PAC K AN IM AL
ROAD TRIP GUIDE 20 1 6 1
No tips or hacks can outweigh the simple suggestion that you get up, grab your keys and separate yourself from your daily routine by a hundred miles.
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get up and go
a crash course to your first trip.
a collection of helpful apps to aid your trip
put these things in your tool kit
things to take care of before you hit the road
a rough guide to packing for a camping trip on a motorcycle
the best twisties and scenic routes around the world
a collection of travel blogs we love that will make you hungry for the road
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East Rosebud, MT
No advice we put in this guide could be more valuable than this: Go. That single word, either as encouragement or as a challenge is the real secret to creating great stories from the road. No tips or hacks can outweigh the simple suggestion that you get up, grab your keys and separate yourself from your daily routine by a hundred miles. Will you go? I know it’s difficult. For most of my adult life I’ve felt trapped by the very things I originally wanted—a stable job and a comfortable home. What would happen if I took time off work? Would my world fall apart if I disappeared for a week? That fear has kept me at home too often. In reality I think we all know that being comfortable and living out a great story usually aren’t the same thing. Rarely though, do we live out that understanding. Will you break down? Maybe. Will that be the end? It doesn’t have to be. You get to decide what type of person will you be when it happens. Before every trip, Jenny challenges me to take on the unexpected with a relaxed attitude. She knows my tendency is to shut down or explode when things go wrong. Full of anger or frustration I’m rarely an example of someone living a good story. With some encouragement and mindfullness I can—and have—endured some precarious situations with a positive attitude and a sense of adventure. It’s a choice. This guide is meant to help you get out the door. It’s a reminder that it’s within reach. We want you to get the most from your experience and hopefully some of the contents here will help. The real goal is to inspire you to get out there, to remove any fear or excuse that we can. But helping you prepare is tricky—if you know what to do when things fall apart, will you miss out on the adventure of finding the answers yourself ? I hope not. I’m not encouraging recklessness, but rather a willingness and eagerness to be challenged by whatever situations come your way. I want to invite you to live on the edge of probability, ready to play whatever cards you get dealt. And for what it’s worth—I need to take my own advice. I need to hear this same coaching. I need to be challenged to take the risks, and dare to get outside of my comfort zone.
MIKE LINQUIST Co-Founder, Pack Animal 7
Travel List is a simply designed app that helps you prepare for trips. Plan an itinerary, create a packing list, set reminders for yourself and share it with your travel buddies. $1.99
A little more widely known, Waze is a community based traffic and navigation app that gives you real-time traffic and road info to improve commuting and road tripping. Free
Roadtrippers streamlines discovery, planning, booking and navigation for road trips. One of our favorite things is the suggestions for “off the beaten path” places along your route you otherwise wouldn’t have known about. Free
Don’t be fooled by their ancient-looking website. Start browsing through BBR and you’ll find detailed info of over 500,000 miles of motorcycle rides across 84 countries. $3.99
Gas Buddy helps you find cheaper gas prices along your route. If you join other Gas Buddy members in reporting the most recent changes in gas prices as you see them, you have a chance (every day) to win $100 in free gas. It’s fo free
City Maps 2 Go is particularly helpful for international travel. Download maps to find streets, addresses or attractions when you plan to travel without the luxury of wifi. $4.99 9
Before you get too far from home, it’s a really good idea to take a look at your car or motorcycle’s mechanical condition. A few minutes of inspection could save you hours of time sitting on the side of the road. Maybe you’ll find that your ride needs some love before you venture out, or maybe you’ll decide to take a spare part. Here’s a few things to check on.
AIR FILTER
Clogged up air filters can reduce overall power output, but can also mess with your fuel air mixture and make the motor run rich. Maybe drop a new one in.
BATTERY
Are you getting at least 12 volts? If you have a lead acid battery the water level might need to be topped off with distilled water.
BRAKES
Make sure that you still have enough material on your brake pads and also check the brake fluid level.
CABLES
Look at your throttle and clutch cables. At a minimum, you should lubricate them, but if they are beginning to fray or are at the end of their adjustment range consider ordering a spare.
CHAIN
Clean and lube your chain, but plan to do that while you’re on the road as well. Adjust the chain tension and consider whether or not it’s time for a new one. Also inspect your sprockets—the teeth should look sharp, not rounded off.
COOLANT
If your car or motorcycle is water cooled, check the fluid level. Is there anything growing in it? You should flush the system completely from time to time—check your manual.
OIL
Change the oil. Just do it. It’s such a simple job and frequent oil changes will help your motor live longer.
TIRES
Check the tire pressure and make sure you’ve got plenty of tread; highway riding will eat up the center of your tire quickly. If you have a spare tire, check its pressure as well – they can go flat.
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Slogging away mile after mile on the freeway isn’t much fun. State highways and side roads can offer more curves and elevation changes that may only add a few hours to your overall trip but dramatically increase how much you enjoy it. State routes also tend to bring you through some interesting towns and scenery. You might be missing out on the best part of the trip if you bypass it at 80mph in a straight line on a four lane freeway.
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Here’s a few things we’ve learned the hard way.
This won’t always work, but if you run out of gas and you’re in a bind, lean your bike toward the side that your petcock valve is on. There might be just enough gas in there to push you along to the next exit or gas station.
It’s easy when you’re riding a couple hundred miles in a day to blow through gas station stops without ever stopping to drink water. You don’t want to combine fatigue & dehydration on a motorcycle. Hydration backpacks are lightweight and affordable.
It’s not often that your clutch or brake cable will snap, but if you’re planning to be on the road for a while, think about packing an extra. Keep it zip tied to your existing cable to keep it out of the way and easy to find when you need it.
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If you have a smart phone, use it to drop a pin when you park in a new location. Send the pin to yourself and your road trip buddies in case you have a hard time finding your way back.
Wax pencils (also known as grease pencils) are made of hardened wax and useful for marking glossy, non-porous surfaces. They’re great for writing simple directions on your gas tank if you’re unable to remember or aren’t using a GPS system. The wax rubs right off.
If you don’t have bungee cords or nets lying around, pack a couple of old belts (the longest ones you’ve got) for the road. They come in handy when your saddle bags are full and you want to take a layer off, or tie something down to your bike.
Before every trip we pack a ziploc with a handful of paper towels and a small bottle of cleaner. If you forget the cleaner, just wet a paper towel and let it sit on your visor for about 5 minutes, it’ll be much easier to wipe the bugs off.
Riding hundreds of miles on the highway can really take a toll on your eyes, especially if your helmet struggles to keep the wind out. A few eye drops can bring some relief and make it easier to keep going; they’re sold at most gas stations.
If you’re visiting / camping in more than one national park, consider buying an annual National Park Pass. Entrance fees add up quickly, so you can spend $80 for the year pass or anywhere between $5 and $30 per vehicle to enter each park. 17
Not that it will fit in your tool roll, but the first item on the list needs to be a maintenance manual for your vehicle. Having a how-to guide for nearly every repair job is invaluable. Make sure you know what type of tools you need (metric? imperial?) and also if there are any specialty tools you need.
COMBINATION WRENCHES 8mm-19mm
ZIPTIES useful for everything except your exhaust
HEX KEYS 2.5mm-8mm
SMALL FILE/FINE SAND PAPER for cleaning fouled spark plugs or points
SOCKET SET 6mm - 17mm, possibly more for some motorcycles
DENTAL PICK remove/install small springs and oil seals
ADJUSTABLE WRENCH that opens wider than your largest combination wrench
IMPACT DRIVER for removing stuck fasteners
NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS with integrated wire snip
SMALL HAMMER for the impact driver and everything else
SCREWDRIVERS a range of phillips and flathead sizes and lengths
SHOP RAG do you really want to use your shirt and jeans?
FEELER GAUGE for setting valve clearance and points gap
MULTIMETER large, but they can be a real life saver
There are a few things on a motorcycle that are both small enough to bring with you, but important enough that without them you can’t go anywhere. I recommend bringing at least some of the following. Be sure to inspect your vehicle so you can know what to bring.
SPARK PLUGS always bring at least one THROTTLE & CLUTCH CABLES store the spare zip-tied to the one in use CHAIN & COUPLING LINK there’s no way to MacGyver this one FUSES in the correct size and amperages for your bike CHAIN LUBE use it every 500-600 miles MOTOR OIL hopefully a quart is enough TIRE PATCH KIT we’ve never had one, but others swear by them 19
Don’t over commit your daily mileage. Road trips on motorcycles are slower than your average car ride when you consider frequent stops for fuel, food, bad weather and the occasional stretch break. 400-500 miles is a good daily mileage goal if you’re on a bike and you want to avoid riding at night, pushing long days and hardly being able to enjoy the trip. Take your time!
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2-3 T SHIRTS
CAMPING TOWEL
1-2 LONG SLEEVED SHIRTS
SHARP POCKET KNIFE
ONE CHANGE OF PANTS
HEADLAMP
ONE SWEATER OR FLEECE
WET WIPES
UNDIES
SUN SCREEN
RAIN GEAR
LIP BALM
EXTRA GAS CANISTER
SMALL COOKING POT
SMALL FIRST AID KIT
FORK / SPOON
MATCHES / LIGHTER
MOTO REGISTRATION
SLEEPING BAG
EYE DROPS
SMALL TENT OR BIVOUAC
EXTRA BELTS / BUNGEES
BACKPACKING CAMP STOVE
VISOR CLEANER 23
Mountains, oceans, hairpin turns, fluctuating altitudes and the wind in your hair. We compiled this list of what we believe are the roads around the world that motorcycles are made for. While we can’t speak for all of these destinations, other motorcyclists swear by them and we hope to ride each one of these roads someday.
Beartooth Highway, MT
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
Virginia, USA
TRANSFAGARASAN ROAD
Romania
BEARTOOTH HIGHWAY
Wyoming / Montana, USA
TROLLSTIGEN
Norway
TAIL OF THE DRAGON
North Carolina, USA
ICEFIELDS PARKWAY
Alberta, Canada
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
California, USA
KARAKORAM HIGHWAY
Pakistan to China
GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD
Montana, USA
HANA HIGHWAY
Hawaii, USA
LOS CARACOLES PASS
Argentina
THE THREE SISTERS
Texas, USA
SERRA DO RIO DO RASTRO
Santa Catarina, Brazil
TUNNEL OF TREES ROAD
Michigan, USA
JEBEL HAFEET MTN. ROAD
Abu Dhabi
SAN JUAN MTN. SKYWAY
Colorado, USA
GUOLIANG TUNNEL ROAD
China
CHEROHALA SKYWAY
Tennessee, USA
AMALFI COAST HIGHWAY
Italy
GREAT OCEAN ROAD
Australia
ISTANBUL TO ANATOLIA
Turkey
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travel blogs we love that will make you hungry for the road
WEST AMERICA Two guys. Burned out and ready to get out of town for a while. Jordan Hufnagel and James Crow built two touring motorcycles to their liking and took off to South America. West America is the camp gear brand born out of their burnout and the landing page to share their two wheeled adventures.
MR. & MRS. GLOBETROT After Julia & Yuriy Manchik got married, they chose to honeymoon on their own terms...6 months of traveling around the world. They live and work out of Seattle but continue to update their travel journal every year with stories, gorgeous photos and lessons learned while on the road.
OUR OPEN ROAD 5 months into a year-long plan to travel in their VW Westfalia, Adam, Emily & their daughter Colette decided to embrace a future unknown and the rewards of slow travel with no end in sight. The two work from wherever they happen to be.
THE ROLLING HOME Lauren Smith and Calum Creasey bought a sorry looking Volkswagen T4 van in the Spring of 2010 and have since travelled more than 80,000 miles. Their blog details van life essentials, transformations and photos from their journey across Europe.
THE OUTBOUND COLLECTIVE This website is a bottomless pit of road trip / adventure ideas. Click any spot on the map and you’ll find detailed trip reports and activities with photos and insider tips.
A RESTLESS TRANSPLANT Foster Huntington left is New York job in 2011 and moved into a camper. Since then, he’s driven 100,000 miles around the west, surfing and camping. In 2014 he built a pretty spectacular treehouse which is now his homebase in the Columbia River Gorge.
OUR WILD ABANDON Jillian Mann and Kyla Trethewey sold everything in August 2013 to hit the road. They travel slowly, plan no more than a few days in advance, and live off of the photographs from the spontaneous situations they find themselves in.
63 MPH 63 mph is the top speed of the 1986 Westfalia Matt Mcdonald’s been living in. His blog is a collection of travel stories about finding your own speed and following it, not necessarily the ones established by those before you.
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Go.
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