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Sometimes the world is best explored on two wheels.
From the Pacific Coast Highway through California, to The Great Ocean Road in Australia, there are many incredible stretches of roads that are best explored by motorbike. I’ve been lucky enough to hit the road on several motorcycle adventures and was bought up by a die-hard motorbike enthusiast.
When I was a teen, me and my pop would hit the road on two-week long adventures through Europe, camping out under the stars with our trusty bikes kept safe in a motorcycle tent.
Being gear nerds, we tested out a few backpacking tents, stoves and motorcycle camping tents and bivvys on our journeys, keen to keep our gear and motorcycles in tip-top condition but also trying to pack light. We then quickly realised that normal backpacking tents weren’t going to cut it and we needed a specialist motorcycle camping tent instead. We then decided to share our insights with you our dear and cherished reader…
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- Quick Answer: The Best Motorcycle Camping Tent
- Traveling With A Bike and a Tent
- 6 Best Motorcycle Camping Tents
- More Worthy Motorcycle Tents
- What To Consider When Buying a Motor Bike Tent?
- How and Where We Tested To Find The Best Motorcycle Camping Tent
- FAQ about the Best Motorcycle Tent
- Final Thoughts
- Buy Us a Coffee!
Quick Answer: The Best Motorcycle Camping Tent
- Lone Rider Mototent – Best Overall Motorcycle Camping Tent
- Snugpak Scorpion – Best Lightweight Motorcycle Tent
- Crua Hybrid – Best Hybrid Hammock Motorcycle Camping Tent
- Coleman Hooligan – Best Value For Money Motorcycle Tent
- Wolf Walker Tent – The Best Mid-Range Motorcycle Tent
- HIKERBRO – Sexiest Motorcycle Tent
- Jump to –> Motorcycle Tent Reviews
Lone Rider MotoTent
- Price: > $599
- Capacity: > 2 people
- Weight: > 5.44 kg
- Type: > Tunnel
- Fabric: > 210T Polyester
Coleman Hooligan
- Price: > $89.99
- Capacity: > 2 people
- Weight: > 3.5kg
- Type: > Dome
- Fabric: > Polyester
Catoma
- Capacity: > 2 people
- Weight: > 4.54kg
- Type: > Speed Dome
- Fabric: > Polyurethane
Wolf Walker Waterproof Motorcycle Tent
- Price: > $215.99
- Capacity: > 2-3 people
- Weight: > 6.7kg
- Type: > Dome
- Fabric: > Polyester
ALPS Mountaineering Compact Tent
- Price: > $129.99
- Capacity: > 1 person
- Weight: > 1.56kg
- Type: > Free Standing
- Fabric: > Polyester
Crua Hybrid
- Price: > $279.99
- Capacity: > 1 Person
- Weight: > 6.6 lbs
- Type: > Free standing or Hammock
- Fabric: > Polyester
HIKERBRO
- Price: > $89.99
- Capacity: > 2-4 person
- Weight: > 3.9kg
- Type: > Free Standing
- Fabric: > Polyester
Traveling With A Bike and a Tent
Personally, I think travelling by motorcycle is one of the best ways to explore a place or country. You can venture off the beaten path and discover your own secret, hidden gems. Get lost, find your own adventure and experience a new place at your own pace. At the end of your journey, you’ll have your own unbelievably crazy stories to share. But maybe wait till you’re finished, before telling mum and dad.
Adventure is everywhere, but it’s a hell of a lot easier to discover on a motorbike and if you are hitting the road for any real length of time, or with an expensive bike, it makes sense to protect your transport, and give yourself somewhere chill to sleep, with a motorcycle camping tent.
The main concern when choosing the best motorcycle tent for your adventure is finding one that fits your needs and onto your motorbike. You need something big enough to protect your bike and still provide you with plenty of space to crash out in. Boom! We’ve done the hard work for you and found the best motorbike camping tent of 2024, check out the details below for a full breakdown…
6 Best Motorcycle Camping Tents
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Join REI Today!1. Lone Rider Mototent – Best Overall Motorcycle Camping Tent
Embark on your motorcycling adventures with the ultimate companion: the Lone Rider MotoTent. Specially designed for motorcyclists, this tent offers an unparalleled combination of convenience, durability, and spacious comfort, all while providing a secure and private shelter for you and your motorcycle. The MotoTent’s robust build withstands harsh conditions, ensuring you and your gear stay protected in any environment.
The MotoTent sets itself apart with its generous interior space, allowing enough room for you, a fellow traveler, and your motorcycle, without feeling cramped. Its straightforward setup and compact design make it a breeze to pack and carry, fitting seamlessly with your riding gear.
Despite its spaciousness and high-quality materials, the MotoTent remains competitively priced, offering exceptional value to riders seeking a reliable, all-in-one outdoor shelter. With the Lone Rider MotoTent, transform any spot into a comfortable camp, giving you the freedom to explore with peace of mind, knowing your motorcycle is covered and your nights will be comfortably spent under the stars.
AYAMAYA Motorcycle Tent – Runner Up for Best Overall Motorcycle Tent
If you are looking for something a bit more spacious than the top pick listed above, then check out the AYAMAYA Waterproof Motorcycle Tent. This tent has 4 openings so getting in and out is never a problem. In fact, it’s one of the best motorcycle camping tents out there if you’re looking for something with a bit more room.
Set off on your motorcycle journey with the AYAMAYA Waterproof Motorcycle Tent, a perfect blend of functionality, comfort, and value. This tent is designed to cater to the specific needs of motorcyclists, offering a spacious and secure shelter for both rider and ride. The AYAMAYA tent stands out for its robust waterproof capabilities, ensuring you stay dry and comfortable, even in the most unpredictable weather.
With ample space to accommodate up to 2-3 people and your motorcycle, this tent is about more than just sleeping; it’s about providing a safe, private space for you and your gear. Its easy setup and durable construction, coupled with a surprisingly affordable price, make the AYAMAYA Motorcycle Tent a top choice for riders seeking a high-quality, all-in-one camping solution.
2. Snugpak Scorpion – Best Lightweight Motorcycle Camping Tent
If you’re searching for a tent that has enough room for a stand-up party, the Scorpion 2 isn’t for you. However, if you’re looking for a lightweight, durable tent that’s practically bomb-proof, this is the ideal choice for your motorbike adventures.
The sleek design of the Scorpion 2 allows it to pack down to an incredibly lightweight 2.2kg and its compact size doesn’t take up valuable packing space. Albeit a snug fit, you can comfortably sleep two people with an additional front porch area perfect for storing your biking gear. With a built-in mosquito net and material to protect you from the worst four seasons of weather, you’re guaranteed a dry, bug-free night’s sleep no matter what the elements throw your way.
3. Coleman Hooligan Motorcycle Tent – Best Value For Money Motorcycle Tent
The Coleman Hooligan 2 offers a cozy and comfortable shelter with room for two and just enough space to store your gear. Its straightforward setup ensures you’ll be relaxing under the stars in no time, while the durable materials provide protection against the elements. Priced affordably, the Hooligan 2 represents exceptional value for campers looking for a dependable and cost-effective option.
Whether you’re on a weekend getaway or exploring the great outdoors, the Coleman Hooligan 2 tent is your wallet-friendly ticket to camping adventure. It’s all about simplifying the camping experience, allowing you to focus on what truly matters – enjoying the beauty of nature.
If the weather’s great and you feel like stargazing, just pull off the waterproof layer to reveal the night sky, without getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. The Coleman’s motorcycle tent is great with ventilation, so you won’t feel like you’re being cooked in the oven when it’s hot.
Best of all, the Coleman motorcycle tent is very lightweight and will only add 3.5kg onto your load, which is nothing! It’s quick and easy to set up this motorcycle tent and take it down. Included in the price is a one year warranty, so you’re guaranteed to get a good durable product for $74.99. Overall it has everything you could need for most types of motorcycle adventures.
4. Wolf Walker Waterproof Motorcycle Tent – Best Mid-Range Motorcycle Tent
For a step up from the Coleman, the Wolf Walker motorcycle tent is a solid choice. It’s a spacious tent built with bikers in mind so there’s plenty of room for you to crash and for you to store your motorcycle. This tent is made from durable, long-lasting material. Ensuring your protection from the weather, rain, hail or shine. Wolf Walker clearly put a lot of thought into the design to make it as functional and comfortable as possible. This is not the lightest tent on our list by any means (14 pounds), but it is one of the best value buys of any motorcyle tent I have seen.
This particular tent is compact and portable if you have a large bike, but can fit two people in here, plus a bike within the “garage” section It’s super easy to set up and use, likewise when packing it down. This motorcycle camping tent is the perfect balance of affordability, comfort and usability.
5. ALPS Mountaineering Compact Tent – Best One-Person Motorcycle Tent
The Lynx 1 is a high value one person tent which can withstand even the toughest conditions. We tested this tent out on a recent trip across Europe and were impressed – it’s quick to set up and the mostly mesh walls greatly increase ventilation meaning it was pretty comfortable to sleep in. One man tents are often pretty compact but this is one of the more spacious options that I myself have had a chance to take for a spin. Although this model doesn’t include a vestibule area to store your motorbike, just pair it with a motorbike tarp and you’re sorted!
Our minimalist team members loved this tent for backpacking motorcycle trips. There are plenty of people who like to bring along a tent to use more occasionally on their trip alongside staying in hostels and guest houses. With this tent taking up hardly any space at all it’s easy to throw on your bike and bring along. It also doubles as a great backpacking tent even if you’re not on a motorcycle trip.
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6. Crua Hybrid – Best Hybrid Hammock Motorcycle Camping Tent
For those bikers looking to take things minimal and super light, the Crua Hybrid is the ideal solution. This bivvy-style tent packs down super small and can be easily strapped to the back of any bike, even the tiny shit heap of a bike I rode around Vietnam for 7 weeks! So when every lb matters and you’re pretty much happy to pull up whenever and wherever the feeling takes you, this is the tent!
Not only is it designed to be a free-standing bivvy type tent, but its best feature is that it also converts into a hammock tent, and it’s super easy to set up as well. For motorbike touring this is a godsend because it means you can pretty much camp anywhere and it gives you heaps more options.
As I touched on above, the tent itself is really quick and simple to set up, whatever way you choose to use it, making it perfect for those spare-of-the-moment pitstops on the road. The material too is strong, durable and built to withstand weeks of constant abuse. Being on the smaller side you might wonder where your gear is going to go, well, fear not because the included vestibule area will easily fit your side bags, helmet and boots.
7. HIKERBRO – Sexiest Motorcycle Camping Tent
This HIKERBRO model is the perfect motorcycle camping tent for a small group travelling on two bikes, as it sleeps up to four people and provides protection for your Harley. It’s breathable in the heat with mesh roof panels and protects you from rough weather with its inside zipper storm flaps and rain fly. Unlike most other tents, the HIKERBRO was specifically designed to store your motorcycle and fits snugly on the back of your bike. You’ll be the envy of the campsite with this sexy-looking motorcycle camping tent!
Our team just loved how this thing looked, I mean, you’re already the coolest cat on the campsite if you’re rolling out from the HIKERBRO in the morning! Looks aside they loved how well even big bikes fit in! They found it was perfect for mates or partners with a bike each and offered great storage for heaps of gear too.
More Worthy Motorcycle Tents
High Peak Outdoors Motorcycle Tent
- Mesh ventilation
- CHEAP
- Water and wind resistant
- Ultra lightweight
- Bathtub floor
- Set up in 3 minutes
Coleman Tent Coastline
- Sleeps 3 people
- Heavy rain proof
- Two ventilation flaps
- Lightweight, flexible fibreglass poles
- Large porch for Motorbike
Coleman Evanston Motorcycle Tent
- Sleeps 6 people
- Front vestibule area to store small motorbike but limited protection from the rain.
- Vestibule floor has holes to drain water
- 4 large windows allowing for maximum ventilation
- Wind and water resistant
- Vestibule floor has holes to drain water
Lone Rider Mototent ADV
- Sleeps 1-2 riders
- Separate chambers for riders and bikes
- Extra vestibule for cooking, hanging gear, etc
- Built from flame-retardent materials
- Protective canopy
- 12 lbs/1.9 meters high
- 7-minute setup time
- Inner tent may be removed to increase space
Now, you could spend a fat chunk of $$$ on the WRONG present for someone. Wrong size hiking boots, wrong fit backpack, wrong shape sleeping bag… As any adventurer will tell you, gear is a personal choice.
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Buy on REI!What To Consider When Buying a Motor Bike Tent?
- Size
- Storage Space
- Sleeping Arrangements
- Price
- Weight & Size
- Water & Wind Resistance
- Ventilation
Size
The required size of your motorcycle tent depends on a few things:
- Motorbike size: To protect your motorbike from damage, store it in the vestibule area. You need to compare the dimensions of your motorbike with the vestibule area in your motorcycle tent, to ensure that it will fit.
- Storage space: Take into consideration how much storage space you will need for your belongings inside the motorcycle tent. You can always opt to keep your stuff stored on your bike or on the ground between the two wheels.
- Sleeping arrangements: Even though your motorcycle tent claims that it sleeps 4, it’s probably not true unless you like to sleep packed like sardines in a can. Based on experience, I’d say that a 4-person tent, sleeps two people comfortably with a little wiggle room.
Price
The best motorcycle tent is one that’s good value for money, especially if you’re on a backpacker budget! But don’t compromise price for quality, you need to find the perfect balance between quality and price when it comes to purchasing a motorcycle tent.
Weight & Size
Since you’ll be carrying your motorcycle tent on your bike, you’ll want one that’s not too heavy or bulky. Less than 8kg is an ideal weight for your motorcycle tent and it’s possible to get something much much lighter if you spend a bit more. Check your motorcycles estimated available load and weigh your gear, to ensure that you don’t overload the bike with your motorcycle camping equipment. If you do intend on packing a lot of stuff, consider investing in some panniers to evenly distribute the load.
Water and Wind Resistance
To prevent waking up in a puddle of water, ensure that your tent is water resistant. Most motorcycle tents are waterproof, but if you’re worried test it out first. The weather can be unpredictable, with storms appearing out of nowhere. That’s why it’s good to have a motorcycle tent with wind protection as the wind chill is what can make you seriously uncomfortable.
Ventilation
Ventilation is important to have in a motorcycle tent, especially in a hot climate. There is nothing worse than waking up dripping in your own sweat and gasping for fresh air. A mesh body and vents are great for ventilation and stargazing on nights when the weather is clear.
| Name | Capacity (People) | Weight (KG) | Type (ie, Dome) | Fabric (ie polyester) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lone Rider MotoTent | 2 | 5.44 | Tunnel | 210T Polyester |
| Coleman Hooligan | 2 | 3.5 | Dome | Polyester |
| Catoma | 2 | 4.54 | Speed Dome | Polyurethane |
| Wolf Walker Waterproof Motorcycle Tent | 2-3 | 6.7 | Dome | Polyester |
| ALPS Mountaineering Compact Tent | 1 | 1.56 | Free Standing | Polyester |
| AYAMAYA Motorcycle Tent | 3-4 | 5.3 | – | Polyester |
| Crua Hybrid | 1 | 2.99 | Free standing or Hammock | Polyester |
| HIKERBRO Family Tent | 3-4 | 3.9 | Dome | Polyester, Polyurethane |
| High Peak Outdoors Motorcycle Tent | 1 | 2.3 | – | Mesh |
| Bellamore Motorcycle Tent | 4 | 8.5 | – | – |
| Coleman Evanston Motorcycle Tent | 6 | 9.5 | Dome | Polyester Taffeta 75D |
How and Where We Tested To Find The Best Motorcycle Camping Tent
The only way to really test a tent out is to take it out camping for a few nights and so that is exactly what we did. In this case, we did a bit more than that and made sure to test out how these tents specifically held up to the challenges of motorbike camping.
In order to fairly and consistently assess and compare them to one another, our testers looked specifically at the following areas:
Packed Weight
When it comes to packed weight it’s important to know how much you’ll be loading on to the back of your bike. Whilst having an ultralight tent isn’t as important when motorcycle camping as when you’re on foot, it’s still a consideration.
A lighter tent means a more manoeuvrable bike and also means you can easily carry it if needs be.
Packability (Packing and Unpacking!)
No two tents are the same. Some are nice and easy to pitch and un-pitch, and others pretty much require a degree in engineering. So, in order for a tent to be considered one of the best tents for motorcycle camping it had to be easy to put up and pack away too.
Our testers awarded a tent points for being easy to pack and unpack and deducted points for being difficult. Fair enough right?
Warmth, Waterproof and Ventilation
When you spend a night sleeping in a tent, you really get to know it. No one wants to spend the night freezing their ass off, especially when you’ve got a long day of riding ahead of you. Equally, spending the night in a sweatbox of a tent isn’t conducive to a comfortable night’s sleep either!
Obviously, when assessing the warmth and ventilation capabilities of a tent our testers took into account the weather alongside the sleeping bag they were using inside each tent.
When it comes to testing out the waterproofing of each tent, we went old school and poured a bucket of water over each one if we were lucky enough to avoid wet weather whilst out in the field.
Spaciousness and Comfort
Tents are not exactly designed for throwing parties (ok, some are) but still, when it comes to motorcycle tents, we were keen to see how well they handled all our gear as well as those designed for storing our bikes.
Again, this is something you only really get a feel for after spending a night inside a tent and actually trying to get your bike inside it!
Build Quality and Durability
All of our testers were instructed to subject each tent to a good bit of “rigorous” testing! This meant zipping and unzipping, putting some pressure on the tent poles, and analysing the seam sewing as well as the thickness of the fly sheets and the general durability of the materials. A bikers tent goes through some abuse so it’s got to be durable!
FAQ about the Best Motorcycle Tent
Still have some questions about the best motorcycle tents? No problem! We’ve listed and answered the most commonly asked questions below. Here’s what people usually want to know:
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Final Thoughts
Motorcycle tents are well worth packing if you’re serious about your motorcycling adventures. Traveling with a tent, in general, comes in handy in so many situations and it’s worth splashing out a few extra bucks to protect your motorbike at night.
If you want to travel with the lowest weight possible, I recommend simply packing a tarp and bivvy style tent. Make sure you consider the size of your motorcycle camping tent, storage space, sleeping arrangements, weight and size, ventilation and water/wind resistance when determining what is the best motorcycle tent for you – but I’ll give you a hint, it’s the Lone Rider if you want the best of the best. Check out the Coleman Hooligan if you are on a budget.
Either way, we hope you found this post useful and found the best motorcycling tent for your needs.
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