Thank you so much for this Podcast!. For the phrase, "50 mins, we are 50 mins in", that's not a problem at all. I said it before I will say it again, the longer the better. Miles better than any movie. Almost everyone here will agree to this. Those who doesn't, well are not passionate enough.hahaha
I realized that I was 50 minutes into my mid-day "break" about then as well. These conversations are always so intriguing and throw in such great reminders and learnings along the way. Only channel after Fortnine that I have notifications set at all.
Credit where it’s due. Respect for the guys who go on road trips and actually end up bringing back good content, because that really takes a lot of effort and patience. I could never manage it…
Alright I have to tell you guys something, Shumi has inspired me to make large distance tours possible. Last week, I did 2000kms in 2 days, on my Dominar UG. I cannot thank Shumi more, for the inspiration, for building the mindset, for giving the necessary information! Much respect!
Thanks for addressing the urge for content creation. I almost got caught up in that hype during my solo Guwahati-Ladakh trip, only to realize that it's not worth it. The joy of pure motorcycling shouldn't be muddied.
19:13 we were a few cars on our Mumbai-Leh trip, and somewhere near Kargil one of the cars stopped. Everyone jumped out of their vehicle with the fanciest Bosch and Black&Deckers thinking the endless hours they spent on TeamBHP forums on how to fix common problems would finally pay off. Turns out someone had to only throw up 😂. They were so sad that they didnt get to use their tools lmao
These podcasts are the absolute best. I wouldn't even notice if it was 2 hours honestly. The way you guys talk feels like having a conversation with some of your closest friends. And so rich in information for every rider/driver out there. Simply fantastic. Great going🔥🤘
So true about the content thing. Seeing the landscape and cherishing it in is far better than clicking it's photo or make a time lapse or anything. I once travelled with my cousin and he just kept clicking photos and he doesn't even remember almost half of those moments when we talk about it.
One more thing I will add to these pointers in terms of preparation for touring is, the level of fitness of the rider. It makes a huge difference to the whole experience. A fitter and healthier rider can go longer distances without much of an effort that others have to put. Holds good for life in general as well. 😀
I love to listen/watch all ThisConnect podcasts. It always feels that 2 people who are best of friends are sitting and having a casual chat. At the same time giving all of us some crucial information to think upon Automobiles and how to handle our lives around them. Thanks @Motorinc @Shumi and @Kartikeya for these "chats". Love the podcast to the core.
36:02 That's absolutely spot on! Me and my friends were on a ride from our city to Ajanta to see the caves and I was riding a Splendor while my other two friends were riding a Hunk. I was riding chill on the highway at about 70 or 80 kmph and my friend was doing 90 or 95 at times. After about a couple of hours of riding, we reached our destination at the same time and I was in absolute joy wanting to see every cave and some other spots there while my friends were just exhausted and were like "Dude just get it over with". Being at a constant, comfortable speed helped me reach my destination on time, in comfort while enjoying the scenery around and also allowed me to enjoy the beauty of my destination while my friend who was riding fast and hard was too exhausted to enjoy the point of the ride.
Kartikeya will have a difficult time touring in the North East as most joints offer non-veg food. The company you keep makes your tour memorable or a nightmare. Other factors are secondary to me.. I just saw Kartikeya on PD's XUV drag race yesterday and it was good seeing him there. I can do with a bit of Kartikeya on PD, ZW, Motorbeam also. 😂Absolutely charismatic fella! ❤
Those videos were shot a lot time ago and are being released now. That's why you can see him and Shumi in those videos. They have already left those channels to do Motorinc.
When I used to hear of podcasts all these years, I used to wonder: how do people sit through a 1 hour podcast. After starting to see the podcasts here, I've started to realize how interesting podcasts are. It's just nice to see 2 people having a chat on real life things that the audience is able to relate to and connect with their lives. The comedy that you add including pulling each other's legs. I've really started to enjoy these and wait for the next episode. Thank you guys for bringing real conversations to the screen. Very interesting and I'm recommending to others also. Keep up the good job and keep them rolling...
This video is so so relatable for us riders who just love touring.. Choosing with whom to ride is absolutely the core unless you're going solo.. I ride with my childhood friend of school days and that's different level fun.. And Yes, we did cancel our ride last year to Muktinath coz he got injured before Pokhra.. We came back. We vowed to go back. And this year We went back where we left of.. and we cried together standing at the gates of Muktinath temple.. 29:24
What a great story! Thank you Akki! ❤️ We wish more long, safe, fun rides with your friends! Please do say hello from all of us at MotorInc when you meet them next!
So, I had heard of the ranger roll/ Army roll from my buddies during trekking trips and always forgot about it; till the time I was again on a trek by then it was too late. Now as I sit today my bag is packed old fashioned way for a multi week motorcycle trip. After hearing it again from you guys, unpacked all my bags and checked out ranger roll. Repackaged all my clothes using ranger roll method: 1: can’t comment on space saving as it’s my first time 2: Can definitely say that things are very much organised in a better sense. 3: Most importantly I don’t disturb other clothes packing when I want to pull out. a tee. Good discovery 😀 Thank you.
Hey Guys, Though I have a very very small experience of 1-1.5years of motorcycling , compared to these OG's onscreen, I felt so connected about each and every words they were saying felt so relatable and real. Thanks for the great podcast session .So good to see you both together. Keep them coming. ThisConnect ❤
I have been touring on my motorcycle for 16 years now, and I consider myself an explorer of sorts, so I have often ridden to the end of the road, and then continued on foot, for example my treks in the Gangotri region, or in the areas around Chopta. I also been lucky to have found trustworthy local people who offered to let me park my motorcycle at their houses. There have of course been those pure riding holidays where it is waking up at the crack of dawn and leaving before sunrise, day after day. But On these trips I often feel that i am missing out on something; something that i could see or experience if i could only step off the saddle and walk a bit. In February, i did a 3.5 k km loop around Rajasthan and eastern MP. On the first day I left delhi at 330 am, and found myself at the day's destination, Bikaner at 12:30 pm. well, once I settled down at the homestay, i hired an auto and went around looking at the forts and havelis. Touring on a motorcycle is wonderful, and every time i ride out, i only feel gratitude that I am able to live my dream.
This is the only channel where I can see genuine and engaging content that I forget the video timeline. What surprises everyone around and even me sometimes is, its not even a movie or documentary of sorts, its just two guys talking. Both of you guys are just magical.
Very nice video gents. My top tips when asked on my touring are: 1) Find your own rhythm. When you do what works for you, you'll be happier. 2) Evolve slowly. The more you travel, the more you'll improve. When in doubt, slow down. 3) Stay fit. Get fitter leading up to long bike tours. Work on those body parts which will be overworked. For middle and older aged riders like me, update your medical reports a week prior to departure. High BP, sugar & diabetes on the road is a one-way ticket. I take an extra pair of reading specs. 4) SLEEP, even during the day if needed. 30 mins power napping is a life time of regret avoided. I've carried the same plastic mat on my bikes for 20 years. I find a quiet side road with shade/covering & sleep alongside the bike. 5) Travel light & then lighter. Reuse, reuse, reuse clothes. We always need less than we carry. You can buy things on the way. I factor in washing/laundry days. For packing, I use Osprey's compression packing cubes. They're waterproof. 6) EXTRA HI-VIS jacket over the riding jacket in lowlight (Dusk/night/dawn) is essential. Mine are from Decathalon (Yellow & pink). 7) Let your family know where you are & how it's going. I use an Apple AirTag on my bike, MyTageze stickers on the helmet + an SMS at the start & end of a day's ride. (ETA, dest, ETD). 8) Sadly India remains the most dangerous country to ride/drive in. My experience has been Indians are IDIOTS on the road. I prefer to stay aways from idiots while exploring my beautiful country. This guiding philosophy keeps me safe. 9) Finally, if you really, really, really want to enjoy the journey in India, stay away from the National Highways. Take the side roads, stay in the 70-90 kmph band, ditch the addiction to GPS. It is OK to ask for directions because it often leads to local knowledge, good conversations and excellent memories. I refer to GMaps within cities and for overall orientation but keep the phone inside everywhere else. * 30 years of touring and wandering (300k+ on the roads, 4 continents except the Americas). * 15 more years of touring and wandering, atleast 700k to go.
I just noticed that there is a miniature bike and car on table, Bike is placed in front of Shumi as he discuss more from a motorcycle rider's perspective and Singhee discuss from car driver's perspective. Loved the small touch 😊I don't have to listen to the whole podcast to like and share the video as I already know that I am going to hear the most interesting stories and learn something new. It's a blessing that you guys started MotorInc, God Speed to you and team ❤
And a throwback VR46 2000 Honda too. Nice choice. Love the small MotoGP driver helmet models in the back though. A Instagram/UA-cam short of walking through those helmets would be interesting.
Excellent conversation, kudos for picking it up 👍 I was pleasantly surprised at how many points we think on similar line. I have learnt a lot of it the hard way and I wish we had this video sooner 😊 - Ditto on forgetting the touristy part because I was enjoying the motorcycle. That's the whole point though. - Agree on selfies, if the trip is for me and the motorcycle, I don't need to remind myself that I was there. I will remember it and more importantly still feel it decades down the line. - Ditto on toolkits and spares and tubeless tyres are the most helpful invention for touring in my view. - My first long trip taught me to always carry rainwear on a motorcycle and tyre conditions. I have taken some pics from the phone camera at some amazing locations with a DSLR resting peacefully in the tank bag. Later when I looked at the pics, they just didn't do justice to what I saw and felt, so it doesn't happen that often post that. One of my friends had a golden saying, in touring whether solo or pillion, no company is better than bad company. So most of my trips have been solo and some with pillion but all of them have been duly enjoyable and memorable.
Recently done my first long tour, Bhopal to Goa and back. The bike was checked and maintained before the trip and didn't even face an issue with it. I recently bought bought a tailbag, and man it was the best decision i made. It was so easy to load and unload my luggage where my fellow riders were struggling with bungee cords loading luggage. Did take a toolbox with me but the only person who didn't need it was me where as my fellow riders had to use it as their aftermarket mirror were getting loose. All in all it was a Fun experience and would love to go on more long trips.
This is the most awaited discussion, thank you MotorInc to bring this. It's a great time spent hearing them explaining the topic inch by inch. Shumi is my inspiration. His way of simplifying anything and everything about motorcycles really makes me wow....❤
You both are an inspiration. I think this is the only channel whose content I use to wait for and though it's a 50 mins podcast but it feels like just 10 mins duration. It so pleasing to watch that time just flies. Keep doing what you are doing. You guys are the best in it. Lots of love and support to you guys.
Fun fact, This touring podcast played after the Season 1 Ep20, I am actually having a tour on my Ntorq from Gujarat Vapi to Pune Chakan. luggage loaded in boot, charger connected to phone in jacket pocket, so far this is one of the best podcast for me to listen to while me being on a tour. Excellent content.👌
THANK YOU !!!! I was just thinking of my first bike tour may be a solo ride (after having my bike for 5 years 😅) This just gave a full details on what to do and what not to do. AND you guys are like yin and yang it will be always…. Always great to listen to… don’t even bother to tell its 50 minutes because it doesn’t matter you can talk 2 hours straight. I will sit joyfully listening to the conversation, making myself personal notes on things to take …. Thanks 🙏🏼
Such a beautiful conversation and more importantly so many learnings. I usually prep the bike, pack mindfully and then set my frame of mind for a long day of riding (depending on the distance that needs to be covered). Also, I start slow as the body takes time to adjust to the riding activity. When I started touring, I always use to ride more and more which use to basically mess up my body clock for food and very less hydration. This has led to days filled with exhaustion in the past. Learnt from it and now I keep my breakfast and lunch time as I keep at home. Also, completely agree with sweet spot of the machine. It has helped quite a lot on the longer days.
Take care of your machine and the machine will take care of you. Never had a single breakdown with my bikes. Went to Ludhiana on an RC390 with just the default toolkit. Was worried more about fuel on Taj expressway than the bike breaking down. Watching such videos adds to the overall knowledge about touring. Army roll was new to me too. Should get a few guys more to share their experiences too.
Shumi met you at ibw 2022 and you gave me an idea of this channel. You are doing absolutely amazing podcast loved it , was listening today while on the way to office
Great content , I and my friends have been following 90% of what was informed in the podcast so much agree to what you guys were discussing Kudos to the great work , great inputs for learners like us 😃
I would take few medicines with me like in ladakh for altitude sickness, headache and in car if someone feels car sick like vomiting etc medicine for that too . I also carry cash in hand not always using UPI . That's from my side take care shumi, kartikeya and the team ❤🙏
Good point Raja! We don’t think it occurred to them because _Shumi for example always has a fully stocked medical kit that includes meds with him. Always, everyday._
longer format podcast crew winning again.. Shumi is kinda like my dad.. extremely cautious and well planned... I felt my connection with Karthik bhai.. the laidback attitude and i am also kinda old school when it comes to soaking in the scenery and maybe later taking a photo/video because riding/driving especially when i want to relax and have a good time is just to get all the experiences first hand rather watching it later thru a piece of screen.. the best part is being with buddies/family during the trip and later reminiscing about it over chai or something later when life again gets boring.. thats the calling guys.. and off you hit the road again
Took a impromptu trip with friend on Bajaj Avenger 180. Left for home , stopped in the middle of the road near midnight, coin tossed and left for Diu Island . No clothes no tool kit no plan . Best weekend ever!
Completely agree with the rain part. If you get rain, ride through and you will get dry once the rain stops. I do a lot of Mumbai-Pune trips and really used to fret over rain in the monsoons. Wear a raincoat above my jacket and then get completely sweaty once the rain stopped so stop again to remove the raincoat. This was getting so cumbersome that one day I just said f**k it and didn't stop at all for the rain and that was a revelation. The dri-fit t-shirt did a load of help, as after the rain, I was completely dry and no time lost to stop and add/remove rain layers.
After getting my driver's licence, my first trip was on a fiat Padmini diesel, on 2002, and it was around 550 -600 kms .. No other trip game me that joy or excitement till now.
I am a relatively new Tourer, done in total 3 big(ish) tours where, mile munching was done through train and bike being in the luggage compartment - works wonders if you aren't afraid that your bike will get cosmetic damage- i never care about that stuff its a machine and I can fix it later. I use to tour with my partner (not my partner anymore so I think I'll get to experience solo riding more). I carry a small set of tools, enough for me to fix the cosmetic damage courtesy of Indian Railways. Out of us 2, I am the expert packer and I have never over/under packed. Prep really is the key but if something goes wrong, it goes wrong and you've got to deal with it (has happened to me where we both lost pur phones and were stuck in a river crossing.... Hell of an experience 🤣)! For me I'd love to be a nomad on rides, and would like to also experience Car touring too.... BTW I toured on Hero Ignitor 125cc 2 up from Chandigarh to Manali and back also did Pathankot-dhalhousie-dharamshala- Delhi.....
Regarding the rain gear, you're spot on. A simple thin decathlon rain jacket and pants are best suited for our rain. It's easy to carry, easy to dry, and easy to wear and remove. Yes none of the rain coats are water proof they are just resistant.
Hey! one suggestion that would make a big difference is when you are talking about something and you have photos/videos to show for it, SHOW THEM! it makes such a difference like when shumi referred to that photo of riding with a pillion show that photo. JRE podcast is a great example for this whenever he can show a visual representation of something he does!
Saw this vide a bit too late, but better late than never - When I get sleepy or tired on a road trip, I wash my face with soda, I always carry a bottle or two with me, have been doing this for donkeys years, works like a charm for me.
Good topics guys, Let me give my list whenever I am going out with my family by our car, 1) decide all the stops in advance. Food stops and even patrol stops. 2) leave early, try to reach before it gets dark 3) we carry a lot of food as there is a small kid. Fruits, electrols , nothing to oily. For driver a lot of candies. Sweet helps. 4) playlist. No matter who sleeps or doesn’t. Songs should keep playing. 5) person next to driver are not allowed to sleep.
Nice discussion. In a car when i feel sleepy i pull off the road and take a power nap ... I sleep for a time of 15 to 30 mins. I don't sent any alarm I just wake up when I am satisfied ... This power nap is great. But never felt sleepy on a bike
This is what I have been looking for. An honest, hour long discussion on touring. Have been traveling on weekends from last two years and have learned a lot. Thanks a lot guys
So I recently started motorcycle touring. I have been trying to figure out 'what type of destination' I like to travel to. Everytime I ask myself that question, the answer was, 'my motorcycle seat, was my answer. I thought it was weird. But then I saw this video and learned that it is not strange at all!!!! THANK YOU!
I am a travel content creator! and still I completely agree with what Shumi is saying about filming. The simplest hack to do it is plan properly, add an extra day. I have a job I have navigate through the holidays and all that stuff but, plan properly, if you want to create content out of your tour and you are passionate about it. That's awesome!!! just don't rush!!!! plan your trip so that you can take time for filming it and give enough time to see it enjoy the place. simple. I completely agree with Kartikeya it's a distraction. and it is. More power to you boss. I don't this channel is the stress-buster. 25:17
Just love this channel! Please keep it going and dont worry about the length of the video. You are gathering a passionate bunch who appreciate the devil in the detail! Love from Jammu❤
Some years ago my 10 year old son and myself rode out to a nearby quaint hill station (Chakrata) on a borrowed FZ, only to find the last 2-3 kms to be snow bound. Had to (nicely) dump the bike to the road side and carry on, on the foot. The bike was there the next morning! Great content fellas!!!
This connected.. just returned a few days back from a long trip touring from Chennai to Gujarat on my Polo Tdi. Lesson learnt - that sweet spot. Took a while to understand why and how but now my driving has changed. It’s a lot less stressful.
I am surprised by how much my touring mode resembles that of Shumi. In terms planning, packing and even going through the days in which I'm gonna cover long distances. I have done Mandi (HP) to Durgapur (WB) ,some 1800+ kms in my Thar in 32 hours. And also Durgapur to Bangalore in 2.5 days on my Interceptor. Words of Shumi really make me proud of my techniques. I make it a point to cover 65-70 kms every hour and this mindset helps me to cover distances in surprisingly short durations.
@@motorinc I've been touring on since 2016, and my thought process is a culmination of all my experiences both bitter and sweet. Youngsters who are starting now are so lucky to have the guidance of such people.
The only time that I think tools (and some of the other things like waterproofing) and learning to use them for basics, is when you're going out on some serious off-road, completely off track areas(deep jungle trails, for example). The only reason being you need to get to a functional enough point, to be able to get back to the place you can get repairs. Just wanted to point this out. Lovely as usual MotorINC 😄 EDIT: Loved how this video built on top of some of the things that Shumi had said in an earlier live video about touring. Also personally, please feel free to stretch the timeline for the videos. You're going in the right direction 😋
Just a thought "Sleepy while riding" When it comes to food, If you are choosing too much simple carbs, eventually sugar spikes and that makes you sleepy. Specially if you aren't getting good quality sleep before departure.
I sometimes start feeling sleepy/drowsy while riding, I usually take a small break, drink some water or chai if it's available, and when I start riding again, I crank the visor open a little so the wind comes inside the helmet. And that usually helps out with the drowsiness...
12.30 point out specific visibility during low to high beam and again back to low clearly shows the road clearly than staying high beams. Thats damn true. I also wondered during my nigh drive. Karthikeya singhee and shumar hatsoff❤
Wonderful conversation, i too travel with the similar mindset and i could relate that technique of rolling tees, riding through rain and getting dry after few mins, i too dont carry much of tools as the modren bikes dont breakdown and if it does its mostly nothing much we can so but i just have a edc spanner, knife and screwdrivers to be safe just in case, regarding the rides i ride long-distance (not as much as u guys do) but i plan the time make sure i am back on highway before the dark atleast to avoid any unforeseen situations, i too m not fond of pics much hence only few are taken for records of being there 😆, food i go by gut feeling as i am also a veggie, and lastly but not the least i make sure that I study the road before opening the throttle once we know what kind of roads we are in speed can be fixed mentally and carried through accordingly. The road says a lot, the time of day says a lot and the weather says a lot about how we ride. Most of the cases when we are touring it better to talk less with strangers and disclose details as not everyone is our friend on road. Was wonderful to watch felt connected! 👍 thanks
Wow.. I love this. Bike ride luggage should be a minimum. I have overpacked and it becomes difficult on the way. I have a couple of queries which I would love to have your thoughts on. 1. I have always noticed that my bikes, run smooth in winter than in summer for both City ride or highway trip, smoothest in winter nights or in rain: basically in lower atmospheric temperature. Why does this happen? Shouldn't the bike operate smoothly in a particular temperature range? 2. What's the correct way to manage long trips. Distance between stops vs fatigue. How long/far to push before saying "no more". 3. How to manage pillion plus luggage? 4. What extra things to take into account when riding with pillion and the extra luggage. Manage the extra weight.. especially with ladies.
I did touring both planned and unplanned... My experience is unplanned has some surprise in the corner and i will prefer that. I agree with you that it's not destination. It's just A to B but what route you will take reach your destination is important for me. Pace keep it consistent and your hands - legs does wonders. If I feel exhausted hydrate, have water or a coffee... Coconut water is the best if you can find on the way. Pack lite..
Last year having been on spiti bike trip,which being my first ever bike trip,i recollect having watching dozens of videos,planning for months,shopping for all kind of travel stuff,oh my god what a trip ,even though the trip for 10days i wud say the trip was theocratic two months long as it lingered on our minds☺️
my favourite thing to look forward to during a long ride would be the music !! Music playlist would help me reduce my stress and set the mood for the drive. AND I start collecting the playlist from a week before the drive date. i got playlists for 2019, 2020, 2022. ahhh, I love that period of time where I just spend hours of my free time prepping my music playlists.. love those times. edit: some mistakes.
47:46 this yaw movement turned out to be so bad on my Himalayan with a 45L BSDDP topbox on the Ooty and Kudremukha ghats, I sold it after just 2 tours with it. I had begun to question the bike itself until a tailbag solved it! 16:48 this laughter might join the iconic laughs of all time...i joined in too! The timing of it combined with my confusion over kartikeyas question - and shumis answer made it awesome. a tyre puncture kit and inflator would be the only thing i think is extremely important while on tube tyre bikes, particularly heavy ADVs.
38:53 The best waterproofing is to wear a 2 piece raincoat on top of the riding gear. Getting wet is fine but the discomfort should not cause your attention to waver and your concentration to drop. Its easier to just wear a raincoat over the jacket if you expect bad weather. It takes 2 minutes to get it on even if you don't want to keep it on all the time. Saves a lot of discomfort later. Pro Tip: Save the pouch that the raincoat came in. It will help keep your stuff dry when stowing away the raincoat AND make the raincoat compact enough to pack anywhere.
I was waiting for Shumi sir to get to the packing part and talk about the compressible pouches. Your literally ran to get it in your video at powerdrift, "im a little bit of a god when it comes to packing" XD. the 1hr+ podcast was so knowledgeable and empowering in a way it allowed a novice like me to clock 650+ km to IBW22. This was a good refresher. About content creation, i've tried. ive given it my shot and what i found was that if it comes to you naturally you'll figure out a way. Few people do love living through a lense and a screen which isn't wrong ofc and they like documenting them me being one of them. The problem arises when it doesn't come to you naturally and you try to force it. I've been on both sides where i sort of record or try vlogging when im not really feelin it but there are times where it naturally occurs and ive had fun with it. What exactly goes into your snack basket Kartikeya sir? Curious to know how that thunderbird anecdote ends too! Although my i10 can barely store a wristwatch in its door pockets, will prioritze water bottles in the car .Watched this a little later than id have liked to but enjoyed it thoroughly!
I guess while at Powerdrift he did a live discussing about the long tours. I would suggest others to watch that in tandem with this one. That single 1 hour video taught me so much more about riding than my own decade's casual city riding. It's really so much about the mindset. Simple things to think, plan and take notice of, before&while driving which makes all the difference with how I ride/drive since then. That allowed me to do a 1000km ride by a bike and some previously unimaginable 2000km one-way car trips/journeys in a much safer, quicker and efficient way. You would easily come across those "sirf 1 dialogue me free advice" dene wale, but never once I got the previlage of picking the brains of a great driver. Yes, I do come across few of those rare gems, but unfortunately no one is able to articulate as well as him. It's quite a skill to be able to transfer the knowledge to others with such clarity.
That said, I beg to differ on one thing for mainly car rides, is to set aside a bag with all the necessary pertaining tools, documents, food, cash, fuel, small dustbin, garbage bags, scissors, duct tape, sticky notes(other day I parked my vehicle at a tight space and left a note with my number on it; though it was parked before someone's house and the owner instead of being furious applauded me for being thoughtful, probably because for the thousandth time people parking before his house, he had to waste his time, sometimes over half an hour just to get that damn vehicle out. Even though it's clearly my fault but instead he thanked me), pen and pencils, rechargable torches and lights, lighters, Matchboxes (I unfortunately smoke), batteries, powerbanks, mosquito repellents or incense sticks, umbrellas (under front seats, with unpredictable rains I keep it round the year and sometimes it helps with the Sun too esp. on vacations when one needs to walk miles on tourist places), spare glasses for vision (it has saved me thrice on long trips when I have either damaged the glasses or got them lost at beach, I have negative 4-5 number so, I'm basically blind without them), few medicines & properly planned first aid kit keeping in mind the people with whom I travel with the most. With that a small ziplocked airtight-water resistant bag with 2 oversized t-shirts (so, that it can cover almost all body shapes), pj, cap, towels. (Just today only, this got actually used by my sister and my nephew-nieces for the first time in a year since I've refreshed them, when my extended family randomly decided to go to the beach). I try to restack and self-diagnose/detail/maintain my vehicles once a month and this is over and above the vehicle servicing I get done every year even if the manufacturer sometimes leeways it for a longer duration and I mostly do that few weeks in advance before a large distance trips, so that I'm dead sure of the capabilities of my vehicles. The reason for doing that in advance is to provide buffer for some unforeseen service delays and being able to judge the vehicle for atleast a week's drive in the comfort of my schedule. Setting aside a day in a year for that machine is so worth it. Also we Indians have a tendency to make a fuss about service costs that they altogether skip it or prolong the intended duration. It's the stupidest thing to do. If you believe the showroom you are going to is looting you, switch to other dealers, even then also, if it's not working then find a good reliable mechanic, even if you have to travel 100kms to do that, do it, thats why you've kept aise a whole day for it. And being moneywise is fine, even I'm one, but look at the service costs, compared to your annual fuel bills, it's hardly 2 to 4 fulltanks at max, a year. And a well maintained one will also provide better efficiency, brakes, confidence and will increase its longevity. Modern machines are a pieces of art in terms of their reliability but just because it can handle the abuse doesn't mean it wouldn't get bruises.
I guess shumi already mentioned it quite a few times - For moneywise floks, I would suggest, get a stock vehicle first and then according to your needs add on the upgrades one by one as in when necessary. It's like tasting the food first, then add the salt only when required, because sometimes you never know, stock might be all you need, and it's perfect as it is.
Yes, it's true that I never myself got to use the items I hoard, but time and again you come across someone who is in dire need of it. Almost everything has been used atleast once, not much by me but by others, and that goes for everything I have parked in my Dickey. Here you can deduce that I'm that kind of a person, who does that, and I'm sure it's not ideal for everyone. I have random places to visit, sometimes with family, extended family/friends travel with me and at times it gets very late at night too. I am mostly their go-to driver, so the frequency of such occurance is quite high, hence the usecases. It also depends upon your life experiences too, which makes me use my car as a literally get-away shelter on wheels - major earthquakes, floods, fires, riots I have witnessed in my lifetime have compelled me prepare for everything. And it costs pennies compared to the cost of buying and owning the vehicle. For me it's just under 1-2% of the whole compiled costs and weighs just 20kilos, takes some 40L space but they increase the confidence and capabilities of the vehicles well over 1%. This type of hedging is definitely VFM in my eyes. This isn't the case with the majority. I believe being over-prepared than that of being under-prepared.
That said, thank you for both of you guys, and the awesome team behind it. Also I wouldn't mind 2 to 3 40sec sponsored reels between the podcast; and that's coming from a guy who pays for YT just to skip unrelated ads. Donut Media does it so well that even without any real interest on the actual product, I still don't skip the ad because it is well scripted and enacted and has a certain novelty to it. While Linus Tech Tips (LTT) for tech enthusiasts also does good sponsored segments of products/services mostly from his own industry sometimes of the products, they actually have a conflict of interest with reviewing the same product segment or even the same product they actually have to review. Like taking a sponsorship of Samsung monitors and also reviewing a Samsung monitor from the same range albeit not in the same video but one can find when looking for. But what's fascinating is that even though everyone knows that, almost nobody feels dejected or is getting robbed of from their credibility. I believe you guys also have earned decades of credibility and trust that we are willing to accept of the sponsored segment from the auto industry. And it would actually be a great marriage of sorts for everyone involved we as a viewer get showcased a product/service we wouldn't have come across in general, you guys can monetize it with our trust placed on you and a genuine brand could get good shoutout infront of their dedicated audience. Why this route, because I really want to see you guys to be as independent and sustainable in the future, so you never have to compromise on producing high quality content. Here I'm purely selfishness about you guys. Actually get one break at the 50th minute but go on till 1:50hr. Add in a hour more. Reference LTT ua-cam.com/video/bVT_yjB6lDg/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/ygmLEnwY4ec/v-deo.html
1.) Tailbags over all kinds of luggage any day. Viaterra Claw is good for a good 2 week ride. I carry some detergent. Irrespective of how late I arrive, I wash some clothes and dry them. This way, I almost never have to carry dirty laundry and I always have fresh clothes on me. 2.) Top boxes look hideous. Don't know about aerodynamics as I haven't tried riding with one; but, I trust you to know better than I do. I do have a tailbag that has the form factor of a roll. I mount it on the top rack and it sits nice and low and also looks sleek. Nothing like that giant dabba that a top box is. So, typically, I travel with a tail bag on the pillion seat and this roll like tailbag on the top rack. I have bottle holders on my crash bars that hold two bottles. That is typically all I need. 3.) Tankbags and all are perfectly unnecessary. Try to travel with bare minimum. Buy what you need on the road. 4.) Excellent points about topping up everything prior to a tour. I try to follow it mostly. But, have gotten considerably lazy these days. Japanese machines tend to make you complacent. Ride them without even basic care and they still keep on running. 5.) I want to mention 2 anecdotes here because they are relevant when we discuss preparations and on-road behaviour. a.) Around 5 pm one fine evening, we reached our intended destination that was 1100 kms from home. Then my friend and co-rider gets a call from home that a parent needs some medical attention. As far as I could make out, it wasn't urgent and his wife very kindly told him that she was taking care of it and we could return a few days later. Still, I understood my friend's anxiety. He insisted on riding back that very minute to cover the 1100 kms in reverse. It was a ridiculous proposition. It was all I could do to make him wait one more day to rest before we head back. I was disappointed of course. But, I was less unhappy about abandoning the tour; what got my goat was that this wasn't out of the blue. Said parent had been quite sick over the last week and my friend had known all about it. And yet, he thought it wise to set off on a tour and drag me along. Turns out he wanted to bust some stress. If he had bothered to inform me of the circumstances, we could have still managed to get him some relief by doing a simple day ride where we head out early morning and get back by late night. A nice and compact ride that could have worked well under the circumstances. But, no. Instead we had to head to another part of the country and hightail it back in 48 hours!! b.) During a ride, me and another friend were connected on intercom. By the way, if anyone's on the fence about getting intercoms, I say buy it already. Very helpful on non-solo rides. Anyways, back to the story; somewhere on NH 48, I couldn't get him to respond. But, I could see him just 50 yards ahead of me. So, I sped up and pulled up alongside to tell him that our connection had dropped. Imagine my shock when I found out the reason for the problem. Our man was having a full-on video call with the Missus at home!! His BT unit had cut our connection to prioritise the video call. So, we were surrounded by multiple axle vehicles, impatient Innova and Creta drivers, speeding ST buses, not to mention the prospect of unmarked speed breakers, pedestrians, and what not!! In the thick of all this, my dear friend thought it wise to video chat with the family to discuss domestic affairs. And it wasn't like it was anything urgent at all that he had to immediately address. When I waved him down and asked him about it, he told me very casually that he wanted to make sure that the Aquaguard maintenance guy had shown up as scheduled to clean his water filter!! To say that I was livid would be the understatement of the century. Just to be clear, this exact friend gives me lots of grief about not gearing up all the time. He always has every bit of protection on.... except for concentration and sole focus on the road on which we are at any given time. All in all, people make some very poor decisions on the road and in life. If we all open our touring files and swap stories we could be here all year. BTW, talking about preparations, this thread may be worth reading. www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/203309-beauty-1-day-rides-worthy-middleweight-breakfast-rides-long-journeys.html
In a car : pack what you want, I mostly tend to overpack. But over a period of time the touring in car has reduced. Now I rather fly and rent a car at destination to explore than drive there. Been doing that for the last few years. So now, when you have to fly, you pack reasonably sensibly. On the motorcycle : pack light. Wear and carry baselayers and pack what is essential. I use a 30L tailbag and I also have small OEM soft panniers, giving me a combined storage of ~45L (tailbag and soft panniers combined). This is more than enough for me. All luggage is waterproof (to a great extent, including the back/hydration pack). Haven’t ever used a tank bag. Been using layering for temp control and waterproofing, but my waterproof gear is finally on the way, I feel it will enhance the motorcycling experience. I use the riding jacket and pant only as an outer, abrasion resistant layer, underneath there is a supershirt and wearable/clip on armour for other parts. Works well. Prep : I like to plan, prepay hotels after research. I do need a good place to rest for the night or stay. Packing is a process, it always takes me a couple of iterations before am satisfied and ready to leave. Distances : in a car or on the bike, I’d do not more than 600-650 kms in a day. Like to start early and end the drive/ride early. Gives me time to enjoy the day rather than be focused on munching miles. Also hate night riding. Solo or group : mostly (almost always) in a group, but not exceeding 3-4 people including myself. Never with a pillion. I like to be on the intercom though, talking or listening. Content : rarely have a GoPro mounted on the handlebar, never on body and helmet. Phone for capturing something nice. Have a riding buddy who carries GoPro and a drone. Another one with Insta 360 and another one with GoPro and DSLR! So I have almost never have to use my GoPro or phone. When you reach the destination, airdrop the footage…
Last Sunday I did a 425 kms trip from Varanasi to Lucknow via Purvanchal Expressway in just 6 hours and 45 mins on my Jawa Classic. My whole motive was to ride on the expressway and for that reason only I took a longer route, but enjoyed it thoroughly. As Kartikeya said, it is therapeutic.
Now, I have made a list of all the necessary things to carry and where to carry and the order to arrange them for more volumetric efficiency of the carriers..😄 For the bike: I keep a chain cleaner and lube, a puncture repair kit, a portable tyre inflator, a clutch and accelerator cable. I had faced an instance where a newly installed accelerator cable had snapped away (quality must have been good..may be my kismat not as much) in the middle of a ride and i had to use a data cable (thankfully it was long enough) to connect the spring loaded throttle arm of the CV carb and the accelerator.. to get to a point where I could get it fixed. . A top box is an absolute no for me on long journeys...It puts wrong weight at the wrong place. It's intended only for day to day city duties. With a pillion i carry saddle bags, while going solo I carry half of my saddle bag (one bag) as a tail bag..there is the tank bag and one extremely light backpack and that's about it. I tend to pay special attention to how much load 'm putting on the bike as it might hinder handling in tricky situations.. so, the lighter the better and also that no luggage is jutting out unnecessarily (except while with pillion) as it might increase unnecessary drag.
All good ideas, one thing i always add to my trip packing is a set of basic medicines (pudin hara, eno, some pain killers, some avomin/norflox). I know you can get them almost anywhere but that one morning when you wake up feeling bad, one tablet helps a lot.
I did 600plus trips on car and bike too. Never felt sleepy in any of them. I usually plan to sleep early and wake up fresh on the ride day. For multi day ride, I planned shorter distances which would make feel fit to ride every day. 200 to 300 kms is the comfortable distance for each day. I never carried tools on bike, and only tools I have on a care are spare tyre and tyre inflator. Never had issues on my trips fortunately.
Would love to hear more in depth discussion on handling emergencies while touring including medical emergencies. What do you pack in your first aid kit? What elementary first aids should I know to be able to help someone on the road? And anything related.
Secure parking place is most important criteria for deciding stay at a hotel on the go. Agree with Schumi, first day cover max distance. Ride around good roads next few days, explore. Love the excitement and preparation part of touring. Nice discussion. A person who owns a bike but never tours would never understand what the whole fuss is about. 😊
The important thing to remember - Everyone will reach the initial meet-up spot an hour or two later when there’s a large riding group 🤪😂 But jokes apart, the timing of this vlog couldn’t have been better. I’m planning a Mumbai-Goa with a few buddies and it’s my first 500+ km ride and this video really put many things into perspective. 😊🤗
Feeling sleepy on long hot road trips is real …. particularly after a lunch … even a light one . I would recommend a 15 min break or nap if really drowsy. Then a chai sutta and go….
A 1k a day man myself and that's being from Southern KL(If you know, you know! 😀), agree on most of what you guys said with the exception of the not carrying tools part, I'm no mechanic but a decade of riding and clocking about 350~400k kms on the road I can now rebuild a motor! When I was young I used to believe that new parts wouldn't give up anytime soon, well, shit happens, have had a cable snap on a brand new motorcycle on its first interstate run forcing me to ride cluchless for about 300kms before I spotted an ASC by the highway(still have a snap of the bill for nostalgia). Also RSA might work on leisure rides but on multiday or long distance rides it is a PITA, that said one thing you realise after working on your own motorcycle is how easy it is to screw up a motorcycle, all it takes is one mindless turn of a bolt to wreak havoc. So best to know your ride well enough to atleast know that the guy working on your motorcycle isn't causing more harm than good. Any who to each his own, ride safe and keep bringing more realistic content, cause let's face it we're all tired of sellouts and their "Political Correctness" when it comes to rides and riding. Cheers!
Thank you so much for this Podcast!. For the phrase, "50 mins, we are 50 mins in", that's not a problem at all. I said it before I will say it again, the longer the better. Miles better than any movie. Almost everyone here will agree to this. Those who doesn't, well are not passionate enough.hahaha
Absolutely spot on👍🏻
Haha! Thanks Farhaz!
I realized that I was 50 minutes into my mid-day "break" about then as well. These conversations are always so intriguing and throw in such great reminders and learnings along the way.
Only channel after Fortnine that I have notifications set at all.
I wholeheartedly second that 👍
Credit where it’s due. Respect for the guys who go on road trips and actually end up bringing back good content, because that really takes a lot of effort and patience. I could never manage it…
900% 🤜🏽🤛🏽
@@motorinc
'k lo😮😮
Alright I have to tell you guys something, Shumi has inspired me to make large distance tours possible.
Last week, I did 2000kms in 2 days, on my Dominar UG.
I cannot thank Shumi more, for the inspiration, for building the mindset, for giving the necessary information!
Much respect!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for addressing the urge for content creation. I almost got caught up in that hype during my solo Guwahati-Ladakh trip, only to realize that it's not worth it. The joy of pure motorcycling shouldn't be muddied.
Thanks!
Wow man guwahati to Ladakh that's really a big commitment 🙂 soon I will also do that once I start earning 😅
@@zerotwowaifu2232 All the best!
19:13 we were a few cars on our Mumbai-Leh trip, and somewhere near Kargil one of the cars stopped. Everyone jumped out of their vehicle with the fanciest Bosch and Black&Deckers thinking the endless hours they spent on TeamBHP forums on how to fix common problems would finally pay off. Turns out someone had to only throw up 😂. They were so sad that they didnt get to use their tools lmao
😂😂😂😂💯
🤣
These podcasts are the absolute best. I wouldn't even notice if it was 2 hours honestly. The way you guys talk feels like having a conversation with some of your closest friends. And so rich in information for every rider/driver out there. Simply fantastic. Great going🔥🤘
Wow, thank you!appreciate it!
So true about the content thing. Seeing the landscape and cherishing it in is far better than clicking it's photo or make a time lapse or anything. I once travelled with my cousin and he just kept clicking photos and he doesn't even remember almost half of those moments when we talk about it.
Nailed it MV!
One more thing I will add to these pointers in terms of preparation for touring is, the level of fitness of the rider. It makes a huge difference to the whole experience. A fitter and healthier rider can go longer distances without much of an effort that others have to put. Holds good for life in general as well. 😀
Thank you! That’s life advice too! Hehe
I love to listen/watch all ThisConnect podcasts. It always feels that 2 people who are best of friends are sitting and having a casual chat. At the same time giving all of us some crucial information to think upon Automobiles and how to handle our lives around them. Thanks @Motorinc @Shumi and @Kartikeya for these "chats". Love the podcast to the core.
Thanks so much for being here with us! ❤️
36:02 That's absolutely spot on! Me and my friends were on a ride from our city to Ajanta to see the caves and I was riding a Splendor while my other two friends were riding a Hunk. I was riding chill on the highway at about 70 or 80 kmph and my friend was doing 90 or 95 at times. After about a couple of hours of riding, we reached our destination at the same time and I was in absolute joy wanting to see every cave and some other spots there while my friends were just exhausted and were like "Dude just get it over with". Being at a constant, comfortable speed helped me reach my destination on time, in comfort while enjoying the scenery around and also allowed me to enjoy the beauty of my destination while my friend who was riding fast and hard was too exhausted to enjoy the point of the ride.
Gods of this genre. You guys are who define and delineate the difference between riders and motorcyclists.
Thank you!
Kartikeya will have a difficult time touring in the North East as most joints offer non-veg food. The company you keep makes your tour memorable or a nightmare. Other factors are secondary to me.. I just saw Kartikeya on PD's XUV drag race yesterday and it was good seeing him there. I can do with a bit of Kartikeya on PD, ZW, Motorbeam also. 😂Absolutely charismatic fella! ❤
Those videos were shot a lot time ago and are being released now. That's why you can see him and Shumi in those videos. They have already left those channels to do Motorinc.
Thanks for looking out for K! He packs differently for those regions! And, BF - absolutely spot on!
Ew Motorbeam, I'd rather watch a wall of paint drying up.
@@SidOfRivia Motorbeam for this very reason 'cause the man's charismatic.. 😂
@@prashantsharma9779yeah lol they could use some of that
When I used to hear of podcasts all these years, I used to wonder: how do people sit through a 1 hour podcast. After starting to see the podcasts here, I've started to realize how interesting podcasts are. It's just nice to see 2 people having a chat on real life things that the audience is able to relate to and connect with their lives. The comedy that you add including pulling each other's legs. I've really started to enjoy these and wait for the next episode. Thank you guys for bringing real conversations to the screen. Very interesting and I'm recommending to others also. Keep up the good job and keep them rolling...
Thanks Joseph! Glad you're enjoying ThiConnect!
Another video so rammed with useful insights, and true observations, you just know it’s worth a re-watch. You guys are smashing it! Many thanks.
This video is so so relatable for us riders who just love touring..
Choosing with whom to ride is absolutely the core unless you're going solo..
I ride with my childhood friend of school days and that's different level fun..
And Yes, we did cancel our ride last year to Muktinath coz he got injured before Pokhra..
We came back. We vowed to go back.
And this year We went back where we left of.. and we cried together standing at the gates of Muktinath temple.. 29:24
What a great story! Thank you Akki! ❤️
We wish more long, safe, fun rides with your friends! Please do say hello from all of us at MotorInc when you meet them next!
So, I had heard of the ranger roll/ Army roll from my buddies during trekking trips and always forgot about it; till the time I was again on a trek by then it was too late. Now as I sit today my bag is packed old fashioned way for a multi week motorcycle trip. After hearing it again from you guys, unpacked all my bags and checked out ranger roll. Repackaged all my clothes using ranger roll method:
1: can’t comment on space saving as it’s my first time
2: Can definitely say that things are very much organised in a better sense.
3: Most importantly I don’t disturb other clothes packing when I want to pull out. a tee.
Good discovery 😀 Thank you.
Hey Guys,
Though I have a very very small experience of 1-1.5years of motorcycling , compared to these OG's onscreen, I felt so connected about each and every words they were saying felt so relatable and real. Thanks for the great podcast session .So good to see you both together. Keep them coming. ThisConnect ❤
Thanks Indrajit! Glad you're liking the MotorInc vibe!
I have been touring on my motorcycle for 16 years now, and I consider myself an explorer of sorts, so I have often ridden to the end of the road, and then continued on foot, for example my treks in the Gangotri region, or in the areas around Chopta. I also been lucky to have found trustworthy local people who offered to let me park my motorcycle at their houses. There have of course been those pure riding holidays where it is waking up at the crack of dawn and leaving before sunrise, day after day. But On these trips I often feel that i am missing out on something; something that i could see or experience if i could only step off the saddle and walk a bit. In February, i did a 3.5 k km loop around Rajasthan and eastern MP. On the first day I left delhi at 330 am, and found myself at the day's destination, Bikaner at 12:30 pm. well, once I settled down at the homestay, i hired an auto and went around looking at the forts and havelis. Touring on a motorcycle is wonderful, and every time i ride out, i only feel gratitude that I am able to live my dream.
Hullo! Can’t thank you enough for sharing your rides with us! We absolutely ❤️ it. Grateful! Wish you many more such memories.
What a time to come up with such a video, planning for a north east trip and we have this video as a motivator, guide, etc . Feeling lucky.. Kudos...
Have a fun trip!
This is the only channel where I can see genuine and engaging content that I forget the video timeline. What surprises everyone around and even me sometimes is, its not even a movie or documentary of sorts, its just two guys talking. Both of you guys are just magical.
Thank you! ❤️
Very nice video gents. My top tips when asked on my touring are:
1) Find your own rhythm. When you do what works for you, you'll be happier.
2) Evolve slowly. The more you travel, the more you'll improve. When in doubt, slow down.
3) Stay fit. Get fitter leading up to long bike tours. Work on those body parts which will be overworked. For middle and older aged riders like me, update your medical reports a week prior to departure. High BP, sugar & diabetes on the road is a one-way ticket. I take an extra pair of reading specs.
4) SLEEP, even during the day if needed. 30 mins power napping is a life time of regret avoided. I've carried the same plastic mat on my bikes for 20 years. I find a quiet side road with shade/covering & sleep alongside the bike.
5) Travel light & then lighter. Reuse, reuse, reuse clothes. We always need less than we carry. You can buy things on the way. I factor in washing/laundry days. For packing, I use Osprey's compression packing cubes. They're waterproof.
6) EXTRA HI-VIS jacket over the riding jacket in lowlight (Dusk/night/dawn) is essential. Mine are from Decathalon (Yellow & pink).
7) Let your family know where you are & how it's going. I use an Apple AirTag on my bike, MyTageze stickers on the helmet + an SMS at the start & end of a day's ride. (ETA, dest, ETD).
8) Sadly India remains the most dangerous country to ride/drive in. My experience has been Indians are IDIOTS on the road. I prefer to stay aways from idiots while exploring my beautiful country. This guiding philosophy keeps me safe.
9) Finally, if you really, really, really want to enjoy the journey in India, stay away from the National Highways. Take the side roads, stay in the 70-90 kmph band, ditch the addiction to GPS. It is OK to ask for directions because it often leads to local knowledge, good conversations and excellent memories. I refer to GMaps within cities and for overall orientation but keep the phone inside everywhere else.
* 30 years of touring and wandering (300k+ on the roads, 4 continents except the Americas).
* 15 more years of touring and wandering, atleast 700k to go.
I just noticed that there is a miniature bike and car on table, Bike is placed in front of Shumi as he discuss more from a motorcycle rider's perspective and Singhee discuss from car driver's perspective. Loved the small touch 😊I don't have to listen to the whole podcast to like and share the video as I already know that I am going to hear the most interesting stories and learn something new. It's a blessing that you guys started MotorInc, God Speed to you and team ❤
Thanks Vishal! Good spotting!
And a throwback VR46 2000 Honda too. Nice choice. Love the small MotoGP driver helmet models in the back though. A Instagram/UA-cam short of walking through those helmets would be interesting.
Giving memories of me and my friends chitchatting about the things we like for hours.... 50mins of super fun Pocast.
Did you just tweet your comment too? 🤣
Excellent conversation, kudos for picking it up 👍
I was pleasantly surprised at how many points we think on similar line. I have learnt a lot of it the hard way and I wish we had this video sooner 😊
- Ditto on forgetting the touristy part because I was enjoying the motorcycle. That's the whole point though.
- Agree on selfies, if the trip is for me and the motorcycle, I don't need to remind myself that I was there. I will remember it and more importantly still feel it decades down the line.
- Ditto on toolkits and spares and tubeless tyres are the most helpful invention for touring in my view.
- My first long trip taught me to always carry rainwear on a motorcycle and tyre conditions.
I have taken some pics from the phone camera at some amazing locations with a DSLR resting peacefully in the tank bag. Later when I looked at the pics, they just didn't do justice to what I saw and felt, so it doesn't happen that often post that.
One of my friends had a golden saying, in touring whether solo or pillion, no company is better than bad company. So most of my trips have been solo and some with pillion but all of them have been duly enjoyable and memorable.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your perspective (as usual) Shantanu!
Recently done my first long tour, Bhopal to Goa and back. The bike was checked and maintained before the trip and didn't even face an issue with it. I recently bought bought a tailbag, and man it was the best decision i made. It was so easy to load and unload my luggage where my fellow riders were struggling with bungee cords loading luggage. Did take a toolbox with me but the only person who didn't need it was me where as my fellow riders had to use it as their aftermarket mirror were getting loose. All in all it was a Fun experience and would love to go on more long trips.
Nicely done Ankit! Glad you had a good time!
This can go on for more than an hour....what a fun conversation you two have. Always a delight to listen to you guys.
♥️ Thanks for the feedback!
This is the most awaited discussion, thank you MotorInc to bring this. It's a great time spent hearing them explaining the topic inch by inch. Shumi is my inspiration. His way of simplifying anything and everything about motorcycles really makes me wow....❤
Glad you enjoyed it!
Best part about your podcast is, the suggestions are based on practical experience and not on assumptions. Cheers. Yeh dil maange more
Thanks Bhupendra! More coming!
You both are an inspiration. I think this is the only channel whose content I use to wait for and though it's a 50 mins podcast but it feels like just 10 mins duration. It so pleasing to watch that time just flies. Keep doing what you are doing. You guys are the best in it. Lots of love and support to you guys.
Wow, thank you! ♥️
Fun fact, This touring podcast played after the Season 1 Ep20, I am actually having a tour on my Ntorq from Gujarat Vapi to Pune Chakan. luggage loaded in boot, charger connected to phone in jacket pocket, so far this is one of the best podcast for me to listen to while me being on a tour. Excellent content.👌
Wow! That's a long trip. Ride safe! And do let us know about your trip.
THANK YOU !!!!
I was just thinking of my first bike tour may be a solo ride (after having my bike for 5 years 😅) This just gave a full details on what to do and what not to do.
AND you guys are like yin and yang it will be always…. Always great to listen to… don’t even bother to tell its 50 minutes because it doesn’t matter you can talk 2 hours straight. I will sit joyfully listening to the conversation, making myself personal notes on things to take ….
Thanks 🙏🏼
Best of luck Sachin! Have a fun and safe ride!
Such a beautiful conversation and more importantly so many learnings. I usually prep the bike, pack mindfully and then set my frame of mind for a long day of riding (depending on the distance that needs to be covered). Also, I start slow as the body takes time to adjust to the riding activity. When I started touring, I always use to ride more and more which use to basically mess up my body clock for food and very less hydration. This has led to days filled with exhaustion in the past. Learnt from it and now I keep my breakfast and lunch time as I keep at home. Also, completely agree with sweet spot of the machine. It has helped quite a lot on the longer days.
Interesting. Shumi and Kartikeya barely eat when they’re on the bike on a long day although they’ll be well hydrated for sure
This channel just freshen up the whole moto-vlogging platform in India. Revolutionary in a way. Keep it up
Thanks a ton!
Take care of your machine and the machine will take care of you. Never had a single breakdown with my bikes. Went to Ludhiana on an RC390 with just the default toolkit. Was worried more about fuel on Taj expressway than the bike breaking down. Watching such videos adds to the overall knowledge about touring. Army roll was new to me too. Should get a few guys more to share their experiences too.
♥️
By following your conversation, I'm preparing myself for touring. 🙏 Lovely podcast.
♥️
Shumi please tell us more about riding solo. Also talk about the mindset for solo rides.
Can do!
Man such a laid back conversation about motorcycles/cars, travel and what not. Absolutely loved it!
Thank you! ❤️
Shumi met you at ibw 2022 and you gave me an idea of this channel. You are doing absolutely amazing podcast loved it , was listening today while on the way to office
Thanks Rahul! Glad you can see how our thoughts turned into action!
Great content , I and my friends have been following 90% of what was informed in the podcast so much agree to what you guys were discussing
Kudos to the great work , great inputs for learners like us 😃
Much appreciated! Thanks Pratik!
I would take few medicines with me like in ladakh for altitude sickness, headache and in car if someone feels car sick like vomiting etc medicine for that too .
I also carry cash in hand not always using UPI .
That's from my side take care shumi, kartikeya and the team ❤🙏
Good point Raja! We don’t think it occurred to them because _Shumi for example always has a fully stocked medical kit that includes meds with him. Always, everyday._
It is almost therapeutic to hear you both talk...more so when the topic is something that you love the most!!💚
Yay! Thank you!
longer format podcast crew winning again.. Shumi is kinda like my dad.. extremely cautious and well planned... I felt my connection with Karthik bhai.. the laidback attitude and i am also kinda old school when it comes to soaking in the scenery and maybe later taking a photo/video because riding/driving especially when i want to relax and have a good time is just to get all the experiences first hand rather watching it later thru a piece of screen..
the best part is being with buddies/family during the trip and later reminiscing about it over chai or something later when life again gets boring.. thats the calling guys.. and off you hit the road again
Heya! Thank you for vibing with the ThisConnect duo. 😀
Mr. Singhee that’s a brilliant point about cycling the high beam during night time, it really works. I’ve used it myself for the longest time. Cheers
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Took a impromptu trip with friend on Bajaj Avenger 180. Left for home , stopped in the middle of the road near midnight, coin tossed and left for Diu Island . No clothes no tool kit no plan . Best weekend ever!
Completely agree with the rain part. If you get rain, ride through and you will get dry once the rain stops. I do a lot of Mumbai-Pune trips and really used to fret over rain in the monsoons. Wear a raincoat above my jacket and then get completely sweaty once the rain stopped so stop again to remove the raincoat. This was getting so cumbersome that one day I just said f**k it and didn't stop at all for the rain and that was a revelation. The dri-fit t-shirt did a load of help, as after the rain, I was completely dry and no time lost to stop and add/remove rain layers.
Yes! ♥️
After getting my driver's licence, my first trip was on a fiat Padmini diesel, on 2002, and it was around 550 -600 kms .. No other trip game me that joy or excitement till now.
Wow! Very cool!
Beautiful discussion. Something happens when these two discuss about motor vehicles! It is a soul touching experience 🎉
🤜🏽🤛🏽
I am a relatively new Tourer, done in total 3 big(ish) tours where, mile munching was done through train and bike being in the luggage compartment - works wonders if you aren't afraid that your bike will get cosmetic damage- i never care about that stuff its a machine and I can fix it later. I use to tour with my partner (not my partner anymore so I think I'll get to experience solo riding more). I carry a small set of tools, enough for me to fix the cosmetic damage courtesy of Indian Railways. Out of us 2, I am the expert packer and I have never over/under packed. Prep really is the key but if something goes wrong, it goes wrong and you've got to deal with it (has happened to me where we both lost pur phones and were stuck in a river crossing.... Hell of an experience 🤣)! For me I'd love to be a nomad on rides, and would like to also experience Car touring too.... BTW I toured on Hero Ignitor 125cc 2 up from Chandigarh to Manali and back also did Pathankot-dhalhousie-dharamshala- Delhi.....
Love how easy and worry-free that sounds Rahul!
Regarding the rain gear, you're spot on. A simple thin decathlon rain jacket and pants are best suited for our rain. It's easy to carry, easy to dry, and easy to wear and remove. Yes none of the rain coats are water proof they are just resistant.
Thanks for sharing!
Hey! one suggestion that would make a big difference is when you are talking about something and you have photos/videos to show for it, SHOW THEM! it makes such a difference like when shumi referred to that photo of riding with a pillion show that photo. JRE podcast is a great example for this whenever he can show a visual representation of something he does!
Thanks for the feedback! But honestly, there's no plan to add visuals to the podcast. We actually would rather that you googled things for yourself.
Saw this vide a bit too late, but better late than never - When I get sleepy or tired on a road trip, I wash my face with soda, I always carry a bottle or two with me, have been doing this for donkeys years, works like a charm for me.
Thanks for sharing @ronnie_1981! Is that the last resort for you before you have to take a rest, or is there another step involved?
Good topics guys,
Let me give my list whenever I am going out with my family by our car,
1) decide all the stops in advance. Food stops and even patrol stops.
2) leave early, try to reach before it gets dark
3) we carry a lot of food as there is a small kid. Fruits, electrols , nothing to oily. For driver a lot of candies. Sweet helps.
4) playlist. No matter who sleeps or doesn’t. Songs should keep playing.
5) person next to driver are not allowed to sleep.
Thanks for sharing
This has been my go to podcast for past week as a drive for work , love listening to thisconnect.😁
🤜🏽🤛🏽
Nice discussion. In a car when i feel sleepy i pull off the road and take a power nap ... I sleep for a time of 15 to 30 mins. I don't sent any alarm I just wake up when I am satisfied ... This power nap is great. But never felt sleepy on a bike
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This is what I have been looking for. An honest, hour long discussion on touring.
Have been traveling on weekends from last two years and have learned a lot.
Thanks a lot guys
You can also checkout Shumi's video on touring when he was with PowerDrift. That video is too in-depth with all the things you need.
@@PBnJs365 thanks a lot for recommendation
@@nocturnalrider1855 No problem brother
Thanks guys! For being awesome ! Feels like a fam ! Prashant - 🙏🏾 for the recco.
@@motorinc It's my absolute pleasure to be a part of this fam😁😁
So I recently started motorcycle touring. I have been trying to figure out 'what type of destination' I like to travel to. Everytime I ask myself that question, the answer was, 'my motorcycle seat, was my answer. I thought it was weird. But then I saw this video and learned that it is not strange at all!!!! THANK YOU!
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I am a travel content creator! and still I completely agree with what Shumi is saying about filming. The simplest hack to do it is plan properly, add an extra day. I have a job I have navigate through the holidays and all that stuff but, plan properly, if you want to create content out of your tour and you are passionate about it. That's awesome!!! just don't rush!!!! plan your trip so that you can take time for filming it and give enough time to see it enjoy the place. simple. I completely agree with Kartikeya it's a distraction. and it is. More power to you boss. I don't this channel is the stress-buster. 25:17
Just love this channel! Please keep it going and dont worry about the length of the video. You are gathering a passionate bunch who appreciate the devil in the detail! Love from Jammu❤
Thank you so much VV! Much, much appreciated!
Some years ago my 10 year old son and myself rode out to a nearby quaint hill station (Chakrata) on a borrowed FZ, only to find the last 2-3 kms to be snow bound. Had to (nicely) dump the bike to the road side and carry on, on the foot. The bike was there the next morning! Great content fellas!!!
This connected.. just returned a few days back from a long trip touring from Chennai to Gujarat on my Polo Tdi. Lesson learnt - that sweet spot. Took a while to understand why and how but now my driving has changed. It’s a lot less stressful.
Very cool! Thanks WOO!
I am surprised by how much my touring mode resembles that of Shumi. In terms planning, packing and even going through the days in which I'm gonna cover long distances. I have done Mandi (HP) to Durgapur (WB) ,some 1800+ kms in my Thar in 32 hours. And also Durgapur to Bangalore in 2.5 days on my Interceptor. Words of Shumi really make me proud of my techniques. I make it a point to cover 65-70 kms every hour and this mindset helps me to cover distances in surprisingly short durations.
Super! Serious travellers think alike?
@@motorinc I've been touring on since 2016, and my thought process is a culmination of all my experiences both bitter and sweet. Youngsters who are starting now are so lucky to have the guidance of such people.
The only time that I think tools (and some of the other things like waterproofing) and learning to use them for basics, is when you're going out on some serious off-road, completely off track areas(deep jungle trails, for example). The only reason being you need to get to a functional enough point, to be able to get back to the place you can get repairs.
Just wanted to point this out. Lovely as usual MotorINC 😄
EDIT: Loved how this video built on top of some of the things that Shumi had said in an earlier live video about touring. Also personally, please feel free to stretch the timeline for the videos. You're going in the right direction 😋
Yup! The farther from help you go,, the more self-reliant you must become
That high beam flash up thing is so relatable!
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Just a thought
"Sleepy while riding"
When it comes to food, If you are choosing too much simple carbs, eventually sugar spikes and that makes you sleepy.
Specially if you aren't getting good quality sleep before departure.
♥️ Great point!
Amazing chat u2 have had. I got Lotsa inputs. Some of them which I hv followed since long, some new ones which I gathered this chat. Thanks a tonne.
Glad it helps! Thanks FB!
I love the format that you do podcasts! I would also love to see a longer videos too!
Yay, thank you!
These conversations are just gold.. Sharing experiences and knowledge on this channel is just priceless. ❤
Thanks Tejinder!
I sometimes start feeling sleepy/drowsy while riding, I usually take a small break, drink some water or chai if it's available, and when I start riding again, I crank the visor open a little so the wind comes inside the helmet. And that usually helps out with the drowsiness...
Thanks for the tip Ninad!
12.30 point out specific visibility during low to high beam and again back to low clearly shows the road clearly than staying high beams. Thats damn true. I also wondered during my nigh drive. Karthikeya singhee and shumar hatsoff❤
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Wonderful conversation, i too travel with the similar mindset and i could relate that technique of rolling tees, riding through rain and getting dry after few mins, i too dont carry much of tools as the modren bikes dont breakdown and if it does its mostly nothing much we can so but i just have a edc spanner, knife and screwdrivers to be safe just in case, regarding the rides i ride long-distance (not as much as u guys do) but i plan the time make sure i am back on highway before the dark atleast to avoid any unforeseen situations, i too m not fond of pics much hence only few are taken for records of being there 😆, food i go by gut feeling as i am also a veggie, and lastly but not the least i make sure that I study the road before opening the throttle once we know what kind of roads we are in speed can be fixed mentally and carried through accordingly. The road says a lot, the time of day says a lot and the weather says a lot about how we ride. Most of the cases when we are touring it better to talk less with strangers and disclose details as not everyone is our friend on road. Was wonderful to watch felt connected! 👍 thanks
Thanks for taking time out to share your perspectives with us!
Wow.. I love this. Bike ride luggage should be a minimum. I have overpacked and it becomes difficult on the way.
I have a couple of queries which I would love to have your thoughts on.
1. I have always noticed that my bikes, run smooth in winter than in summer for both City ride or highway trip, smoothest in winter nights or in rain: basically in lower atmospheric temperature. Why does this happen? Shouldn't the bike operate smoothly in a particular temperature range?
2. What's the correct way to manage long trips. Distance between stops vs fatigue. How long/far to push before saying "no more".
3. How to manage pillion plus luggage?
4. What extra things to take into account when riding with pillion and the extra luggage. Manage the extra weight.. especially with ladies.
Ear plugs make a lot of difference and help not getting exhausted when your helmet doesn't dampen the noise as much.
Shumi is that “plan and pack accordingly” guy in a trip, love the ep, especially the packing tips😂
Thank you!
I did touring both planned and unplanned... My experience is unplanned has some surprise in the corner and i will prefer that. I agree with you that it's not destination. It's just A to B but what route you will take reach your destination is important for me. Pace keep it consistent and your hands - legs does wonders. If I feel exhausted hydrate, have water or a coffee... Coconut water is the best if you can find on the way. Pack lite..
Thanks for the tips Vijay!
Last year having been on spiti bike trip,which being my first ever bike trip,i recollect having watching dozens of videos,planning for months,shopping for all kind of travel stuff,oh my god what a trip ,even though the trip for 10days i wud say the trip was theocratic two months long as it lingered on our minds☺️
Thanks for sharing!
my favourite thing to look forward to during a long ride would be the music !!
Music playlist would help me reduce my stress and set the mood for the drive. AND I start collecting the playlist from a week before the drive date. i got playlists for 2019, 2020, 2022.
ahhh, I love that period of time where I just spend hours of my free time prepping my music playlists.. love those times.
edit: some mistakes.
We do not believe either Shumi or Kartikeya are fans of (or recommend) listening to music on the bike
@@motorinc haha yeah, yeah that's for sure.
but I was referring to music while in a car.
hahaha
@@manishbanda4059 in that case you should have mentioned it as long drive instead of long ride
I like how Shumi was suprised that weather conditions was even a question. The expression around 36:18 😂
47:46 this yaw movement turned out to be so bad on my Himalayan with a 45L BSDDP topbox on the Ooty and Kudremukha ghats, I sold it after just 2 tours with it. I had begun to question the bike itself until a tailbag solved it! 16:48 this laughter might join the iconic laughs of all time...i joined in too! The timing of it combined with my confusion over kartikeyas question - and shumis answer made it awesome. a tyre puncture kit and inflator would be the only thing i think is extremely important while on tube tyre bikes, particularly heavy ADVs.
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Thank you for the Chapter links (not everyone does this). Its nice to go back to specific parts of the podcast, which you want to revisit.
You're welcome!
38:53 The best waterproofing is to wear a 2 piece raincoat on top of the riding gear. Getting wet is fine but the discomfort should not cause your attention to waver and your concentration to drop. Its easier to just wear a raincoat over the jacket if you expect bad weather. It takes 2 minutes to get it on even if you don't want to keep it on all the time. Saves a lot of discomfort later.
Pro Tip: Save the pouch that the raincoat came in. It will help keep your stuff dry when stowing away the raincoat AND make the raincoat compact enough to pack anywhere.
Hey Anant, Thanks for sharing your tips!
I was waiting for Shumi sir to get to the packing part and talk about the compressible pouches. Your literally ran to get it in your video at powerdrift, "im a little bit of a god when it comes to packing" XD. the 1hr+ podcast was so knowledgeable and empowering in a way it allowed a novice like me to clock 650+ km to IBW22. This was a good refresher. About content creation, i've tried. ive given it my shot and what i found was that if it comes to you naturally you'll figure out a way. Few people do love living through a lense and a screen which isn't wrong ofc and they like documenting them me being one of them. The problem arises when it doesn't come to you naturally and you try to force it. I've been on both sides where i sort of record or try vlogging when im not really feelin it but there are times where it naturally occurs and ive had fun with it. What exactly goes into your snack basket Kartikeya sir? Curious to know how that thunderbird anecdote ends too! Although my i10 can barely store a wristwatch in its door pockets, will prioritze water bottles in the car .Watched this a little later than id have liked to but enjoyed it thoroughly!
Thanks Sudhi! We shall aim to have Kartikeya give you a snack update!
@@motorinc yessirr!
I am a driving enthusiast but currently trying to be rider. I love the snack basket idea and that's the main thinng i do.
I guess while at Powerdrift he did a live discussing about the long tours. I would suggest others to watch that in tandem with this one. That single 1 hour video taught me so much more about riding than my own decade's casual city riding. It's really so much about the mindset. Simple things to think, plan and take notice of, before&while driving which makes all the difference with how I ride/drive since then. That allowed me to do a 1000km ride by a bike and some previously unimaginable 2000km one-way car trips/journeys in a much safer, quicker and efficient way. You would easily come across those "sirf 1 dialogue me free advice" dene wale, but never once I got the previlage of picking the brains of a great driver. Yes, I do come across few of those rare gems, but unfortunately no one is able to articulate as well as him. It's quite a skill to be able to transfer the knowledge to others with such clarity.
That said, I beg to differ on one thing for mainly car rides, is to set aside a bag with all the necessary pertaining tools, documents, food, cash, fuel, small dustbin, garbage bags, scissors, duct tape, sticky notes(other day I parked my vehicle at a tight space and left a note with my number on it; though it was parked before someone's house and the owner instead of being furious applauded me for being thoughtful, probably because for the thousandth time people parking before his house, he had to waste his time, sometimes over half an hour just to get that damn vehicle out. Even though it's clearly my fault but instead he thanked me), pen and pencils, rechargable torches and lights, lighters, Matchboxes (I unfortunately smoke), batteries, powerbanks, mosquito repellents or incense sticks, umbrellas (under front seats, with unpredictable rains I keep it round the year and sometimes it helps with the Sun too esp. on vacations when one needs to walk miles on tourist places), spare glasses for vision (it has saved me thrice on long trips when I have either damaged the glasses or got them lost at beach, I have negative 4-5 number so, I'm basically blind without them), few medicines & properly planned first aid kit keeping in mind the people with whom I travel with the most. With that a small ziplocked airtight-water resistant bag with 2 oversized t-shirts (so, that it can cover almost all body shapes), pj, cap, towels. (Just today only, this got actually used by my sister and my nephew-nieces for the first time in a year since I've refreshed them, when my extended family randomly decided to go to the beach).
I try to restack and self-diagnose/detail/maintain my vehicles once a month and this is over and above the vehicle servicing I get done every year even if the manufacturer sometimes leeways it for a longer duration and I mostly do that few weeks in advance before a large distance trips, so that I'm dead sure of the capabilities of my vehicles. The reason for doing that in advance is to provide buffer for some unforeseen service delays and being able to judge the vehicle for atleast a week's drive in the comfort of my schedule. Setting aside a day in a year for that machine is so worth it. Also we Indians have a tendency to make a fuss about service costs that they altogether skip it or prolong the intended duration. It's the stupidest thing to do. If you believe the showroom you are going to is looting you, switch to other dealers, even then also, if it's not working then find a good reliable mechanic, even if you have to travel 100kms to do that, do it, thats why you've kept aise a whole day for it. And being moneywise is fine, even I'm one, but look at the service costs, compared to your annual fuel bills, it's hardly 2 to 4 fulltanks at max, a year. And a well maintained one will also provide better efficiency, brakes, confidence and will increase its longevity. Modern machines are a pieces of art in terms of their reliability but just because it can handle the abuse doesn't mean it wouldn't get bruises.
I guess shumi already mentioned it quite a few times - For moneywise floks, I would suggest, get a stock vehicle first and then according to your needs add on the upgrades one by one as in when necessary. It's like tasting the food first, then add the salt only when required, because sometimes you never know, stock might be all you need, and it's perfect as it is.
Yes, it's true that I never myself got to use the items I hoard, but time and again you come across someone who is in dire need of it. Almost everything has been used atleast once, not much by me but by others, and that goes for everything I have parked in my Dickey. Here you can deduce that I'm that kind of a person, who does that, and I'm sure it's not ideal for everyone. I have random places to visit, sometimes with family, extended family/friends travel with me and at times it gets very late at night too. I am mostly their go-to driver, so the frequency of such occurance is quite high, hence the usecases. It also depends upon your life experiences too, which makes me use my car as a literally get-away shelter on wheels - major earthquakes, floods, fires, riots I have witnessed in my lifetime have compelled me prepare for everything. And it costs pennies compared to the cost of buying and owning the vehicle. For me it's just under 1-2% of the whole compiled costs and weighs just 20kilos, takes some 40L space but they increase the confidence and capabilities of the vehicles well over 1%. This type of hedging is definitely VFM in my eyes. This isn't the case with the majority. I believe being over-prepared than that of being under-prepared.
That said, thank you for both of you guys, and the awesome team behind it. Also I wouldn't mind 2 to 3 40sec sponsored reels between the podcast; and that's coming from a guy who pays for YT just to skip unrelated ads. Donut Media does it so well that even without any real interest on the actual product, I still don't skip the ad because it is well scripted and enacted and has a certain novelty to it. While Linus Tech Tips (LTT) for tech enthusiasts also does good sponsored segments of products/services mostly from his own industry sometimes of the products, they actually have a conflict of interest with reviewing the same product segment or even the same product they actually have to review. Like taking a sponsorship of Samsung monitors and also reviewing a Samsung monitor from the same range albeit not in the same video but one can find when looking for. But what's fascinating is that even though everyone knows that, almost nobody feels dejected or is getting robbed of from their credibility. I believe you guys also have earned decades of credibility and trust that we are willing to accept of the sponsored segment from the auto industry. And it would actually be a great marriage of sorts for everyone involved we as a viewer get showcased a product/service we wouldn't have come across in general, you guys can monetize it with our trust placed on you and a genuine brand could get good shoutout infront of their dedicated audience. Why this route, because I really want to see you guys to be as independent and sustainable in the future, so you never have to compromise on producing high quality content. Here I'm purely selfishness about you guys.
Actually get one break at the 50th minute but go on till 1:50hr. Add in a hour more.
Reference LTT
ua-cam.com/video/bVT_yjB6lDg/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/ygmLEnwY4ec/v-deo.html
Wow Scrollblau! You certainly are well-prepared and thought-through! Love it!
Finally I'm up to date finished watching all the podcasts and reviews.
Wow! That must have been a loooong haul!
@@motorincyeah guys came here learn more about cars & bike but, the life lessons i got here are much more valuable & i fell I've grown as a person.
1.) Tailbags over all kinds of luggage any day. Viaterra Claw is good for a good 2 week ride. I carry some detergent. Irrespective of how late I arrive, I wash some clothes and dry them. This way, I almost never have to carry dirty laundry and I always have fresh clothes on me.
2.) Top boxes look hideous. Don't know about aerodynamics as I haven't tried riding with one; but, I trust you to know better than I do. I do have a tailbag that has the form factor of a roll. I mount it on the top rack and it sits nice and low and also looks sleek. Nothing like that giant dabba that a top box is. So, typically, I travel with a tail bag on the pillion seat and this roll like tailbag on the top rack. I have bottle holders on my crash bars that hold two bottles. That is typically all I need.
3.) Tankbags and all are perfectly unnecessary. Try to travel with bare minimum. Buy what you need on the road.
4.) Excellent points about topping up everything prior to a tour. I try to follow it mostly. But, have gotten considerably lazy these days. Japanese machines tend to make you complacent. Ride them without even basic care and they still keep on running.
5.) I want to mention 2 anecdotes here because they are relevant when we discuss preparations and on-road behaviour.
a.) Around 5 pm one fine evening, we reached our intended destination that was 1100 kms from home. Then my friend and co-rider gets a call from home that a parent needs some medical attention. As far as I could make out, it wasn't urgent and his wife very kindly told him that she was taking care of it and we could return a few days later. Still, I understood my friend's anxiety. He insisted on riding back that very minute to cover the 1100 kms in reverse. It was a ridiculous proposition. It was all I could do to make him wait one more day to rest before we head back. I was disappointed of course. But, I was less unhappy about abandoning the tour; what got my goat was that this wasn't out of the blue. Said parent had been quite sick over the last week and my friend had known all about it. And yet, he thought it wise to set off on a tour and drag me along. Turns out he wanted to bust some stress. If he had bothered to inform me of the circumstances, we could have still managed to get him some relief by doing a simple day ride where we head out early morning and get back by late night. A nice and compact ride that could have worked well under the circumstances. But, no. Instead we had to head to another part of the country and hightail it back in 48 hours!!
b.) During a ride, me and another friend were connected on intercom. By the way, if anyone's on the fence about getting intercoms, I say buy it already. Very helpful on non-solo rides. Anyways, back to the story; somewhere on NH 48, I couldn't get him to respond. But, I could see him just 50 yards ahead of me. So, I sped up and pulled up alongside to tell him that our connection had dropped. Imagine my shock when I found out the reason for the problem. Our man was having a full-on video call with the Missus at home!! His BT unit had cut our connection to prioritise the video call. So, we were surrounded by multiple axle vehicles, impatient Innova and Creta drivers, speeding ST buses, not to mention the prospect of unmarked speed breakers, pedestrians, and what not!! In the thick of all this, my dear friend thought it wise to video chat with the family to discuss domestic affairs. And it wasn't like it was anything urgent at all that he had to immediately address. When I waved him down and asked him about it, he told me very casually that he wanted to make sure that the Aquaguard maintenance guy had shown up as scheduled to clean his water filter!! To say that I was livid would be the understatement of the century. Just to be clear, this exact friend gives me lots of grief about not gearing up all the time. He always has every bit of protection on.... except for concentration and sole focus on the road on which we are at any given time.
All in all, people make some very poor decisions on the road and in life. If we all open our touring files and swap stories we could be here all year.
BTW, talking about preparations, this thread may be worth reading.
www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/203309-beauty-1-day-rides-worthy-middleweight-breakfast-rides-long-journeys.html
Hello again! Thanks for the anecdotes (😖 and 😖😖) and the advice 👍🏽!
In a car : pack what you want, I mostly tend to overpack. But over a period of time the touring in car has reduced. Now I rather fly and rent a car at destination to explore than drive there. Been doing that for the last few years. So now, when you have to fly, you pack reasonably sensibly.
On the motorcycle : pack light. Wear and carry baselayers and pack what is essential. I use a 30L tailbag and I also have small OEM soft panniers, giving me a combined storage of ~45L (tailbag and soft panniers combined). This is more than enough for me. All luggage is waterproof (to a great extent, including the back/hydration pack). Haven’t ever used a tank bag.
Been using layering for temp control and waterproofing, but my waterproof gear is finally on the way, I feel it will enhance the motorcycling experience.
I use the riding jacket and pant only as an outer, abrasion resistant layer, underneath there is a supershirt and wearable/clip on armour for other parts. Works well.
Prep : I like to plan, prepay hotels after research. I do need a good place to rest for the night or stay. Packing is a process, it always takes me a couple of iterations before am satisfied and ready to leave.
Distances : in a car or on the bike, I’d do not more than 600-650 kms in a day. Like to start early and end the drive/ride early. Gives me time to enjoy the day rather than be focused on munching miles. Also hate night riding.
Solo or group : mostly (almost always) in a group, but not exceeding 3-4 people including myself. Never with a pillion. I like to be on the intercom though, talking or listening.
Content : rarely have a GoPro mounted on the handlebar, never on body and helmet. Phone for capturing something nice. Have a riding buddy who carries GoPro and a drone. Another one with Insta 360 and another one with GoPro and DSLR! So I have almost never have to use my GoPro or phone. When you reach the destination, airdrop the footage…
Hahahah! You have good company! Airdrop it! 😆
@@motorinc 😂
the way you guys talk about riding makes me think it would be an amazing time to ride with you.
All rides are! You just need folks you are happy to be with. ❤️
Last Sunday I did a 425 kms trip from Varanasi to Lucknow via Purvanchal Expressway in just 6 hours and 45 mins on my Jawa Classic. My whole motive was to ride on the expressway and for that reason only I took a longer route, but enjoyed it thoroughly. As Kartikeya said, it is therapeutic.
Wow nice! Glad to get your ride update here! ❤️ Sounds beautiful.
Now, I have made a list of all the necessary things to carry and where to carry and the order to arrange them for more volumetric efficiency of the carriers..😄
For the bike: I keep a chain cleaner and lube, a puncture repair kit, a portable tyre inflator, a clutch and accelerator cable.
I had faced an instance where a newly installed accelerator cable had snapped away (quality must have been good..may be my kismat not as much) in the middle of a ride and i had to use a data cable (thankfully it was long enough) to connect the spring loaded throttle arm of the CV carb and the accelerator.. to get to a point where I could get it fixed.
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A top box is an absolute no for me on long journeys...It puts wrong weight at the wrong place. It's intended only for day to day city duties.
With a pillion i carry saddle bags, while going solo I carry half of my saddle bag (one bag) as a tail bag..there is the tank bag and one extremely light backpack and that's about it.
I tend to pay special attention to how much load 'm putting on the bike as it might hinder handling in tricky situations.. so, the lighter the better and also that no luggage is jutting out unnecessarily (except while with pillion) as it might increase unnecessary drag.
And specifically for me.... Vlogging while touring is a bit of a distraction and it takes the fun away a bit.
♥️
A medi-kit is something that I always carry! You never know when you, or someone else on the road, might need it…
So do we!
All good ideas, one thing i always add to my trip packing is a set of basic medicines (pudin hara, eno, some pain killers, some avomin/norflox). I know you can get them almost anywhere but that one morning when you wake up feeling bad, one tablet helps a lot.
Super tip! That’s a must do. Thank you for the suggestion. Could be a trip saver!
I did 600plus trips on car and bike too. Never felt sleepy in any of them. I usually plan to sleep early and wake up fresh on the ride day.
For multi day ride, I planned shorter distances which would make feel fit to ride every day. 200 to 300 kms is the comfortable distance for each day.
I never carried tools on bike, and only tools I have on a care are spare tyre and tyre inflator. Never had issues on my trips fortunately.
Awesome! Happy to know of your tool free rides!
Would love to hear more in depth discussion on handling emergencies while touring including medical emergencies. What do you pack in your first aid kit? What elementary first aids should I know to be able to help someone on the road? And anything related.
That’s a fantastic suggestion! Thank you!
Watching this just after 800 KMs of night ride hits differently 🙃
Welcome back! 😂
I really like the touring with pillion and weather handling section......keep the videos coming guys... we love it
Thank you!
Secure parking place is most important criteria for deciding stay at a hotel on the go. Agree with Schumi, first day cover max distance. Ride around good roads next few days, explore. Love the excitement and preparation part of touring. Nice discussion. A person who owns a bike but never tours would never understand what the whole fuss is about. 😊
Yes, exactly! 😊❤️
The important thing to remember - Everyone will reach the initial meet-up spot an hour or two later when there’s a large riding group 🤪😂
But jokes apart, the timing of this vlog couldn’t have been better. I’m planning a Mumbai-Goa with a few buddies and it’s my first 500+ km ride and this video really put many things into perspective. 😊🤗
We would totally change the group if people cannot even be bothered to show up on time!
Feeling sleepy on long hot road trips is real …. particularly after a lunch … even a light one . I would recommend a 15 min break or nap if really drowsy. Then a chai sutta and go….
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A 1k a day man myself and that's being from Southern KL(If you know, you know! 😀), agree on most of what you guys said with the exception of the not carrying tools part, I'm no mechanic but a decade of riding and clocking about 350~400k kms on the road I can now rebuild a motor! When I was young I used to believe that new parts wouldn't give up anytime soon, well, shit happens, have had a cable snap on a brand new motorcycle on its first interstate run forcing me to ride cluchless for about 300kms before I spotted an ASC by the highway(still have a snap of the bill for nostalgia). Also RSA might work on leisure rides but on multiday or long distance rides it is a PITA, that said one thing you realise after working on your own motorcycle is how easy it is to screw up a motorcycle, all it takes is one mindless turn of a bolt to wreak havoc. So best to know your ride well enough to atleast know that the guy working on your motorcycle isn't causing more harm than good. Any who to each his own, ride safe and keep bringing more realistic content, cause let's face it we're all tired of sellouts and their "Political Correctness" when it comes to rides and riding. Cheers!
Pita! Noice! And surely - to each his own. Every group must have a combination. Hopefully your group values you enough. 😆
Challenge with ranger roll is that it can widen out the bottom of the tshirt after some time. Dry sacks are better to compress in my opinion.
Only if they're cotton. Sythetics do not stretch