it is really good to be back in California where I'm warm
here in Long Beach at the motorcycle show and it's a huge show this is the
first of five cities that I'll be doing with the show I'm doing a packing
seminar on adventure packing specific for weekend warriors and world travelers
different tips and tricks that I've learned over the years as an
adventure rider but most importantly I'm just really excited to connect with fans
down here I'm always just a little bit nervous for the first show but this is
going to be fun
what's not in this kit that I brought through Africa are th e parts that I
could not acquire in Africa that I knew I would wear out on the motorcycle. I had an
XT 600 I bought in Spain I sold the bike in Mozambique what I
couldn't find were sprockets, quality chains, brake pads and I knew I would use
all of those I wouldn't be able to find chain lube. those are the things that that
extra space is used for I just finished up a packing presentation here at the
International Motorcycle Show and what I have here is all of this stuff I brought
with me through a five-month trip in Africa I'll just show you the things
that I have and how I compartmentalize that obviously I carry an emergency tent
with me this is a two-person tent enough space for all of my gear if I need it
when I sleep I have a small compact bag and I carry a 20 degree liner the bag is
good for camping but the liner I use sometimes at hotels and also at hostels
as kind of a hostel sheet the other thing I carry for camping is just an
inverted bag with a fleece lining that turns into a pillow and that it also has
my sleeping hat so I stay warm and it has a lantern to keep light inside in
this bag I'm also going to keep my first aid kit on top that's why it's the last
thing I put in because it hopefully will be... NEVER be the first thing I grab out
and then I grab a stove this is a metal cup for hard boiling eggs making coffee
my stove is just an alcohol stove made out of aluminum cans and of course
because I'm comfortable or I want to be comfortable I have an inflatable... this is
a 3 inch inflatable mat that's also insulated so that's all of my camp gear
the other things in this bag is I've got a REI Flash - a really lightweight backpack if
I have to hike out someplace go grocery shopping it takes very little space it's
in the bottom and then my tool kit which I've already done a video on this goes
on the very bottom it keeps the weight low
and chances are I'm not going to need to grab it really quick so I bury that down
nice and deep my rain gear is always going to be on the outside because I
don't want to have to dig into it needs to be convenient so I don't hesitate
putting it on I've got rain pants a rain jacket and
then also my warm gloves are always going to be on the backpack or the back
pouch here where it's very very quick very easy to get to the other back pouch
on this one are the shoes that I'm wearing what's left over is my computer
I always carry a computer with me all of the charge cords memory portable mouse
all that goes down at the bottom now when I put the computer in what I do is
I make sure that I'm always putting it back against the hard edge that way if I
do fall down it's not going to flex or get damaged and then I'm going to take
my bag of clothes this is all of my clothes and I'm going to use that on the
outside of the computer to hold it into place that way if I do fall
it's not gonna damage the the computer this is a boot dryer I bring
with me my boots get wet that's never a good thing
all that's left at this point is one bag with insulation this is my liner for
going underneath the jacket that goes in here there's nothing else in there I
have a spare shield which would go on the top and then I have my camera with
an extra lens and that usually goes on top of the bike that's it guys that's
everything I bring with me I have enough stuff here to go to a nice dinner and
look good I have enough stuff to be clean I can be comfortable on-site what
I'm when I'm camping I can fix the bike if I have a problem I could take
care of medical emergencies if I'm there if the bike breaks down I have
everything in there to fix the bike these are the essentials here's a protip
take all of your electrical items and rewire them to have the same plug I use
an SAE plug so my power converter my boot dryers my GPS everything uses the
same plug set also cooking gear often you're going to pick up food along the
way you can live on boiled food and dehydrate if that's how you like but when I camp
I want real food we are adventure riders guys we do not have to
dehydrated food I go through a town every day I eat steak if I'm cooking in
camp that is proper I have bacon and eggs for breakfast that is proper I am
an adventure rider not a backpacker I don't have to carry it. I'm Bret Tkacs. I'm
at the International Motorcycle Show I am *almost* 50 that's as close as you
get to my age, and my very first experience was my brother putting me on
a 185 Yamaha in a foggy field full of orchard trees and apple trees sent me
out and said don't hit any trees I was successful and I've been riding ever
since what's the problem with face we use it exactly but there we need to fill
it finally I get to see the 10 or a 700 but I'm told no us-spec bikes here I
begged them to ride it and nobody gets to ride it not even the employees
however I do want to take a look at some of the specs here and a sport touring an
adventure touring 10 or a 700 and see what they're willing to tell us about
the the American bike they did tell me that we have three different colors but
that's not really what we're interested in specs that's what I'm interested in
take a look and see what they offer it's the important things now we know it's
fuel injected we know it's going to be chain drive here's what matters we have
a 21 of proper 21 on the front we have an 18 on the back our suspension is
basically adventure spec we're 8.3 on the front they're claiming 7 9 on the
back and ground clearance is nine and a half very respectable number nine and a
half inches and our seat height is thirty four point six there's no
horsepower specs here there's no fuel economy there's no weight but it is 4.2
gallons and if it's getting 50 miles to the gallon which is very realistic
that's theoretically a 200 mile range so let's hope that's what we're going to
get and they'll take a look at the bike well
here it is it's the bike we've all been waiting to see I always wondered why the
660 10 rate never came to the States turns out it was the cost of the
emissions to get it here but now we have the 700 and you know first impression
this bike it's narrow it looks like it's really going to make a difference and
we're not gonna get to riding they don't have any US spec bikes here if this is a
euro spec it's a simple bike there's it's not a lot of electronics to worry
about the key is just a standard key it's not a computer coded key it has ABS
it's on or off no traction control it's it's the market that is its kind of open
right now that KLR isn't being made anymore
the dr650 is is ancient and this one really fills that and under ten thousand
four lists this is why I really can't wait to get my hands on this and try it
out and see how it performs you know looking at it this has credible specs
it's an 18 inch rim on the back it's a 150 7018 gonna be really easy to find
good aggressive off-road rubber of course the front is a 21 it's running
pretty standard basically an adventurous back ground clearance it's nine and a
half inches respectable the back is supposed to be seven point nine inches
traveled the front is eight point three certainly respectable for adventure it's
not a hardcore dirt bike and you don't comparing this against the 790 not being
able to ride it I think they really are looking at different markets when you
look at the horsepower on this is down in horsepower but it's also less
expensive less technology it's a simpler bike there's a very specific type of
rider who's going to want this that's gonna be different from the 790 really
stands out to me the bike is narrow there's nothing hanging outside of this
engine it it feels when I'm sitting on it standing next to it like it's gonna
be great in the trails also I'm always looking at the things that are going to
be a problem if the bike falls down what are the things that I have to worry
about being damaged the radiator is tucked in really tight and the way the
body work comes on this I can't imagine this bike how many significant problems
with damage also it's a steel frame everything's
inside the frame but as an adventure rider if I'm traveling some of these
specs really stand out if I have a damage to the frame I can weld it I'm
not worried about a computer key or having a failure with antennas I'm not
worried about electronics getting in trouble it really does have some great
redeeming qualities and potential we do have inverted Forks of course it
adjustable this is and for a dollar under ten thousand I think they're
really priced at the right point I can't wait to get my hands on this and really
put it to put it to use I it when I'm looking at this and I'm thinking about
where the market is think Yamahas really got the right time to launch it at the
price point it is the KLR is done the dr650 is ancient it's the right price
and there's a very specific market that isn't there right now everything is
high-tech this comes in low-tech but it still has fuel injection it still has
you know the the modern counter balancers it has abs those are the most
critical aspects on a bike that the controls are clean I think the market is
right and I think it's the the proper target and price point
you