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Copyright © 2000 by M. Hilton Taylor. All Rights Reserved by T.A.M.S. It ain’t rocket science . . . is it. |
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Packing for a motorcycle ride is quite different that packing for a weekend trip in the big SUV or van. The difference . . . room!! You have to get creative when you are packing the bike as you will not be able to bring along those shoes that match each outfit, hair dryer, curlers, computer, tennis racquets, and other non essential items. Your space is a premium, so you will have to resort to those items you must have. That does not mean you can’t take a few items to make the trip more fun. You just have to choose, unless you want to pull one of those cute little trailers. Those are the ones that could never decide and want to take it all. Here are a few tips that will help you. Decide first what you will need and lay it out. Then look at what you have laid out and compare it to the storage you have on the bike. If they match, hurray for you! This will not be the case most of the time. More than likely it will be like they say about your money; it seems you have more month than you do money. Motorcycle suitcases are different from those you put in the car. They are much smaller. You are usually limited to saddlebags, tail trunk, luggage rack, T-bags, windshield bags, and tank bags. It will not be all of these but some combination of them in most circumstances. Riding with a back-pack can be another method of carrying what you will need on your trip. Be sure to limit the weight so it does not upset your balance of that of the motorcycle. When I say back-pack I am not talking about one of the large type with and internal or external frame, I am talking about the type you would carry your books to school in. If you are not sure what that type is, just ask any kid that still attends school. Once you get the piles to match the storage space you need to be sure you don’t look like one those backpacking mountain mules. You now need to be sure you are not exceeding your bikes weight limits. Yeah, they do have a weight limit, so even though you have a place for it all to fit you may be over you weight limit. Be sure to include the weight of that tiny little passenger on the back. Check the manual for your bike to determine what that weight limit is. Once you have all of that worked out, let’s load it on. This is where those Boy Scout skills are a handy thing to remember. The only difference is using bungee cords instead of ropes. You want to try to keep the load as low as possible on the bike so it will not dangerously affect the ride. If you are riding two up you may want to leave a little room for the passenger and be sure you can see past the luggage in your mirrors. You laugh, but I have seen motorcycles going down the road that should be required to have flashing lights and a wide load sign. What do you actually need for an extended motorcycle trip? How much should you carry? While you are planning remember that since the invention of washing machines you can now wash clothes even if you are not at home. I know it is not much fun to wash clothes on your cool trip to the mountains but it will save you some space for those dust collecting souvenirs you keep on the coffee table. You can also ship some clothes to a destination and then switch out and ship what you have been wearing or dirty clothes home. Here are some suggestions for you to consider as a good selection of clothes for the ride:
If you are planning to camp along the way choose a smaller lightweight tent and leave the chairs and lantern at home. There are some very small hunting stools that fold up very compact that you use instead of chairs. A fleece blanket that is folded and sewn up across the bottom and half way up the side makes a very good sleeping bag that is easily packed and warm on the cool nights. If you sew it all the way up the side you will discover on the first night why you should not have done that. You can also find at any outdoor shop the self inflating sleeping pads that are light and roll up really small. Here are a few items you might want to consider including in your own personal motor-touring packing list: All you have to do is check all of the bolts and screws on the bike on those items where you could do a roadside repair. You will probably not do engine work on the side of the road and more than likely will not change tires. So look over your bike and gather up tools for the screws and bolt you could tighten or replace on the road. You will probably need a small pair of locking pliers, Phillips screwdriver, flat head screwdriver, a few allen wrenches, maybe a few torx drivers, and a few wrenches of a few sizes. Try to find multipurpose tools. Some of the items you will have to repair while on the road will vary from bike to bike but some of the most likely are: Tighten the windshield bolts Tighten the mirrors Tighten drain plugs Engine case bolts Levers Seats Backrest Luggage racks Kickstand or jiffy stand Change fuses Cable adjustments Shift levers Accessories Engine guard |