Have you ever dreamed of a road trip using motorbikes? Some people do it from start to finish by taking their luggage to the motorbike store, and travelling from there. Others opt for motorbike trailer hire, and pop their bikes on the trailer before moving off to convenient locations.

What do you need to cover the distance on your journey? You want to earn money from your trip via social media platforms. So, plan to share your story on YouTube. Just note, for this project you can’t skimp on startup costs.

This article will discuss a few items that you require before your adventures begin.

Off-road Motorbikes

The first piece of equipment you’ll need will be your motorbike. An off-road bike is ideal because it has wheels designed for riding on dirt or tar roads. They have a stronger grip when the air is let out of the tyres. You also have a number of compartments for all you have to carry. Just make sure you know all the rules and regulations of the road.

Appropriate Clothing

You need lightweight, padded, clothing for motorbike riding. Not only will it protect you from the cold reaching your skin, but will also prevent bad injuries should you fall off and skid over rough terrain.

Gloves are a must. It could be challenging when you need to use the touchscreen on your GPS, but good-quality technology responds well to touch through gloves.

Maps

Your physical maps are important. They give you a good overall view of the terrain you’ll cover. And you’ll be able to mark your route with a red marker for your YouTube viewers.

You can also plan better on a big map, compared to being confined to a tiny screen. So, get a large country map, as well as smaller local maps which cover any off-road routes you wish to follow.

Naturally, you enter data into your GPS route-finder, which you then use while you’re on the road. Compare the large map with your electronic route-finder prior to setting off.

You should expect to encounter paths that are closed, unclear road-markings and patchy internet reception. Expect to get lost, even with all the assistance from maps. It’s part of the adventure!

Intel

There are places where you want to enquire from locals or police about the route forward. In Colombia, for instance, you might be warned about guerrillas operating in a particular area. And experts will tell you to avoid some areas of Mali, where visitors do get kidnapped at times.

You also want to find out about roads that are washed away, or rivers which might suddenly flood downstream.

GoPro

One of the essentials for any Youtubing traveller is a GoPro. It’s a good idea to have one attached to the bike handlebars, and one to the helmet – for different views of the terrain. If you only have on affixed to your bike, and you get off for a while, you won’t capture those magic in-between moments.

Helmet Mic

You’ll need a very good quality microphone that can be attached to your helmet. It will require some form of power source. Place it inside the visor, so as not to sound muffled by the wind when riding.

Drone

When you get official permission, you can obtain stunning bird’s eye views of your bike ride. Do it all with a drone!

It’s possible to ride safely, as long as the road isn’t too rough, and operate a drone. Just make sure you practice a lot in a safe area before going on your trip.

It will need to be a camera-mount drone, and you don’t want to skimp on the price for the camera. You want high quality pictures if you’re to upload to social media.

Backpack

You’ll need a small backpack in addition to your front-mounted bag. You can place items that you need throughout the day in this pack – batteries, snacks, maps, and spare gear.

Batteries and Battery Chargers

You’ll need batteries for your GoPro, cellphones, cameras, computer. Not only that, but you’ll require battery chargers. The most useful charger is a multi-USB port charger, in which you can insert multiple items at the same time. This will require good power sources in the evening, so make sure you always stop over in a place with appropriate facilities.

GPS

You’ll always need a mounted GPS on your cycle for route-finding. Gone are the days where you regularly have to take out a physical map. Now you can see exactly where you’re on the planet at any one time. Make sure you have a GPS with which you can zoom in and out easily, so you can see where you’re going ahead of time.

There is only one rule with a GPS—always expect the unexpected and deviate where it seems sensible.

Conclusion

Now that you have some idea of what you’ll require, find out all the laws and norms about biking offroad.

It’s fascinating to watch people’s stories when they upload a video every evening after a hard day’s riding. It takes time, but if you plan well, and put a lot of effort into your videos, it will pay off in the long run.