Solo biker and backpacker Alex Reynolds admits that the sandy switchbacks, picturesque lakes, and dirt offshoots of Siberia’s Chuysky Trakt are the perfect place to become purposefully lost. Located in the Altai region of Central Siberia, this nearly 1,000-kilometer federal highway from Novosibirsk to the Russian-Mongolian border was used to carry goods, honey, and furs by caravan…
Overlanding with Pets – An interview with The Pack Track
Riding a motorcycle around the world is thrilling, challenging, and liberating, and you are guaranteed an adventure full of opportunities to venture off the beaten track. Add a partner and three dogs to the mix, and you are guaranteed a journey overflowing with unique experiences. Australian couple Stu and Janell have been riding around the…
Photo Essay :: Riding Through the Land God Made in Anger
The San people of Namibia refer to their homeland as “the land God made in anger.” It is an environment where rains may come only every 20 or 30 years, and temperatures soar in the oldest desert in the world. To some, that may serve as a warning to stay away. For adventure seekers looking…
Moto Monday :: The Most Important Motorcycle Accessory is Training
While farkle (functional sparkle) is all the rage for adventure motorcyclists, the most essential purchase after safety gear should be rider training. Yes, I said the first. The reality of adventure riding is that physical risks are significant, and most accidents or injuries can be avoided or minimized by improving the rider’s skills. It is…
Sinje Gottwald Completes First Unassisted Electric Motorcycle Crossing of Africa
Traveling 13,000 kilometers from Spain to South Africa, Cake B2B Account Manager Sinje Gottwald has completed the longest-distance ride on an electric motorcycle. Her 124-day journey on the Cake Kalk AP spanned the West Coast of Africa, including through deep sand in Morocco and over muddy and waterlogged jungle tracks in Guinea Bissau. The feat…
Overland News of the Week
HydraPak Introduces New Water Filtration Systems HydraPak has introduced water filters designed to work seamlessly with their existing selection of flexible bottles, water storage, and reservoir lines. HydraPak President Matt Lyon states, “Adventure depends on water, and we’re constantly looking for the best way to help keep athletes hydrated so that they can continue…
KTM 390 Adventure :: 2023 Updates
As the smallest adventure bike in KTM’s lineup you might think the 390 Adventure would get overlooked for updates. No worries–the Austrian company is not one to let a design, or a look, get stale. Unlike with the 890 Adventure, KTM hasn’t pulled out the stops for upgrades, but have paid enough attention to the…
KLIM 2023 Gear :: Badlands Returns
KLIM’s 2023 launch of high-end riding gear begins with new garments, continues with new helmets and goggles, and includes updated designs for existing lines. Badlands Merits Top Protection Rating Of all their new and improved gear, KLIM is proudest of their Badlands Pro A3 jacket (from $1455) and pant (from $942), the only AAA CE-rated…
BMW International GS Trophy 2024
Trophy Time in Africa BMW Motorrad returns the GS Trophy competition to its African roots for 2024, this time in rugged Namibia. It will be the 9th running of the biennial event, which was last held in Albania, as reported by Heather Lea. There will be 22 teams from across the planet, with a total…
BMW Partners with BDR on Oregon Route
BMW Motorrad USA is collaborating with Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR) on their newest project in the west, Oregon. The ORBDR brings the total routes created by the non-profit BDR organization to an even dozen. It is the second with BMW as a partner, the first being the Wyoming BDR. ORBDR Film Premier Save the date:…
Emerald Acquires Lodestone Events, Producers of the Overland Expo Series
The growth of the Overland market segment seems unstoppable and continues to attract the attention of motor vehicle, aftermarket parts, and accessory manufacturers, as well as consumer event specialists who aim to connect producers and consumers. Emerald Expositions LLC recently announced the acquisition of consumer event specialists Lodestone Events, the producers of the long-running and…
Motorcycle Tire Inflators :: Buyer’s Guide
A flat motorcycle tire can stop a journey in its tracks. Having experienced plenty of them, I ride prepared for a roadside repair. Besides a spare tube, patch kit, and tire tools, my kit includes two items for inflating tires. One is an electric inflator, the other one is a bicycle hand pump. This redundancy…
Georgia, the Road Leads Back to You
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2022 Issue. Georgia—not the American state Ray Charles and Martin Luther King hailed from, but the little-known country located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe—is a mountainous place of wild and astonishing beauty. Monasteries, watchtowers, and fortresses dating to the Middle Ages stand…
Hest Foamy and Camp Pillow :: The Dreamy Camping Mattress
Hest’s five-star reviews come from expedition sea kayakers, sailboat captains, avid campers, vanlifers, car campers, sleepers with hip problems, slide sleepers, you name it. Their single biggest issue is a lack of comfortable sleep outdoors. Hest has the answer. I discovered Hest Foamy and Camp Pillow when I needed a break from venturing around the…
Women in Moto :: Buy the Right Insurance and Practice Braking
Scott O’Sullivan considers himself to be a motorcycle lawyer first and a personal injury lawyer second. The Denver, Colorado-based attorney created the group, Rider Justice, five years ago as the motorcycle advocacy arm of The O’Sullivan Law Firm, P.C. and has since advocated for and helped injured riders for more than 20 years. What’s to…
Overland News of the Week
CMM Offroad Delete Pro Quick Disconnect Mounting System Tennessee-based CMM Offroad recently launched the Delete Pro Quick Disconnect (QD) mounting system, an aluminum accessory mount suitable for attachment to CMM mirror, A-pillar, or universal mount products for Jeep JL, JLU, Gladiator, and JT models. The Delete Pro QD can hold up to 50 pounds and…
Kitanica Scorpion Pack :: A Full-service Lumbar Carrying System
The Kitanica Scorpion Pack is much like a compact backpack—durable enough for long hikes or rides and practical enough to carry everything you might need for a daylong excursion. I took this pack for a day’s journey through the rugged New Mexico wilderness but first tried it out on my BMW F 750 GS. The…
Women in Moto :: Anatomy of a Female Rider
It wasn’t easy for Jocelin Snow to start riding motorcycles. As a teenager, she lived in a small town where girls just didn’t ride motorized bikes. But most of all, her parents disapproved. “My father was a principal, and my mother was a nurse. He said, ‘No daughter of mine is going to ride a…
Moto Cinch MX:: The Smarter Way to Transport Your Motorcycle
The makers of Moto Cinch MX aptly named this innovative product that makes transporting your motorcycle a breeze. I have watched a multitude of videos and scoured numerous forums for the perfect way to transport my motorcycle, but no one offered real solutions. I ride a BMW F 750 GS, but my buddy with an…
Shad TR40 Terra Adventure Saddlebags
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2022 Issue. For its 50th Anniversary in June, Shad debuted its newest motorcycle soft bag in Barcelona, Spain, and now Shad TR40 Terra Adventure Saddlebags are available in the United States. Each lightweight bag offers a 32-liter capacity and up to 22 pounds of…