Motorcycling

A motorcycle can match a car in speed, but provides a sense of freedom to get around both in cities and the countryside. Motorcycling allows you to be immersed in your surroundings as you travel so that, much like cycling, you are, "in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming" as Robert Pirsig wrote in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. On a motorcycle you can cover vast distances in a day, at speeds as fast as the freeways allow. Adventure touring motorcycles combine swift road speed, and cargo and passenger capability with some limited off-road ability, greatly expanding the potential scope and range of a trip, recreating the epic rides made famous in Ewan McGregor's The Long Way Round or Neal Peart's Ghost Rider.

You can explore a region on a rental motorcycle, or explore a city on a rental scooter, avoiding the need to ride or ship your own bike to your destination. But motorcycle touring requires detailed planning, careful packing, and a degree of personal resourcefulness beyond driving. The inherent risk of travel on two wheels must be given serious thought. Only experienced riders should attempt a trip far from home or lasting more than a day. Novice riders should develop their skills and get miles under their belt exploring their local area before attempting touring.