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!
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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."
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I am sure this will get a lot of comments , but as well travelled ,i feel able to talk about this .................... How many 1250's do you see off road ?
Last year i did 6000 miles in Maroc on a cb 500 x and i can say it was the best bike i have ever taken there !
Smaller bikes let you enjoy the views and are easy to handle .............. big ones get you there fast !! ......any point in that ?
__________________ "For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)
It's an endless cycle of fashion for the Starbucks crowd and the manufacturers marketing men. F650 because it won the Dakar. Not enough power? R1250GS SssssirrrrrR? Behemoth too heavy SssssirrrrrR? F800GS would suit you SssssirrrrrR. Not enough power? K1900GS out soon.....
Everytime they create another Moto Guzzi Quota it cycles back to a Himalayan then starts again.
There is no right answer but if there was the manufacturers wouldn't like the lost opportunity to sell you bigger, faster, lighter, simpler....
I'd agree the CB500X is closest on current technology, but the Tenere self jacking swing arm thing might prove that old and allow bigger, or Enfield might drag 40 HP out of 480cc or....
Depends on where you are and how big your support team is, I guess.
I see video like that and think: moto travelers don't really ride like that. The idea is to get where you're going with minimal risk of injury.
No one in their right mind is out there sliding the rear around the corner on a obscure lonely pass in a mountainous little country with no rescue teams and no hospitals.
So, if you want to take the back roads you'd be better off taking a smaller bike.
I feel you are looking through the lense of what you use a bike for.
The big adventure bikes, IMO, are awesome sports tourers that can handle dirt roads. This would explain why they are so popular and one of the leading sellers for companies like BMW.
Everything is a compromise. Choose the bike with the least compromises for your use. I had a CB500x and my R1200GSA and the GS handled formed and secondary/forestry roads much better than the X. The GS does have Wilburs which probably helped.
In the end the X didn’t suit the adventures that I use it for. I doubt even post covid I will be going anywhere that the X would be worth the compromises it has over the GS. I won’t be going to Africa or South America, will be doing Japan, Russia, Mongolia and Europe. The GS suits that role well I think.
Have fun and stay safe.
EDIT: just wanted to say that the enjoyment you get is not just the trip but the bike and I think we fall in love with a certain kind of bike. I was fine for years on enduro bikes and small road bikes. But then I rode big BMW’s and Yamaha’s for work and power and comfort became like a drug maybe LOL...
I see video like that and think: moto travelers don't really ride like that. The idea is to get where you're going with minimal risk of injury.
you're right what proves you don't really need very light bike because you're not going to take risk anyway hence big bike will be more practical overall.
The big bikes aren't going anywhere if you look at the sales stats.
They're flying out and still massively outselling anything else.
However, it's fantastic to see the smaller bikes gaining popularity.
I work PT at a Suzuki/Kawasaki dealer. They have a new Ninja 400 !!! I got all giddy as when I was 18, the ZXR400 was all I ever wanted.
Yamaha did a great thing with the Yamaha 700 and KTM with the 790 but I'd still love to see something at the 400-500cc lightweight class which isn't just made for racing.
I see video like that and think: moto travelers don't really ride like that. The idea is to get where you're going with minimal risk of injury.
No one in their right mind is out there sliding the rear around the corner on a obscure lonely pass in a mountainous little country with no rescue teams and no hospitals.
You have to understand that the guy riding the KTM is in a hurry. He was off on an adventure (it is the 1190 Adventure after all) and he realised that he had forgotten all his luggage so he was hurrying home to get his pyjamas and toothbrush.
__________________
You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.
OK .............. is an adveture doing 650 miles through spain on fast duel roads........... or say going to maroc and enjoying the the fantastic views etc........Big aventure bikes are just very fast touring machines too big to take on small roads all day and wold you want to ?
T700
WR 250 R
XT600E
NOW.. These are more like it
How many people can handle a biggy in mud and ruts ?
OK .............. is an adveture doing 650 miles through spain on fast duel roads........... or say going to maroc and enjoying the the fantastic views etc........Big aventure bikes are just very fast touring machines too big to take on small roads all day and wold you want to ?
T700
WR 250 R
XT600E
NOW.. These are more like it
How many people can handle a biggy in mud and ruts ?
For me an adventure is whatever takes you outside your normal reality - for some that will include outside the comfort zone. For some that will be going over vast distances, for others it will be going through mud, over ruts through jungles etc. This could be in your own country - your home county - or the other side of the world. Each person’s definition of adventure is unique to them.
__________________
You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.
An adventure is whatever and wherever you want it to be.
An adventure can be as tough or as soft as you want it to be.
One person's adventure might be someone else's ride down to the shops.
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.