Packing your bike for a long ride

(8/25/2014) For as many long rides as I’ve taken, you’d think I’d be pretty good at packing by now. I’m not. I started out okay, but as the ride progressed and I pulled different items out of their respective bags, I was slack in putting them back on the bike, often relying on the webbing to hold items in place. I’d forgotten what strong winds and incessant vibration will do to poorly packed cargo. All small objects should be carried inside large, redundantly-secured bags.

I had two hats, an old helmet, and a bright blue plastic funnel blow off my bike during the trip because I failed to secure them properly.* Mitch was riding behind me when the helmet flew off; it freaked him out a little as it spllt into pieces on the pavement. (He’s learned to ride a safe distance behind me.) The funnel confused him because it was so brightly blue and flew into the air so quickly. He thought it might have been a blue bird.

And then there’s the issue of what to bring. For example, on my recent ride to British Columbia (BC), I brought my heavy leather chaps and never wore them. My Aerostitch Darien pants were enough for warmth and they doubled as rain pants. I wore long underwear beneath them when I rode through Canada’s Glacier National Park. And, the issue of how to pack and what to bring are related in that you want to have sufficient space in your bags on Day 1 to stow everything with a little room to spare, as you are likely to make some purchases along the way.

I’ve been learning slowly. My friend Mitch, on the other hand, is a master at packing a motorcycle. He amazes me at how efficiently he can pack a bike. I mean, he brought a chair with him and still had a leaner cargo profile than me. He’ll cut off the lower half of a toothbrush handle to save a little space. He sometimes reminds me of a magician the way he can seemingly pull an endless supply of stuff from his saddlebags at a campsite.

So, from my experiences—the good, the bad, and the ugly—especially those on my recent 7,000+ mile ride to BC, and what I’ve learned from Mitch, here are some tips I can pass along to you on packing your bike for a long trip.

What you should bring

Before you begin deciding on what you want to bring on the ride with you, set up a checklist for yourself. I use Microsoft Word to create a document with a table and in that table I actually put small boxes to the right of each item. Then the day or night before the trip, I check the boxes with a pencil as I place each item in a bag or on the bike itself. I divide items into categories to help me in my decision-making:

- Navigation/Riding
- Camping
- Medication
- Communication
- Transportation
- Protection
- Edification
- Miscellaneous 

Navigation

Do not rely solely on a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) device to navigate. If you have one, bring it. But bring paper maps too.  A lot can happen on a long trip, including the failure of your GPS unit; and the little gadget can give you confusing or erroneous directions. There’s no substitute for using your own eyes and a good old-fashioned map. Most states will mail you a map for free if you ask for one on their department of transportation (DOT) web site. Due to budget cuts, some states, such as Washington, no longer mail paper maps. However, they do offer electronic copies (PDF) of maps. which you can download to a smart phone, tablet computer, etc. You can also usually get a free road map at the welcome centers located in each state near their respective borders along major routes.

In addition to obtaining maps from the various states I expected to visit, I visited my local AAA office where a very nice lady put together a comprehensive travel plan for me. I stood with her for about an hour at the counter and then returned a couple of days later to pick up a package of maps and guide books. These were very helpful and more than justified my membership dues for 2014.

Camping

Camping can be a lot of fun if the weather cooperates and you have a good air mattress, sleeping bag, and tent. However, camping gear takes a lot of space on the bike, so only pack for camping if you are committed to using it. I also learned on this recent BC trip that if you’re planning to put two tents on a space at a place such as a Kampgrounds Of America (KOA), the cost is almost as much as a cheap hotel room. That’s something you should consider as you plan your ride.

Medication

You can usually stop at a drug store while on the trip, but it’s far more efficient to keep small quantities of some key medicines on the bike with you. For example, I keep ibuprofen and antacids handy. Immodium is also a good idea because as you eat in unfamiliar places, you may find you’ve eaten something that disagrees with your digestive system. Taking potassium or magnesium supplements with some fruit or other breakfast in the morning is a good way to avoid, or at least reduce, muscle cramps each day.

Communication

If you’re riding by yourself, communication devices are not so critical, though a mobile phone will sure come in handy if your bike breaks down. If you’re riding with others however, a mobile phone becomes much more important. For example, if you become separated from your comrades, a quick call or text can be used to establish a rendezvous point. This kind of thing has happened to me, and I can tell you that when you’re unable to contact the others in your riding group, it can become a very frustrating experience.

If you have a citizens band (CB) radio and others in your riding group likewise have CB radios, they offer a handy way to communicate while in motion.

Transportation

This category includes the things you need on the road to maintain your bike, and that includes cleaning it. I do not mean cleaning it in the sense of keeping it pretty. You should keep your lights and windshield clear for safety reasons. Cooling fins should also be kept clear of mud so they can do their job cooling your engine. Keep instruments and other critical points clean as well, such as your fork seals.

Here’s a tip I picked up recently from a letter in Motorcycle Consumer News: put hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in a squirt bottle and use it to remove bugs. I haven’t tried it yet, but the idea makes sense. H2O2 is cheap, and as far as I know, non-corrosive on your windshield and lights. The idea is that the peroxide gives up those extra oxygen atoms and oxidizes—and rapidly breaks down—the cells of the dead bugs, thus making if far easier to wipe them off your plastic, glass, and metal surfaces.

Here’s a topic that often generates an argument among bikers. When you pull up to a gas pump and your windshield is covered in bugs, do you grab a rag from your saddlebag and get it good and wet in the windshield washer fluid that’s usually available next to the pump? And the do you go to work on the lights and windshield? I do. Sure, the ammonia-based cleaner is not ideal for your plastic windshield; but if you’re riding 500, 600, 700 miles per day, day after day, alternative methods for cleaning won’t cut it. As for me, I ride so many miles, I simply buy a new windshield every few years. It gets scratched up anyway from road debris and contaminated rags.

When you have a choice, avoid ammonia-based products on your bike. On the other hand, I usually finish off the wash job with a light coating of spray wax—using a different rag.

Protection

Protect your body. Always bring a helmet, even if you avoid wearing one. They’re great for protecting your head, not just from going down, but from sun, rain, and debris flying through air. And you’re bound to encounter a state the requires one.

 

Always pack a rain suit, if you’re not already wearing it. I’ve gotten wet more times than I care to remember on rides that started with my saying, “It looks like we’re gonna be dry for the entire ride."

 

Bring sunscreen and bug repellant. Bring a long-sleeved, light-colored shirt. I wear such a shirt when riding in hot, dry climates. It’s actually more comfortable than going with short sleeves. Or, wear a mesh jacket if you own one and you’re going to be riding in warm/hot conditions; then you won’t need that shirt and you’ll be better protected.

 

This category, for me, includes clothing. Clothing is where I tend to fall short when it comes to packing. Try as I might, I also seem to pack stuff I don’t end up needing. On the BC trip, I actually did a pretty good job. Take footwear for instance: I wore water-resistant combat boots and packed a pair a sandals. I actually used the sandals a few times and the boots kept my feet dry in the rain.

 

If you buy good, synthetic underwear, you can pack just a few pairs and wash them at night in the hotel sink. They’ll dry overnight—sometimes. ;-)

 

If you pack extra footwear, remember to stuff garments such as socks or underwear into them to use that space. Try to avoid empty spaces. 

Edification

Bring something to read or an MP3 player to enjoy if you find yourself with idle time. Recently, my bike broke down in central North Carolina. A broken wire on the rear fuel injector left me stranded. While I waited for my brother-in-law to come with a trailer—a 90-minute wait—I was happy to have a cigar and the latest issue of The Scientist magazine. 

Tools

I’ve never listed tools on my main checklist because they are a given. However, I learned on this last trip that I should create and maintain a tools checklist. It turns out I didn’t have the size allen wrench I needed, but probably would have packed it had I used a checklist.

I’ve included a picture of my tools before I packed them. You can use this photo to begin planning your own toolkit. Here’s what’s shown in the photo, beginning at the top left and going right, and then again left to right on the lower row:

- Base tool kit, e.g., wrenches, screw drivers, etc.
- Black plastic electrical tape
- Duct tape
- Wire
- Hunting (“Rambo”) knife
- Bead-neck wrap for cooling
- Coleman 74-piece first aid kit
- Coleman water-proof matches
- Foam ear plugs (just below the matches)
- Kickstand plate (just below the ear plugs)
- Zip-ties (aka tie-wraps, cable-ties)
- Large phillips-head screw driver (to remove my seat)
- Flat wear for eating
- Spark plug socket
- Tubeless tire patch kit
- Adjustable wrench (below screw driver)
- Offset phillips head screw driver (for seat removal, among other possible uses)
- Needle nose vice grips
- Channel lock pliers
- Torx tip tools
- Hex tip tools
- Side cutters
- Plastic bag with sterile vinyl gloves for first aid, more ear plugs, etc.
- Aerostitch air compressor
- Fleece balaclava 

It’s impossible to take all the tools you might need because they won’t fit. Your bike probably came with a toolkit; start with that.

Do not pack what you do not need or cannot use. For example, if you have a Japanese bike, take only metric tools; don’t take wrenches, for example, that don’t fit your bike. The exception here is if you have a riding companion who could use English unit tools and you’re coordinating the tool load with him or her.

As you can see, I include a patch kit and air compressor. Fortunately, I’ve never had a flat while on a road trip. I’ve been lucky, and I replace my tires right away when the tread nears the wear bar.

I can tell you that more than once I have needed the zip ties and tape. I have also needed the first aid kit. Be sure you pack one and inventory its contents before you check it off on your packing list. Many items in a first aid kit degrade over time.

Ear plugs reduce fatigue. But here’s another great use: if you end up sharing a room with a guy who snores, use one or two, and get a good night’s sleep. Be sure they’re clean to avoid infection. (I’ve been careless a couple of times in that regard.) 

Where you should put it

Where you pack stuff is very important and should be governed by these two primary factors: (1) weight and (2) frequency of access during the ride. During my recent trip to British Columbia, I ended up relocating stuff because I realized I had put too much weight on the tour pack. I shifted the heavy stuff to the bag on the passenger seat. If that spot can hold a 150-pound person with no problem, it can certainly hold 40 pounds of camping gear, tools, etc.

My cargo is stored four areas:

1. Left saddle bag
2. Right saddle bag
3. Tour-Pak
4. Passenger seat/seat bag

Left saddle bag 

I keep my tools together in the left-side saddle bag, typically with my rain suit, though not on this ride. On this ride, I brought my highly-functional (and expensive) Aerostitch Darien riding suit, which also serves as a rain suit. I choose this spot for the tools and rain suit because this is the least accessible of the four cargo areas, and I ride with the expectation that I won’t need anything in that spot. :-)

Right saddle bag

This is the most accessible spot—excluding the relatively small outside pockets of my Saddleman bag on the passenger seat—and I therefore put the things I need most frequently in this “bag.” This includes my camera, cleaning products, rags, sunscreen, etc. 

Tour-Pak

Harley-Davidson calls that big trunk on the back of the bike the Tour-Pak. You may have a similar container that goes by a different name. Because I tended to stow some light things on top of the tour pack and cover them in bungee cords and a cargo net, the Tour-Pak space is difficult to access. In the future, I will use a cylindrically shaped bag designed to sit on the Tour-Pak and reduce the need for the bungee cords. Regardless, the Tour-Pak is relatively inaccessible once the bike is packed.

It is in the Tour-Pak that I store my clothes and personal care products, which I take into my tent or hotel room each night. The bag I used for this fits almost exactly to the inner dimensions of the compartment. I generally keep the Tour-Pak locked all day.

Passenger seat 

One of the best products I’ve ever purchased for a motorcycle is my Saddleman seat bag. It’s designed to fit precisely on the passenger spot of a Harley-Davidson touring bike. It has a large main storage area, very functional pockets on the outside, and permits the use of a pillow for a backrest, which I did on my BC trip. That same pillow is what I used in my tent to sleep.

I used the Saddleman seat bag to carry my sleeping bag, cooking gear, sweat shirt, and other various, small items. The Saddelman bag also has convenient straps on top to hold a bag. I used that to carry a Vietnam War-era US Army duffle bag in which I fit my tent and air mattress. These two items would not be adversely affected by rain, so the duffle bag on top of the Saddleman bag worked out great. Except in South Dakota, where we encountered 50 mph wind gusts for the entire afternoon. Then I felt like I had a sail on my bike. I’m just saying… ;-)  

Of course, the packing challenge rises to a whole new level if you have a passenger…and if she’s your wife…that’s outta my league…Mitch solves that problem by having his wife fly to the ultimate destination; and she is free to check luggage. ;-)

Keep the shiny side up!

-The Long Rider

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*For once, I didn’t have any important parts fall off my bike during the ride. I did lose a bunch of fasteners, but managed to hold my bike together in spite of their absence. (Remember to pack duct tape!)