Dreaming of a motorcycle trip to distant climes? This section will help you to plan your trip, whether it's to the next state, country or all the way around the world! Start here!
The Achievable Dream 5-part series - the definitive video guide for planning your motorcycle adventure. Get Ready! covers planning, paperwork, medical and many other topics! "Inspirational and Awesome!" See the trailer here!
You could just get on a plane with your credit card and passport and buy or rent everything you need when you get there. That includes the bike, riding gear, etc. etc.
Gear Up! is a 2-DVD set, 6 hours! Which bike is right for me? How do I prepare the bike? What stuff do I need - riding gear, clothing, camping gear, first aid kit, tires, maps and GPS? What don't I need? How do I pack it all in? Lots of opinions from over 150 travellers! "will save you a fortune!"See the trailer here!
So you've done it - got inspired, planned your trip, packed your stuff and you're on the road! This section is about staying healthy, happy and secure on your motorcycle adventure. And crossing borders, war zones or oceans!
On the Road! is 5.5 hours of the tips and advice you need to cross borders, break down language barriers, overcome culture shock, ship the bike and deal with breakdowns and emergencies."Just makes me want to pack up and go!" See the trailer here!
Tire Changing!Grant demystifies the black art of Tire Changing and Repair to help you STAY on the road! "Very informative and practical." See the trailer here!
With an HU blog, you'll get a lot more readers than in some obscure corner of the web, it's all set to go, no setup required, and it's free! Start your Travel Story Blog right now!
800+ HU Communities in over 115 countries! People who want to meet travellers - yes that's YOU - and can provide local assistance, and may be your new best friends!
Make a DifferenceTips on fundraising or donating time and energy to a cause.
After the big trip - Was the trip the best - or worst - thing you ever did?
Resources and Links
Horizons Unlimited Presents!
Ladies on the Loose! For the first time ever, a motorcycle travel DVD made for women, by women! These intrepid women share their tips to help you plan your own motorcycle adventure. They also answer the women-only questions, and entertain you with amazing tales from the road! Presented by Lois Pryce, veteran solo traveller through South America and Africa and author of 'Lois on the Loose', and 'Red Tape and White Knuckles.'
"It has me all fired up to go out on my own adventure!" See the trailer here!
Meet people who don't think you're crazy for wanting to ride your bike to South America or across Asia! They will encourage you, share their experiences and advice on how to do it!
We're not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown a hobby into a full time job and a labour of love.
When you decide to become a Member, it helps directly support the site. You get additional privileges on the HUBB, access to the Members Private Store, and more. Of course, you get our sincere thanks, good karma and knowing you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. :-)
All contributions are gratefully appreciated and acknowledged.
T-shirts, Calendars, Stickers
T-shirts Cotton or synth sweat-wicking t-shirts with the cool Horizons Unlimited graphic on the front and a snappy slogan (changing every year) on the back.
Calendars Featuring the 13 winning photos from the Horizons Unlimited annual motorcycle travel photo contest!
World Map Sticker for PanniersShow your route on your panniers. Great conversation starter when you meet people on the road!
Travel BooksMotorcycle and travel books to inspire and inform you!
Videos - Watch and Learn!
Horizons Unlimited presents!
Achievable Dream The definitive guide to planning your motorcycle adventure! This insanely ambitious 2-year project has produced an informative and entertaining 5-part, 18 hour video series. "The ultimate round the world rider's how-to!" MCN UK.
"The series is 'free' because the tips and advice will save much more than you spend on buying the DVD's."
Advertisers- Horizons Unlimited is well-established as the first source of reliable, unbiased information on all aspects of adventure motorcycle travel.
We reach a dedicated, worldwide group of real travellers, and are the only website focusing exclusively on long distance motorcycle travellers.
If you sell motorcycles or motorcycle accessories, riding gear, camping equipment and clothing, transport motorcycles, organize motorcycle tours, or have motorcycles to rent, you should be advertising with us!
I went camping a few weeks ago and came to start my 533 and for the first time it had a fault! I filled it up and when I pressurised it the on/off valve was leaking and nothing came out of the ring! Well, I thought it's given stellar service for 15+ years I can't complain. At least I can get all of the parts still. But guess what? In the morning I tried it again and it ran perfect!
I usually leave it with fuel in it and pressurised all winter but this time for some reason I'd left it empty and unpressurised. That's all I can put it down to. It seems to be back to it's reliable self now and I trust it enough to use it again on my next month long trip. No wonder they haven't altered the design over the years it's bombproof. I'm sure yours will give you 20 years of service. I'd suggest leaving it pressurised though.
Well after much searching reading and very nice offers of stoves for sale I opted for the Coleman 442 feather £27 from a well known auction site hopefully it will arrive in time to try it this weekend on a short trip to Norfolk does anyone know the make of the saucepan that it seems to fit into very well......
...............I'd suggest leaving it pressurised though.
or do what i used to do, if its going to be put away for the winter then drain it, make sure its dried out properly, put a spoon of engine oil in the tank and pull out the pump and vaseline the leather washer. then 1st time its used put a spoon of red-x in the tank and it'll clean it out nicely. i used mine for about 7yrs without cleaning or spares.
It's good to hear that you can store these stoves pressurized.
I always store mine unpressurized. I worry that the pressure would exert constant force on the seals and make them fail sooner.
depends how long its going to be stored i guess? i never had any trouble with storing it for half a year broke down and seals smeared with vaseline, but i do know if left for that long without precautions the seals can dry out, shrink and split. mine had a leather seal in the pump, that dried out quickly but plumped up again with a drop of oil. i believe the newer stoves have o-ring seals, someone confirm? mine did in the filler cap that dried and split once, hence the vaseline regime
Sounds like a rocket burner when it is going, probably because it goes like a rocket burner. In nearly 20 years I have cleaned the jet twice (mine is the early version without the shaker jet) and put vaseline on the leather pump washer once. I store it with the pump in the bottle, without emptying the fuel. It takes a bit of practice to get it to simmer but will do it, it just takes a bit of getting used to. I have run it with kerosene/parrafin but, travelling with the bike, I just use unleaded these days.
MSR have a completely new version out now, and there are no doubt better stoves on the market, but it is a bit like an old friend. My mate picked up a mint shaker jet version on ebay last year for not much money. Worth a look.
with the coleman single burn being around for so long you can pick up used one for 15 bucks or so. the 100 bucks you save mean 2 more days on the road.
Another great option is the Kelly Kettle with saucepan attachment. Never run out of fuel and never worry about rain or wind. I have one as a back up to my MSR multi-fuel and my Coleman CampingGaz stoves.
For the short weekend jaunts where getting gas and extreme cold aren't a problem I use the Optimus Crux Burner with the Optimus Terra Solo Cookset. Its good for boiling water or cooking small amounts of BASIC food like noodles, pasta and rice and of course heating up precooked foods & sauces.
But for extended periods of time where gas is unlikely to be available or if its gonna be cold my petrol option would be the Optimus Nova Plus with the Optimus Terra Cookset.
I like this cookset because it allows you to do all the things the smaller water boiler gas option offers but with this I can cook proper fresh food from scratch. I do like the Trangia wind shields and these can be purchased separately and the Opitmus Nova Plus can be converted to use with the Trangia system. But there are some good, cheap, lightweight folding wind shields available too.
Of dourse you could go hardcore AKA Dave Lomax Style, and forgo a cooker totally and just eat cold rations...
+1 on the NOVA stove
Just a thought for you to think about:
I had (and sold) the Nova Plus- the fuel line is the simmer control and since it lives most of its life in the bag, it acquires a curve- try rotating a curve..... not good it became a real nuisance. I gave up on it and went back to the standard Nova with the foldaway handle- Perfect
Gas is not always easy to find so I prefer using petrol- an occasional mix of unleaded fuel + injector cleaner keeps it sweet ( as does daily use of its clever magnetic jet cleaner)
Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's thelist of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now, and add your information if we didn't find you.
Virginia: April 24-27 Queensland is back! May 2-5 Ecuador June 13-15 Germany Summer: May 29-June 1 CanWest: July 10-13 Switzerland: Date TBC Ecuador: Date TBC Romania: Date TBC Austria: Sept. 11-14 California: September 18-21 France: September 19-21 Germany Autumn: Oct 30-Nov 2
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)
Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.
Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.
Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!
What others say about HU...
"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia
"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK
"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia
"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA
"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada
"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa
"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia
"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany
Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.
You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.