Motorcycle Route Planning

Another great tool for planning your motorcycle trips is Google maps.
It's a free service and here I am using it to plan out a five day trip down to Kalispel Montana, Coeur D'Alene Idaho and points beyond.
We may or may not follow the route as planned out but gives us a general idea of where we want to go and how to get there. It also has the the benefit of telling you the mileage and time involved in the journey.

The days of pouring over paper maps is over and one doesn't have to go out and buy the latest in GPS technology to find your way around the world.

Motorcycle Forums and Lots More

Motorcycle Views is more than just this blog. It has a newsletter, a main site, and a motorcycle forum.

Signup for the newsletter to keep up-to-date with site changes and important forum discussions. I always have four forum discussions listed in the newsletter.

The main site has most of the content that I created for the old About.com site. I continue to add to that content. I have many features on that site including motorcycle pictures, women on motorcycles, user reviews, motorcycle recalls, motorcycle tattoos, makes and models, and a motorcycle tests index.

My motorcycle forum is now on Delphi and has attracted most of the regulars from the old site. So, if you've missed hearing from a former member, check out the forum and see if they're now in the new forum. This is a very active motorcycle forum with a good mix of experience and we ride all brands of motorcycles. Both men and women riders are represented.

So, be sure to check out the complete site so you don't miss anything.

Getting Ready to Ride

One of the better parts of going motorcycle camping is the anticipation and preparation before the ride.
Of course no one really likes packing but going by motorcycle presents a challenge of trying to get everything on two wheels that you may need after leaving home.

The Tank Bag

The tank bag, or man purse as I like to call it sometimes, is one of the neatest and most versatile pieces of luggage one can get for the bike. I only have a small one but find it handy for carrying lots of personal items such as gloves, sunglasses, camera, and various other knick-knacks as well as holding a map. I resisted for many years but after acquiring one I really like it.

Saddlebags

Whether you have hard bags or soft bags, this is where most of your gear will go. As you can tell from the picture above I have mine crammed full of camping and cooking gear. I managed to squeeze in a lantern, cook stove, coffee pot, condiments, cutlery, fry pan, inflator mug, portable BBQ, and other handy little items.

Trunk and Rear Passenger Seat

The rear passenger seat for me will hold the most amount of gear, including tent, air mattress, camp chair, sleeping bag and clothes bag. Of course this is held all together with a stretchy and versatile cargo net that will hold anything and everything in place. If you ride two-up you will not have this option and have to load up your trunk or rear luggage rack.

In my small trunk I carry my rain suit, snap on visor, tool kit and a few other misc. items

Smaller is better when it comes to packing items for the back of your motorcycle and with a little practise and a few bungee cords you can tie on all the necessities that you will need.

Packing for Motorcycle Camping

Getting ready for a five day motorcycle/camping tour to Montana-Idaho and Washington state and it is time to pack the essentials.
One tool that I found to be most useful is the Motorcycle/camping list that can be custom made for yourself.
It is available from Micapeak a very good site for motorcycle enthusiasts, check it out and use this valuable tool to help you pack efficiently.

Motorcycle User Reviews

One of the most popular features I had on the old site was Motorcycle User Reviews. These were written by actual owners and sent to me. I did a complete edit job on each User Review. I also started asking reviewers to send me a picture of their bike to include with the review. That made for a really excellent product that both described the pros and cons of the bike and also let the reader take a look at the actual motorcycle. I had close to 800 user reviews.

I have also started up a Motorcycle User Reviews feature on my new site, Motorcycle Views. Currently it has close to 50 user reviews. I want to grow this feature but it all depends on you. I know you like to tell others about your bike and I know that you like to show pictures of your bike. Why not sit down and write a user review of your bike and send it along with a picture to be included in Motorcycle User Reviews?

Take a look at the Motorcycle User Reviews I already have and then Submit a Motorcycle User Review, today.

Stars Riding Motorcycles

Here are a few pictures of your favorite stars riding their motorcycles. This comes from Glam.com.

I also have a feature on the Motorcycle Views site called Famous Motorcyclists. Take a look.

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Webcams

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally officially opens today in Sturgis, SD.

Here's a link to my Sturgis article that includes a link to the new Sturgis Webcams. You can see what's going on there via many Webcams trained on the street and updated frequently.

Sturgis is a rally not to be missed. Many go every year. My last trip was in 1993, the year of the floods. This year it may be the year of the heat.