What have you done with your V-Strom today?

[Joe Rocket]

On the two up camping front.

1 A good tent
2 A blow up mattress (find room for the pump)
3 Good sleeping bags

Clothes of course but no choices like Mick says. Minimal kit otherwise. We do like to cook some meals but limited to one pot, one pan. Drink tea, coffee and wine from the same beaker (not altogether). Having said that I have a bespoke kitchen, a board on which I can lock a gas canister/stove on level ground. All the rest is luxury!

[mr_diver]

I tend to pack the small tent that allows me to be bit more flexible with the other items I wish to take. - I'm only planning the sleep in it and if you need living space if the weather is crap... why did you go there on a bike if the weather was that bad? I just take a trap to put up if it chucks it down.

I also like to plan my meals as I suffer with IBS, so hoping the local shop has something that won't make me spend most of the trip looking for the closest bog is a bit risky.

And then I tend to carry the beer with me - that way I can crack open a can even before setting up camp as I don't need to go anywhere... not every site has such a nice owner who offers free rides to the pub/shop in his taxi.

I'm no lightweight, the mrs is no rake, and we loaded the Wee and toured Scotland a few years back... blimey that was 9 years ago!  I think I worked out there was something like 60kg of gear.
Took a few miles to get used to the weight, but after say 50 miles I didn't notice too much.
By the time we were on our way back though mid Wales I was easily over-taking, even leap frogging a group of Germans on GS's. The ride leader held out a while until his group has fallen well back and he pulled over to wait for them. None of them were 2up or as heavily loaded.

Everyone looks at the 650cc bikes, as if they are the baby bikes and couldn't possibly do what the 1000cc does... any they'd be wrong. The 650 is such a good balanced package it does everything nicely.
I never felt I was wanting for anymore power. I've had a 1000cc bike for a few years now, but the Wee's and Glee's I've ridden in the last few years still make me grin and I'd happily have another one.

I've scratched the 1000cc itch and the novelty wears off after a while, plus the mrs out played me in bike trumps when she bought a GSX1400.

[Upt North]

Got it tested in Berwick-upon-the-Tweed and enjoyed the view.
Headlight was a little high but it passed, the adjusters look a git to get to but I'll be taking the plastics off soon to fit a marine 12V plug so I'll adjust it then.
Upt.

[nigel s]

8mm ratchet spanner reach up to in front of clocks ,fit it on, ratchet away while pressing forwards .Not much room so five ratchet movements and check.Can't remember which way is wot,but I got the answer to that here.Awkward but doable without removing anything.2017 on don't know about older.

[Rixington43]

110 miles around the usual haunts in The Peaks.
Photo by the bin at Monsal Head, Slithered sideways through the ford before the Swainsley Tunnel, cheese from Hartington, Lunch at Flash, Mortimer Rd up to the folks for a brew and then home.
Still fractionally too chilly for Ice Cream at Tagg Ln but it's imminent, I can feel it.

[Barbel Mick]

We were following a V-Strom that went down in that ford at Wetton Mill! Sunshine & low water makes for a very slippery surface.
But too chilly for ice cream?   

[Barbel Mick]

I knew I'd find it somewhere. I'm sure Froglodyte won't mind me sharing his video.

[Rixington43]

Oh dear, hope the Strom (and rider) were OK, it was a bit exciting.

[Barbel Mick]

Rider was uninjured. 
Broke his clutch lever & switch but managed to get home to Lincolnshire.

[Froglodyte]

That was a while back, Mick. I remember it well - Earthcore's Dovedale ride out, if I recall.

[Barbel Mick]

Correct Alan, five years ago, time flies! 

[nigel s]

yesterday but,ride out as part of my search for b road link ups,that is ways of getting to places without main roads.First bit was mains till bury st edmunds, then the wiggly bit.Came back a different way,stowemarket harleston,all good

[nigel s]

bacon n cheese turnover at my "local" wild bean cafe[40 miles away]
Then more wriggly bits using beeline in compass mode, bit damp but fun to be had.

[TLPower]

That is a rather impressive average mph there fella.

[nigel s]

TLpower. the second half of that run was on bypass home 76mph that will have helped but that particular b road bit was very open and no cars so that helps .Beeline in compass mode keeps finding these little roads,you don't have to follow the satnav if your enjoying it ,just head in the vaguely right direction.Now If sombody could build a bridge over the river yare I wouldn't have to use the bloody bypass.
ho hum

[MartinW]

Another little trundle around. Somehow I didn't fall off when my phone went ballistic in my pocket at 3pm, to tell me there wasn't an emergency and they would tell me if there was.

Almost doubled last years mileage too 

Just escaped the rain by a few minutes.

[nigel s]

just escaping the rain by a few minutes is definitely a win in my book.
ho hum
Here the met office lied ,I had at least an hour to spare.

[purplebikeunicorn]

I wish I could say I had escaped the rain on Sunday!

I can definitely say that my RST Laminated gear is waterproof, my boots maybe a little less so (although am still wondering if it was just purplebikeunicorn juice that had cooled down, as my feet weren't sodden).... sorry, graphic detail  Bike performed marvellously.

[nigel s]

purplebike unicorn juice !!!!!!
 ho and indeed hum

[rus998]

@ purplebikeunicorn, I used to hate touring with the wife on the back as she would fall asleep. On one trip from Belgium to Calais she missed the whole of France including an ice cream stop