Geocaching and Motorbike

[Thom_101]

Hello,

 

Is there (I am sure there is) anybody that combines both motorbiking and geocaching?

I do from time to time. I select a few caches, not too close to each other, and then I go with the motorbike to each of them, trying to find some nice roads on the way.

I also sometime go with the motorbike to an area with several caches, park the bike, and do the several caches by foot.

 

How do you combine both on your side?

Where are you from?

 

Thanks, and happy geocaching,

Thom_101

[+bpwilldo]

I first learned of geocaching because I had KLR650. It was mentioned in a forum I read. Sadly, at the time, it was rather expensive to get into and there weren't many caches around here. We really didn't need another reason to go out riding. Fast forward, we have a motorcycle but it ain't the same as the Killer. I miss the Killer. Anyhow, nowadays we use the cachemobile, a Forester. So, no, we don't currently cache and bike.

Just didn't want there to be no replies to your question.

 

Happy Caching!

Edited August 23, 2013 by bpwilldo

[La Griffe]

I've been riding for years (mostly on the track), but have only just started caching. I've done both only once. On that outing I selected 4 or 5 caches a few miles apart so that I could grab them as I rode along. That was a mistake. The whole process of parking the bike, taking off the helmet, hunt for the cache while carrying my gear, gear back up and repeat was exhausting to me ( I currently ride a BMW s1000rr and it doesn't seem "right" to put bags on it). Okay, not exactly exhausting, but way more laborious than I was willing to do.

 

I may try again once the weather gets a bit cooler. But this time I'll choose caches much further away and further apart so that I can plot all the twisty roads in between them, although I'd have to bring a cable lock to lock my helmet to the bike... while I go hunt in my one piece leathers and boots.

[Thom_101]

Thanks bpwilldo to not leave me alone ;-)

The KLR may also have been a good bike for doing some off road caches.

 

La Griffe, indeed, if the caches are too close from each other, I also find it a hassle. I've done it quite a few time at start, but it not good for the bike (start, stop, start, etc no time to cool down the engine, the accumulator, starter, etc are stressed, etc...). So that is why if I plan a Motocaching trip, I try to have the caches spread every 15/20 km, so I can enjoy some roads (I do not always take the shortest way in between, I try to take the most scenic, or the most twisty), and then go for a cache.

 

Any other wants to share his experience?

Thanks,

Thom_101

[Clan Riffster]

My '03 KLR-650 is my primary means of transportation, not counting my cop car, and I cache from it quite often. I'm not a fan of urban P&Gs, so this typically involves cable locking it to something as I go wandering, hunting for ammo cans. I also mounted a 2" square hitch mount on the rear deck, so I can tow my kayak trailer with it for those aquatic caches.

 

Edited August 24, 2013 by Clan Riffster

[+Harley-Rob]

I'm brand new here and I most defiantly will ride my motorcycle, as it is my primary mode of transportation, to the cache area. I plan on lining up some caches, about 50 miles apart, at locations I would like to explore and plan a day of riding around caching.

[JohnX]

My '03 KLR-650 is my primary means of transportation, not counting my cop car, and I cache from it quite often. I'm not a fan of urban P&Gs, so this typically involves cable locking it to something as I go wandering, hunting for ammo cans. I also mounted a 2" square hitch mount on the rear deck, so I can tow my kayak trailer with it for those aquatic caches.

 

OK, perhaps I do not like every Clan Riffster post but that is a pretty nice setup. The trailer is nearly perfect. The KLR is a nice bike but a little small and "off roady" for my large frame. I cached for a while on a Honda but then I got old and afraid of death after dumping my bike at speed so I gave it up. Pro tip: Dress for the slide and not for the ride.

[Clan Riffster]

My '03 KLR-650 is my primary means of transportation, not counting my cop car, and I cache from it quite often. I'm not a fan of urban P&Gs, so this typically involves cable locking it to something as I go wandering, hunting for ammo cans. I also mounted a 2" square hitch mount on the rear deck, so I can tow my kayak trailer with it for those aquatic caches.

 

OK, perhaps I do not like every Clan Riffster post but that is a pretty nice setup. The trailer is nearly perfect. The KLR is a nice bike but a little small and "off roady" for my large frame. I cached for a while on a Honda but then I got old and afraid of death after dumping my bike at speed so I gave it up. Pro tip: Dress for the slide and not for the ride.

At 300+ pounds, it's a lot off roady for me.

Not only is it underpowered once my bulk rests upon it, it handles horribly on the Interstate.

Some upgrades to the suspension helped, but it still ain't no Goldwing.

[+tallglenn]

I definitely prefer hopping off & on the Dual Sport to finding legal parking for a car and squeezing in & out of the little car door. I also like that I can leave the backpack on while riding the bike. I wear a visor/cap under my skid lid and leave the (cheap) helmet on to search. Don't like my drivin'? Stay off the sidewalk cuz that's where I often park. Get a lot closer to caches that way and I've become a pro at jumping curbs. U-turns are no problem with a little bike, but are a major headache for me when in the car. I know CR is cringing at all this, but I've yet to be ticketed for creative biking

[Clan Riffster]

I know CR is cringing at all this, but I've yet to be ticketed for creative biking

[off topic rant]

No cringing here.

I'm not a fan of traffic tickets. When I worked at Mascotte PD, I was required to write a book of tickets every day. I mentioned to my Chief that such a requirement was illegal, and he suggested if I didn't like it, they could always hire a replacement for me. In the two years I worked there, I wrote over 7200 non-criminal citations. In the 20 years since I've been a deputy sheriff, I've written maybe a dozen. Barring someone being a total goober, I would much rather write a warning.

 

Way back when, when fines were reasonable, citations could be viewed as an aid to altering the behavior of bad drivers. But in this day and age, they are nothing more than income generators for law enforcement agencies. Add to that the fact that traffic tickets go against our most fundamental right as citizens, in that you are no longer innocent until proven guilty, and I really can't see any good reason to write them for most infractions.

[/off topic rant]

[Thom_101]

Thanks for your feedback all. Keep it coming.

I have been on 2 Motocaching tours these past days, trying to fine tune for the best distance in between 2 caches for me. 10 km seems to near from each other still to really enjoy the driving. 20km starts to be OK to manage both pleasure of motorbiking and geocaching.

And indeed, a big advantage of Motocaching is the parking (we have less problems about parking on sidewalk as long as it does not hinder pedestrians/handicaped) which is easier, and often free. And for some non-paved path, it allows me sometimes to drive closer if allowed to motorized vehicles, even if I drive a BMW RT...

Thom_101

[+JPreto]

Great topic!

 

I geocache with my motorbike 90% of the time... the other 10% in a car with my wife.

 

This is for me the best way to avoid city traffic and park almost anywhere you want for those caches. Even going off-road it´s no problem.

 

I just had to change my rear tire, in my Yamaha 250cc, from a city tire to a mix terrain tire so, in those gravel off-roads, I have no problem with traction.

 

Here in Brasil, distances are great from cache to cache so I have no problem about enjoying ridding, usually the nearest cache is 40-50km. A typical motorbike geocachign day, out of the big city of São Paulo, is around 300km.

 

Cheers and enjoy the rides!!!!

[+NYPaddleCacher]

My '03 KLR-650 is my primary means of transportation, not counting my cop car, and I cache from it quite often. I'm not a fan of urban P&Gs, so this typically involves cable locking it to something as I go wandering, hunting for ammo cans. I also mounted a 2" square hitch mount on the rear deck, so I can tow my kayak trailer with it for those aquatic caches.

 

OK, perhaps I do not like every Clan Riffster post but that is a pretty nice setup. The trailer is nearly perfect. The KLR is a nice bike but a little small and "off roady" for my large frame. I cached for a while on a Honda but then I got old and afraid of death after dumping my bike at speed so I gave it up. Pro tip: Dress for the slide and not for the ride.

At 300+ pounds, it's a lot off roady for me.

Not only is it underpowered once my bulk rests upon it, it handles horribly on the Interstate.

Some upgrades to the suspension helped, but it still ain't no Goldwing.

 

For geocaching, I'd rather have the KLR than the Goldwing. I prefer caches located accessible from seasonal dirt roads than caches accessible from the interstate. I sold my (3) motorcycles when I moved from California to New York almost 20 years ago and occasionally jones for getting other one.

[+crazyred65]

That's what I will doing this summer i'll be out on my motorcycle looking for cache's . Need to put more mile's on it and find more cache's too.

[medoug]

My primary cachemobile is a motorcycle. Then again, in the non-winter months, it is also my preferred primary mode of transportation.

 

Actually motorcycle caching has resulted as a progression of parallel interests for me. I've always enjoy nature and hiking. I usually had to drive to areas to hike, so once I got a motorcycle, I was able to combine the ride with a day of hiking. Then I found out geocaching (at a time when most caches were still hidden mostly along nature trails) and added it to my hobbies of motorcycling and hiking. Now I do all 3 activities to make an enjoyable day. I ride my motorcycle to the park/nature trail, then I hike the trails, and along the way I seek out the caches near the trails.

 

I still motorcycle to urban and park'n'go caches when they take me to something of interest or have been favorited as a good hide. (I'm not about the numbers.) I agree that the roadside powertrails with caches placed every 0.1 mile would be a PITA dealing with the helmet and the start/stopping, but those aren't my style caches anyway. Also, I would agree with others here about some of the advantages of parking. With my previous Suzuki DR350 (dual sport), it was quite handy (and safer) to park in the road ditch when retrieving a cache ill-placed based on road traffic and visibilities.

 

I've just recently changed from the old Suzuki DR350 to a new Triumph Street Triple R (strictly street bike). I'll be a little more hesitant to park in the ditches now, will avoid gravel roads, and worry a bit more about security (since the DR350 was a beater that no one would steal), but still have the same intentions to use the Triple as my main cachingmobile.

 

BTW, when I tell people that I go geocaching with my dual sport motorcycle, they often say, "That must really make it easier to get to the ones on trails." The truth is, pretty much all park trails do not allow any motorized vehicles. Most don't even allow bicycles. I did motorcycle on a rails-to-trails trail once to geocaching and was very underwhelmed. It consisted of about the most boring and dusty rides I've encountered. I really pity the people who have no other places to ride their street-illegal quads and have to resort to those flat, straight, dusty, boring old railroad trails.

[medoug]

Oh, one other thing that I haven't seen mentioned here is the gas mileage advantage with caching by motorcycle. My car gets 20-25 mpg, my old DR350 got 62 mpg (plus burning oil), and so far my Street Triple 675 has been getting about 48mpg. With the price of gasoline these days, getting 2 or 3 times the mileage compared to a car or truck is worth noting.

[+JPreto]

Actually motorcycle caching has resulted as a progression of parallel interests for me. I've always enjoy nature and hiking. I usually had to drive to areas to hike, so once I got a motorcycle, I was able to combine the ride with a day of hiking. Then I found out geocaching (at a time when most caches were still hidden mostly along nature trails) and added it to my hobbies of motorcycling and hiking. Now I do all 3 activities to make an enjoyable day. I ride my motorcycle to the park/nature trail, then I hike the trails, and along the way I seek out the caches near the trails.

 

[...]

 

BTW, when I tell people that I go geocaching with my dual sport motorcycle, they often say, "That must really make it easier to get to the ones on trails." The truth is, pretty much all park trails do not allow any motorized vehicles. Most don't even allow bicycles. I did motorcycle on a rails-to-trails trail once to geocaching and was very underwhelmed. It consisted of about the most boring and dusty rides I've encountered. I really pity the people who have no other places to ride their street-illegal quads and have to resort to those flat, straight, dusty, boring old railroad trails.

 

This is my exact way of geocaching! On my Yamaha Fazer 250 I placed a mixed tire type so I can go Off-road but since here in Brazil you are allowed to ride on most tracks... let the fun begin!!! Imagine yourself in the middle of the jungle in a 3m wide gravel/dirt path going 40-50 km/h and enjoying the ride!!!