It’s been a long year for most of us. With a global pandemic and the social unrest the world has faced, anything to get my mind off of the global problems was a welcome sight. In 2004 and 2007, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman released two of the greatest series on motorcycle and adventure travel…
Rescue Build on 1983 Honda CX500 Café Racer
When Tom Gilroy, founder of Gold Coast, Australia’s, Purpose Built Moto, took on a rescue build for a Honda CX500, he inherited a challenge. The bike came to him through a customer who’d had a bad experience with a former custom motorcycle designer, and the dream build didn’t turn out how the customer had imagined….
Overland News of the Week
AEV Jack Base for Jeep Wrangler JL or Gladiator AEV’s jack base for Wrangler JL or Gladiator provides an additional 3.5 inches of height for the factory JL or Gladiator scissor jack. This lets users easily change tires as large as 37 inches with their factory jack. In addition to providing extra height and being…
Five Lightweight Motorcycle Options for Vehicle Hitch-mounts
There are many reasons why riders might want to transport a motorcycle by vehicle: maybe you need to take your bike to the dealer for repairs or want to get from A to B without riding hours on the interstate. For example, if you live in Washington and want to ride the Colorado BDR, you’re…
10 Solutions for Carrying Extra Fuel on Motorcycles and Off-road Vehicles
Updated April 28, 2021. Many overlanders have a conundrum—how to carry extra fuel for those far-from-it-all excursions we all dream about. Carrying gas or diesel safely is even more of an issue: gone are the good old days of filling up plastic Coke bottles and strapping them to your overland rig or ADV ride. Even…
Video of the Week: Never Ride Alone
There are few humans out there willing to endure physical hardship like Scott Englund in Never Ride Alone. But watching this film, I understood him; I understand the desire to attain something everyone else thinks is crazy—a goal that takes up so much space in your brain there is no longer room for reason, so…
Overland News of the Week
Osprey Talon Pro 30 The comfort of Osprey’s backpacks is well known amongst outdoor enthusiasts, and their new Talon Pro 30 brings that comfort to the world of ultralight backpacking. A lightweight wire frame and injection-molded framesheet provide support for this 30-liter pack. Osprey lists a recommended maximum payload of 15-25 pounds for comfortable carying….
Humanity :: Kindness of Strangers
Clouds of dust drift away as I sit up and take off my helmet. My bike stretches out across the Trans-Labrador Highway on its left side; its wheels still spin, but the engine has stopped. Something is wrong. But I don’t know what. My heart races as my brain takes inventory. I’m breathing. I’m in…
Horizons Unlimited HUMM Event and Travellers Meeting, 2021
Horizons Unlimited Mountain Madness (HUMM) Cascades 2021 Event Described as “the best 48 hours of my life” by one participant (who later had to apologize to his wife for saying that), Horizons Unlimted’s HUMM event is essentially a make-your-own-adventure, off-road scavenger hunt. Riders form teams of two or four and spend two days chasing tags through…
Triumph 2022 Scrambler 1200 and Scrambler 1200 Steve McQueen Edition
If I could afford more than one motorcycle, a Triumph Scrambler would be on my list: iconic, cool, stylish, fun. Maybe that describes a lot of motorcycles, but ever since I test rode a Ducati in Salt Lake City, I’ve always loved Scramblers, and that day, I really wanted to take one home. Now, Triumph…
Gloves Mandatory for Motorcycle Riders in Spain
Spain’s director general of traffic (DGT) has passed a law that requires all motorcycle riders and pillions wear gloves. The DGT was working on mandating every rider wear an airbag, but that idea was dropped in favor of gloves—not quite apples to apples, but perhaps they’re looking to start small and work up. The…
Wanted: Riders Willing To Get Dirty!
Dirty For Good—Female Focused, Situational Trail Training/Fundraising Tour in Haverhill, New Hampshire, August 22-27, 2021 Hosted by SheADV and Women’s Motorcyclist Foundation, the Dirty For Good Situational Trail Training/Fundraising venue is aimed to attract female dual-sport riders at the intermediate level. Dirty For Good provides real-life training experience on Vermont Sections 5 and then 4 of the North East Backcountry…
Yamaha Contributes Over $350,000 to Public Lands
The pandemic has caused an upsurge in public land use, with many of us looking for ways to escape the confines of houses and apartments. Sometimes, the outdoors is our only reprieve. But that rise has created a huge amount of stress on these natural spaces we are all responsible for. An increase of support…
Canadian Border Patrol—A 250-mile Dual-sport Route
This article was updated, April 20. Canada’s Okanagan Valley, located in southwest British Columbia, is known for its delicious wines and juicy fruits. Also considered a desert by Canadian standards—hot, dry, and filled with people wearing toques and sandals—the Okanagan Valley is surrounded by pine forests, lakes, and provincial parks, which makes it ideal for…
Silk Way Rally—July 1-11 Through Russia and Mongolia
With cautious optimism, the world is slowly reopening for in-person events, and the Silk Way Rally sounds like an adventurous challenge to put on your calendar. The race travels through Russia and Mongolia and is scheduled for July 1-11 with 10 stages. Course highlights include new sections not previously in the rally, for example, Russia’s…
Hard or Soft? A Quick and Dirty Review of Motorcycle Luggage
Editor’s Note: This post was previously published on SheADV.com One of the most important gear items to have on your bike is sturdy, waterproof luggage. Your gear is useless if it’s exposed to the extreme elements of riding unprotected. Over the course of two years, I tried three different motorcycle luggage setups: one was a…
Book Review :: American Borders by Carla King
There’s nothing like anger to fuel the fires within. When Carla King’s husband kept vacillating about joining her for a motorcycle trip through Europe, Carla took matters into her own hands. She went by herself. Realizing her marriage was faltering, 28-year-old Carla was heartbroken, but this event would be the catalyst she needed to restart…
Motorcycle Soft Luggage
From scrublands to high mountain forests, the Idaho BDR challenges motorcycles, riders, and gear. After purchasing a BMW F 800 GS in 2009, I quickly sourced a set of expensive aluminum panniers, thinking that’s what you had to use on a GS. Victims of their own mass and structure, combined with progress…
REV’IT’s 2021 Spring/summer Apparel Line
One of the best aspects of Rev’It gear is its diversity; both the male and female menus have many options for riding jackets, pants, jeans, and more. This is one of several reasons I chose Rev’It as my one and only suit while riding through 40 countries around the world. You can read a review…
Moto Guzzi—the Legendary Eagle Brand—Celebrates 100 Years in Business (1921-2021)
On March 15, 1921, along the shores of Lake Como, Italy, a company called “Società Anonima Moto Guzzi” started a business in “the fabrication and sale of motorcycles, and all other activities pertinent or correlated to the metalworking and mechanical engineering industries.” The company remains there today and just celebrated 100 years in business. Moto…