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Hotel-less Touring

HeavyRotation

HeavyRotation

Guest
Guest
Thoughts on best practices for touring without the benefit of restaurants, hotels and companionship? I'm converting my dual sport camp gear onto my C14 so I can spike camp in little spots away from folks. Is it a worthwhile endeavor given the times? Idk, but my clock is ticking and there's country I want to see. Anyone else planning a trip in the coming weeks, the roads sure are nice and empty!
 
I would love to go riding/camping with you sometime soon.

https://motorcycleshows.com/content/best-practices-riding-your-motorcycle-during-covid-19-pandemic?elq_mid=793&elq_cid=392755

This article hits some of the issues about being out and about during the pandemic.

Still, I plan on 'commuting' to work sometime soon, Roger    ;)
 
One thing to keep in mind is availability of parts and/or repair services.  If you get a few hundred miles from home and need a tire, battery or some other kind of part you may have a hard time finding it with businesses being closed.
 
Showers would be tough to come by. Bathing in a creek gets old after a while and is now frowned upon for the pollution aspect of it. BTDT.
 
One would have to be discreet about locations, but it would be doable...until some local Barney Fife wants to safe the world and gun down your Corona carrying ass out in the remote toolies...

Probably better to do it with a wing-man. But waking up to 28 degrees  with no hot shower/coffee/breakfast spots for hours kinda stinks...though C-14's have a lot of room!
 
I could think of more miserable ways to spend free time -- but I like ultralight backpacking and am fine trading comfort for the ability to wear my tennis shoes.

I'm seeing parks and campgrounds closed, police tape and cones eliminating scenic pull outs and beach parking. Then at the end of day, you won't even be able to pop into a bar for a drink. I guess you could order take out, then sit on the curb in the parking lot and enjoy a meal.

Personally, the ability to ride empty streets wouldn't be enough compensation for the rest of it. But if this goes on for 2 more months, maybe I'd reconsider -- and then go backpacking.
 
I've done remote motorcycle camping before.  without a whole lot of problem.  as far as gear, like SantaCruz rider, think ultralight backpacking gear, or close to it, and you'll be in the right frame of mind.  if off on a forest service road, slow down, our connies are not a KTM dirtbike.  but if you go slowly, generally you can make it down the road if it's not too bad.  and find a spot to pull off and setup "camp".  all organized campgrounds are off limits right now, which means dispersed camping, which meets the mandated social distancing.  As Charlie said too, you better also bring what you think it might take to get through minor emergencies, like being able to install a tire plug if you pick up a nail.  and a way to re-inflate the tire.  things like that.  and by all means, leave a itinerary with someone so if you don't come back when expected someone knows where to get the search party started.  now may be a time to think about adding a power port to keep the cell phone charged, before you head out.  with side cases, top case, and bungie nets, our connies can carry quite a bit of stuff.  there were only 2 things i couldn't keep in the side cases and top case.  the thermarest  and the tent.  both were too long to fit.  but they bungied behind me on the passenger seat just fine.  many filling stations are leaving the pumps on, so you can pull in and fill up.  it is safer and more fun to ride in a group and camp in a group etc.  but right now, if you need to get away and do some motorcycle camping badly enough, it can be done.  however, unless this stay at home mandate lasts for several more months, probably the safest thing to do is just to stay put, do whatever maintenance needs to be caught up, and relax.
-tdbru
 
I say go for it. I am 73 and have been camp touring for the last 25 years. Sometimes with a son or brother but often all alone. The bikes have been a Yamaha GTS1000 (the one with the single sided front swing arm), a 2001 Gold Wing, a 2005 Hayabusa, a 2000 BMW KT1200 and for the last 5 months My 2012 Connie. I prefer the isolated camp grounds and many times it is just a dirt camp. Find a dirt road and just get out of site of the main road and just chill. A big container of the baby wipe type cloths will take the place of a shower for days. I have met some great people this way and seen some great country.
Like the OP I am in the Northwest, Southern Oregon, so mots of my travel is in the Western states which makes finding a private place to camp on Forest Service or BLM land easy. In fact in 2005 the GL1800 and I did the 4 corners tour of America in 14 days and only about 5 of those nights were not camping. here in the Western States don't let the virus bother you. The type of touring you want to do keeps you away from other people.
 

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BTW
My favorite bike for touring was the Hayabusa but as I got older I got cold easier. 5 years ago i switched to the BMW. Now I have found the Connie. All the thrill and power of the Hayabusa (well, almost
y) but with the full fairing. I am loving the Connie.
 
HeavyRotation said:
Thoughts on best practices for touring without the benefit of restaurants, hotels and companionship? I'm converting my dual sport camp gear onto my C14 so I can spike camp in little spots away from folks. Is it a worthwhile endeavor given the times? Idk, but my clock is ticking and there's country I want to see. Anyone else planning a trip in the coming weeks, the roads sure are nice and empty!
Click to expand...

As far as best practices, I've toured this way before. For morning coffee I use a pour over system, the cone is a Melitta "Ready Set Joe". Easy to clean and it makes good coffee.
https://amazon.com/Melitta-Coffee-Brewer-Filter-Natural/dp/B01M5E5PHC?th=1


I carry a single burner stove, currently an old Grasshopper propane. Newer stuff takes up less room. I like my old Grasshopper, now made of unobtainium.

I always keep a "cold" cooler for the beer(or two) after and various items, i.e. cream cheese spread to go on a morning bagel.

For an evening meal I would hit a supermarket and buy some sort of frozen meal during the day and put it in the cooler to slowly melt and help the cooler. I either heat it in boiling water if the packaging allows or disassemble it into a pot/pan to heat. Some of those aren't too bad.

This and a blow up mattress, 3 man tent and about two extra changes of some sort of dry-tech under garments(hand wash as needed) all fits on the itty bitty 6 fiddy Versys just fine as well as my KLR and, in the past, my C-10. The C-10 without a top box. Don't forget a water bladder for on board hydration as well as campsite water. A small water purification filter could come in handy. And a snake bite kit.

Awesome way to travel, I'm just getting too old and lazy to do that much of it any more. I usta do a 5-6k mile trip every year camping off of the bike, usually solo. Usually out west when I lived in Minnesnowta. I usually stayed at campgrounds with a shower but there was some dispersed camping involved.

I hear you on the getting the itch part.
 
Plan the route just right and you can find places to shower.
Many beach and lake recreation areas have free or $5 shower facilities.
Truck stops, YMCA, and other facilities have those types of services.

Then there is the COG membership handbook.
I've hosted a couple of COG members on long trips.

When on a long trip, the number one thing you cannot have too much of is water.
Good for towel bath and morning coffee with a miniature camp stove.
 
I saw a link...and can't find it now, but it was to a web page that listed travel restrictions by state.  It might be handy to look for that web page.

Chris
 
Wow, excellent responses! I have most of the stuff I need from doing BDR and kyaking trips. Was just wondering if it was really worth a sport tour without the hot tub and comradery of the hotel bar. I lived on the road for 10 years so i'm just kinda set in my ways on that. I know here in Oregon, liquor and food stores are open and actually seems most hotels as well but i have no fear of dual sporting my Connie and always carry a tire kit and inflator. I really missed my annual April 1 Norcal loop and the SW Death Valley event. I need a dang adventure ASAP. I think I'll go ahead and plan on a big loop in the next couple weeks, OR, CA, NV. I know Utah is being pretty aggressive so maybe i'll avoid that. Ima go home and check my lightweight camp gear options and hotel availability. I'd stay away from other Coggers just because i don't want to cause anyone a problem healthwise. I'm sure the spring weather is setting everyone's wandering foot to itching something fierce!
 
Yea great topic and think in a few weeks with the coordination of the left coast states, ie WA, OR, CA I think you'll be able to get in great riding again! As mentioned earlier, in WA all the state/national parks & facilities are closed so best to avoid that for the time being.  Early May is when I'm targeting some riding to sync with WA relaxing on stay-home orders, so would love to hear your ride reports if you do something soon!
 
900 miles this weekend, it was pretty deserted out there. Does feel weird, but the lack of traffic was great. Hotels are open, restaurants too if you can manage takeout packaging on your bike. Did get questioned about my routing and business by some police, but it was perfunctory and secondary to a performance award I was already recieving. Overall a great and much needed little trip.
 
Heavy D, having had the pleasure of riding with you, I hope the performance award was not terribly egregious.  Oh well , the price of admission. I do hope we can do some form of Ride the Ribbon or another excuse to cross paths. Took the ZX-10 for a short 120 mile shake down last weekend and damn, I still love those Michelin Power RS tires! May just run them on the Connie sand say Eff it to mileage!
 
Here in WA our big national parks are still closed like Mt Rainier, St. Helens and Hurricane Ridge. Some state parks have just opened up but as mentioned earlier depends on location
 
Parks, if they are open may be limited capacity and require reservations, at least here in TX the state parks do. Texas has "spread out" camping spaces and this is the busier tie of the year. Showing up for a camping spot is sketchy unless you have a reservation.

KOA and other places with tent camping might be better for sport turing.
 
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