It was just a few years ago when bigger was better and the hulking 1200cc adventure motorcycle reigned supreme. Not to say the big bike’s day is done, but the wee machine is certainly making a comeback. In the time since Kawasaki dropped their KLX250 from the lineup 3 years ago, a number of diminutive…
I Can. I Will. Women Overlanding the World
Before we left, we were repeatedly discouraged by others and by the media. Everyone said these were not safe countries for women to travel in, that a trip like this would be too physically demanding for women, one person even said we would come home in pine boxes. Despite these messages, we overcame our fears and…
Adventure Motorcycles
Overland Journal reviews the best “Big Bike” options for exploring the globe on two wheels.
From the ExPo Vault: Yo Hablo Moto
Exploring Colombia’s backroads and villages with Elephant Motorcycle Expeditions
Riding Full Circle: Playing in Traffic
When I threw the fist-sized rock in my hand at the Bolivian man’s car door, his eyes opened wide, forcing salt-and-pepper brows, like fat caterpillars, to scurry up and be eaten into the creases of his forehead. Clearly this was more surprising to him than what prompted his first response to me, spat out in…
Ground Control to Major Tom: Sena 10U Helmet Communicator
For the sake of full disclosure, I am a bit late with this product review as the Sena 10U system has been available for the last year. I was so happy with my Sena 20S units that it took a new helmet to compel me to upgrade, but I’m glad I made the leap. The…
Swapping the life conventional for the ride of a lifetime
Many daydream about making a road trip across continents. There may be real or perceived hurdles in the way, so what does it take to actually do it? For anyone whose life’s jigsaw pieces can coalesce around such a dream—and respectfully, not everyone’s can—a commitment to the decision is all it takes. Then comes doing…
Field Tested: REV’IT! Sand Urban Jacket
In early summer of 2014, while testing motorcycle suits for an Overland Journal review, I put the REV’IT! Sand II jacket and pant combo to the ultimate test. With temperatures pushing well into triple digits, I rode into the sun-scorched deserts of Baja. Although no motorcycle suit is comfortable in those conditions, the Sand II…
36 Hours of Adventure: Pines, Saguaros, and a Russian Motorcycle
I must have a thing for symmetry. As I wiggled and twisted down the road, the Ural beneath me seemed determined to thwart my best efforts to ride a straight line. I started to mentally catalog all the asymmetrical things in the world, most of them annoying to me. There’s the fiddler crab with his…
Field Tested: Mosko Moto Reckless 80 and Backcountry 40 Bags and Panniers
Most new entries into the motorcycle world seem to take years to gain momentum. Consumers are hard parted with their dollars and don’t make purchases without a great deal of research and vetting. When Mosko Moto started hitting trade shows and events to promote their new line of soft luggage, all of that went out…
Road Tested: Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally
When Aprilia released their Caponord 1200 Travel Pack in the spring of 2014, they had the good sense to not lump it in with the expanding crowd of touring machines aimed at the off-road rider. Masters of tarmac, they stuck with what they know and created a platform with exceptional pavement performance, but fitted with…
Field Tested: REV’IT! Discovery OutDry Boots
I’m not sure why, but I love to hate motorcycle boots. I tend to alternate between too much, or too little, seldom landing on the elusive level of just right. Positioned somewhere between full blown adventure and lightweight touring, the Discovery represents a multi-year development project aimed at the modern adventure rider. Comfort was clearly…
Long Term Test: Shoei Neotec
For a wide swath of the motorcycling crowd, the modular helmet is ideal for logging long miles for days on end. Blending the aerodynamic efficiency of a standard road helmet with the benefits of an open-face lid, the modular offers easy on/off and the ability to quickly pop up the chin bar to cool off,…
Rent a Bike and Go to Baja Before They Build That Wall
Before this wall gets built, I want to spend as much time in Mexico as I can. Surfing, camping, eating tacos, taking in the sights, and just otherwise unplugging from the Great American Life. But when I say Mexico, what I really mean is Baja—that slim peninsula stretching into the Pacific Ocean just south of…
Featured Vehicle: Kalaber Creations Ural Gear Up
For the adventure inclined, the Ural has always held strong allure. Originally designed to ferry soldiers across the battlefields of WWII, the Russian Ural has been in continuous production for nearly eight decades. The same attributes that made it suitable to traverse the bombed-out roads of Europe in the late 1940s make it perfectly suited…
Overland Expo West 2017: The Motorcycles
Since its first year, Overland Expo West has done well to draw riders and vendors into a comprehensive motorcycle experience. With a full complement of retailers, manufacturers, tour operators, and other resources for the two-wheeled adventurer, this year’s moto-village was action packed all weekend long. Although a bit removed from the rest of the event, it…
Overland Expo West 2017: It Begins Again
Now in its ninth year, the 2017 Overland Expo commenced again, this time in a new location in the tall pines outside of Flagstaff, Arizona. Previous years have suffered unusually extreme weather conditions, but this year’s show kicked off under sunny skies with clear views of the snowcapped summit of Mount Humphreys. Although official numbers are…
First Ride: Kawasaki Versys X 300
When news of Kawasaki’s Versys X 300 started to circulate, many people thought it was just another also-ran in a growing category of diminutive motorcycles aimed at new or fair weather riders. Others thought it might be the KLR’s replacement, which are big shoes to fill. After spending a few days atop the Versys X…
Revolutionary Ride: In Search of the Real Iran
Iran teems with contradictions. Persian rugs are sold in bazaars next to knock-off American perfumes, chador covered women window shop for miniskirts, and the oppressiveness of the Islamic Republic is countered by the irrepressible optimism of its citizens. A country that’s been isolated by its own policies and years of Western sanctions (only recently lifted),…
Women Adventurers Who Pioneered Overlanding
For International Women’s Day, Expedition Portal celebrates six women overlanders