Tiny Bike Touring.

[klaviator]

Over the years I have read a number of ride reports about people taking long trips on tiny bikes.  I'm not talking about something like a 250.  Taking a long trip on a 250 is no big deal since most 250s can keep up with traffic in most places.  I did an 8 state 2000+ mile trip on a 250 a few years ago.  I'm talking bikes of around 150cc or less that can't always keep up with traffic and normally can't go on the interstate.

Well it just so happens I own a bike like that, a Kymco Super 8 150.  At 149cc and 10.3 HP it's fast enough to handle the city traffic here in Huntsville/Madison but it's really marginal on interstates or many of the faster roads in the area.  But, people have taken some really long trips on bikes smaller than that.  Some people have ridden cross country on 50cc bikes :o

So, I have always told myself that I need to try it myself someday.  I have done some long day rides on my Super 8 but never a multi day ride.  Well, that's not completely true since I have hauled it to the mountains in my truck and ridden for 2 or 3 days.  That's not the same though because I didn't get on the scooter and ride to a different overnight location. 

There are a few issues with touring on a tiny/slow bike.  The first is the limited speed so you have to pick your route with that in mind.  The second is that most tiny bikes have a pretty short range due to their small fuel tanks.  My Super 8 has a 1.3 gallon tank and gets around 70MPG.  That gives a range of around 90 miles.  Another issue for me is that the fuel filler is under the seat so every time I fill up I have to lift the seat and remove anything bungeed to the seat.  This is annoying when I have to fill up so often.

Normally on long rides I have carried a one gallon gas can in a bag on the back of the seat like this pic last year on the Cherohala:



So I would have to remove the bag to fuel the bike from the can.  Inconvenient but doable.  This worked OK on day rides but if I wanted to tour then that space on the back of the seat was no longer available to carry other stuff.  So after thinking about it for a while I came up with a solution.



The gas can goes in the cooler I got at Wally World.  I put some velcro on the cooler and floor of the scooter to somewhat keep it in place.  Mainly it will be held there by my feet on both sides of it.



And the bag on the seat is bungeed only to the seat so I don't have to remove it to fill up.



So now the bike is ready.  I haven't decided when or where but I am going to try to finally do a tiny bike tour this year.  I'll update this when I start making plans and of course do a ride report when I do the ride.

So, anyone else out there who has toured on a tiny bike or is interested in doing it?

[Guidedawg]

No, but your name was being tossed around this past weekend to some non-BamaRides folks as a man more than capable and willing to do such a thing.

[Brian A]

The whole notion of  "Tiny Bike Touring" has intrigued me for years. Something I think I would like to do one day.

My interest in motorcycles goes way back to when I was a kid but really took off in the early 80s while I was in college. I still remember reading an article in one of the motorcycle magazines. I have tried to find it on the interweb but with no luck.

It was the story of, I think, two guys who did a long road trip. I want to say it was Mexico to Canada. I was fascinated by the whole thing and I really believe it was one of those early seminal events that sticks in the brain and is always there, just waiting to spring to life.

One day....

They did the trip on one of these.


http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-japanese-motorcycles/classic-honda-motorcycles/honda-mb5-zmmz17mazhur

[klaviator]

I think I read that article about the trip on the MB5. I thought it was a cool bike when it came out.   I also had the chance to take one on a short ride.  It was pretty gutless.  Every fall there is a 50cc ride in Suches, Ga and there are normally a few MB5s there. 

[KevinB]

One day....

You...Birmingham to a border and back...Yamaha YSR50. Gauntlet thrown!  :)

[TFancher]

Oh boy. A bunch of old dudes on mini bikes. Count me in!

[klaviator]

My definition of touring is that it has to be at least an overnight trip.  A long day trip is just a day trip.  Most likely I will do a trip to the TN, N. GA, and/or NC mountains.  On tight and curvy roads the lower speeds of a tiny bike are normally not an issue and those roads are the most fun anyway.  I have had my Super 8 on the Skyway, Deal's Gap and other roads in the area and I was still going faster than most of the other traffic.  I even passed a few sportbikes :o

I may cheat and truck the bike to Tellico Plains or somewhere else that I can leave my truck and do a trip from there.  I'm thinking of maybe doing some of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Or another possible trip would be to ride from my house to Two Wheels of Suches and back. 

However, if anyone else is interested I'd consider doing another ride like I have in the past where I just trucked up to Deal's Gap or Tellico Plains and just rode around in those areas.  I know a lot of people take their Groms to Deal's Gap and have a blast there.

[klaviator]

I have been interested in tiny bike touring for a long time but last year I ran into three guys on 50cc scooters touring the BRP.  It turned out they where father, son and grandfather doing this tour.  They helped inspire my latest desire to do this.  Here's a link to their ride report:  http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/three-generations-two-roads-and-150ccs.1184506/

[Chitza]

Hmmmm. I say hmmmm

[Hammerdown77]

This all sounds like the perfect excuse to get one of these.

Kymco
125
17" wheels
$1999 MSRP

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/kymco/2017-kymco-k-pipe-125-review.html

[klaviator]

Hmmmm. I say hmmmm

It's got a luggage rack so that makes it a touring bike :)

[klaviator]

There's a guy on ADV doing a long ride right now that's pretty cool.  He flew from Virginia to Texas to buy a 155cc Vespa and ride it back to Virginia.  He rode it from Austin TX to New Orleans where he got the 600 Mile service done.  Right now he's headed North on I-59.  I think he will pass through Birmingham some time today.  It's a pretty cool report and he's using an App called Glympse that allows you to follow him real time.  Here's a link for anyone who is interested:  http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/austin-to-the-old-dominion-on-a-155cc-scooter.1216197/

So this has got me motivated.  I've got vacation coming up in May and I think I'll be doing a long ride on my Kymco.  I'm planning on doing part of the BRP.  More details to follow as I make more definite plans.

[klaviator]

I'm resurrecting this old thread because I just found this ride report about someone doing a 4000 mile tour on a Grom :respect-058:

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/4000-miles-with-a-honda-grom-125.1178125/

[Brian A]

Good stuff. I remember an ADV thread or a blog or something I followed about a guy who rode a Grom from somewhere to somewhere.
I think it was Wisconsin to California? Or something like that?

I find myself pondering a new and engrossing opportunity (challenge).

One thing that keeps bubbling to the top is a long ride on a small bike.

I told Mulley a week or so back I am antsy because I don't, as of now, have a "big trip" on the books for 2018.

I'll need to study on the prospects of a small bike adventure.

[klaviator]

Probably one of the most epic tiny bike rides was a trip from Sydney to London on a 105cc Honda postie bike.
[urlhttp://advrider.com/index.php?threads/sydney-to-london-on-a105cc-honda-callled-dot.460631/][/url]

This ride report is extremely long and as a result of ADV forum changes some of the Pictures and all of the videos no longer show up so It's probably not worth reading unless you have a lot of time on your hands and are really bored.

One of the things I remember about this ride report was that he rode up high into the Himalayas on this tiny bike and due to the extreme elevation the bike just wouldn't climb hills anymore.  He had to get off and push.