Lone Rider MotoTent with R18B

Kickstand_Down

Kickstand_Down

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Looking to upgrade from my little 2-person tent for next Spring. This is the first time I’m on a bike that 1) isn’t potentially going off road, 2) is large enough to “glamp” with.

I’ve seen several prominent YouTube folks using this Lone Rider MotoTent. I definitely like the idea of something that’s a bit more than strictly for sleeping, more space, tall enough to stand up in, and potentially garage the bike. I’m curious if anyone here has experience with one. The advertised “garage” length is 95”, while the R18B is 100.8” in length. Not sure if 95” is absolute max or whatnot. I have seen folks use it with new road glides, which I believe are 95” in length, but don’t know if they were maxed out.

Anyway, be curious to know if anyone has experience with that tent or any other “garage tents” on the market as they relate to big bikes.
 
Is the tent for you or the bike?

I've camped out at the majority of the State and National Parks in and around AZ, UT, NV and CO on a HD Street Glide.

One side case was mostly dedicated to a HALO 4 tent, and sleeping bag... The other case was some clothes, food and toiletries...

Maybe pack an outdoor bike cover if that's the goal - covering the bike when out camping in damp weather?
 
Scott Semone said:
Is the tent for you or the bike?

I've camped out at the majority of the State and National Parks in and around AZ, UT, NV and CO on a HD Street Glide.

One side case was mostly dedicated to a HALO 4 tent, and sleeping bag... The other case was some clothes, food and toiletries...

Maybe pack an outdoor bike cover if that's the goal - covering the bike when out camping in damp weather?
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It’s for both. Basically a tent with a large tall vestibule with doors on both sides you can park the bike in/use as a porch.
 
The B/TC side cases have less carrying capacity when compared to the HD Street Glide carry cases. Probably worth packing up your bike in the driveway as a test run; in order to see what fits, and what will be left behind... Covering the bike is most likely not going to happen; I don't think I would be able to duplicate my stored gear from my past trip, with my present R 18 B, definitely going to be tight storage-wise.
 
If I was setting up camp for a base to then explore an area for several days I would consider one, but a good, free standing tent that I can set up and take down quickly is my preference especially when Murphy's Law has me running late, in the dark and/or raining when that last thing I need is to be fiddling with anything extra. I use a "half" cover for the bike on trips as it takes up little space and covers the main bits without worrying about waiting extended periods for hot exhaust to cool before use. Bulk and weight are still in the "less is more" category even on these big bikes.
 
Kickstand_Down said:
Looking to upgrade from my little 2-person tent for next Spring. This is the first time I’m on a bike that 1) isn’t potentially going off road, 2) is large enough to “glamp” with.

I’ve seen several prominent YouTube folks using this Lone Rider MotoTent. I definitely like the idea of something that’s a bit more than strictly for sleeping, more space, tall enough to stand up in, and potentially garage the bike. I’m curious if anyone here has experience with one. The advertised “garage” length is 95”, while the R18B is 100.8” in length. Not sure if 95” is absolute max or whatnot. I have seen folks use it with new road glides, which I believe are 95” in length, but don’t know if they were maxed out.

Anyway, be curious to know if anyone has experience with that tent or any other “garage tents” on the market as they relate to big bikes.
Click to expand...
I have the Redverz which is the original design that LoneRider ripped off. It’s a great tent, but I wouldn’t suggest it unless you’d be staying at the campsite for a few days, as the setup & tear down time can be significant. It’s at least 20 minutes to get it setup with all guy lines and similar amount of tear down & pack up time. To put it in context, my Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 takes <10 minutes to setup with the rain fly. My Wingman of the Road Toucan is the fastest of all… it’s <5 minutes and that has my sleeping pad & bag already in the tent. I got that to use with my R18. Looks great on the bike.

I’ve used the Redverz a lot with my GSA & a R1200R. The GSA is a big bike, but is about 200mm shorter than my R18 Classic. The GSA fits, but there isn’t a lot of room on either end. I don’t think my R18 would be able to fit with the garage doors zipped closed. As a base camp tent, it is great. I loved it with my GSA when I would change into off-road gear standing in the tent. It is certainly the closest to “glamping” of any shelter system I’ve used. But I have to say, my Wingman of the Road Toucan is my new favorite. It’s super fast to setup, the canvas body keeps light from popping in at the crack of dawn and regulates temperature better than a typical tent (not as hot in summer, nor as cold in winter). The built in sleeping pad & bag is very comfortable. Only in my hammock have I had a more restful sleep camping than in the Toucan.
 
nielsm said:
I have the Redverz which is the original design that LoneRider ripped off. It’s a great tent, but I wouldn’t suggest it unless you’d be staying at the campsite for a few days, as the setup & tear down time can be significant. It’s at least 20 minutes to get it setup with all guy lines and similar amount of tear down & pack up time. To put it in context, my Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 takes <10 minutes to setup with the rain fly. My Wingman of the Road Toucan is the fastest of all… it’s <5 minutes and that has my sleeping pad & bag already in the tent. I got that to use with my R18. Looks great on the bike.

I’ve used the Redverz a lot with my GSA & a R1200R. The GSA is a big bike, but is about 200mm shorter than my R18 Classic. The GSA fits, but there isn’t a lot of room on either end. I don’t think my R18 would be able to fit with the garage doors zipped closed. As a base camp tent, it is great. I loved it with my GSA when I would change into off-road gear standing in the tent. It is certainly the closest to “glamping” of any shelter system I’ve used. But I have to say, my Wingman of the Road Toucan is my new favorite. It’s super fast to setup, the canvas body keeps light from popping in at the crack of dawn and regulates temperature better than a typical tent (not as hot in summer, nor as cold in winter). The built in sleeping pad & bag is very comfortable. Only in my hammock have I had a more restful sleep camping than in the Toucan.
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Great info thanks! I emailed Lone Rider on the length issue, but haven't heard back yet. The purpose of a new tent/more tent is really to be able to attend more campground events that are generally 2-3 nights. Definitely not a cheap tent, but I would just prefer to be more comfortable and forego the hotel/AirBnb (if that's even possible, a lot of events are just middle of nowhere camp grounds).

I was entertaining the idea of grabbing the Wolf whatever cheap version ($200 on amazon) to see if I cared for the whole concept. Unfortunately, not having optional mesh/solid doors is kind of a deal breaker when I spend months in 90-110 degree days a year. The Lone Rider return policy seems ok, so may just snag it with the Black Friday discount, immediately set it up in the garage, if the bike doesn't fit, forget it, bigger/nicer tent and take the bike cover with me.
 
The need to cover the bike while camping is completely foreign to me; however, I like the idea of a half bike cover which someone mentioned earlier. (BobW)

Me personally, I want something that sets up fast and easy (5 to 10 min.) with a single person; practice setting up the tent in the backyard will help once out on the road. Also, it has to break down and be extremely small in size; storage on the B/TC or any bike is going to be extremely limited.

All of my sleeping bags are down types, and rated for different temperatures; they are extremely light weight and can be packed down to an amazingly small size. I also have a Thermarest cot which gets your body off of the ground and is extremely comfortable; which also breaks down and can be packed into the HD Street Glide side case (I haven't tested this on my R18 B case)

It looks like you can get the Wolf from Amazon for under $200; I had to look in order to better understand the desire to cover the bike.... I still don't get it..

Screenshot_20221124-052946~2.png
 
Scott Semone said:
The need to cover the bike while camping is completely foreign to me; however, I like the idea of a half bike cover which someone mentioned earlier. (BobW)
Click to expand...

The main benefit is to be in the shade when setting up the bike (more for technical dirt where I move handlebars on the GS) and if you need to work on the bike when it is raining.

TBH, I’ve had the Redverz for a decade and won’t buy another when it wears out. It’s as big as the Toucan packed up and that includes a sleeping pad and bag and is canvas. The toucan can attach to your bike to cover a bit of the seat if you want to keep it dry and it is very comfortable sleep.

For true adventure trips like BDRs on the GS, I’ll use my Big Agnes or my Warbonnet hammock setup as they both pack much smaller and weigh less which is a plus on dirt. On the R18, I don’t care about the weight as much, so the Toucan is my go to. It’s the fastest setup of any and super comfortable.

The garage tents are cool ideas, but the trade offs aren’t worth it to me most of the time.
 
nielsm said:
The main benefit is to be in the shade when setting up the bike (more for technical dirt where I move handlebars on the GS) and if you need to work on the bike when it is raining.

TBH, I’ve had the Redverz for a decade and won’t buy another when it wears out. It’s as big as the Toucan packed up and that includes a sleeping pad and bag and is canvas. The toucan can attach to your bike to cover a bit of the seat if you want to keep it dry and it is very comfortable sleep.

For true adventure trips like BDRs on the GS, I’ll use my Big Agnes or my Warbonnet hammock setup as they both pack much smaller and weigh less which is a plus on dirt. On the R18, I don’t care about the weight as much, so the Toucan is my go to. It’s the fastest setup of any and super comfortable.

The garage tents are cool ideas, but the trade offs aren’t worth it to me most of the time.
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Yea, the main complaint I saw (and agree with) is that a 12lb 8x24 packed tent is too much for adventure riding. Since that's not what my R18B will be doing, I grabbed one (yesterday for $480) after chatting with their customer service on the length issue. I'm not sure how much I'll use the "garage" for the bike necessarily, but an integrated 3 door covered space to keep from getting us wet/provide shade is really appealing when I have no desire to prove how hardcore I am with my sticks/tarp. A little comfort goes a LONG way with camping.

Alternatively, the "why cover your bike" comment. Well, I frankly work really hard for my money, and am absolutely gutted when someone other than me scratches/dents/molests/whatever any of my vehicles. I park everything far from the first open spot in a parking lot, whether it's my shiny new truck or my 1986 MR2 with shitty original paint.

Being at an outdoor event with fairly close camping quarters, and having some drunk wiener stumble past my tent to take a piss at 2AM while scraping his fist full of chunky rings, jeans with a chain or whatever hanging off on my saddle bag, is something I'd like to have the option to prevent. Sure, I could pack a bike cover, but I'd rather have the living space and choose.
 
LCRC18B said:
Seems like a nice tent. I'd use the garage for my gear to leave more room in the tent for me.
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For Moto camping, a vestibule is a must have to me. My Big Agnes has one & I can keep all my riding gear covered from rain. With my hammock, I use a gear hammock hanging underneath me to store my gear since it’s protected by my main hammock & the tarp.

That being said, the space in a garage tent for a vestibule is huge. I’ve actually setup a few camp chairs and hung out with riding buddies during a rain storm in the main vestibule (there are two one near garage the other on the side of the sleep area). For a base tent where you’ll be somewhere for several days camping, it’s tough to beat… BMWMOA rallies are a good example.
 
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