Questions for the adventurers out there.

[i_am_the_koi]

So now that I'm all Mr Adventurer and stuff, I figured that there is probably adventure gear vs street gear and a bunch of other questions I'm going to throw out there. Please answer one or all or some or your opinion, I don't care, just give me something lolz.

I'm not talking wearing leathers on the dirt, but as it is now, I've got Riding jeans with the armor and kevlar and blah blah blah. I've also got textile overpants and mesh overpants that I've worn too.

I've looked at the more adventure suits and I'm just curious as to what people out there actually wear when they go for a ride, day trip or longer if there's a difference. What about true "dirt" gear? It looks so flimsy and with little protection if you fell. What about "armor"? Hips, legs, shin, roost suits?

Street helmets vs dirt helmets vs dual helmets?

How about on your dualsport as far as supplies? Patch kits? Better tool kits than stock ones? Purchased or home built tool tubes and where did you like them mounted the best as far as looks and not having them drop your tools 20 miles back on a trail?

"Dirt" gloves? I've noticed on my last two rides that my hands got warm so I wore lighter and lighter gloves until I got to a pair of dirt bike gloves that I won. Is there a middle ground on armor vs ventilation?



Is that all that dirt gear is ventilated since you are going slower and dustier places so you get hot?


As far as swapping out tires on a KLR... if they are kind of meant to be able to fixed on the side of the road, shouldn't you be able to swap tires yourself? Or is it best to take them somewhere to swap and hope you never have to on the side of the trail?


I know I got more so I'll ask when I think of them...

:ride

 

[HeatXfer]

For an exhaustive list of gear, tools and anything else you might need go to http://advrider.com and start lookin'

In the mean time here's my short contribution:
Aerostich everywhere I go
Leatt Body Protector for off-road
Hard shin & knee armor for off-road
Padded moto-X shorts for off-road
Modular Caberg that accepts goggles
Alpine Start SMX Carbon gloves
Both MX & "adventure" boots, depending on the ride.

The tool kit is made from 4 or 5 different kits; tube front tire/tubeless rear means I carry Xtra tube, irons, patch kit, plugs &12v pump, a small can of WD40 & 2 air gauges. Also carry epoxy-putty, UV-cure adhesive, 2 master links, misc nuts, bolts & O-rings, wire, self-fusing tape, rough & fine abrasive cloth, a few hose clamps, a lighter. Oil and extra gas depending on the ride.

This is all tankbag, tailbag and under-seat stuff, no panniers.

That's all I can remember off the top of my head.

 

[HadesOmega]

Here's what I wear

youtu.be/7ze2IAJvy1U

What do you mean by swapping tires? Do you mean fixing a flat, there shouldn't be a reason to swap a tire out on a ride unless of course you wore it out. Now if you get a flat you need to bring tools for that and tubes. In my KLR panniers I carry 2 tire irons (3 is better), a valve fishing tool, small baby powder, a small sprayer of windex, a bead buddy, a patch kit, and an extra 17" tube (I have 17s front and rear). Also it helps to have a centerstand, I have one on my DR650 and KLR650 and its a major pain in the ass if you do any offroad riding but its good to have when you need to do any work on the tires. I also carry some slime also.

Generally what happens if you get a flat is you will attempt to find the puncture and make sure you remove it if you find it. Then remove the wheel, then tube, and put in a new tube, and put it all back together hopefully without pinching anything. Then when you have time like if your at a campsite patch the bad tube and put it back in your toolkit. Also what I do is when I change tires and tubes at home I use the tools that I take with me on the road so I know I got the right $hit with me and know I can do it on the road. Also you gotta practice, I know it sux a lot, especially when the tire won't cooperate but you gotta get the technique down.

Also take a pump with you obviously. I take 3 with me. 2 electric pumps and a bicycle pump. I've had them fail on me before.

I'll tell you this in all my years of adventure riding, I have only had 2 flats "on the trail" but it can happen anywhere anytime.

Also take spare brakes, clutch, and shifter levers with you. I don't know how many people I have run in to where they busted their lever up and they're kinda screwed because they didn't bring a spare with them. I have handguards the strong barkbuster kind not just brushguards and they will protect your levers mostly. Additionally I cut my levers down to a 2-3 finger lever and I have NEVER bent or broken a lever with this setup. Go on ebay and you'll find people parting out KLRs and you can find a buncha spare stuff.

This is my tool pack on my DR650:

youtu.be/8s-KKtGbSSg

 

[cloudy]

Gear: AGV AX-8 Dual Evo, Aerostich R3, Dainese Manis D1 back protector, and Forma Adventure boots.

I've managed in the R3 with all vents open and the collar rolled in with temperatures up to around 105 ºF so far. It handles dirt a lot better than my Dainese 3 season gear, it's easy to clean, and it's easy to slip in and out of.

I'm working on getting a set of Rev'it Sand 3 gloves to wear when off road. I'll continue to use my Dainese Carbon D1 long gloves while on pavement.

I think street gear typically has more protection for abrasion while dirt gear has more protection for range of motion injuries and is usually more open. As I do more off road riding, I'll adjust my gear accordingly.

Tools: I carry a tire plug kit, mini air compressor, pencil air gauge, zip ties, paracord, tape, and nitrile gloves. If I'm leaving the bay area on a multi day trip, I carry a better air gauge and an assortment of combination wrenches and hex keys. I carry these under the seat or, if I have a bag on the seat, in one of my cases. I'm waiting to see what Givi will do with the S250 tool box since I have PL3105CAM racks.

 

[1962siia]

My adventure riding is pretty much limited to baja and shorter dual sport rides like the sheetiron.

My gear selection has leaned heavily towards the dirt side. MX helmet goggles, klim otb pants, klim enduro type jacket, MX boots, body armor under the jacket and pants, light comfortable gloves, camel back. See avatar to the left. My theory has been that I want to be as light and as comfortable as possible and that my crashes will most likely be in dirt and that I try to limit my pavement as much as possible. If my adventure was going to be mostly pavement I'd gear up with more appropriate street stuff especially gloves.

For tools I also like to keep things as light as possible. I make sure I have stuff to change tires/tubes, change oil, adjust valves, remove anything to get engine/carb, stuff needed to open carb, spare master link, jb weld and section of aluminum can, spark plug and socket, zip ties, elect tape, tow strap, pressure gauge, hand pump, spare levers. And if oaklandf4i is coming i'll bring a giant machinist file, some spare goggles, and an eye patch. :laughing

I'm probably forgetting stuff.

 

[OaklandF4i]

Gear is highly subjective, but like 1962siia.... My adventure riding is heavily dirt weighted. You are physically working harder and it's just as dangerous overheating or fatiguing too early. So you need to find a compromise that works for you when it comes to comfort and protection. I wear less than many as I simply over heat easily. Elbo and knee pads are all I wear for armor.

You absolutely need to be able to change a tire/tube if you are venturing offroad. Learn to do it. I will make one strong recommendation re tire tools. Mini morph hand pump. Small lightweight and never craps out. Air cartridges are worthless and limit your air supply, if you have redo your tube. Electric ones can crap out at the worst time. Simply no good arguement for one over a good hand pump. You can get away with only one tube, a front that can be used in your rear in a pinch to get you back to civilization. If venturing by yourself, tube patch. You can pinch a tube just as easily installing as riding if you don't have practice.

Tools themselves are bike subjective. But their are some great tools that do multiple jobs saving weight and space. I have a one wrench that can remove my plug and both front and rear wheels. I have a y wrench with an 8,10, 12mm socket and three Allen wrenches. Always have my Learherman with too. Just some examples.

For safety I ALWAYs have a small compass and lighter to start a fire. Learn how to read a map and use a compass in addition to reading topography. More folks get themselves into trouble by relying on a GPS than I care to mention. What looks like an easy out on the GPS may in fact be leading you into trouble if you can't read topagraphy.

Anyways.... Just a start.

 

[two wheel tramp]

CJ, thanks for the pump tip. The previous owner of my DR included a tool kit for me but I still need a good way to fill a tube.

 

[Rumbo Sur]

A lot depends on what sort of "Adventure" riding you are planning. Wide range here. In high heat, for shorter, more dirt oriented rides, lighter, cooler dirt type gear may be the go. (obvious) Crossing Canada in early Spring or hitting Alaska late in the season? Different approach. Dual sport day rides or weekend rides. You need gear for every occasion or condition ... or not! :teeth

If actually going somewhere far away for more than a few days, then your approach changes. On a "real" adventure ride it's sometimes hard to know what conditions you might find. Rain? Cold? Brutal heat? Water crossings? Single track trails? (not great on KLR!) All of the Above? :wtf

If I were you I'd just get out there with what you've got and figure out what you like, what works, what does not. Ain't rocket science. All will come to you shortly. It's not all that different than general MC touring. Travel light.
Ride Well.

A few tips on Tire repair:
First off, it's a PITA. 2nd. SLIME and RIDE-ON goop need to be put into your tube BEFORE the ride ... no point carrying it with you.
It stays in tube ... and can actually stop or slow down a flat, maybe make a flat into a Slow Leak. Had ALL of the above.

Also, for me, when far far away and no help ... I learned long time ago to ride a motorcycle with a flat tire. If off road in nasty terrain, this is easier said than done. On road, not too bad, but a stiff tire is easier to ride flat than a soft off road tire. But ... the stiff road based tire can be a Bear to break the bead. I've ridden 50 miles on a flat both ON and OFF road.

3 tire irons are (IMO) best if you have the technique down to break bead and remove tire, change tube out, remount without pinching. I agree a good hand pump PLUS an electric are useful.

I rode AMA Enduro a while, so used dirt helmets for that. But when traveling on my DR650 I prefer my Flip Up helmet. Use same one on street bikes.

It's quiet on the road, and flips up when too hot. DO NOT crash with chin bar UP. :wow

Most everything else will come to you. Ride with buddies, you'll learn a lot.
Prep your new bike well and you should have no problems. But seat time is what it really takes ... and above all else ... HAVE fUN! :thumbup

 

[RightCoastBias]

I also go light with riding gear.

Dual sport helmet - some bilt cheapo
Goggles - Scott
Chest protector
Elbow pads
synthetic moisture wicking base layer
Bilt mesh jersey on top

synthetic moisture wicking underroos
kneed pads
bilt dirt pants - worst part of my setup

I have a 30L rubberized/waterproof REI bag that carries my tent/sleeping pad/sleeping pad/full size tire irons

30L compressible stuff sack that I'll carry spare clothing, rain jacket, thicker base layers, utensils, collapsible bowl.

I also have a tool roll with damn near everything I'd need to work on the bike. I strap everything to the seat/rear rack using Rokstraps and a net over the top.

I added carabiners to my anker solar panel and attack it to the outside of the net, so it charges my battery backs while I ride.

Also ride with a camelbak that carries 2L of water and a spare bladder that hides under the solar panel so the water doesn't get super hot out in the sun all day.

All loaded up, I'm around 45-50lbs and thats with some shit I could easily cut out, like generally carrying too much clothing with me.

This is the best shot I have of the gear I wear:



And my bike loaded up:

 

[krongsak]

What we wore



And our tool kit


Hope it helps

 

[Rumbo Sur]

IIRC, Wolf & Zebra were two guys from San Francisco who traveled S. America on DR650's? Am I mis remembering them? They posted ride reports on ADV Rider, no?

Not sure how the ladies gear shown above relates to Wolf/Zebra? The gear shown looks pretty good .... except for those stupid Tennis shoes! :rofl
Now THAT is crazy. Maybe a bit too Winter oriented, little venting or air flow with that gear. It's very early Rev'It product. Much better now.

Your feet, ankle and Tibia are the most vulnerable. Protect with decent boots ... many available in $100 range. Bit more for good ones. I own these:
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/tcx-track-evo-wp-boots

Also, heavy duty BLACK gear would NOT be my 1st choice riding from here to as far South as Panama.

After that you may need warmer, heavier gear. But in Sub Tropics (Mexico
to Panama) lighter, more vented or mesh gear might work out better.

In Mexico you can find elevation in Central Highlands ... gets cold, but most of the rest of Mexico is pretty warm year round any place below 3000 ft.

Mountainous areas in Costa Rica and a few other elevated areas, can be cool in Central America, but coastal areas HOT and humid year round.

Once in Colombia ... everything changes and you find an even broader range of conditions: Sub tropic lowlands, High Andean Alti-plano cold and everything in between. :afm199

I like most of the tool kit. On most bikes you don't need ALL sizes of Allen wrenches. Take only sizes that fit your bike. Love the bead buddy and Motion Pro
levers, along with spare Nut/Bolt kit. Great stuff! :thumbup

 

[krongsak]

Ah ah, Thanks for the kind words @Rumbo Sur. My wife would take great ombrage at being referred to as a guy :teeth. I am the Wolf of the crew and my wife is the Zebra, and yes we both rode from SF to Ushuaia a couple of years ago.

We got a lot of crap for riding in hiking boots, it was a conscious decision on our part. Without getting into a long argument we sacrificed some amount of safety for practicality. We wanted to be able to get off the bikes and just go walk, hike explore without the need change shoes. Most Moto specific boots we tried, I own a pair of Tech 8, Sidi crossfire, Sdi Vortice, are not meant to walk for miles and they are quite bulky to store on the bike in a semi-secure way (theft). Hiking boots offer some resistance to abrasion, somewhat protect the ankle and are much easier to live in 24/7.
We crashed many times, mostly off road, and ankle/feet/tibia never suffered. Maybe we were lucky or maybe we are just very good at crashing safely.

Tool wise, we used the Motion Pro levers A LOT, they do a great job at breaking tire bead. Next was the Topeak pump and the enduro start stand. I am also a big fan of the adapter 1/4 to hex :thumbup

 

[Rumbo Sur]

So sorry to screw up the gender ... could have sworn it was two guys ...!
Whoops! :facepalm My bad!

I get the walking around argument for the Hiking boots but you may be surprised by some of the newer model ADV boots out there now. Some pretty foot friendly ones around.

The TCX ones I linked above are truly comfortable. I was surprised as Hell! I've spent hours in mine off the bike. No super long hikes but quite bit walking. Really quite good!

I had Sidi Crossfires and several Alpinestar MX boots, the TCX boots are far more comfortable for off the bike use.

I pack Keen sandals as 2nd shoe.

Hope you two are doing well! Any plans for future rides?
What would you do different now based on what you learned on your first trip? ort

 

[krongsak]

No worries, given how manly my wife rides, once can easily be mistaken :rofl

Good to know regarding the TCX, I'll check them out.

Otherwise we are doing great. I joined the Baja Barf crew last year to explore some of the corners of Baja I had missed on our way down, had a blast :ride
No other long rides planned for now, it's nice to enjoy Forest Hill, Georgetown and all the amazing local spots.

As to what we have learned and would do differently that's a good question. Off the bat I would say:
- We would have loved to take a few more months. We sometimes felt we had to rush to make it to this or that place, get to Ushuaia before winter, etc.
- Managing your pace is challenging, it is important to switch from riding to vacation mode and once you find a place you like, just park the bikes and be a tourist.
- Travel even lighter, compared to other riders we met along the way, we had packed fairly little, yet being on light bikes is so important, it makes is easier to venture off-road, explore narrow streets in old towns and just blend in.
- Otherwise we were super happy with the DRs and our setup. We would not change that

 

[Rumbo Sur]

Thanks for the excellent comments! Good advice!
More time is always good. I traveled and worked in Latin America 7 years, off & on. Mostly OFF bikes, used buses, trains, planes ... plus a Jawa 350 2 stroke and a Vespa 150 in Peru'. :teeth

I stopped and spent time at several "Garden Of Eden" spots I found: Puerto Escondido area, Lake Atitlan (1.5 years there), La Libertad (El Salvador), Colombia: Cartegna, San Augustin, Isla Providencia. Ecuador: Banos, Quito, Cuzco, Peru'. Ended up getting work setting out from Ushuaia to Antarctic.

Resting off the bike once in while, IMO, is critical and something many don't do. Riders need time to recuperate, take it all in. Enjoy!

Many rush through Mexico - Cent. America to make the Stalratte boat over to Colombia. They miss a lot ... but good in a way as this means places won't be so overrun with tourists like Macha Pichu is today. :thumbdown

Traveling light is a challenge for me even after years working at it. But once out on the road I jettison stuff I don't need ... or give it away. It's amazing what you can find if you need something.

The Suzuki DR650's are hard to beat: Elegant simplicity, owner serviceable, tough, pretty good off road with a few mods, reliable and affordable Travel bike.

IMO, nothing else can match the DR650 when you look at broad picture and figuring in all compromises. KLR is not bad, but once you've ridden a well set up DR650 ... you will never go back to the KLR (I owned TWO).

Georgetown area is great riding. Have fun!

Can you post a link to your ADV Rider Ride report? :ride

 

[krongsak]

@RumboSur sounds like you had a ton of fun adventures and found some gorgeous spots. Did you work in some of these places? What got you going?

Wholeheartedly agree with you regarding Mexico, I think we spent close to 2 months there and barely scrapped the surface, beside well-known places like Guadalajara, Guanajuato or San Miguel de Allende, we found many cute towns, Oaxaca comes to mind, and unique landscapes well worth both the time and detour.

Regarding taking breaks, whenever we stayed at backpackers hotels we noticed that for most tourists without a vehicle, the adventure would happen from the hotel while going from hotel to hotel was a chore. For us it was the other way around, the fun part was going from place to place. Once we put our luggage down though, we would gladly stay put and relax until the next ride. This lead us to see many places most folks don't, while missing key attractions. It's indeed a difficult balance to strike.

In complete agreement with you regarding DR vs. KLR. We still miss ours.

Finally, I will confess we have done a terrible job posting reports on the forums, the reformatting of the text and pictures ended up being too much of a pain in the neck. For the whole story, only one place ---> WolfandZebra.com

 

[Rumbo Sur]

@RumboSur sounds like you had a ton of fun adventures and found some gorgeous spots. Did you work in some of these places? What got you going?

For the whole story, only one place ---> WolfandZebra.com

Not much going with me, trying to stay healthy and continue to travel when health allows.

In the 70's started buying Artesania items in Mexico and Guatemala, re-selling in USA. Small operation. Allowed for extensive exploring searching sources for things I wanted.

Over 10 months, did similar explorations in Ecuador, Peru' and Bolivia, buying mostly antique weaving's ... (which were not appreciated in USA). Made more money selling cheapo touristy stuff. But paid for travel and then some. :thumbup

Later made a friend in Ushuaia who worked for USARP (US Antarctic program). Did two tours over next 3 years. Learned a lot, but not much riding for a while! I ran Zodiac boats as field party coordinator. No one died on my watch. :teeth

You guys put in your time posting up stuff, no worries. Your blog is plenty good for those interested in a great ride report.
ort