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Motorcycle Travel, Part II: Planning

Have you picked a destination you want to ride your motorcycle to? Great! Now have some fun planning it!

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The roads are not the only reason for the trip. Make sure to plan fun and interesting destinations along your route. That could mean a beach, a mountain range, a forest, a city, a monument, a desert, an amusement park, an ocean (or, heck, some relatives or friends!). The list is endless.

Don’t get lost

You’ll enjoy your trip more if you’re not stressed about finding a place to sleep, or wondering how far you can go on a tank of gas.

Get a GPS or a navigation app on your smart phone (See our blog post about GPS vs. Phone) and plug in your route. That way you can simply follow along and not have to worry about getting lost.

Some minor adjustments to your GPS can make you more comfortable (such as turning the screen brightness all the way up). And, of course, you want to make sure your phone or GPS is securely mounted.

Eating...

Look for out-of-the-way “local” places to eat (they often have the best food and atmosphere).

How about taking a tour of America’s weirdest food? Ever tried Scrapple in Pennsylvania? The name is as it implies. Scrapes of the pig! (Could it be good??)

Wisconsin - up in our neck of the words! - is famous for fried cheese curds. (These are amazing!)

Geoduck anyone? The leathery siphon protruding from the six-inch shell of this odd-looking deep-water clam can reach up to three feet in length. Served like sashimi and sauteed in butter. (Not sure about this one...)

And sleeping!

Try to plan your day’s travel so you end up at a location where lodging is available. In peak times of the year lodging can be hard to come by so you may want to make reservations in advance. Knowing where you are going and where you will stop helps make the trip less stressful.

Think about where you want to stay. Do you prefer a big hotel or something smaller? I love a good B&B; they’re often quaint or quirky, and the food is usually fantastic. Plus they have their fingers on the pulse of what is happening locally and are a great source for things to do in the area.

Every state (and many municipalities) has dedicated tourism websites that can be helpful in identifying destinations and lodging.

Ready to get packing? Read this article (Part III in our travel series) for tips on Comfort & Convenience!

Motorcycle Travel, Part IV: Memories and Maintenance

Okay, you’ve  picked your destination, planned your route, and found some fun places to visit along the way. You know which states to wear a helmet in and your bags are packed. What are you forgetting?

Saving memories

Many wonderful memories are going to be made during this trip. Have you thought about how you’re going to save them? Your own brain, you say? Well, if you're like me things don’t stick in the old noggin like they used to. What’s the solution?

Make a video!

Now that you’re finally taking your dream trip, there’s nothing cooler than recording it in both picture and video. The scenery and shots are amazing!

Must have for this trip is a video camera! Ideally, your camera and mount will provide:

• A clean, streamlined profile
• Unlimited angle-ability
• 360-degree rotational swivel
• Built-in anti-vibration

Think of all the fun you’ll have going back to watch your video in the dead of winter!

One last thing to think about

Have you taken your bike for a “wellness” check? The two of you are going to be spending a lot of time together on this trip.

Make sure your motorcycle is roadworthy and reliable before setting out. Ensure all equipment is working and can withstand the rigors of the road. The tires should have plenty of rubber and be properly inflated, the oil and other fluids should be clean and topped off, and all lighting should be working.

If your bike has a chain drive, the chain should be properly tensioned and lubricated, and if belt driven, the belt should be inspected for wear and properly tensioned. Make sure all nuts and fastening hardware are tight.

Precautions

Make sure someone knows where you are going and all of your contact information and insurance information is up-to-date.

Now with all of this proper planning it is time to go! You are prepared, packed, organized, and it is time to hit the road. You can do it knowing you are prepared and are going to make memories that will last a life time! Enjoy!

Navigation: Three Reasons a GPS May be Better than Your Phone

Should you use the navigation app on your phone while riding, or get a GPS unit?

That's up to you, of course. But I still use a GPS when I ride, and here's why:

• A decent GPS can be purchased for under $100 these days, while a phone can cost upward of $600. If I'm going to lose a device, have it stolen, rained on or otherwise broken, I'd rather it be the $100 GPS than my $600+ phone (not to mention I've also then lost access to all the personal information I store in my phone).
• I like to ride in mountainous areas and out-of-the-way places. Even though cell coverage is getting better all the time, there's no guarantee I'll always have coverage via my phone.
• My phone sucks power way faster than a GPS does. I don't really want to have to wire for power (I like the clean, simple look, no wires). With my luck, I'd run out of power in a very inconvenient place

Having GPS easily accessible on your motorcycle can make you a safer, more relaxed driver. Just be sure to have a high-quality GPS Mount so you'll never lose your phone.

'Extreme' Winter Motorcycle Riding

I’ve lived in MinneSNOWta all my life, 35 years as a biker. Winter motorcycling isn’t particularly fun for me, even with crazy PMS (“Parked Motorcycle Syndrome”) right about now. But if you simply MUST ride a motorcycle in the winter, here are our top tips for doing so.

Clothing

Layer. Start with a long-sleeve base (such as Under Armor) that wicks moisture away from your body. Add an insulating layer (like fleece) and/or a heated vest with controller.

Your jacket is no place to skimp; get the best. Gore-Tex is popular for its breathability and waterproof features. Same with boots and gloves; add a neck warmer and a full-face helmet. Think like a snowmobiler but buy like a biker!

Motorcycle Prep

A motorcycle windshield goes without saying here, and extras like the Desert Dawgs Rain/Wind Guards and motorcycle hand guards or muffs are a huge help as well. If you’re able to install heated grips, they’ll go a long way toward keeping your hands warmer.

If your bike is water-cooled, make sure the antifreeze is fresh and mixed properly and that all hoses are in good shape.

Tires: make sure you have awesome tread if you plan to ride in snow. Check your tire pressure, as it can change with temperature swings. Also, be aware that cold motorcycle tires offer less traction.

Road Hazards

First, the obvious: if it even remotely looks like ice, stay away! If you live in an area that uses salt on the roads (like we do), be very cautious; it can cause you to lose traction (just like snow can).

Also remember that snow, salt, fluctuating temps and equipment like plows can really do a number on road surfaces. I swear some of the cracks and pot holes around here are big enough to swallow a motorcycle!

Visibility and Following Distance

During winter riding, look further down the road so you can recognize hazards before they occur, and/or react to a potential problem more quickly. And give the vehicle in front of you plenty of space. You might not have the same space available for stopping (or avoiding) due to less traction.

SNOW

Keep an eye on the forecast; if the weather folks are calling for multiple inches of snow, leave the motorcycle at home. And if you’re out riding and it starts snowing, get home. The white stuff can accumulate quickly and make for some seriously slippery conditions (even in a car).

If you’re really into winter riding, consider a snowmobile. Just kidding! (But you can buy studded snow tire kits here in the northland.) Riding a motorcycle in the winter can be challenging, but it can be done with the right attitude!

Phones on Motorcycles: Seven Tips for Choosing the Right Mount

I'm not going to tell you not to use your phone while riding. I think that goes without saying (unlike the guy below!) and if you're old enough to ride a motorcycle, you're old enough to make your own decision about phones and motorcycles!

I will just say this: do it the safest way you can! By that I mean, mount your phone securely (you don't want to be worrying about it falling off!) in a location (handlebar, brake/clutch, mirror, windshield, etc) that doesn't interfere with driving - and where you can easily glance at it.

To that end, we've tried to make mounting a phone on a motorcycle simple (in fact, it's less complicated than learning how to USE some of these phones!) by designing secure and classy phone mounts.

But how do you know which motorcycle phone mount is best for you? It's a good idea to decide what functions of the phone you are most likely to use when riding (this can help you narrow down your mounting preferences).

Here are seven things to consider:

• Do you use the phone to see who is calling? Or do you wait until you’ve stopped to check? The answer to this question can affect your choice of case/cover as well as mount.
• Do you play music via your phone? If so, you may need to look into speakers or Bluetooth.
• Do you want to be able to take pictures with your phone as you ride? Then you’ll need a mount that doesn’t cover or obscure your phone’s photo screen.
• Do you use a GPS (navigation) feature on your phone? If you do, you might want to be able to mount the phone horizontally as well as vertically (which all our phone mounts can do).
• How often do you need to touch the phone’s screen? If you need to touch it often, you’ll want to make sure whatever mount you use makes it easy (and safe) to do so.
• Would you like to be able to tilt or turn your phone ‘on the fly’ if you get sun glare?
• Do you prefer to mount your phone in the ‘typical’ vertical fashion? Or is it easier for you to view features (such as GPS) in a horizontal position? Will you need to be able to change it from vertical to horizontal depending on how you’re using it that day?

I hope this helps get you started on safe and convenient phone use while riding!

How to Mount a Camera on a Motorcycle: HelmetCAM, Suction & Fixed Mounts

Now that you’ve thought about what you’re planning to video and how you’d like to do it (see previous post), here are some thoughts about ways to mount the camera.

Helmet CAM

We’re aware that Helmet CAMs are all the rage. We even own a GoPro ourselves. But we’re not fans of the helmet-mounted camera and here’s why.

1. You can't change the angle of the shot. Wherever you are looking, that's what you're getting. If you look down at your gauges, so does your video. If you look behind you to check traffic, guess where the HelmetCam goes?
2. You can’t easily adjust the camera. I once lost an entire sequence because I thought it was powered on when it wasn’t (I couldn’t see it up on my head!)
3. Depending on the camera you may not have a good zoom function; you might find your target turned into a speck on the horizon.

Apparently we’re not the only ones who feel this way:

“Mounting a video camera on a motorcycle helmet is difficult. Modern helmets have all sorts of wacky curves, put there for either styling or aerodynamic purposes. The larger the camera the more difficult it is to mount on a helmet.” ~ WebBikeWorld Review

Camera Suction-Cup Mounts

These usually stick to the bike's tank or windscreen. Again I’ll be blunt: we're not fans of using suction cups on motorcycles - period. (And if you worked here, and heard how many customers had their phone, GPS, etc fall off their bike, we think you'd feel the same.)

The potential for the suction to become loose and disengage with all that road vibration is just too great. And there are better ways to get the shot you’re after.

Fixed Camera Mounts

A reviewer on WebBikeWorld noted: “In mounting a video camera on a motorcycle, the mount becomes very important and must have a wide range (degrees of freedom) of movement to compensate for the crazy angle at which the camera will be mounted. But after the camera is lined up, the mount must lock down solid to hold the camera steady.”

We noticed the same things as we experimented with taking video ourselves. In addition to the above, they were also terribly ugly and/or too shaky. In fact, vibration is the #1 problem cited by most riders (especially given the shape of our roads these days).

So we designed our own motorcycle camera mount. Thanks to our patented ‘third generation’ design, the Swivel-CAM motorcycle camera mount solves some key problems:

• Rotation: 360-rotation and Ultra-Swivel at top and bottom to give you a huge range of positioning and angle-ability
• Aesthetics: Ultra-slim rod gives it a streamlined look
• Heights: Available in different height options
• Universal: Works with any camera with tripod threading – even popular action cameras like the GoPro
• Vibration: Anti-vibration features are built in

Does it really work? Check out the video below, taken with our GoPro and the Swivel-CAM motorcycle camera mount!