When the road ends in Panama, overland travelers typically work around the conundrum of the Darién Gap by shipping trucks and cars or strapping motos to the deck of sailboats bound for Colombia. Dylan Wickrama, however, had another idea: to build a raft out of his motorcycle and sail 700 kilometers across the Pacific. As…
2024 Stelvio from Moto Guzzi
Stelvio Pass is famous as a challenging Italian road over the Eastern Alps. The 2024 Moto Guzzi Stelvio is a new, tech-laden adventure motorcycle that looks to be an excellent mount for carving the pass’s 48 tight turns and cresting its 9,045-foot summit. It features Guzzi’s latest liquid-cooled 90-degree, transverse V-twin motor, which delivers a…
Touratech Gear for BMW R 1300 GS
Touratech plans to leave no BMW GS undressed. As any GS owner will tell you, the German accessory company has something for everyone. And they just announced 23 accessories for the 2024 R 1300 GS. Some are brand new for this bike or re-configured, some are existing universal items. R 1300 GS Only When BMW…
BDR Special Edition Ducati Desert X Up For Grabs
Win an adventure-ready Ducati DesertX while supporting Backcountry Discovery Routes. This “Cross Continent Special Edition” has been tricked-out by over a dozen accessory companies. Wolfman Motorcycle Luggage, Scotts steering dampers, and Black Dog Cycle Works have all contributed their specialized adventure products to this one-of-a-kind motorcycle. NorCal BDR Beckons This year’s drawing celebrates the upcoming…
Moto Guzzi Stelvio ADV Bike—What We Know
The International Motorcycle and Accessories Exhibition (EICMA) is the big European motorcycle show that takes place in Milan, Italy, every autumn. It’s often where OEMs, especially the Italian ones, reveal their new bikes for the upcoming model year. In the ADV world, one motorcycle’s return that’s been highly anticipated is the Moto Guzzi Stelvio. Rumors…
What Overlanders Should Know About the Gore-Tex Brand
Photographs courtesy of the Gore-Tex Brand The path to purchasing outdoor gear can feel like a quest for the Holy Grail. There are many factors to consider, including sizing, materials, fit, construction, durability, and brand ethics or environmental impact. Whether it’s a pair of hiking boots or a puffy jacket, the mission always starts with…
Overland News of the Week
Born Outdoor Badger Bed 25 Kicking off this week’s overland news is Born Outdoor. The company is now supplying a narrower version of its original Badger Bed 30. Expedition Portal’s Garrett Mead reviewed the latter and concluded: “I could not find a single thing to dislike about this bed system.” High praise, indeed. So, what…
How to Prepare for and Survive Inclement Weather While Overlanding
Lead photograph by Michnus Olivier, Piki Piki Overland More than a decade ago, we camped in a large wooded campsite in Punta del Este, a coastal town in Uruguay. Despite extensive overland travel in Africa, we were relative rookies. It was our first night in South America, the Defender had been released from the port…
Triumph Rolls Out New Adventure Models, Final Edition Thruxton
Triumph has been absolutely roaring for the last few years as the legacy UK firm has grown both its lineup of models, as well as its global market footprint. In 2022, Triumph saw sales increase by 31 percent, especially in markets like South America and India, and (in contrast with some other brands) they’ve been…
Mosko Moto Gnome—The Small Tank Bag That Packs a Big Punch
There’s a lot to be said about a little tank bag. I’ve been just as guilty as the next ADV rider, packing out a full-size tank bag with all the things I think I needed, only to not use half of it. Worse even is restriction of movement – or worse still – restriction of…
New Suzuki V-Strom Models Join the Adventure Lineup
The Suzuki V-Strom occupies a sweet spot for a lot of adventure-leaning motorcyclists who also need a bike that can handle more mundane riding duties. With this in mind, Suzuki has introduced two all-new dishes to their ever-expanding adventure menu (there are 12 flavors of the V-Strom now!). The 2024 800 and 800 Touring models…
New Products Showcased at Overland Expo East
The Overland Expo events, held nationally in the US, continue to grow from strength and have become the event of choice for manufacturers to launch and showcase new products. From top-tier vehicle manufacturers to up-and-coming gear and overland-related producers, the thousands of attendees of each event can expect to find the cutting edge of what’s…
Ducati DesertX Rally
Ducati’s DesertX Rally motorcycle is their most hardcore adventure bike yet. With any more capability, it would have to be considered a race machine. Coming on the heels of the 2023 DesertX, the 2024 Rally is a beefed up version of an already capable machine. Desmo Power At the Rally’s heart is the same DVT…
2024 BMW R 1300 GS Debut
BMW’s new R 1300 GS is ready to ride, and there’s no mistaking it with anything else. It may have a few nuts and bolts in common with their previous flagship, the R 1250 GS, but that and the propeller badge would be it. Sleek new looks put it in a class by itself. Christof…
Overland News of the Week
Rux 70-liter Essentials Set This week’s Overland News of the Week has some great gear offerings and the first on the list is the Rux 70-liter system; a practical and robust alternative to plastic bins and duffel bags for efficient gear organization and transportation. When used independently, the Rux takes the form of a rugged…
10 Things to Know About Overlanding Botswana
Photography by Expedition Overland Botswana offers the ingredients of a wild adventure. Hundreds of unpaved tracks made of thick sand and bone-wrenching washboard could keep an overland traveler busy for many months, if not years. Add fuel logistics and range considerations, regional raw meat restrictions, and the systematic destruction of your vehicle to the mix,…
Dumb or Dumber? A Half-Life Man Learns to Ride
(Great Falls, Montana)—My home state of Montana is famous for its instantly recognizable landmarks and unique history. From the rapidly disappearing glaciers of Glacier National Park (see them while you still can!) to the Little Bighorn Battlefield, where a confederation of Plains Indians routed a hapless group of US Army soldiers led by an overconfident…
Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway
Editor’s Note: Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway was originally published in Overland Journal’s Fall 2023 Issue. They say the Million Dollar Highway begins and ends between the Colorado mountain towns of Silverton and Ouray, but traverse it, and you’ll also discover a plethora of dirt road hideaways laced with abundant scenery, lakes and streams, ample camping…
Grandriders Circumnavigate Taiwan by Motorcycle :: Video of the Week
In Go Grandriders, 17 senior citizens embark on a 13-day, 1,178-kilometer ride by 125cc scooters and small motorcycles around Taiwan. With an average age of 81, the octogenarians take to one of Taiwan’s most dangerous roads: the Su-Hua Highway. Weaving amongst roaring cargo trucks and behind packed tour buses, the group enjoys lush cliffside scenery…
Overland News of the Week
Salewa Announces Collection for Spring/Summer 2024 This week’s overland news begins with mountain sports company Salewa’s announcement about its upcoming trekking collection, which blends technical performance with natural fabrics such as hemp and merino wool. The brand’s Puez Hemp/Durastretch 2/1 Hybrid jacket and pants are designed for strength and breathability with the ability to withstand…