Motorcyles?

**cyrus** · 1-Jan-2007, 18:31

I'm thinking of buying a bike. Do any of you carry your LF gear on motorcyles, such as the touring models? Any recommendations, do-don'ts, etc to share?

**OldBikerPete** · 1-Jan-2007, 18:46

I carry my 5x4 gear in a backpack and the tripod in its own bag also on my back. The bike is a BMW K100RT. I also carry a 35mm camera in a sponge-rubber block inside a tank bag. I have noticed some vibration effects with this camera.

**John Kasaian** · 1-Jan-2007, 21:57

I was into snortin' Norton Commandos for awhile back in the late 70's when I worked for a short time as a dispatch rider for a McClatchy newspaper. IIRC, the vibration alone could probably dismantle a Copal shutter! I don't know anything about other bikes.

Now a Super Cub, man that would be a great machine in which to pack a LF camera!

**Jay DeFehr** · 2-Jan-2007, 00:09

I ride a Kawasaki ZX10, and fabricated brackets that hold two pelican cases that will hold just about any kit I want to carry, as long as I'm shooting handheld. I'd have to build another bracket to carry a tripod, and I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Most of the time I just carry my XD-11 on my back.

Jay

**Steve Wadlington** · 2-Jan-2007, 00:16

I ride a Harley dresser and carry 35mm and digital over my sholder. I'm going to build a point and shoot 4x5 wide angle to carry the same way. Way to much vibration to carry them on the bike.

**Jim Rhoades** · 2-Jan-2007, 08:24

Two bikes and a scooter. The Gold Wing I carried a Crown Graphic for a long time, now replaced by a Horseman HD. The Horseman is even smaller, lighter and tougher. I use a small Gitzo tripod. On the Ducati I only use a point & shoot 35mm because they vibrate almost as much as a Norton. BTW, a '70's era Norton could turn a brick to dust in a hundred miles. Have a new Vespa that I'll take 35mm & MF. If you get a Bushtec trailer for a touring rig your wife can bring all the clothes she wants and you can take a 8x10 Deardorff. A Bushtec rides very smooth and will not bounce. You do not know it's back there. Until you try to park.

I had a BMW K75RT which is smoother running than the 100 flying brick model. In the tank bag it would vibrate the battery cover off a Lecia M and it sure loosened up a 135mm M lens. My Contax always held together. Never any problem with any camera on my Gold Wing. Because it's so small and tough I really like the Horseman HD for motorcycle travel.

Tank bags are handy for small or M/F quicky shooting. I would keep the camera on top of a sweater or sweatshirt. With L/F if it's a Gold Wing or BMW K1200LT it can be tossed in the trunk without to much trouble. Any other bike I would use some serious padding. With any other bike the best ride for the equipment would be in a duffel full of clothes bungeed across the rear seat.

**cyrus** · 2-Jan-2007, 08:32

So, so scratch that thought...

**Christopher Perez** · 2-Jan-2007, 09:02

Scratch what? The trick is to keep the rubber side down.

I used to carry MF and LF gear in Chase saddle bags on a 1975 Ducati 750 GT/Sport.

The bike was incredibly smooth and nothing ever dismantled itself.

There's nothing like riding 750 miles from Steamboat Springs, CO to Boise, ID in a 10hour day and not feeling 1/2 bad at the end of it. Oh, and having a load of images of vintage bikes to show for the effort.

**Gordon Moat** · 3-Jan-2007, 12:40

I currently have a 1992 Ducati 900 Supersport. With a LowePro backpack, I am able to carry either a full 35mm outfit, a medium format outfit, or a 4x5 outfit. The only tough item is the tripod. Ideally I would like to find a solution that allows easier carrying of the tripod on the motorcycle, rather than carrying it on my backpack or over my shoulder.

I think nearly any motorcycle would be fine for a somewhat compact outfit. The options to consider are carrying the gear on your body, or packing it into the motorcycle. A motorcycle with saddlebags or carrying racks might seem ideal, but might be less nimble. I have some RKA bags for my Ducati, and had some Eclipse bags before, but they are not very comfortable for carrying your gear once you remove them from the motorcycle. Downside of a backpack is that it creates more wind drag on you, which can be tiring over longer distances.

The advantage to me over using a car, truck, or van is getting easier access to some locations. The other thing I like is the ease of getting around traffic. Parking is generally easier too, though that is something more important for urban photographers.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

**Michael Kadillak** · 3-Jan-2007, 13:37

I have a KLR 650 that I purchased new last year specifically to scout for places to make photographs not the other way around. In the back country it gets great gas mileage, has excellent ground clearance and is about as big as I could want to consider for this function.

Taking LF with you on a big motorcycle singularly for the purpose of making photographs is logistically challenging at the very minimum. Weather is always a major issue (as opposed to drinking coffee in the cab of your pickup for the marvelous light that could happen when the storm passes) and you are inherently limited with your ability to bring equipment and are limited by minimal formats so what's the point. You need to get back to your fundamental objective as a photographer. If you want to ride motorcycles, by all means have at it. If you want to photograph, then make that your first priority and give you the best change to make stimulating images.

Out West particularly where there are plenty of back trails the optimal context for a motorcycle and LF is with a tow trailer pulling a light 250cc bike with a hand held GPS unit and a small digital camera scouting for places to photograph. Come back to optimal locations discovered when you have your full compliment of gear and the ability to be patient and wait for the right light and do it right.

Just my $0.02.

Cheers!