Hi Guys,
I am a design student at University. I have previously worked in the automotive industry designing interiors.

For my final project I was hoping to design something that 'heightened travel experience' for people like yourselves who travel the world on bikes.

It would be so helpful if anyone could give me any information that you probably couldn't find online? Personal insights into a product or service that would really benefit you all if it was designed?

Any feedback would be really appreciated!

Thanks Guys,
Anna (A designer in need)

I'll start you off Anna - a genuine '1st worlders travelling in the 3rd world' bike.

We broadly juggle between 650cc or bigger adventure road bikes which are too heavy for the worst roads/best adventures, or 250/450cc sports oriented off road bikes with too small fuel capacity and inadequate luggage carrying capacity.

CCM have got closest to ideal with their GP450 bike but at a price that would make a wealthy man weep!

Good luck with your project.

Those whom have expensive adventure or touring bikes will probably consider security serious in far eastern lands. Carrying a HD chain on the front for easy access and weight distribution is proving hard to accommodate.

Preparing for London - Cape Town solo, I would say the following is hard to find:

- An up to date fact file for each country that deals with temporary vehicle imports & visas. (reputable mechanics would also be brilliant!) Currently we have to trawl through sites like this and piece together the most current information - which is really time consuming.
- Tracking (for both bike and rider) and emergency response services - there is Spot and Global Rescue - but they are still in their infancy take some time to master....their T&C's are also not totally clear (they don't operate in a lot of places)...which makes it confusing.
-A global parts ordering system - that can get you exactly the right part sent anywhere in the world - quickly.
- A pre-paid sim card that can roam cheaply for data services- or a service which sells you all of the ones you will need and makes them activated.

Those are obviously all services (Apart form a tracker)....if you actually want to design a physical thing...a comfortable seat (that you can sit in for 8-9 hours a day 5 days straight) seems to be biggest gripe I have!

Good luck!

Affordable Wifi anywhere (using mobile phone lines).


Buying a sim card on each country to get access to internet and Apps is a pain in the bum and not easy.


The "Worldwide" Sim Cards you can buy on line... well, I tried and tested and it was VERY expensive, as it seems to plug into the most expensive providers. Tried in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan in 2014 for emergency calls. Cost me a lot!


So a dongle for computers or a sim card of some sort, that can be used anywhere to connect to phone lines and internet would be fantastic. At an affordable price.

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Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

How about a document wallet? Some kind of secure pouch or wallet for carrying a variety of documents, cash, cards, etc.?


I've seen a variety of them, but I've never found one I really liked.

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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

Some kind of convenient way of securing your gear when you leave the bike somewhere. At the moment I have a few options, I put my helmet and gloves in a helmet bag, I put a locking strap through the arm and leg of my trousers and my boots, meh, they have a leather loop on the back which I run a little security cable I have through.

It works, aside from the boots anyway, but it's inconvenient. Three separate security devices, I can't be sure the inside of my gear will stay dry. It's also only token security, my jacket and trousers are probably easy to liberate with a bolt cutter and the boots would take seconds with a knife.

My other option, which I have used, is to put my gear in a waterproof roll bag and put the roll bag in a Pacsafe. Stays dry, out of sight and moderately secure, but it's a pain to set up.

A giant waterproof pacsafe I can just unroll might be a start, or a roll bag with the pacsafe metalwork built in this would also be ace for luggage, pacsafe metal nets shred bike paint and roll bags under movement / vibes. Or a roll bag made of knife resistant fabric like the Magadan bags.

Another option might be some kind of coat hanger with a secure bag built in, maybe the same knife stop fabric as the AS Magadan bags?

Goals would be reasonably secure, waterproof and quick to use.

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[ Tim | History - NW Italy/French Rivera, Swiss Alps, Morocco | 2016 - Greece > Albania > Macedonia > Kosovo > Montenegro > Bosnia > Slovenia > Austria ]

Do you mean designed, or engineered? Are you expected to just come up with a use case and some photoshop renders, or an idea of how to realistically build such a product or service?

Here's an idea: a good way to secure my riding gear to my bike while I go for a walk in street clothes. I can currently put my gloves inside my helmet and my helmet inside my topbox, but what about my jacket, pants, and boots?

Best option I've seen so far is a plastic-coated metal wire with a padlock, threaded through jacket sleeves, pant legs, and holes drilled in the top of boots, then secured to the bike frame.

There have also been attempts at making a gear bag with metal mesh inside to make it slash-proof, but any such bag would have to be pretty bulky to fit all the gear (jacket and pants can be folded down, but tall moto boots can't), and will take up a lot of space on the bike when you're not using it.

The wrong direction to think: "well just have protective gear that you can comfortably wear off the bike!" Gear manufacturers have put loads of R&D into this idea and will already sell you a lot of overpriced poor compromises.

+1 on a solution to leave your riding gear more or less secure (and more or less dry) on the bike, taking into account that, while traveling your panniers tend to be loaded. Bulk and weight are an issue. So it should be fairly lightweight and not too bulky.

I have seen hundreds of these and almost every one is fit for purpose, many coming in a variety of colours and designs. A waste of time if you ask me!

Thank you for your positive feedback.

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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

Well it hardly fits the criteria of the OP's preferred challenge, does it? A fancy travel wallet is somewhat unlikely to enhance anyone's riding experience. Perhaps it's a fashion designer you should be talking to.

EDIT: Apologies br if that answer sounds somewhat sharp or curt, it isn't meant to. :-)

@ AnnaDudley 1

As a camper traveller for many years, what I always miss are;
(still have to carry a lot of equipments)

For sw.automobiles..;
1-A portable sliding small kitchen with a barbecue for sw cars that can be stored in the baggage..

2-A portable,fixable and foldable roof luggage box which can also be used as a hammock and a canoe (the cover part for eg.)(for rivers and fishing)

I will be the first buyer for number 2.

Hope helps..

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Mehmet Zeki Avar
''Borderlines divide countries,HU friendship finds a way to reunited"
https://www.facebook.com/mehmet.avar.12?ref=tn_tnmn

Here's a could-be, should-be product I've wished for. Might be out there but I've never seen it...

Truly waterproof moto gloves with some degree of armor and a rubberized or vinyl exterior 100% impervious to water. Like the exterior on gloves used in chemical handling that can be found at a hardware, construction or tools stores. I've actually used those in riding, both on their own (work great but little protection) and over moto gloves (too bulky, inhibit hand and finger movement).

Goretex is OK but still the glove exterior gets soaked, which can degrade leather over time and takes time to dry thoroughly.

I've never come across a pair of moto gloves with a rubberized exterior, but I think of them every time my gloves and hands get soaked in a storm. They wouldn't be breathable, but in rain and cold

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http://ridefar.typepad.com