I have experienced an engine stall problem on my 2014 Yamaha FJR1300 for a number of years but now seem able to manage the issue. The exact nature of stalling was as follows: Engine from cold starts fine and runs at a fast idle then continues to idle ok at […]

As experienced on a Yamaha FJR1300 I have completed 100,000km touring Japan on my 2014 Yamaha FJR1300 and used a number of tyres over that period. It has been a few years since I last posted my tyre comparison so here is a quick refresh. The tyres used are as […]

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 […]

This winter instead of being in SE Asia I found myself in Japan but I have been getting out for small local rides on the coastal roads that remain free of ice. Whilst the temperatures can be cold the right gear makes all the difference and the item I found […]

You probably never will. They are there and they work. Eyes you will think about. You know you need a helmet shield, goggles or safety glasses otherwise without protection your eyes will be damaged. Same applies to your hearing. Personally I enjoy the zen of riding. Open road, machine and […]

How much you need navigation depends where you ride. I never used any prior to my first ride outside Australia and I could navigate regional Philippines with offline maps, but things ramp up. Riding through Europe or large cities in Asia you appreciate navigation and in my experience phone apps […]

On my Autumn tour I wanted to ride directly north via the Tokyo expressway. That runs underground extensively where a traditional GPS has no signal but some phone navigation apps work underground using cell tower signals so it seemed an opportunity to revisit phone based navigation half a day for […]

Topaz Sharpen AI I mentioned on one of my rides I was testing Topaz Sharpen AI software and thought it worth a post about that and a related program Gigapixel which I am finding useful. Post from RICOH THETA. – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA Sharpen AI software from Topaz […]

If you own a Jet style helmet with a ratchet type strap rather than the D type strap then it can be a challenge to secure these using the strap. It’s not something I have needed to do frequently but in some locations I really want to leave the helmet […]

One thing that is on my mind a lot recently is getting a flat tyre on tour. In the past riding with tubeless tyres this had never troubled me. I always carried a tubleless repair kit which I still do here in Japan with gas canister although I have breakdown […]

I wrote an article about my packing for the multi country ride I made to South Africa and Oman awhile back and what to take is something people continue to ask me about. I just threw all my gear together for a short ride in Vietnam and took some photos […]

Securing a bag to a bike is simple thing, but I have a couple of tips. I have tried numerous types of straps, flat, round, thin and thick. The most versatile I have come across is the design below. This is a 2 metre stretch cord with two additional sliding […]