. The zip ties make that possible. Thanks for the tip!
I recommend 4mil small Ziploc bags off of eBay. You're look like 2 or maybe even 1 mil. If you don't eat the full can of refried beans or peppers, do you just discard the rest, or carry them warm, or what?
Good catch, thicker bags is always better. I generally just pitch the leftovers unless I think I might want it for breakfast. I guess in cold weather you could saved them for dinner the next day.
I have been on this planet nearly 60 times around the sun and am amazed by each of your videos - great tips that are new to me. Keep going! Love it. Ride on- Rob
Great video. I use basically the same list as I take for BICYCLE touring. It all fits in a dry bag like you illustrated. I call this crossover "MotorBikePacking" and I tour on a 200cc scrambler or a 125cc minimoto!!!
Thanks for a helpful presentation. I'm going to be doing a rim swap on my RE Int 650 and am looking forward to using your techniques. The zip tie looks like it will make the job much more civilized.
Liking your video very much. Thanks. Location, location, location. 😂. That’s what they say about real estate. No? Same is very true about weight placement on the bike. The things are designed to have the majority of their mass where the engine is and by moving your gear bag high and far rearward it will impact how the bike handles to a significant degree. So, if possible, I suggest to everyone to utilize options that locate the weight on the sides of the bike and low/forward. Perhaps something like a Giant Loop u-shaped Great Basin bag or something like the Mosko Rackless (not trying to suggest a specific brand, only using as an example).
Lower is always better, and I'll probably move to something like the Giant-Loop style (probably something cheaper like the Tusk version). But, it's only 13 pounds, so getting it down 6 inches probably won't make that much difference.
@@mustachemoto 13 pounds is really good! Moving down AND forward will make a difference. How much? Depends on how hard you ride, the terrain, your proper suspension settings etc. You know, I think my advice is mostly geared (only a little pun intended 😏) towards those who mound large amounts of belongings onto the bike and then curse when the bike behaves terribly when off road. Uli
5:20 - Please be very careful about "straps right on the back with a couple of bungees". Moto Giant has forgotten more about moto camping than we'll ever know. He lost a sleeping bag off the back of his Tiger 800 and it locked up the rear wheel at 80 MPH a month ago. He lost his right foot in the accident.
@@mustachemoto - Rok Straps are way better than Harbor Freight bungee cords. I count failure modes. How many things need to fail before I'm in trouble? Two independent straps might mean two straps need to fail to lose the load, but if there's a strap on each side, losing either strap might allow the load to pivot and depart. It depends on the configuration. Two longer straps where each strap secures the entire load would be a little more hassle but should be safer. I put everything in a single 66 liter roll top waterproof duffel. You mentioned a WildHeart duffel in another comment. It's one of those. I chose it because the tie down points are on the bottom. That allows me to secure the load to the pillion and rear rack without compressing the load as most duffel bags require me to do. That allows me to open and close the duffel at rest stops during the day, or while in camp, without needing to loosen straps that secure the duffel. It's much more convenient. Not compressing the load also means the load doesn't compress under the straps and loosen while I ride, which is much safer. I attach that 66L duffel to the bike using four independent lengths of 550 paracord, one on each corner. My goal is to survive single or even dual failure modes. My riding buddy has the same duffel bag and he uses two 1" nylon cam buckle straps to secure it. The cams buckles are aluminum and stainless steel. These are the same straps that people use to strap a canoe to a car roof. They're very strong. I've towed a car with one of these straps. My friend passes each of these two straps through four pairs of D loops on the duffel bag (eight total per strap, 16 total for both straps). The tails of the straps are doubled back through the double D rings to lock them in place, similar to the way a motorcycle helmet is secured. That's a very safe mounting system. Motorcyclists often fail to appreciate the importance of properly securing loads to a motorcycle. It's not just a matter of losing a tent. A partially secured load can be deadly.
I use a yellow taped seam Tyvek one piece coverall as an ultralight rain suit. It wouldn't be a good choice for commuting where it'll see regular use, but it's plenty reliable enough to use a few times a year. It's very waterproof although a bit loose fitting so it flaps a bit when riding. It's half to a third the volume and 20% the weight of a *real* rain suit.
@@mustachemoto - I use a Hennessy 4 Season Explorer XL Zip hammock but it's no savings in weight or packed volume compared to a small tent. It's at least twice the volume of the hammock shown in this video, but it's a solid comfortable shelter. I'm too old to sleep in a banana hammock so I need one of the lay-flat varieties. Unlike the backpacking, canoe or kayak camping, or mountain bike camping, I cover a lot more ground when motorcycle camping and I have continental moto camping aspirations. There are many places I might want to camp where there are no trees - the beach, plains, desert, above the tree line in the mountains, etc. I bought a couple of generic collapsible aluminum tent poles on Amazon, bought some lightweight aluminum stakes and cut a Tyvek footprint so I can pitch my Hennessy hammock as a small single person tent. When I first started moto camping, I imagined that I'd be camping during riding season... the summer months. The best moto camping is the spring and fall. It feels too hot to be comfortable now that summer has arrived in the southeastern US. A friend and I jumped the gun a bit and went moto camping in the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana last December 8th. I'm doing a lot more all season moto camping than I originally imagined. It's easier to get warmer when camping than it is to get cooler. I can pack a heavy pile jacket and a winter sleeping bag. I can't pack an air conditioner.
I always like seeing how people do ultralight moto camping. Mine is more oriented to multi-day trips and cooking real food in camp, but admittedly I have a large tool roll even though I have tubeless tires so I don't need tire spoons or a spare tube. Have you actually gone camping with this stuff, or is this a "what I hope will work" video?
I haven't camped with this exact combination, but I have camped everything in the video and have camped enough to know what I NEED. I keep trying to pare it back to just the essentials, then I can add in a creature comfort or two depending on the trip. I intended to camp with it this week for next Saturday's video, but my week got very busy (I work for myself, so off time is just when clients don't need me) and I thought it would be too hot to be fun even if I could squeeze it in.
How has that drybag worked out for you? I could buy 10 of them for the price of a Mosko Moto bag. I really enjoyed your video and I hope you had a nice motocamping trip.
I love the drybag! I also use the Wild Heart duffle (amzn.to/3VILIpg) and saddlebags (amzn.to/4bjQfEr) on my GS when I take the hard luggage off. They're so much cheaper. I'm sure they won't last as long, but I've used them for several years with absolutely no problem.
Ooh i actually got one! If it starts raining saran wrap your shins OUTSIDE of your pants. You can find it at truck stops and walmarts and stuff. Sometimes the local restaurants have some. i have found above my knee doesn't usually get very wet but if the bottoms of my pants stay dry it keeps me much warmer. Also you can throw a heat packet in the toe of each boot and it will help. My St Louis to Omaha at 2:30am ride back from Tampa SUCKED. I was in a denim jacket, jeans and cowboy boots. Temperature dropped below 40°F and it rained on me all the way through Missouri.
You bet! I do it whenever I feel like the break is feeling a little mushy. I think that super firm feeling dissipates slowly, so you don't really notice it getting softer. If I have an especially spirited ride planned, I'll do it the night before 😉
I add a bunch of multi day stuff, 2 yellow microfiber towels to wipe of my body. Always have @20-30ft of nylon cord, when I make camp immediately get the cord between 2 points, usually just tree to tree and get my jacket and pants and socks airing out. I add weight by having a yoga style foam pad as my first layer and inflatable air mattress. I almost always bring a small ground cloth for under my tent. My kitchen set up is very similar. I buy the Starbucks or other quality instant coffee. And in my pot set, same as yours I have a small alcohol stove. I use yellow HEAT fuel additive as stove fuel. You can get it almost everywhere, Walmart, auto parts or lots of gas stations, 1 plastic container will last for @4-6 days. I have a 3x3 green Scotchbright scoring pad, have an old salt or pepper shaker filled w cleanser, and a toothpaste size container full of dish soap that you can use on dishes, hands, gear. and most importantly I have a minimum of 4 - one in nylon lashing straps in the bag not including the 2 used to secure the bag to the bike. After seeing videos of minor to very very serious crashes because gear comes loose or falls off the bike, consider the @$12 bucks for 6 lashing straps on Amazon a wise investment. Yes I do use a standard bungee cargo net also but only to hold additional things outside the bag which is strapped to the bike. I buy water and some prepared food at last stop in civilization.. usually get multiple sandwiches like chicken or hamburgers and eat those first day,buy 6 pack of mini doughnuts for breakfast with my coffee . I love all your stuff and thought behind it, I am a little whimpy and spend extra weight on sleeping stuff
Thanks for such a thoughful reply! On longer trips (on my GS) I keep clothesline and pins, but I usually just end up hanging my jacket and pants over the bike. I also use an inflatable backpacking air mattress and my tent has a footprint for under it on those trips. I cut down one of the scotchbrite/sponge things to 1"x2", then I soak it in dish soap and let it air dry. When it's time to clean up after dinner, just add a bit of water and the soap is already there!
Definitely minimalistic, and inspiring. Just prepping for my first Moto camping trip, which will be a long one as I am picking up a CB 500 X in California and riding it back to Washington state slowly. Needless to say, I’m gonna have a bit more gear than you do, but seeing how you have paired it down has helped me think about my options - thanks. Especially like the tip on those water shoes, as well as the backpack drybag!
That sounds like a fantastic adventure, I hope you have a blast!!! If you're going to stay in hotels, you can certainly pack even lighter. I did three weeks on my R1250GSA and wandered from Atlanta to Utah and back. I carried a ton of gear and camped almost every night, but I would certainly take less when I do it again. That packing video is here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Q37-Ux0ujsw.html
Question, do you think you can mount the control on the left mirror if you have the SOS button on the right side? Or other suggestions? Thanks in advance!
I've got the fog lamp button on the left side, so that wouldn't work for me... if you don't have that you probably could, but you might have to splice in a bit of extra wire to make it reach. Another option would be to make a little bracket so it can clamp on the handlebar right next to the SOS button.
Thanks for the quick response and good solutions. I will probably order it and solve it with a bracket on the handlebar. Thanks again for a good video and good suggestions.
I usually pick up food along the way at a grocery or Walmart... plenty of room in the bag for that. I actually shot an additional clip adding that info, but the sound was messed up so I left it out.
Great video and I'm very interested in your rain gear choice! I've been searching for a lightweight setup that doesn't take up too much space in my soft bags. Cheers!
That bag contains my "backup" rain gear that stays on my bike all the time. If I'm going on a cross-country trip or if I know I'm in for some wet weather, I would wear my heavier Tourmaster waterproof riding jacket, waterproof boots, etc... In the bag I've got a cheap tape-sealed nylon raincoat (it's noname, but something like this: amzn.to/3RGHqxE), a pair of Columbia waterproof pants (amzn.to/4eCfNQg), silicone boot covers (amzn.to/45Bf6T0) and Sealskinz waterproof socks (amzn.to/3VEuEkx).
@@mustachemoto I had to move mine from the thumb cable to a push pull choke at the carb. Something was going on in the cable because it works fine without using the cable. Just saying, Keep that in mind mine is an 09
Great tips, hey do a food video of what you eat , while riding or in a day etc, is hard to eat healthy on the road, as a 58 year old rider it’s harder to keep the weight off, we seen the sardines from a past video Thanks
As a wood worker I went with three 12" Jorgensen wood clamps. They worked great because as you open/spread the back of the clamp, the front pinches in nicely. I also set the wheel/tire in the sun for a bit to soften it up.
All those different tips with the 2x4 are VERY nice! Already ordered the motion pro, I might carry them in my backpack in case of emergency. Very high quality video, you deserve way more subs and views man!
Magnet as well on many bolts. Good tip, and it got people to list all the other ways they use. This is very helpful to the folks who are beginning to work on vehicles. Remember everyone, we all had that first time to turn a wrench.
I wish there had been youtube when I was teaching myself to work on cars and bikes... I had to walk down to the local garage and ask questions (or just hang out and watch them work) to learn!
What is the big deal? Wipe off excess old oil, start up and go ride/drive the dam thing !! Might smoke for 3-5 minutes while driving. No problem!! Your making a mountain out of a mole hill!¡!
Why are sO MANy people so salty about anything and everything? smh Personally I like keeping a .99¢ roll of aluminum foil around for it's million uses... Million and one now.
