Is Motorcycle Travel the New Van Life?

Is Motorcycle Travel the New Van Live. This is what we are going to discuss in todays video.
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#motorcycleadventure #bikelife #advbike #bmwgsadventure #bmwgs #yamahatenere700 #africatwin1000 #africatwin #vstrom #vanlife #adventureriding #motorcyclecamping

[@howardmann5634]

The best bike to go travelling on is the one you have well said

[@FreeMilesMC]

Absolutly

[@papajulietromeo-650]

My parents crossed through Europe, and the biggest bike they ever owned was a BMW R60/5 with 40 HP. They rode two-up with camping gear across the Alps all the way down to the countries formerly known as Yugoslavia. At that time, nobody would have assumed that you need a 1300 GS to explore the world.

[@C0lon0]

Lot of people from Brazil ride across all America, from Ushuaia to Prudhoe Bay on CG125 or CG150 because it is a cheap and reliable bike.

[@monikapecek7317]

People with big ADV bikes dont really want to bo riding motorcycle they just like the idea thats why the get every possible upgrade to not feel the bumbs in the road, the wind bothers them, if there is a slight breeze they make a 30 min youtube video explaning how that bothers them, heated everything and OMG no cruise control ... killing the spirit of motorcycling. The best motorcycle is the one you are not afraid of droping it :)

[@C0lon0]

Yeah, I'm looking to sell my CB500X because it is too expensive to repair broken parts and I'm looking to buy an Agrale/Cagiva 27.5 (Elefant 200 in other countries) because it is a cheap and reliable two stroke with relatively cheap plastics to buy if they break in a crash.

[@efrosinya]

Just traveled with a friend on motorcycles through Sweden this summer. I have an old cbr 600 f4, I made the textile cases myself (to save money and to make them specifically for my bike). This is my first big trip on a motorcycle. Total traveled 2500 km. The trip was quite a budget and I am satisfied with it

[@FreeMilesMC]

That Sounds amazing i am happy to hear about it☺️

[@giostisskylas]

This is one of those tours that you will never forget for the rest of your life. It is precisely the indefinite nature of the budget tour that makes it unique and adventurous. If you take your wallpaper with you on tour and buy all the luxury in the hotel, you will avoid a real drop out of the boring everyday life.

[@efrosinya]

@@giostisskylas Oh Yeah, it's a trip I won't forget. We lived both in hostels and in campings with a tent. We ate in local cafes and restaurants and also cooked food on a camping cooker. Drank beer at places popular with the locals😁 We observed life in a country that was new to us.

[@SherKhan-b1kes]

A2 motorcycle licence sales are picking up rapidly, regardless of off-road capability or not. Always happy to see younger (under 40) riders taking to the roads. I‘ve met people in the alps and in Denmark touring long distance on 50cc bikes and some on 125‘s. Let’s face it, the only off-roading most of these monster adventure bikes will ever see is going to be a garden path. There’s less than a handful of riders willing to take their €20,000 plus bikes over rough and rugged terrain. Good to see ya back Miles, enjoy the fresh air 😉

[@giostisskylas]

I always enjoy the BMW GS riders. They drive around the Eifel with expensive BMW motorcycle suits, hundreds of aluminum cases and gadgets for the Dakar expedition. But it's so clear that these Zahnwalt BMWs never experience adventures. Poor bastards, they are.

[@zulkiflemunaff2338]

250cc for me more than enough imo

[@fuglbird]

@@giostisskylas Paying €9 for a latte is a kind of adventure.

[@rchaelk2319]

True, unless it's a second hand adventure bike, noone will go forest road with a self bought 20.000 bike like you said 😂 You can get a pretty good used "adventure" bike for 5.000€ tho

[@happywanderer5632]

I just finished a 30k, 4 month tour around Eastern Europe on a 2013 Vstrom and loved it. All I saw around me though were people on new GS1250 FarklePanzers looking down their noses at me. Yet their bikes were shiny and new, with no miles on them. Mine was well used and enjoyed. Their bikes were "Dream bikes". They stayed in the garage while their owners watch KZbin and dream.

[@TaiPassionGP]

I agree with you that the "adventure" factor is often abused in being expressed and never truly experienced, because a newly purchased modern motorbike will hardly add those typical emotions of an adventure. I'm not saying that you necessarily have to get an old motorbike that's leaking parts and dive into exhausting journeys in remote places, but there's also the challenge factor. The challenge is adventure, to test your luck, to challenge time and weather conditions. Just look at what Peter Muurman has done with a motorbike that is the opposite of reliability and rigidity has traveled the world. I believe that first of all we must love being in contact with nature, the roads and the open air without fearing the rain, cold, heat and keep in mind that you can have a wonderful experience with little or nothing in terms of both the value of the motorbike and the money.

[@fuglbird]

I just want a confy holiday. If I don't plan it properly, I'll get adventure for sure.

[@guitarmax95]

My grandpa went went from East Austria to Switzerland on a

[@user-pc2dz3bd3u]

I did bike travel a decade ago, and thought of it as a step up from backpacking. Travel as light as you can. Ironically, the best way to do this is to not carry all the requirements to run a KZbin channel! You want to stop move to van life, stop recording your trips and keep the memories to yourself! 😂

[@davidwood974]

This is the first video I’ve seen of yours, and really appreciate this perspective…it has gotten out of control. New subscriber and looking forward to watching more of your content.

[@ThrottleAddiction]

We're doing the opposite - after years of motorcycle travel and camping, we're doing a van build. We' have toured on various motorcycles over the years, carrying all we need on the back - but as we get older, it's getting harder to crawl out of a wet tent and face a day's ride in the rain! Since the global virus thing, vans here in Australia have almost doubled in price (like you mention in Europe). We had some serious lockdowns and border closures which bought about a realisation that life can be short and the freedom of movement can suddenly end. The growing demand for vans is happening, despite the fact that during the pandemic, many van-lifers found themselves in trouble. Anyway, our plan is to have the van as a base, with our motorcycles (2 x KTM390) on a trailer. Van-life for us is a necessity to continue what we have been doing, but in a practical and comfortable way.

[@5280MTM]

I bought a cheap econoline van that’s gutted to haul my bikes places. Friends ask if I am going to kit the van out and I say no. I’ve spent good $ on nice camping equipment so I sleep outside the van. I’m on a KLX300 so I don’t really get a lot of range, the van cuts me packing gas. I’ve done a few solo bicycle tours around the USA and you are spot on about the unspoken side of touring. I’ve also realized I don’t want a ADV, I really love single track and riding and riding in the woods. I like jumping over logs and rocks and I’ve been dropping my bike a lot. Now I really just want a trail bike.

[@FreeMilesMC]

I Plan on doing the Same to a van i have the seats out of one but i still need the bike for it to go in to that is not fully repaired yet tho

[@5280MTM]

@@FreeMilesMCThe nice thing about a work van is they are invisible. You can park anywhere. Godforbid someone break into it but a thief is going after a decked out sprinter before they even glance at my van. There is enough space inside that if I can’t hack the weather in my tent, I can always sleep inside the van. Keep traveling and never stop exploring!

[@C0lon0]

I wanted to buy an f800gs, but here in Brazil even a 2009 is going for at least R$40.000, while that same bike 5 years ago was worth at maximum 20k

[@MrMramish]

We have bought an old crusty T4 with the old 2 Litre engine. It took me 2 years to repair it and build up some interior but it is worth it. we only payed 4K but hey it works. Doesnt look beautiful but does the trick

[@pin0teres]

You would not even get half of a T7 for 4k.

[@jeroenvandervelden8213]

Spot on!👍

[@gedlyman1]

I did Cartagena Colombia to Ushuaia and back recently on a Honda 300 xre, on the off road sandy stretches I left the big bike in the dust, had a great time, I would say for super long distances a slightly bigger engine is needed. Not essential, but makes life a lot easier, something up to a 700, don’t need anything bigger, a twin or perhaps a 500cc, def don’t need the 1200’s esp if traveling solo. Weight is the most importante factor, gotta be able to lift the bike in tough terrain.

[@stephenflowerday4038]

Mate, another great video :) There have been perfectly fine bikes since the70's to do a long trip on. Just know your bike and how to do basic maintenance. A well looked after Japanese bike will take you to the moon and back.

[@RRRRefuelRideRace]

Today one can buy anything. There is a vast array of anything, but mostly buying doesn't necessary mean that you are gonna need that thing, that you are gonna have fun with it, that it will satisfy you.... That it will make you happy there is no guarantee. It is nice that you included a great Slovenian philosopher Slavuj Žižek.

[@antoniorainho8898]

Man, you are soooooooooo right.

[@verlinswarey507]

The word “build” really makes my skin want to crawl down the garbage disposal. But I will stick up for Itchy Boots! I don’t watch a lot of her videos, but she does seem to be a world-class traveler,and in a league of her own. I’m not sure what drives her, but she does strike me as being the genuine article!

[@Adventurist]

So true!

[@-waz-773]

Look whos here. The world gets smaller by the day. =)

[@gilvietor1918]

I just got rid of my 701 and 1090 for a desertx. I am stronger than most as I could pop the 1090 up no problem, Africa Twins with the DCT I have picked up a lot on a long BDR. That weight is my limit, mind you with bags and crap. I use my bikes for hotel hoping, I am old and I have had insane numbers of tent camping trips, I grew up in Alaska and my dad had a side gig as a guide. I’m done. I have a Toyota Tundra with a drawer fridge, power and cooking stuff. The big reason I hate going out to eat so I try to minimize those encounters. Saves money but I really hate food poisoning. Talking with salesmen at motorcycle shops, large adventure bikes are slowing down big time.

[@jocon6656]

I reckon many people forget or don't realise Itchy Boots was world traveling as a backpacker for like 10 years before she ever sat on a motorcycle. She's a motivated, hardcore traveler first, and a rider second. If you are not the same way, you probably don't want to follow in her footsteps.

[@Jabbekot]

U r absolutely right!!

[@MrJulianneave]

Also... putting a photo of a Ford Falcon wagon up and referring to it as a Holden Commodore is an offence punishable by death herd in Australia 😄

[@FreeMilesMC]

I thought it’s the Same car with just a different badge

[@MrJulianneave]

@@FreeMilesMC Na they're completely different. The Commodore vs Falcon thing used to be the biggest rivalry in the automotive world here haha. Both big, rear wheel drive sedans sold only in the Australian market, and neither of which are still in production. Sadly Holden as a brand no longer exists, they stopped building them in the last couple of years.

[@FreeMilesMC]

Oh thats a bummer that they don’t produce anymore. It was just they looked so similar and we in Europe have gotten some of These Cars as vaxhaules and some different Cars that Shared Parts of theBody of i think the holden. And they are some Chevrolets that basically Look Like These Cars aswell so i thought they have been sold under a bunch of different names all over the world

[@SandraOrtmann1976]

I always wondered why a BMW GS seems to a requirement for motorcycle camping. When the 1300 came Out I wondered where they will stop (think it really starts to need a Reverse). Ourselves, we are not at all into motorcycle camping KZbin Style. We are rather boring, select a smaller campsite and explore the area from there. On rather humble Yamaha 700s. And they are all we need (one Is admitttedly something you could call an "adventure Bike" - a Ténéré 700. The other though? Tracer 700. Nothing fancy, but I love it in every way), but it will most likely touch nothing more than a gravel road on the campsite. The two bikes easily carry all of our stuff (and no, we do not use a tiny tent, but something comparable to the infamous Mototent in size. It is just a normal family tent though, and we got it used.) We are perfectly happy with this.

[@johndavis2399]

Amen brother 👍

[@2Gales]

There is a huge trend away from maxitrails to small adv bikes, which is very welcome. After so many years seeing guys embarrass themselves with heavy and tall bikes they cannot handle or pick up when they inevitably drop them, the image of mid and smaller adv bikes has changed from “beginner bike” or worse in the US “girl bike” to “the correct bike for an experienced rider”. Knowledgeable riders are selling their maxitrails and getting lighter bikes. I’d be embarrassed to be seen on an expensive maxitrail. I follow this guy Pablo Imhoff on KZbin traveling Argentina to Alaska on a 90cc moped. Beautiful.

[@chiefenumclaw7960]

Brah! You clipped your microphone to a wooden spatula! Just when I thought you couldn't be any cooler, you go and pull something like this. Never change, my dude.

[@MrPsicopazzo]

So glad I subscribed

[@FreeMilesMC]

Thank you i really appreciate it ☺️

[@jefflejaune]

nice video ! i'm riding a 1995's DR 650 i've bought for 500€ (total cost around 1400€ with new parts and stuff) and i've done about 15 000km this season . Sure thing i often look like a hobo on a dirty old bike, but traveling for cheap means traveling more

[@MrJulianneave]

I really enjoy having a van fitted out as a basic camper. I bought a Hyundai Imax (i800 in some markets), ripped the rear seats out and had a proper think about what I needed in it to make it a practical weekend camper. I use it all the time and it has genuinely improved my enjoyment of life. However, in my opinion it's important to fit them out to be "campervan, not Instagram". Build it for practicality, not to meet some dumb aesthetic (no you don't need a wooden bookshelf taking up a whole wall in your van!).

[@fuglbird]

During my summer camping holiday on my SV650 I only saw motorcycles at one camping site and most of them arrived in mobile homes or vans. Today, most motorcyclists spend the nights in hotels or guesthouses. I got my used SV650 at a reasonable price because most people want adventure bikes. The price I gave for my 2017 SV650 is similar to the price of a V-Strom 8-12 years or 100,000 km older.

[@langhamp8912]

You must understand that influencer's clientele is the companies that subsidize them.

[@MotoTourIreland]

Wise words. I tour on a 22yr old yamaha. No sh#ts given. Have that bike for 20 years now.

[@BenjaminD84]

I like you for pointing this out. A while ago you recommended me to just rent out a lightweight bike in a place like Mallorca. I am a 40 year old guy who really likes to travel, but I live in an apartment in a big Dutch city without a garage / storage. I am planning to get my license this year and just go experiment with taking some (offroad) adventures. But I also don't want to break the bank. Like you say: you don't need all this fancy stuff the big companies want you to crave. With a couple of thousand euros you will have all you need to create some awesome memories. You mentioned Noraly and she always points this out. How hard it is to live the life she lives and also how little you need to have a good time on the road, without doing these extreme tours around the world.

[@fuglbird]

Traffic in Mallorca can be wild due to the many British tourists. It is the only place where I have returned a hired car after a few hours because of the traffic. The rental company gave us all our money back. They knew the problem. Rent your motorcycle somewhere else.

[@BenjaminD84]

@@fuglbird Depends on the time of the year I guess?

[@SG-lk5go]

Finally new content 🙌🏻 Edit: btw there is a spelling mistake in ur thumbnail: its "out of touch", not "tutch". Or maybe its just me getting the pun... And I dont think bikes are experiencing the same hype like vanlife, as there is a higher "entrance-level" with the Extra drivers license u need to take. Moreover many people are too afraid of riding bikes.

[@FreeMilesMC]

I am back ☺️

[@FreeMilesMC]

Thanks for the correction☺️

[@fuglbird]

I'm almost "out of teeth" but certainly not "out of touch"! How dare you?

[@osolitude]

About 30 years ago there was a big marketing campaign by a German company called "reduce to the max" ... Does anyone remember it? ;-)

[@jamzzzist]

It's ego and wanting to flex on others. Where I live, it's out of control. The socialmediafication of our hobbies suuuckkkk so hard.

[@jamesonpace726]

You're right. In my 50s, bad divorce, no $, no family, a 25 year old RV, 34', V10 & every system old, broken or soon to be. "See 'Murca!" they said, but truck stops were scary or off limits, private property, too & campsites were $$ & often said no, my RV was too old! Yes, met some great folks but spent most of 5 years buying parts, gas, tolls & being hassled by cops & fixing the old dog every day. Again, had some very good times in nice places, but many more not so. The great illusion of "freedom", hahaha....

[@aperfect42]

Slavoj

[@RRRRefuelRideRace]

Exactly, a great Slovenian philosopher... and professor

[@jamieroach3828]

Going on a 5 week holiday around Australia on my bike this November, have to say van life/ motorcycle travel is very similar and completely opposite at the same time. there are 2 different classes when it comes to both like you said, the explorer and the influencer

[@jeffleigh42]

I'd add more 👍

[@kloppskalli]

I understand that there are a few people who laugh at your minimal approach but that doesnt mean that all people are like that now - there are still thousands of Motorczcle travelers who do it with a smaller displacement motorbike like a Honda C90 or just the bike that they can afford, like an old thumper or a dirt cheap Suzuki V-Strom

[@Yezu666]

People do on a Bullet 350 what most think you need high end ADV for.

[@jimthompson717]

Ride the bike. With the money saved on fuel, maintainance , vehicle purchase price, buy a nice tent, or stay in a hotel.

[@Hibbicon]

Das Problem ist, dass ich alte Motorrad nicht "lohnen". Eine ranzige Transalp PD06 mit allerhand Problemen bekommt man für 3000€. Eine nagelneue Aprilia Tuareg 660 für 9000 - 10000€. Relativ gesehen ist das das 3-fache, absolut nur ein paar Tausender mehr und Dimensionen mehr Motorrad fürs Geld.

[@FreeMilesMC]

Naja ist immer ein wenig die Frage wie viel man selbst schrauben kann und wie teuer der Ersatzteile Markt ist und wie zeitintensiv das ganze ist. Aber das eine eine nicht gut dahstehende transalp schon 3000 kostet ist glaube ein Symptom dieses Trends bereits weil viele andere bikes aus der Zeit auf dem gebraucht Markt echt erschwinglich sind

[@unknownname6519]

Enduros sind aufgrund der im Video genannten Gründen so teuer.. Plus dazu fährt eher das ältere Clientiel diese Maschinen, die eher dazu bereit sind, das Geld zu zahlen..

[@FreeMilesMC]

@unknownname6519 ja hab selbst schon ein wenig auf dem gebraucht Markt geschaut und hab gemerkt leider ist meine Vermutung in der richtigen Richtung unterwegs

[@unknownname6519]

​@@FreeMilesMCleider.. Ich wollte auch was günstiges kaufen und aufbauen, nur sind die fast so teuer wie eine laufende Maschine.. Der Trend geht immer mehr zu größer, schwerer, komplexer und teurer.. Etwas was man offroad im Outback von Marokko oder Mongolei nicht braucht

[@kornerklan3670]

I really happy that I enjoy riding the same that I enjoy working on bike. The same I can say about cars and bicycles. This means, I must buy old, cheap and crap stuff to rebuild and use xD

[@soggybawsmoto]

I went back and watched your Morocco stuff after this. Looks super stressful. Would you go back?

[@PatrickBorel]

you nailed it 🙂

[@mephistovonfaust]

Get a KTM 1050 Adventure if you want a big ADV bike for cheap. It's a 1190 Super Adventure with a small engine. I've been on plenty of rides with a friend on his 1250 GS and he wasn't any faster than me. The only thing I'm missing is cruise control.

[@triot2127]

I have a Tracer and I've gotten the "it's not a real Adventure bike". The thing is it's not advertised as an adv bike and I didn't buy it to go off road. But everyone just assumed because I have bags and gear I must be a "Adventure" rider.

[@harrienelle6471]

So, it's the spoon for motorcycles and the spatula for vans?

[@FreeMilesMC]

I just did not find the spoon in that Moment ☺️

[@harrienelle6471]

@@FreeMilesMC Well, one must keep a tidy van. 😅

[@marklanders630]

You see the same thing with sailboats. Used to be a 30' boat was large, but now the you tubers all want million dollar catamarans.

[@bikeman0078]

👍🏼

[@highjeeemel]

wenn du magst, kannst du meine Honda Transalp xl600v pd 06 testen und probefahren. Mit ihr war ich schon quasi überall von spanien über polen bis Norwegen. komme aus Cloppenburg. ist also ein bisschen Anreise. P.S. : ne Goldwing GL 1500 habe ich auch. liebe sie 😂❤ mein neues ü40 reisebike.

[@FreeMilesMC]

Cloppenburg ist für mich super zu erreichen 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼. Und beide Motorräder wären für den Kanal echt interessant. Meine email Adresse ist [e-mail] Da kannst du mich gut erreichen. Ich bin für diese Art von Support für den KZbin Kanal immer sehr dankbar weil die Videos nicht anders möglich wären. Vielen Dank 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@UncleLongbeard]

I don't thing it will go the same directions as vanlife. Simply because there is plenty of reasonably cheap new bikes out there. And those are becoming fashionable. Like Himalayans, CFMOTO etc. I think that the main difference is that no one is passionate about Fiat Ducato. It only keeps the value because of the function. With motorcycles it's different. There will always be cheap bikes which can do the same as the expensive ones. C90 being the best example ;) However funnily thanks to Ed I suppose, the C90 became stupidly expensive for what it is.

[@chiefenumclaw7960]

Triumph Speed & Scrambler 400X. 5 grand out the door and 75mpg.

[@clarson2916]

An “Earth Roamer” or the motorcycle equivalent. An attempt to travel the world, and not have any adventure at all :)

[@mauriceb.5318]

View of my Friends who do Van Life told me it become s**** everywhere are more and more restriction. Also there are not more alone and this means there are lot of waste left on the spot when there arrived. Same with Motorbikes in the Alps, more and more nice Roads are close for Motorbike on Weekend, cause i can understand when the Bikes are so loud and everyday you have this kind of noise it is not nice for the Locals. In the end your own fault, not respect the Locals and the Nature.

[@clockworknomad4681]

Hey dude i think the problem is yours…. I see around me people traveling with any kind of bikes using any kind of camping equipment, without judging anyone… probably try to hang out with different people and the world around you will be brighter! Also turn off television and instagram, media has been and will always be only mass control. My 2 cents 🙏

[@motorpolitan8884]

Never. Motorcycles requiring skills to ride safely is enough barrier to entry to wannabe influencer types.

[@monsterboomer8051]

Good grief, now YT recommends me loads of van posers videos.

[@giostisskylas]

I see it as pretty much the same. In both cases, you are looking for independence and also see the journey as part of the goal. In a van, it is a bit more comfortable, more for older people. But this opportunity to escape from everyday life will probably not be around for much longer. With the ban on combustion engines in 2035, motorcycle culture will be history. The majority of motorcyclists will not switch to an electric moped. It sounds like a dentist's drill, looks like an industrial vacuum cleaner and has exactly ZERO character. Even before 2035, the zealots in Berlin will make life difficult for people like us. And the same will happen to van life. Freedom and individualism are the devil's work for the juste milieu. It's better to let off steam now and take whatever you can with you. If the vision of the political clowns in Berlin comes to fruition, individual freedom will be over. Then you'll be dancing to their tune.

[@FreeMilesMC]

I am actually a Bit douptfull that the hole 2035 no combustion engine thing is going to happen. This stuff is still over ten years away and when looking at the past how frequently the future policy’s and the zeitgeist around politics change. I honestly don’t see it happening as it is a very unpopular policy and with the future of electric mobility when it comes to the trade barriers between the USA and china it would make Europe one of the main markets for electric vehicles from china and I don’t really see German and European manufacturers competing with them in that area. I am pretty sure they are going to paddle back on this one when push comes to shove similarly to what happend in the case of nuclear energy. Also I highly doubt that politics are going to favor the environment in contrast to economic growth

[@jakespeed6515]

🏍 Just Do it! Or 5DGISD