quit my job and took my bike to places in eastern europe, balkans, türkiye.. about 3 months, around 10.000km. Best ride of my life.

now I dont want to go back to nine to five. any suggestions? next year, i think about doing something like a work and travel through türkiye again then go further to central & south east asia.

ehh.. and i made a free app to connect motorcycle travellers, share cool wild camp spots and navigate gpx :)
would love to see you around! https://twowheelsapart.com

Found that spot from the locals. It was a blind spot and away from any sort of residence. Rest of the day & night was calm.

Quick weekend trip to eastern CA, finally got my setup where I want it for motocamping!

Just got back from a night of camping on the bike. First time in 20 years, ha ha. I'm a bit tired and achy, but it was great fun. I learned a lot about packing and organizing, even for one night, so I'm sure the next one will go slightly better. I'm really looking forward to more trips next year.

Thanks so much to everyone who has posted advice and gear lists on here, all of the info was so helpful in choosing kit etc. I'll post my pack list if anyone is interested. Tent is a Durston X Mid 1, which was awesome, very easy to put up, and extremely light.

Planning a trip to the SEBDR anyone wanting to ride?

Timings were tight - night comes in earlier now, autumn is here! Lovely night under the stars though and great little roads to be riding on. For me - can't beat coffee before stripping down a campsite...

Sort of last minute plans to make a quick trip down and do the SEBDR from Maine and so much more. I had 2 weeks to reach my goal of atleast the SEBDR. I went with 3 other guys. They were all coming from downeast maine (think Acadia National Park) and I'm in southern Maine. We met up in New Hampshire and started this shit show. What an absolute blast. We pushed hard and spent alot of time of the bikes, but the experiences... Worth every ounce of blood (mine) , sweat (alot of it!!) , and even tears (Georgia section of gravel can eat a bag of dicks). Temps ranged from a high of 104f (multiple days) to a low of 44f. Saw an alligator in Florida, to copperheads all through the south, to elk in the smokey Mountains, and even bear in the Catskills. Met some amazing characters, rode some of the best roads( I've ever ridden), and pushed myself harder and to places I didn't think were possible. I grew (as a rider) and learned alot about the bike and myself. know I'm a pretty lucky guy, hopefully these photos can help scratch that itch for those who aren't so lucky. Here are some of the many photos we took. Feel free to check out more of my travels here: https://www.instagram.com/mike.michael.motorcycle?obrf=ZGxnbDN2anZqMWE0

Taking the chopped 03 Sportster (can't take credit for the build - Will Peterson out of Milwaukee) on its first real excursion and my first time moto camping. Sleeping bag, clothes, and toiletries in the sissy bar bag, tent strapped on the right, sleeping roll on the left, and camera and other random bits in a saddle bag. Day 1 of 3 complete, about 200 miles through Spring Green, Wildcat Mountain, Viroqua, and settling down at Goose Island Campground. Day 2 will be up the East Side of the Mississippi and then back down the West. Lucked out with smooth roads and skirting the leading edge of a storm as I made my way North and it moved East.

Took off on a solo motocamping trip, starting at the northern terminus of Skyline Dr, continuing all the way down the BRP. Ended in Robbinsville at the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge. Rode the tail of the dragon both directions, moonshiners 28, then took the scenic route home via 441 which takes you through the Smokies. Stopped for a quick overnight in Daniel Boone NF before driving the last 300 miles home. Took me 6 days and around 1600 miles. Unfortunately, I can’t say I completed the BRP because there was a couple sections that were still closed from Hurricane Helene.

Campsites were Big Meadows campground, Peaks of Otter, Linnville Falls campground, Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge, then Cumberland Falls state park.

I was so bummed my insta360 didn’t get video of riding the dragon due to user error but still got a couple pics from those people taking pictures as you ride by.

Edited to add highlights of the trip were the Linnville viaduct and everything on the BRP south of Asheville. Mt Pisgah has some amazing overlooks too.

The further you go north the less scenic it was imo. I’m glad I started in the north so it only got better as I went.

How many times does Dork say "just in case it weighs nothing"? 😄 https://youtu.be/_eBScfacx58

This is a huge trap new moto campers fall into: "Ah, I'll just take this just in case." Ounces make pounds. You don't need a Silky saw and a hatchet. You don't need multiple cook setups (unless you're cooking me dinner). As moto campers, we're never too far from a gas station. If you catch yourself saying "just in case" while packing, leave it at home.

My only exceptions are tools and med kits. Coordinate with your riding buddies so you can share the load. You only need one cook set, one tool roll, and one bug spray for the whole group.

When you get home, make two piles: "used it and would bring it again" and "didn't touch it." It's the best way to figure out what's excess. If it never left the bag, it never needs to go back in.

Ride safe Homies!

Not pictured is the 60L backpack I had to supplement storage.

Out exploring Anza Borrego with my buddy on his DRZ. Some awesome trails and a great spot to camp!

Looking for an addition to my garage. Already have a tiger sport 800 for the long miles. Wanting something that can take me where my tiger can't. Thoughts?

Please take a look? 😊

The happiness when you see your bike saddled up and ready to at a random fuel bunk along the way >>>

10 days solo, 7 with a friend

The sun remembered it existed and I went camping. I found a site that promised nice views in a woody area and I brought the big tarp/tent combo again. It sits on top of the rest of my stuff and it takes a bit longer to set up, but man, it is just great.

It took some three hours evading people driving like they’re drunk yet probably aren’t, but once I arrived I had the whole site for myself. The only other company I had was a bunch of crickets and jays foraging for acorns.

After an afternoon of food and drink and playing with the fire, I went into my tent and dozed off with the tent flap open, watching the city lights in the distance, listening to insects chirping.

I guess the pictures speak for themselves—it was pretty, pretty great.

Sorry if this has already been asked but I can’t find a reference to it on here.
Do you guys use stretchers cots with the high end foam mattresses (e.g. Exped MegaMat) or is this overkill?
Google AI seems to flip between it’s the best ever or the opposite and can reduce comfort.
If anyone has any recommendations on their setup, would love to hear about it.
I feel like I am way down the rabbit hole already and need to pull the plug and buy something soon

Edit: correct terminology