BallSack

International borders have closed. Motorcycle adventurers are being told to stay home. In some cases, travelers who’ve already left home are being forced by authorities to shelter in place at rental properties in the countries they’re visiting. Overall, it’s a bad time to be a rider with a lust for adventure travel. YouTube’s here to help! There’s still fresh ADV travel content being posted daily, including this piece from Ducati’s marketeers, following a Ducati Multistrada 1260 Enduro and a Multistrada 950 S across Australia. You could cynically reject this as an effort to help the wire-wheeled Multis lose their reputation as jacked-up superbikes that are poorly-suited to the rigors of adventure riding. The new Multistrada models really have seen a transformation, however, just like the love interest at the ending of a rom-com. The Multis will probably never have the cred of the BMW GS lineup, but they have come a long way from their asphalt-only origins. Outside of the obvious promotional footage, this is a great look at a ripping fun adventure through the back paths of Australia. The film follows Luca Viglio (riding since age 14, with off-road experience in cars and on bikes that includes the Dakar rally, Pharaohs rally, and three International Six Days Enduro runs) and Andrea Terragni (experienced traveler, who’s ridden more than 40 countries around the world). They ride through small towns that look straight out of Mad Max (with no sightings of the Toecutter, alas!). When they get out of town, it’s the stuff that ADV riders dream of. “The nature of the Australian forest, sun-drenched deserts, endless beaches, kangaroos, crocodiles and parrots are the perfect setting for two bikers and their motorcycles, capable of performing magic and turning the road into a journey,” reads the poetic YouTube description. Sign us up! Too bad it’s basically impossible to fly anywhere right now, especially Australia. Sooner or later, the world will re-open for adventure travel, but videos like this will have to suffice for now. Let's block ads! (Why?) Source

The Sidecar Guys have come up with a plan to fight quarantine-induced boredom. With adventure travel meetings sidelined due to the coronavirus pandemic, this globetrotting duo teamed up to present the Armchair Adventure Festival, running the weekend of April 24. The Sidecar Guys are a criminally underappreciated pair of adventurers carrying on the proud British traditions of world exploration and silliness—their steed of choice is a sidecar-equipped Honda SH300I scooter. They’re the first people to do a round-the-world ride by scooter and sidecar, and hold a Guinness record for longest journey by scooter and sidecar. Their mega-trip saw them travel 34,000 miles through 35 countries and five continents. There’s plenty of footage of their travels on YouTube. Like the rest of the adventure travel community, their adventures have been shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. In many places, round-the-world riders are now banned from even riding around their home countries. That’s where the Armchair Adventure Festival comes in. The Sidecar Guys are running a travel festival, with plenty of notable speakers, that you can enjoy from your living room. The Armchair event has interviews, panel discussions, and presentations with many well-known adventure riders. Presenters include Charley Boorman, Ted Simon, Simon and Lisa Thomas, Billy Ward, Elspeth Beard, and several others. Not everyone on the list is a motorcycle traveler, but most of the lineup is in the two-wheeled overland category. All the fun will be streamed through the festival’s website. The Sidecar Guys are also running a quiz and some other fun stuff for the event, and on Sunday, Austin Vince is screening The Road To Independence (alas, no motos in this adventure film). A full schedule is posted to the festival’s website. The event begins Friday, April 24, and runs through Sunday, April 26. Interested? You can sign up for free at the Armchair Adventure Festival’s homepage (you can make a donation, if you want to). If you miss out on something, the festival’s video will be recorded and available online after this weekend. Let's block ads! (Why?) Source

There weren't very many April Fool's jokes or advertisements this year, probably because the real world is already pretty messed up these days. When there are, we sometimes mention a few of the best jokes we found. Our favorite for 2020 was Giant Loop, a supplier of many of your adventure bike needs. Following a trend of the 4X4 overlander community, they announced the Expander Adventure Tent. You've probably seen those unfolding tents mounted to the roofs of 4X4s seriously modified for days or weeks at a time in the wilderness (or the local shopping mall). This was the same idea, except a smaller version that mounts to the seat of your motorcycle. If it was real, this tent would offer 100 square feet of space inside, while packing down into a 6 by 18 by 18-inch package, "about the size of a box of Voodoo Donuts." The tent would also offer remote control automatic deployment, anti-microbial UV interior lighting, and a Dyneema/Kevlar predator barrier to protect you from stampeding rhinoceroses, velociraptors, or 30-50 feral hogs. The tent isn't real, but we wish it was. I'm in the process of turning a Dodge conversion van into a "moto-glamper," a cushy camper van that I can use to bring my KLR to interesting places to ride. It will avoid the hassles of long highway slogs, having to sleep on the ground, or having to carry all the extra weight of camping gear on the bike. If the Expander Adventure Tent existed, however, I'd sell that van in a heartbeat and use my bike instead. Even Sabrina says she'd get one to go motorcycle camping, and she doesn't do camping at all. As with most such things, it's too good to be true, but we can dream, can't we? One small aspect of this tent is real, though. If you add one to your cart, you'll get a discount code for any purchase from Giant Loop through the end of April 2020. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Can you smell spring in the air? I sure can and it’s making me excited to get back on the road. Once the snow clears, obviously. I don’t know for you, but with the warmer days just around the corner, I’m inspired to plan my next motorcycle road trip. Whether you’re the free-spirit or the guided tourist type, there’s an adventure for you out there. If you plan to attend the 2020 Quail Motorcycle Gathering this upcoming month of May, then you might want to check out what Native Moto Adventures has to offer. California-based motorcycle touring company Native Moto Adventures offer riders from all over a chance to discover California in a guided tour context—for those who prefer a follow a leader. The company has now announced that it will sponsor the 2020 Quail Motorcycle Gathering and that a special tour will be organized for the occasion. In May 2020, riders interested in making a special trip out of their visit to the Quail, are invited to join in Native Moto Adventures on a four-day trip from San Francisco to Carmel-By-The-Sea, California where the event will take place. On that special “5-Day Quail Motorcycle Gathering + Highway 1 Experience”, travelers will get to enjoy a ride along Coastal Highway 1 to and Carmel-By-The-Sea, as well as a visit to the Pinnacles National Park on the way back to San Francisco. The trip includes accommodations, meals, and your ticket to access the Quail Motorcycle Gathering. Tolls and fuel are left to the guests’ discretion. If your personal bike can’t make the trip, Native Moto Adventures can arrange a bike for you at an additional cost. This year’s gathering will celebrate the Harley-Davidson XR750, MV Agusta 750S, and BMW /5 50th Anniversary and showcase a slew of motorcycles of all genres and eras. The Native Moto Adventures’ trip will take place from May 14 to 18, 2020. Source: Native Moto Adventures Let's block ads! (Why?)