Caching on motorcycles

[+medic161]

I started riding a motorcycle in the past year (a 2012 VStar 950 Tourer) and my Wife and I have incorporated our rides with caching. Does anyone else ride and cache? Looking for tips, hints and anything related to combining the two hobbies. We really love caches in Cemeteries how 'bout you?

Edited July 5, 2013 by medic161

[Clan Riffster]

I cache from a KLR-650 dual sport. It is great for zipping about, getting in and out of tight spots, great fuel mileage, etc. one thing I find difficult is to read my Oregon while driving. I clip it to my starboard mirror, and it hangs down over my cut off switch. The face points slightly downward, making it impossible for me to read without releasing the throttle and tilting it up. A tool I think would come in handy for me would be some sort of Tom Tom or Nuvi like GPS receiver, which I could mount on my windscreen. Other obvious issues involve how much stuff I can carry, and inclement weather, which I deal with as needed.

[+Lineman101]

I started riding a motorcycle in the past year (a 2012 VStar 950 Tourer) and my Wife and I have incorporated our rides with caching. Does anyone else ride and cache? Looking for tips, hints and anything related to combining the two hobbies. We really love caches in Cemeteries how 'bout you?

 

I Don't know what your VStar weighs but my Harley Electrglide goes about 900 pounds and gets a little tricky when parking in gravel. I use a hard plastic kickstand plate that keeps the bike stand from digging into the gravel and possibly falling over. Other than that we love caching on the Harley. My lady carries the Etrex 20 and gives my directions to the next cache. Drive safe.

[+ClemB]

I used a tank bag with a transparent top and manage to keep the GPS under my nose using the clutter I usually carry around (change of clothes, some food, and so on).

As for cemetery caches, I respect the dead too much to go play in their last home

[+cerberus1]

Using a Ram mount, a Nuvi 660 sits on the handlebar right in front on my Harley.

A heck of a lot cheaper than a Zumo, the powerport plugs right into the minder pigtail.

Not big on full-face helmets, so we nix the bluetooth, but able to see/read the directions fine.

- Too loud to hear that voice without bluetooth.

CJ sits too low on hers to make it a safe ride.

We both have the heavy plastic disks for the kickstands. Seems wherever we go, it's a gravel or sandy lot.

Both of us can fit our hydro packs, raingear, shock-corded walking sticks (only sticks that'd collapse to fit) and a change of clothes JIC in the saddle bags.

If we were full day, we'd simply have our daypacks on while riding.

[+etphoneme2plz]

I started riding a motorcycle in the past year (a 2012 VStar 950 Tourer) and my Wife and I have incorporated our rides with caching. Does anyone else ride and cache? Looking for tips, hints and anything related to combining the two hobbies. We really love caches in Cemeteries how 'bout you?

I don't ride BUT I love cemetery caches!!! Especially in ones that have really old sections! LOTS of history there!!!

[+bjohio]

I cache from a KLR-650 dual sport. It is great for zipping about, getting in and out of tight spots, great fuel mileage, etc.

 

I have the same bike! It's a 2004 and it's PERFECT for caching. To make the bike a little more "user friendly" during long days of riding, I added some highway pegs (from Arrowhead Motorsports) and a cruise control lock (modified Vista Cruise). For my GPS, I have a Garmin Nuvi 50ml that mounted to my handle bars using a RAM mount. It's powered by a cigarette lighter adapter I bought for my battery tender tail hanging from the battery. I have a GIVI luggage box mounted behind the seat for food, water, and other supplies. If it starts to rain, I pull over and slip a ziplock baggie over the the Garmin and I'm good to go. Mine gets about 55 miles a gallon.

 

True story: While caching one day, I pulled into a McD's for a cache, and a guy pulled up behind me in the parking lot with a pickup truck and trailer, eating a sandwich. He just came through the drive thru, saw the bike, pulled back in and wanted to by it from me on the spot! After talking with him a few minutes, I determined that he was dead serious. I had to tell him no, but I have to say that it really made my day.

 

The only time that I've every had an issue motorcycle caching was when I parked in some gravel one time. I usually put a small piece of wood under the side stand shoe when parking, but I was expecting a quick P&P. As I walked away from the bike I heard CLUCK. I look over and the bikes on its side in the gravel. It broke the tip off of the clutch level but it was still rideable. The highway pegs I put on just a week earlier saved me from further damage.

 

I can't say enough good things about the KLR. Easy to work on and fairly inexpensive to maintain. The new ones have a 6.1 gallon fuel tank!!! Now that's a geo-cycle! I've read that the military has a diesel version that gets 96 miles a gallon.