Minimalist Touring Thread (250cc and under)

[Klay]

A typical GPS pulls far less than an amp, especially if it's an outdoor/hiking-type GPS.

[micksing]

Glad I found this thread, I am sick to death of people on bike forums saying you need a fully blown super gzrxywsa widowmaker to do any riding outside the town limits, I have a suzuki gn250 that i have set up for travelling & have done thousands of miles on it with no problems, it just comes down to riding the bike to the conditions, Will post some pics later

[algo_38]

Hello,

I'm French and I love the site ADV rider.
I have a XLR125RW I also turned into a minimalist traveler.
I have not yet done so trip but it will be soon.
Thank you for these pages.

[FMFDOC]

Originally Posted by micksing

Glad I found this thread, I am sick to death of people on bike forums saying you need a fully blown super gzrxywsa widowmaker to do any riding outside the town limits, I have a suzuki gn250 that i have set up for travelling & have done thousands of miles on it with no problems, it just comes down to riding the bike to the conditions, Will post some pics later

Welcome!

Don't forget, you can't leave the asphalt on anything but a GS with 500 pounds of extra crap on it.

Standing by for pics...

[CMS]

Originally Posted by micksing

Glad I found this thread, I am sick to death of people on bike forums saying you need a fully blown super gzrxywsa widowmaker to do any riding outside the town limits, I have a suzuki gn250 that i have set up for travelling & have done thousands of miles on it with no problems, it just comes down to riding the bike to the conditions, Will post some pics later

Looking forward to the pictures. CMS

[micksing]

how do you post pics on this forum ???

[Jetstreamer]

http://advrider.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=8

[Royal Tiger]

Originally Posted by algo_38

Hello,

I'm French and I love the site ADV rider.
I have a XLR125RW I also turned into a minimalist traveler.
I have not yet done so trip but it will be soon.
Thank you for these pages.

You're French but you have a Scottish flag on your Japanese bike?

[NJ-Brett]

I think everyone on this thead feels the same way.
A lot of it is ego I think, although lots of power can be fun when you can use it.

There are plenty of really heavy bikes riding in the dirt on this site, loaded with cargo.
I am amazed when someone does not break a bone on a trip, its so easy to do in the dirt.

On the street, people seem to think they need huge motors, otherwise they might have to downshift to pass or go up a hill, and that just won't do.
So they ride a 600 pound bike that gets 40 mpg and costs more then most cars.
They have CB's, audio systems, abs, traction control, heated grips, power windshields, cup holders, cruise control, a trunk, gps, and who knows what else.

Originally Posted by micksing

Glad I found this thread, I am sick to death of people on bike forums saying you need a fully blown super gzrxywsa widowmaker to do any riding outside the town limits, I have a suzuki gn250 that i have set up for travelling & have done thousands of miles on it with no problems, it just comes down to riding the bike to the conditions, Will post some pics later

[CMS]

Originally Posted by algo_38

Hello,

I'm French and I love the site ADV rider.
I have a XLR125RW I also turned into a minimalist traveler.
I have not yet done so trip but it will be soon.
Thank you for these pages.

looking forward to more pictues [bike/trips] asap. CMS

[CMS]

Originally Posted by OBryan

AWESOME another person who appreciates the lil GZ... Back in sept me and a buddy took a weekend camping trip to Bourbon Mo. to watch AHRMA races for the weekend.. Got some looks pulling in loaded up Me on the GZ and him on his Super Sherpa. The looks we got I don't think those guys rezlize that a Small bike Will do the job

Back a century ago my friend and and I rode to the Oregonia, Oh. to the Hill Climbs. This event takes place in Oct. every year and normally desides the Hill Climing Champion for the season. Its still a big event in a small Ohio Village to this day. We rode in on 100cc Zundaps,into a field of Harleys and other real bikes, the looks and the laughs were as you can imagine, but at the time [14 years old] we were at our max level of cool. We were real bikers [only in our minds] but it didn't matter to us, we had a great time. I thought about that very first bike trip as we [same friend] rode in to the Hill Climb this year, on real bikes, both of us on GZ 250s. CMS

[Hawk62cj5]

Originally Posted by NJ-Brett

I think everyone on this thead feels the same way.
A lot of it is ego I think, although lots of power can be fun when you can use it.

There are plenty of really heavy bikes riding in the dirt on this site, loaded with cargo.
I am amazed when someone does not break a bone on a trip, its so easy to do in the dirt.

On the street, people seem to think they need huge motors, otherwise they might have to downshift to pass or go up a hill, and that just won't do.
So they ride a 600 pound bike that gets 40 mpg and costs more then most cars.
They have CB's, audio systems, abs, traction control, heated grips, power windshields, cup holders, cruise control, a trunk, gps, and who knows what else.

Cant forget the star bucks coffee warmers on the BMWs .

[dfye55]

Originally Posted by CMS

Back a century ago my friend and and I rode to the Oregonia, Oh. to the Hill Climbs. This event takes place in Oct. every year and normally desides the Hill Climing Champion for the season. Its still a big event in a small Ohio Village to this day. We rode in on 100cc Zundaps,into a field of Harleys and other real bikes, the looks and the laughs were as you can imagine, but at the time [14 years old] we were at our max level of cool. We were real bikers [only in our minds] but it didn't matter to us, we had a great time. I thought about that very first bike trip as we [same friend] rode in to the Hill Climb this year, on real bikes, both of us on GZ 250s. CMS

[NJ-Brett]

In my book, you guys were the real bikers.
Its easy to ride a great bike with plenty of everything, but not so easy to ride a small, or old bike far or even not so far sometimes.




QUOTE=CMS;20489135]Back a century ago my friend and and I rode to the Oregonia, Oh. to the Hill Climbs. This event takes place in Oct. every year and normally desides the Hill Climing Champion for the season. Its still a big event in a small Ohio Village to this day. We rode in on 100cc Zundaps,into a field of Harleys and other real bikes, the looks and the laughs were as you can imagine, but at the time [14 years old] we were at our max level of cool. We were real bikers [only in our minds] but it didn't matter to us, we had a great time. I thought about that very first bike trip as we [same friend] rode in to the Hill Climb this year, on real bikes, both of us on GZ 250s. CMS [/QUOTE]

[Lost Rider]

Originally Posted by NJ-Brett

I think everyone on this thead feels the same way.
A lot of it is ego I think, although lots of power can be fun when you can use it.

There are plenty of really heavy bikes riding in the dirt on this site, loaded with cargo.
I am amazed when someone does not break a bone on a trip, its so easy to do in the dirt.

On the street, people seem to think they need huge motors, otherwise they might have to downshift to pass or go up a hill, and that just won't do.
So they ride a 600 pound bike that gets 40 mpg and costs more then most cars.
They have CB's, audio systems, abs, traction control, heated grips, power windshields, cup holders, cruise control, a trunk, gps, and who knows what else.

Interesting point of view, seems like you can't understand why someone else would want to ride something different than yourself. Anytime you start generalizing such large groups of types of riders into "they" it can seem a little narrow-minded.

I believe that why there's different bikes for different needs, while I'm all about traveling on small bikes nowadays, there's something very nice about riding long days on a smooth powerful bike too, especially with your girl on back and stuff to make the trip very comfortable when going through different climates on one ride. Easy is nice sometimes.
There's no single bike that's perfect for all the various types of riding found here on ADVrider and to think that people have big bikes because of ego is a little shortsighted IMO. Stereo types are easy and sometimes funny, but there's no group of riders that doesn't have their own stereo types, from little bikes like in here to BMW, HD's and Goldwings. Posting up with inevitably insult someone and kind of pointless in a thread to share ideas about being minimal.
Ever think that maybe that guy you see with a big fancy gadget filled bike is actually a fellow who's traveled the world on a little bike many years ago and now wants comfort cause his back can't take it? Or the guy on the chromed out shiny 1000 pound trike with American flags flying maybe is a disabled veteran who can't ride on two wheels anymore?

Real bikers because it's "harder" to travel on a small bike? That sounds like ego boosting to me since you choose to go what you believe is the "harder" route, though more often that not in our case the little bike is much easier where we like to ride. I have a much respect for those folks going RTW on little bikes, but the reality is they are probably better suited for that anyways, being very efficient, simple to work on, parts availability, inconspicuous, etc.

Different tools for the job at hand, anyone who wants to throw a leg over any bike and travel is OK by me, even the dude with the whole touratech catalog bolted to their bike. Sure there's guys who take big loaded DS bikes in places that would be better suited on a little bike, BTDT, to each their own and if they are having fun it's still better than sitting at home on your ass watching reality TV like most people.

I get this is the Minimalist Touring Thread and hope to contribute in a positive manner, just don't pat yourself on the back too much while putting down what other people choose to do on two wheels. Go read the OP at the start of this thread, it's not about talking shit about what others are doing...
It's all about having fun, sharing ideas and getting Lost.

I'm looking forward to more traveling on the little bike minimal style, and also other types of riding too...