Nylon Vs Cloth Nylon mesh jackets are what I have always worn in peak summer or if I am in SE Asia where days are steamy but recently I started to question this choice. In Japan summer is high 30’s with humidity that has you perspiring 5 steps outside of […]
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I’m going to pick up where I left off my Ishigaki to Wakkanai motorcycle tour that was washed out in May. It’s been a wet year. And Japan is a country that has no dry season to begin with. A semi reasonable looking forecast appears so I book an overnight […]
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Summer in Japan is crazy humid. I’ve been using mesh jackets but got fed up with how the nylon clings and has no breathability so decided to try a different approach. The Rough & Road cloth summer jacket is constructed of a heavy weight material similar to riding pants and […]
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You might think waiting a year to test an item would be a negative – but not when talking about rain gear. I found these gloves in Naps motorcycle accessory shop Yokohama over a year ago and got them for my 2020 touring but last summer was very kind and […]
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A milestone reached. I’ve clocked 100,000km touring Japan on my 2014 Yamaha FJR1300. A few notes on the experience so far and my evolving views on what I might ride next. Long Term Ownership Experience The FJR1300 has been a very reliable motorcycle. Problems have been minor but one item […]
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It is already 8 years since I left Australia with the idea to ride my bucket list before I reach the age where we start making excuses. I’ve written previously how I felt compelled to not wait until retirement to start the ‘one day’ things so I won’t repeat. Initially […]
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I’ve updated from a Nolan N44 EVO to a Nolan N70-2 GT. I might be a bit of a Nolan helmet fan – this is my third. Prior to the N44 EVO I wore a Nolan N43 Air. The N70-2 GT, like my previous Nolan’s is a modular helmet. You […]
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Japan is famous for it’s huge snowfalls but it might surprise you it also has a brief yet brutally hot summer. My home town summers hit 40 degrees, I’m accustomed to heat, but here the humidity is stifling. You perspire profusely as your body struggles not to overheat and there […]
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I recently picked up a new tank bag to see if this is an answer for carrying my camera gear. I’ve been on a merry-go-round with cameras since I returning to still photography from video. I progress from small pocketable models to bigger models and twice now ended up with […]
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Between Spring and Summer is Japan’s rainy season so it seemed a joke when the tv news announced it will be fine next week. However after checking the modelling on Windy this seemed true. Quickly assembling some routes sitting on the shelf from a previous washed out tour I packed […]
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Part 4 Leaving Amakusa I am riding across Kyushu to Beppu. I have abandoned my original riding plan due to the arrival of Japan’s rainy season (Tsuyu) a month early. I am fortunate to leave before rain and ride into fine but hazy skies. By chance I discover a nice […]
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I first started posting motorcycle photos and roads to the internet about ’95 – ’96, best I can recall. I had home internet around the time of Windows 95. Anyone remember the Start me Up commercial? Access was sold by the hour but there really wasn’t much content, WWW was […]
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