ADV 101 | Adventure Motorcycling for Beginners

Short motorcycle adventures are BETTER than NONE! Start EASY!

Don’t be intimidated by “epic” Round the World motorcycle adventures.

The adventure motorcycle segment is experiencing a boom. More and more people are choosing to include unpaved roads in their motorcycle route planning. The "ADV motorcycle" can be your vehicle to solitude in the backcountry.

While the sales of huge cruiser motorcycles are declining, many brands are expanding their lineup of dual-sport, "adventure", and scrambler models. What’s not to love? These versatile motorcycles can provide access to unmatched scenery AND escape from insane road rage!

Best of all, "adventure" can be found close to home!

The EXTREME: The end of the road, the Yukon River at Eagle, Alaska

But many less experienced motorcycle riders are overwhelmed with touring logistics and the skills REQUIRED for a multi-week adventure.

There is information overload thanks to adventure motorcycling articles, videos, and numerous Facebook group posts.

Unfortunately, many motorcycle touring beginners are intimidated by trip reports from “epic” round-the-world tours and year-long expeditions. The thoughts of a massive trip, especially compounded by an unfamiliar motorized vehicle and wilderness camping, s paralyzing to many would-be adventurers.

The result: Many novice ADV riders simply put their dreams on hold.

Beginner motorcycle adventurers often compile an insurmountable list of "necessary" equipment. They engage in a never-ending series of motorcycle modifications and "farkle" purchases. But many don't have the confidence to strike out on their own - or feel inadequate joining more seasoned riders.

When intimidated, the natural response is to wait - and another season rolls by while you are watching videos of others who are experiencing The Great Out There.

My advice for Adventure Motorcycling beginners: Start Small, Stay Comfortable!

The solution is to embrace short, overnight outings that require less preparation, less equipment and have minimal consequences for any mistakes you make.

These ONE NIGHT outings have been dubbed Sub 24-hour Overnights, or S24O's.

Grant Peterson of Rivendell Cycle Works is credited for naming this type of mini adventure. As a small business owner, he looks forward to squeezing in dozens of S24O’s. He can’t get away for weeks at a time, but he can leave after lunch and return the following morning, having enjoyed the change of scenery and the chance to unplug from the daily routine.

S24O’s are now popular for many outdoor pursuits including bikepacking, canoe camping, AND motorcycle touring.

My 7,500-mile Alaska adventure started with a 200-mile S24O

Grant also admits - even though he is an experienced bikepacker - to having forgotten everything from adequate food to matches, his sleeping pad and tent poles on a few Sub 24-hour Overnights. But that is the point: you LEARN from your mistakes! And your SUCCESSES build your confidence.

Just remember, as an "Adventure Motorcycling " beginner, your main goal is experience, not perfection or speed, not distance or duration.

Few S24O’s will put the camper in life-threatening situations. Enjoy a stress-free outing!

Adventure motorcycle touring for beginners starts with the basics. I would NEVER advise a new rider to plan a challenging week-long adventure. When you are a novice motorcycle traveler, you simply can't anticipate everything that you will encounter. As a result, you will either get in trouble by over-estimating your abilities, or suffer from anxiety over all the potential problems ahead.

You can only build skills and refine your routines with hard-earned experience.

Problems are best avoided by planning. But novice motorcycle tourists don't yet know what they don't know! A S24O is the perfect, LOW-impact way to fine-tune your packing list, motorcycle preparation, and campsite skills.

You get to plan a few meals, water requirements, and snacks for the outing. You practice setting up your shelter and sleep system. You gain invaluable experience in route planning and navigation. You might also learn how to handle minor mishaps or sudden weather changes without the stress of being hundreds of miles from home.

S24O's are not just for motorcycle touring beginners! A single night of camping recharges my batteries between "epic" adventures.

I am retired, and though I have YEARS of camping and ADV experience, I also enjoy S24O’s.

I still have a full calendar that makes week-long trips difficult to schedule. Instead, I enjoy the option to drop everything and take advantage of forecasted great weather for an overnight trip. I am blessed to live close to state and national forests with plentiful campsites and unlimited backroads. Within two hours I can be 100 miles away, camped on a quiet stream or ridgetop.

My 2,500 mile Trans-America Trail ride started with a S24O to Oark, AR

Even better, I can watch the weather forecast and head out after lunch for a midweek S24O.

If I'm lucky enough to have TWO unscheduled days, I can extend my ride to include two nights camping. Nothing improves your adventure motorcycling skills like being solely responsible for your route, meals, and comfort in camp. I have also found that nothing improves your fitness and riding confidence like successive days on the trail.

There is no mileage qualification for an S24O. Once you leave home, you can often experience amazing solitude within an hour or two.

But solitude isn’t a S24O necessity if you are an ADV motorcycle beginner.

Practicing your camping skills from a “base camp” in a state park or county campground is a great place to start. There is no penalty for choosing a campsite with access to water and an outhouse. (Most campgrounds have discounted "tent" campsites around the perimeter of the RV sites.) The point is that you can begin where you are comfortable – but you lose the excuse not to start!

Successive Sub 24-hour Overnights are the perfect way to test and refine your camping equipment and campsite set-up procedures.

It would be a mistake to start a week-long expedition without the necessary skills and confidence. It’s much better to practice on an a few overnight trips to learn what works and what needs to be changed. Set a few minor goals for each trip. Start with a basic camp meal before worrying about preparing an elaborate menu. OR- skip campsite cooking entirely on your first few trips, bring ready-to-eat food or get your food from convenience stores and restaurants as you pass through towns.

New motorcycle adventurers should include S24O's to provide new learning and practice opportunities.

Don’t like your cook kit or stove? Dissatisfied with your bug dope or sleeping pad? Change it on your next Sub-24 hour Overnight. Always wanted to try time-lapse photography or hammock camping? A short S24O is your low-risk opportunity.

Breaking in a light scrambler, on a 275-mile Sub-24 Hour Overnight

The S24O is FUN and PRACTICE. Beginner motorcycle tourers will build experience with their cycle, camping gear, navigation, meals, and more - with LESS stress!

I suggest that you never leave on a multi-day ADV trip with any piece of gear or clothing that you haven't tried before.

Even after ten's of thousands of miles, I STILL use short overnight rides to fine-tune new motorcycle set-ups and gear upgrades. The middle of an extended ride is not the time to discover that your rain jacket doesn't fit over your riding coat or that your sleeping pad is inadequate. More importantly, you will learn what you DON’T need!

The sure way to ruin your enjoyment of ADV riding is to drag along TOO much stuff. Make lists and then refine your clothing, cooking, sleeping, and shelter requirements after every adventure. Ruthlessly eliminate duplicates. Use your new skills to lighten the load, adding fun and range to your riding.

Practice packing and unpacking your kit. Everything is different in the woods, in the dark. Get used to riding, cooking and sleeping in the wind and rain.

Better to work through a problem on an overnight S24O than two days into a week-long wilderness ordeal, hundreds of miles from home.

Two final points that favor S24O’s for adventure motorcycling beginners:

First, ADV riding that includes rural and/or remote destinations is experiencing a resurgence among those who have grown tired of crazies on the highway.

In most locations, within an hour or less you can turn off the highway onto little-used rural backroads. Many of us have tired of stressful road trips - and as ADV riders we add the bonus of a campout, possibly for free in a quiet woods or desert area.

Adventure motorcycling can get very complicated. But I prefer a minimalist mindset.

Many "campers" can't imagine denying themselves running water, a water heater, or a shower. But the S24O is perfect for fine-tuning both your gear, bike, and attitude. My ADV motorcycle easily navigates forest roads where RVs and camper trailers are never seen! I especially enjoy "stealth" camping, or boondocking outside of designated campsites.

Second, S24O’s are not limited to solo adventures.

Short overnights are the best way to introduce friends and family members to ADV motorcycling. Connect with a local rider or someone online. The short-term commitment is much easier to plan. All we need is a favorable forecast for the next day - and we're gone!

Sub 24-hour Overnights are ideal when you meet-up with friends who have a range of camping and riding skills.

When you don't have far to go, you have a much looser schedule. When you are only planning one night at a time, you can form impromptu groups that might not be compatible or efficient on a two-week excursion. With short distances planned, there is no stress and no reason to hurry.

Sub-24 Hour Overnights build your skills for multi-day adventures!

S24O's prepare you for demanding BIG adventures. UTBDR above Moab, Utah

You don’t need to travel for days or weeks to rack up new sights, sounds, sunrises, and sunsets. Memories are made by the mile and the trip - even if it is a Sub-24 hour Overnight.

Here is a video of a Sub 24-hour Overnight to a covered bridge in the national forest:

Whether you are new to adventure motorcycling or an experienced rider, consider all the advantages of adding a few Sub 24-hour Overnights to your calendar.

Invite a friend or drop everything and enjoy a spontaneous solo getaway. More days riding and more nights camping are always a good thing! Every S24O will add to your memories. Every hour in The Great Out There will add LIFE to your days. See also MotorBikePacking.com for content specifically related to traveling light and carefree!