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Touring on Small or Tiny Bikes

klaviator

Scooter Trash
Joined
Feb 8, 2022
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For many riders a touring bike is something like a Gold Wing, Electra Glide, FJ1300 or something similar. If you want to ride some dirt then maybe a 1250 GSA or KTM 1290.

Not everyone thinks that way. People go touring on some pretty small bikes.

How small? How about riding from NYC to the Pacific Ocean via the TAT on Honda Groms?

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This is just one example. Lets get the discussion going. How many of you have gone touring on a bike that most would consider too small? If you haven't done it are you considering it?
 
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The Pic I posted was the Kiwi Groms. I met those two on their trip. They spent a couple of nights at my house and swapped out a shock in my garage.

Yeah, I recognized that photo. That is awesome you got to meet them and hang out for an extended amount of time. They seemed to have a lot of shock trouble.
 
This couple‘s trip report was my first intro to small bike touring. They really made me rethink what was needed to have a good time on a bike.



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This couple‘s trip report was my first intro to small bike touring. They really made me rethink what was needed to have a good time on a bike.



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I followed their ride report too. That was a cool trip!
 
I've done 350+ mile day trips on a tastefully upgraded Honda CM400C from northeast Massachusetts up to northern New Hampshire on routes 125 & 16, then east on 26 through Dixville Notch into Maine then west on 2 back to 16 &125 home. It's a full day of back road riding, took a full 12 hours on that bike. The stock seat was the only bad part.

I've got a fairly modified '93 CB250 and a '65 CB160 to finish but I'll be taking them up there too.
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DaBinChe rode a Super Cub from California to Maine and then turned around an competed in the Scooter Cannonball back to California. I think he finished second in the Cannonball.

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His ride report is on the other forum: https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/another-journey-of-solace.1508893/

If you are wondering about the tires, he mounted one on the way to Maine and the other two on the way back.
 
Not quite as small as most of yall but I did daytona to tail of the dragon regularly with a tent and sleeping bag and then detour up to Maryland before cruising back to Florida all on my Ninja 300. Then my DRZ I've done more than a few day rides up to the mountains to ride single track all week and camp, yes that is a camp chair ratchet strapped to the handle bars
 

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When I was 15 I got my first real bike, a 2 year old 1972 Ducati 250 Road. Made by Mototrans and sold in the US as a Ducati by the importer. I rode that thing all over the East Coast from New England to Florida until i was 18 and got my first Norton. No one told me I couldn't tour on such a small bike.

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My bike is at Barber now. *








* not really, but one just like it
 
Touring on a small bike is very different than touring on a tiny bike. There is no standardized definition of "tiny" or "small". I consider a 150 or below to be tiny. 250 and up is a small bike. The big difference is that tiny bikes aren't going to be highway capable while small bikes generally are. On a tiny bike you have to be really careful about planning your route to avoid highways and high speed roads as much as possible. While small bikes are often not real comfortable on the highway they can generally get on the highway for a short distance in needed without feeling you are putting your life on the line.

I had a 250 that made a pretty good touring bike. I took a number of trips on it, usually carrying my camping gear. My longest trip was a 5 day ride from Huntsville, Al to Cleveland, OH. on mostly back roads through AL, TN, GA, NC, VA, WV and OH.

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It was a 2009 Aprilia Sport City 250. While I took backroads to Ohio I didn't have the time to do that both ways so I just rode back on mostly interstate in a day and a half. It would run 70+ all day without feeling like it was working hard.
 
Fun thread!
I respect the tiny bike adventurists, but I'll stick to larger bikes. Still, fun to watch from the sidelines! :lurk
 
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