First kilometers enjoying coast of Garraf betwen Sitges and Barcelona
This would be a great photo...if there was not a trash or recycling bin in the photo. Still, a lovely view out over the water...and your lovely Norden 901, of course!First kilometers enjoying coast of Garraf betwen Sitges and Barcelona
Thank's for adviceThank you for sharing your experiences, @RoadToNorden! You've taken the route to adventure riding that I took...buy an expensive ADV bike and head off the pavement with no training and no prior experience. While this method has been adopted by many, it is an expensive way to go. I totaled two flagship ADV bikes (KTM 1290 Super Adventure and BMW R1200GS Adventure) before I wised up and purchased a small dual-sport bike to learn on. In my case, a Yamaha WR250R. I learned a lot more, with less expensive consequences, on the smaller bike. I suggest you get a small dual-sport bike to learn off-road skills on, and to take on the more off-road focused journeys. Save the Norden for the more pavement focused journeys, but where you can still enjoy some light off-pavement rides. Also, if you find an enduro training course and take it, you will learn proper skills from experienced riders instead of learning a bunch of bad habits that you will have to train yourself out of later....
I ride with a friend, owner a Téneré 700cc and he told me my driving looked good for a benigner. And give me these same tips.Road skills don't transfer to gravel roads very well.
Take an adventure course. Learn to steer with your feet when standing, hands always light on the bars, knees tight when appropriate, eyes up, elbows out.
Some simple exercises to practice and build confidence.
Fantastic photos, RoadToNorden! What is the purpose of the brick tower in the canyon, do you know?First weekend exploring
With winter over, I prepare my first motorcycle trip. Do not expect great adventures, it is only a weekend.
But it is a weekend riding through "Los Monegros" one of the Spanish deserts and very popular among the offroad community.
But before I leave, I need to organize my luggage. Since I've never ridden a motorcycle and I'm pretty new to offroading, I wanted to go light.
I looked for rear rack options and found one on Aliexpress (in Spain we use this platform a lot) for €56 (USD60) with shipping included.
It is very similar to PerunMoto. With a good thickness and multiple holes to anchor whatever you can think of.
After this I found a 40 liter waterproof bag to carry:
- Clothing
- Air compressor
- First aid kit
- Puncture repair kit
- Sun hat
- Flip flops
- Off-road goggles
- Wet wipes
- Water and some endurance food
And that's it. Even if it is a desert, it is easy for a tow truck or ambulance to arrive. I hope I don't use them.
750km (466mi) from Barcelona to near Zaragoza and return.
That canyon is known as Foz de Zafrané, it is 2 kilometers long.Fantastic photos, RoadToNorden! What is the purpose of the brick tower in the canyon, do you know?
Your list is good for a day ride. Is cellular phone coverage available everywhere in Los Monegros desert region? If you find yourself often out of cellular phone communications range, you may wish to consider an emergency satellite communicator, like Garmin InReach (there are others). It is invaluable if you or someone you come across is injured - but it can also be used for non-emergency communication. You can text a friend and give your location if you have a mechanical breakdown and can't ride out on your own.
Alibaba and NiceCNC...these "amazingly lower price" products are copies of the hard work (conceptualization, prototyping, testing and production) of other companies. The designs are stolen and copied without any compensation to the designer. Sometimes, the use of improper materials may be a concern (especially things like handlebar mounts, levers and footpegs). Not all aluminum is the same. More importantly to me, these pirate manufacturers take away sales from the legitimate companies. At some point, what is the point for that company to keep designing new product for us riders? Everyone can do what they want, but I will support the company that came up with the design instead of the copycats.