by WorldCrosser Admin | Jan 24, 2016 | Adventure Moto News, Adventure Motorcycles, Explore
So Honda has released their new 4 stroke, 1000cc adventure motorcycle, the Africa Twin CRF1000L and let me tell you the specs and the pics just look like a dream. I can’t wait to throw a leg over one.
Couple things that are immediately apparent, it appears to be a narrow bike, has high ground clearance, high handle bars and has a 21″ front wheel– a few great aspects for the dirt roads and trail riding, which is important if you actually take your “adventure” bike off the asphalt.
There are two versions going to be available, the Standard and the DCT (dual clutch transmission) versions. The Standard sports the regular transmission we all have come to know and use, but the DCT is a new type of automatic transmission, that changes the gears for you. Supposedly you can even use the manual paddle shifter with the DCT. Also note that this is a whole new way of automatic transmissions for motorcycles, it is pressured by hydraulic oil and it supposedly better than snowmobile type of CVT automatic transmissions. Ohh it is another $600 for DCT if you are interested, plus I think it comes with gold wheels. ; ) The front and rear suspension are adjustable for spring preload, compression, and rebound damping. The shock offers a hydraulic-preload knob accessible on the right side of the bike.
The Africa Twin comes standard with ABS and traction control or HSTC (Honda Selectable Torque Control) it has steering lock and also a steel frame which helps keeps this bike slimmer and more dirt oriented
Digital Metallic Silver Africa Twin – CRF1000L
There are two colors available in USA, the Dakar Rally (red and white), Digital Metallic Silver
See specs in Worldcrosser ADV Bike database and also here is a link to Honda’s page here.
This bike is extremely promising and just like many others out there I can’t wait to ride one!
But while we are all waiting to ride one- we can do a little VR (that’s virtual reality) with Honda’s Africa Twin VR mobile app- they have it for Apple’s iOS and Google’s Andriod.
by WorldCrosser Admin | Nov 20, 2015 | Destinations, Explore, Pennsylvania
Ricketts Glen State Park is a great place ride your motorcycle to in Pennsylvania. There are some awesome windy roads and great mountains to go up and over. After a day of riding around Benton PA, you have to camp out at Ricketts Glen, they have very nice facilities and best of all a great hike where you will see some beautiful waterfalls.
It is best to make a reservation online prior to just heading up there as they can fill up fast. There is a nice large lake, which as of summer of 2015 was drained for maintenance, so please check if this is important to you. But even if lake is not there you will hike the waterfalls and love your time at Ricketts Glen.
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- 22 Waterfalls you can walk around a nice trail to check out.
- The forest service puts on little events and info seminars or walks to educate – a great little amenity
- Pick up Wood before you get to camp as it is not available there and you are no around the corner from well, anything.
Picking up some wood for tonight’s fire.
- 245 Acre lake
- Cabins can be rented as well.
It is a great destination to ride to, there are also snowmobile trails too, so I would assume you can ride your adventure dual sport bike during the warm weather there, but I did not get a chance to check them out.
Couple tips:
- Cell service is very spotty or nonexistent in the park.
- There are supposed a lot of bears in the area- although I did not see one.
Here is a link to PA state park info – Click here
Thanks for reading and ride safe!!
by WorldCrosser Admin | Nov 8, 2015 | Destinations, Explore, New Jersey, Roads, Routes
Dual sport motorcycle in NJ Pine Barrens
In the most congested state there is is still an area the has not been developed and is great for dual sport and adventure motorcycle the Pinelands. Also know a the Pine Barrens. There are a few state parks that encompass the Pinelands, the largest is Wharton state park, there are plenty of fire roads and dirt roads throughout the pine barrens, plenty of stream crossings and lots of large puddles, unless it hasn’t rained in a while. A couple cool place to check out are Apple Pie Hill – a forest ranger tower that on a clear day you can see Philly and Atlantic City. Batsto village an old glass making town or village that has a great lake , visitors center etc, also ride along the mullica- some great roads there, Atsion Lake and Goshen Pond are a few more areas to explore. There are so many roads and trails that you could spend weeks going through it all and still find cool places to ride.
There are trails for all type of adventure riders, there is a lot of single track, although rumor is Hiking club is trying to stop all single track riding, there are some nice “quad size trails”, say double track, these are my favorite, and of course there are dirt roads that are not inundated with sand that the big Adv bikes will love. So bike choice, small dual sport, 250cc-400cc for single track, KLR or DR 650-ish bikes for medium trails and sandy forest roads are perfect, and big bikes are best on the forest roads and some packed trails/roads. Okay, Okay, I hear you yelling, now there is always the exception, where you can ride your big bike down a single track that is a blast and fun but that is the exception not the general rule when riding the Pines. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of miles to ride and explore in the Pines, and there it would take a number of days to see just get the highlights. Always a nice serene place to ride, that I ride often.
Couple tips when riding in the Pines:
- Make sure you are running low pressure and knobbies as there is a ton of sand, but it is a great time.
- If you stop for lunch our in the bush- bring bug spray they grow mosquitos big in NJ
- Always ride with a buddy
- Plan you ride, ride you plan (I know that goes against the adventure spirit)
- Let a loved one know where you are planning to go.
- Bring your GPS, as cell service works but it’s not very strong
- Remember some areas of the Pines cell service is limited or nonexistent
- There can be some deep and big puddles, be careful
- Watch out for the Jersey devil!
And after it rains there are some serious puddles!
[message type=”Be Warned”]Supposedly Rangers are cracking down on single track riding in the Pines, and they have released a “Motorized Access Plan” or MAP for roads that one can be one. Here is Wharton State park’s “MAP” Map that shows legal roads for motor Vehicles.
Click on Wharton State Forest map to see larger version or see original on NJ website here.
Get your very own NJ ADV Pine Barrens Sticker – click the image below:
by WorldCrosser Admin | Oct 30, 2015 | Roads, Routes, Virginia
The Blue Ridge Parkways has been coined by some as “America’s Favorite Drive”.
Your can ride the Parkway from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia down to the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. You will experience some great roads, some great views, some great towns, and of course great people. There are so many great towns to see that you would probably want a week or two to ride this great road.
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Here is a list of some great places you can stop on your ride: (these are taken from http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/ which is great resource for planning your ride.
- Biltmore – Asheville, NC +
- Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park – Chimney Rock, NC +
- Great Smoky Mountains Railroad – Bryson City, NC +
- The Natural Bridge – Natural Bridge, VA +
- Staunton Tourism – Staunton, VA +
- The Altapass Orchard – Spruce Pine, NC
- Appalachian Caverns – Blountville, TN
- Barter Theatre – Abingdon, VA
- Blue Ridge Institute & Museum – Ferrum, VA
- The Blowing Rock – Blowing Rock, NC
- Blue Ridge Farm Museum – Ferrum, VA
- Bristol Caverns – Bristol, TN
- Booker T. Washington National Monument – Hardy, VA
- Christ in the Smokies – Gatlinburg, TN
- Cliffside Lake – Highlands, NC
- Cradle of Forestry Historic Site – Pisgah Forest, NC
- Dinosaur Land – White Post, VA
- Elijah Mountain Gem Mine – Hendersonville, NC
- Emerald Village – Spruce Pine, NC
- Flat Rock Playhouse – Flat Rock, NC
- Folk Art Center – Asheville, NC
- Gem Mountain Gemstone Mine – Spruce Pine, NC
- Grand Caverns – Grottoes, VA
- Grandfather Mountain – Linville, NC
- Linville Caverns – Marion, NC
- Lost Sea – Sweetwater, TN
- Luray Caverns – Luray, VA
- Museum of the Confederacy – Appomattox, VA
- Mystery Hill – Blowing Rock, NC
- Natural Bridge Zoological Park – Natural Bridge, VA
- The North Carolina Arboretum – Asheville, NC
- Ober Gatlinburg All Seasons Resort – Gatlinburg, TN
- Oconaluftee Indian Village – Cherokee, NC
- Old Salem – Winston-Salem, NC
- Pisgah Forest Gem Mine – Pisgah Forest, NC
- Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies – Gatlinburg, TN
- Roanoke Valley – Roanoke, VA
- Santa’s Land – Cherokee, NC
- Shenandoah Caverns – Shenandoah Caverns, VA
- Skyline Caverns – Front Royal, VA
- The Crooked Road – Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail – Abingdon, VA
- Tuckaleechee Caverns – Townsend, TN
- Tweetsie Railroad – Blowing Rock, NC
- Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama – Cherokee, NC
- Virginia Safari Park – Natural Bridge, VA
- Western North Carolina Nature Center – Asheville, NC
- WNC Farmer’s Market – Asheville, NC
Here is mobile app to help you experience the Blue Ridge Parkway on your Adventure Motorcycle.
Click here for info on mobile app.
by WorldCrosser Admin | Sep 22, 2015 | ADV Camping Gear, ADV Gear, Food
A Time Magazine Invention of the Year winner, LifeStraw contains no chemicals, no batteries and no moving parts to wear out. It features a high flow rate and weighs only 2oz. It is perfect for the Ultralight backpacker, camper, hiker, traveler, boy scout, hunter or for emergencies. Unlike many similar filters on the market today, LifeStraw has met EPA standards for water filtration in independent testing. LifeStraw has been used around the world under extreme conditions for humanitarian relief. Does not filter chemicals, salt, viruses, heavy metals, taste. Please NOTE: It takes roughly 3-5 seconds of sucking to start the flow of water through the filter.
So Honda has released their new 4 stroke, 1000cc adventure motorcycle, the Africa Twin CRF1000L and let me tell you the specs and the pics just look like a dream. I can’t wait to throw a leg over one.
