Looking for tips and tricks for touring

[CMCOFFEY]

I posted this in the Venture West thread.

 

I am a newbe when it comes to touring on motorcycles. so I have been doing a lot of research. I found this pretty good list of stuff to pack. it is going to be the starting point for my list.

 

http://www.motorcycletouring.us/pack_list.htm

 

any other tips or tricks from our more experienced guys would be greatly appriciated.

 

-Coffey

[Dale124]

I remember reading this a while back and thinking that this guy better be towing a trailer with all that stuff he listed. I read a book called "The motorcycle touring bible". There is a lot of good info in there.

Dale

[Brake Pad]

Remember touring doesn't have to be flying up the roadway, missing everything just to get somewhere. touring is back roads, see the sights, enjoy your travels, stop and talk to the locals. enjoy your memories:thumbsup2:

[TheCoffsKid]

Take all your old socks, undies, and T-shirts and dispose of them in the rubbish bins at the motel or camp sites.

 

You'll get lighter on the way.

 

Also use one of those vac-pac systems for soft clothes, saves a stack of room. One days clothes in each pac.

 

Cheers,

 

[RedRider]

Define what Touring means to you.

 

A long weekend of flower sniffing (2-300 miles per day) or a week+ of 600+ miles? Hoteling or camping? Only when warm or in all weather.

 

The packing list will differ.

 

RR

[djh3]

Coffey, I've done both ways. Flyin down the freeway making miles, and running backroads enjoying the sites. Sort of depends on what your planning to do.

[CMCOFFEY]

Define what Touring means to you.

 

A long weekend of flower sniffing (2-300 miles per day) or a week+ of 600+ miles? Hoteling or camping? Only when warm or in all weather.

 

The packing list will differ.

 

RR

 

 

Definition for this time is a 5 day trip through 4 states (one being California south to north). Camping in Oregon.

[RedRider]

Sounds like a fun trip. You should first pack me (snowed again here yesterday - aaarrrggghhhh!!).

 

I usually break my packing into 3 categories. Bike stuff, gear stuff, personal stuff. You have added Camping stuff.

 

Bike stuff - tools, tire plug kit with inflater, first aid kit, Plexus (small) and rag, 3 soft straps, extra headlight and taillight bulb, bike half cover. This usually fills my right (throttle) side saddlebag. We can go into a long discussion of tools to carry.

 

Gear stuff - Multiple sets of gloves - mesh, leather uninsulated, leather insulated, rain gloves, electrics (if so equipped), rain suit (unless your everyday riding apparel is waterproof), extra helmet visor, boot rain covers, sweatshirt/pull over, electric jacket liner (if equipped), neck gator, small atlas or maps of states you are traveling through (even if you have a GPS). This all goes in the left saddlebag.

 

Personal stuff - Clothes, shoes (don't overpack shoes. Tennies and flipflops cover everything), toiletries, etc. Goes in the top box.

 

Camping gear - tent, sleeping bag, Thermarest. Strap to luggage rack. Pack food and camp stove where it will fit. Extra bottles of water to fill openings.

 

Personal items can also go in a tank bag - camera, phone, sunscreen, sunglasses, bug spray, notepad and pen, gum/candy, jerky, bottle of water, wiping towel.

 

Yes, it will all fit. Keep track of what you pack and what you end up using. After two or three trips you will have your list well defined and will find a place on the bike for everything you need. There is a LOT of storage on these beasts.

 

Lastly, don't over think it. We are in a great land that has Walmarts every few miles. If you need something you didn't pack, no problem.

 

As my wise father says, best things to pack are a phone and a credit card.

 

Have a great trip.

 

RR

[djh3]

Yea I forgot the tank bag when I sent you the PM yesterday. I have a Cortech which they dont make anymore. This one looks OK. I prefer the expandable ones. Mine is actually 2 separate bags you can put together and get like 30L of storage I think. If there is a Cycle Gear store by you they usually have a decent selection of bags for a good price. Mine is a magnetic. If you get a magnetic make sure it has a tether strap. A friend of mine bought one a couple years back and his magnets were not strong enough to hold it fast at highway speeds and it moved around on him.

[XV1100SE]

Some of the deciding factors have been listed but the major deciding factor is..... are you riding solo ?

 

I've gone to maintenance day before solo and stayed in a hotel and another time camped at Freebirds. Riding solo and hoteling it for a few days, the saddlebags/trunk/trunk bag is fine. When camping and carrying a tent/sleeping bag/ground mats/stove... best way is to pull a trailer and don't overload the bike.

 

When the wife goes with you on a multi-day trip.... trailer is required without question.

 

When Nancy and I did our four week trip West last summer I set the ground rule that we would each take five days worth of clothes and use laundry facilities every four or five days. That helped to keep things in perspective and limit how many clothes we carried.

 

Put together what you think you will need.... then take out 10-20%. People always take too much.

 

For riding gear, multiple types of gloves (cool weather, full leather, fingerless), comfortable riding boots that are water proof, and a jacket that has thermal and rain liners that are easily removed. We both have Tour Master jackets and not having to pack multiple jackets saves a lot of room.

[bongobobny]

Brake Pad makes an excellent point!! Touring is just that, touring! Warp driving down the superslab with a time schedule is NOT touring!! That's a pre-decided destination that you chose a motorcycle to reach. Touring, on the other hand may have a specific destination but with a very loose time frame. With touring, it's NOT the destination, it's the journey that matters!

 

That being said, first and foremost you need a good GPS. Also, as I have discovered, even a good Garmin Zumo can fail, so I also carry a spare cheap GPS just in case of emergency. A cooler rack on your trailer is a must!! Have some plastic cups, plastic silverware and paper plates! Obviously a first aid kit but also a baseball hat for sunny days, spare sunglasses, a swiss army knife and the famous leather-man multi tool. A good survival knife is not a bad idea as well. Bungee cords are a good idea as well. Tie wraps too!

 

I also carry an assortment of fuses, electrical splices, etc in one of those plastic organizers for electrical emergencies. My tool pack includes both metric and sae combination wrenches, regular and needle nose pliers, wire crimp tool, scissors, side cutters, metric allen keys, and screw drivers. It's also a good idea to carry a tire repair kit and a can of flat fix. A couple of led flashlights and spare batteries is a good idea. so is some spare gas!

 

Comfort creature features should include highway pegs or boards, a backrest, armrests for the passenger and a sheepskin. Good cup holders is also a must! Air wings and a vent on the windshield are important as well. Always carry your rain gear!!! You may want to install heated gear controllers as well. My wife's heated vest is always in the bike even in the summer! Also carry a spare set of riding gloves, especially if you encounter rain. Nothing worse than having to wear rain soaked gloves after it stops raining. Of course rain gloves help that but you never know!

[saddlebum]

With regards to a GPS, and whether or not you carry a cheap spare. Most of us today carry cell phones, which have GPS on them. You can also load a fully functional GPS app on both i-phones and android phones from Tom Tom. The app runs about $65.00 and has free life time maps. It also does not use up Data. I Imagine Garmin must have something similar.

 

Now whether you feel the need to carry a spare GPS or not I still recommend carrying an old fashioned compass and paper maps in a water tight case. Electronics require Battery's which run out and a compass does not.

 

As far as mattresses go, an air mattress will pack up smaller than the thermo-rest types and today their are some supper light weight ones that pack up very tiny.

 

Supper small one or two man tents are great and pack up small but if you have to sit out a couple days of bad weather you may want to consider something a bit larger that you can sit upright and comfortable in.

 

If you feel the need to have some sort of chair along for sitting in look at the more compact backpacking styles like the Helinox folding chair. this one packs up int a little bag about the size of a thermos bottle and is quite comfortable to sit in.

http://www.mec.ca/product/5031-086/helinox-chair-one/.

 

Even the small pocket folding stool from stores like wall-mart for about $7.00 can add a touch of comfort without packing bulk.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/As-Seen-on-TV-Amazing-Pocket-Chair-Stool-2-Pack/16609875

Edited April 17, 2014 by saddlebum

[Eck]

Touring to me is as some have mentioned above..

Getting on my wing and taking off.. I may have a direction in mind, but no actual destination to get to at a certain time. Only time concerned with is being off the road that day before sundown, and that is where some pre-planning comes in where I have already looked for motels and towns prior to starting up the bike that morning in the direction I had in mind. I could travel 100 miles or 300 miles and be satisfied for that day's ride, because I stopped to smell the roses, I sat on a bench and talked with a stranger, I ate at some mom & pops place that most would never even look twice at, or I sat on a rivers edge tossing rocks in the water for a while, relaxed with no pressure to be somewhere, just enjoying mother nature at it's best.

I have found that back roads are the best roads when touring, doing what I can to stay off all super slabs. When I come to a "T" in the rode, I just pic a right or left turn. WHO CARES....A lot of times my GPS is turned off. As the day passes I will turn the GPS on to see where I may be at, pic a direction, and turn it off again.

 

After one takes two or three tours on a motorcycle he will know what he needs and why.

Many times I carry items that I will never need, but I have found that when I do use a item to help another, I gained a friend. One who may stay in touch with me or one that might just make mention of me during a conversation with another biker. Hopefully that mention is a good one.

If I can see or learn about a place or person, I have toured that day.

[bongobobny]

Exactly why I carry SAE tools as well as metric Eck!!!

[Brake Pad]

2 weeks on the road, 4.5 days to get to location, just any road that said north on it was close enough for me. no plans, only if rain became an issue. ( and there was that one tornado warning), but I scooted north of the storms-Thanks storm tracker on my GPS system)

plained to ride 300 to 350 a day, weather permitting. two up pulling a loaded trailer, about 170 miles to the tank. speeds of 35 to 65, best gas run was 230 miles ( at 35 miles per hour) and a 14 hour day.

if you like to camp KOA is the best way. sites are 17 to 22 a night power and electric.

[Dragonslayer]

A trailer is a must especially if your camping but, the what to take list is pretty much about your personal needs and preferences. Experience will tell you in a hurry what to take and what is a waste of space. Think through every item on the list. Space and weight are key factors in making your selections. The objective is to stay warm, safe and dry no matter where you find yourself on the open road.

[Dragonslayer]

Remember touring doesn't have to be flying up the roadway, missing everything just to get somewhere. touring is back roads, see the sights, enjoy your travels, stop and talk to the locals. enjoy your memories:thumbsup2:

[cowpuc]

A trailer is a must especially if your camping

 

I agree,, unless you dont mind people pointing and laughing a lot:rotf:

On the same token though,, if your going off roading on your Venture a trailer can really work against you.. Pretty depends on what you are looking for in your ride experience..

[Dragonslayer]

I agree,, unless you dont mind people pointing and laughing a lot:rotf:

On the same token though,, if your going off roading on your Venture a trailer can really work against you.. Pretty depends on what you are looking for in your ride experience..

You are absolutely right except that I learned early in my touring career that neither a 1st or 2nd gen are good choices for off-roading. Just saying. If you think picking one up on dry land is difficult. Try picking one up in the middle of a creek you tried to ford.

[The Tooch]

I agree,, unless you dont mind people pointing and laughing a lot:rotf:

On the same token though,, if your going off roading on your Venture a trailer can really work against you.. Pretty depends on what you are looking for in your ride experience..

 

Puc how do stop your bike from doing wheelies?? Packing like that!!

[Eck]

Exactly why I carry SAE tools as well as metric Eck!!!

 

 

I carry both for the same reason also Bob. I enjoy helping others anytime I can.

One thing I don't carry is wax but I know someone who does..

I was able to get B2Dad on film, waxing my Goldwing at a motel in TN.

All I can say is ...that is a friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks B2Dad... you done good!

[cowpuc]

Puc how do stop your bike from doing wheelies?? Packing like that!!

 

I have a you tube video that Tippy took of me on "Tweeks" (our bike) out on the Bonneville Salt Flats at 124 mph loaded up just like that,, rides great...

I know it looks funny (get a lot of people pointing), unstable and wheelie prone (I love riding wheelies anyway but Tippy aint to fond of em) but its really very stable the way I have it set up.. What you see on the back is a little two man tent (I get em from Menards), a piece of 1 inch "egg carton" hospital foam on its floor, two sleeping bags zipped together laid on top of the foam, couple small pillows, 1 fresh change of dry clothing - fold the tent in half and roll it up.. It looks big and heavy but its surprizingly light, probably 25 pounds max..

Been riding cross country for many years and I have found,, for me,, this works AWESOME.. We spend alll day in the saddle,, chase the sun from up to down, pull into a Walmart parking lot at 2 a.m. beat tired from a 1000 mile plus day, stop the bike, unsnap the tent and unfold it and literally be on that Walmart lawn inside of a sleeping bag within 5 minutes of stopping the bike sleeping right next to the bike (cant set up a tent on their lawn - but in cases that we do set up the tent its no more than another 5 minutes even in the dark)..

When I ride alone I take that same tent package, leave my trunk at home and strap the tent on the riders seat to lean against,, that also works great.....

Probably all sounds crazy but welcome to "Cowpuc Logic"....

 

Now that maintenance department (saddlebag on the right),, that sucker there tips the scales at over 60 pounds,,, wheelieing aint the problem bro,, fighting going in circles on loose sand is WAY more my concern :rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf:

[aharbi]

Don't bring tools you don't know how to use. Don't bring tools to take apart something you have no idea how to fix.

 

It's less expensive to buy new undies and socks at WalMart then pay to wash them.

No one can find out what you smell like at 70mph

a credit card and cell phone can fix anything

If you're warm and dry you can drive thru hell even in the rain

Make a few test runs, take notes on what works and what doesn't

I use crocks as slippers, beach shoes, sandals, etc. they weigh nothing, can get wet

only pack what will fit in the bike trunk/saddlebags, I pack a cover and my crocks in a trunk rack softbag. Much lighter up high bulky items.

Enjoy the ride.

[Carbon_One]

Puc how do stop your bike from doing wheelies?? Packing like that!!

Yes he must be awful light on the throttle on take-offs.

[Barrycuda]

Puc,

First glance, has me thinking you're a homeless guy. I wouldn't be able to sleep soundly in a parking lot. Then again, after 900-1000 miles, I just might...