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How To Prepare And Pack For A Motorcycle Trip

Last Update: 5 November 2022

How To Prepare And Pack For A Motorcycle Trip - MOTORESS
How To Prepare And Pack For A Motorcycle Trip

When you become a motorcyclist there’s nothing finer than adding the pleasure of touring – travelling and vacationing by motorcycle (or scooter). And unlike the ease of tossing all necessity’s – and then some – into an automobile, when you prepare and pack for a motorcycle trip you need to think, plan and pack only the bare essentials. Space is limited so you need to travel light. Equally so – as you can’t overload your motorcycle as it will seriously effect handling and safety.  So the guiding rule truly is – “less is more”.  And actually,  living with less becomes part of the fun and adventure of touring by motorcycle!

How to pack and prepare for a motorcycle trip is even easier today with many great options – even if camping. There are even more choices when it comes to portable and small tent solutions. When purchasing motorcycle luggage there are a quite a few options to ensure you find the right type to hold all the belongings you wish to bring along. Everything does need to be stacked and positioned properly respecting your motorcycle type weight restrictions and balance.

These tips below will help you prepare for you motorcycle trip and make sure you travel safely.

PRE-DEPARTURE

Your motorbike needs a check before you leave to avoid surprises along the way. Certainly you can’t control everything – but starting any journey with a prepped, serviced and a tip-top shape motorcycle will get you off to a great start.

So the best beginning is to set out on your ride with a fresh oil and filer change, a tune-up including any repairs you’ve been putting off, new tiers etc. These tasks can be done by yourself and of course, your mechanic.

Motorcycle Checks Before You Start

LIGHTING: Check that all your lights are functioning properly – your headlamp, high beams, signal lights, hazards and of course brake lights and running lights.

AIR: Maintaining the right tire pressure is one of the most fundamental factors in ensuring a high level of road performance. It is important to take into account your personal riding style, along with load (solo or passenger) and cargo/luggage. The proper air pressures for your tire can be found in your motorcycle’s handbook or most commonly on stickers located on your motorcycle.

OIL/LUBRICATION: Not only is oil the lubricant that ensures that your engine literally runs smoothly at all times, but it is also a coolant for most motorcycles. This is  why it is very important to ensure your engine, gearbox and drive train contain the right levels of oil.

CONTROLS: Check hand and foot levers to make sure they’re functioning properly. This includes checking connectors, screws/bolts and cables.

With foot-operated levers in particular, a slight misalignment is not noticeable at the start of your ride yet certainly has the potential to affect your comfort long-term. Many motorcycles come with adjustable levers and pedals that can be set to fit and suit your personal requirements. Be sure to adjust these and set them up before you start.


Helmet, Clothing, Gear

Your motorcycle gear and clothing should be purpose designed, whether for quick trips into town, longer distance tours, or even a spell on the race track – safety is of paramount importance and your comfort. Choose the right clothing to suit your intended purpose.

Eventually your motorcycle gear ages. This applies in particular to protectors and helmet shells, which need to be replaced more often (helmet every 3-5 years) due to the nature of their materials. When materials are too hard and brittle, they are more prone to breakage and can no longer offer the level of protection that they could in their prime.

The next thing to check regularly is the upper materials of your protective clothing, such as leather and fabric, are in good condition. Functional clothing also needs regular maintenance; otherwise the internal membranes will soon lose their active breathing properties.

Eventually your motorcycle gear ages. This applies in particular to protectors and helmet shells, which need to be replaced more often.

Furthermore, select the right clothing for the expected weather conditions. It is important that you are neither too hot nor too cold while out on the road for all those hours. These extremes can be tiring and increase your fatigue which result in increased risks.

Your clothing should not only offer protection against the weather but also a proper level of fall protection. Your jacket and riding pants should be fitted with protectors fitted in all the prone areas.


Your Fitness and Preparedness

MENTAL FITNESS: It is important to check that you are fit and healthy for your tour in order to enjoy your motorcycling journey to its fullest. This is not only your physical condition but also your general mood and mental fitness. Mental preparedness with a lack of stress, and full focus to the road allows your mind is freely concentrate on enjoying what lies ahead.

WEATHER: Be sure to adapt your riding style to suit the weather conditions. Don’t forget that your tyres (as well as your engine) need a certain operating temperature to be able to work at their optimum level. And if the weather is changeable, it helps not just to be wearing the right clothing but also to adapt to the appropriate riding style.

ROAD CONDITIONS: Sometimes it is unavoidable that you have to take a route that you know will be extremely busy. Be sure to check the traffic news and get the relevant information on road conditions before setting out on your journey and of course at roadside stops along the way. It is a good idea to factor in extra time to your ride plan if you have a specific an targeted arrive time to your final destination.


For the Journey

LUGGAGE: A motorcycle holiday is designed to be enjoyed to its fullest. The less you take, the easier it will be to pack and travel safely. Ultimately you want to be able to take your panniers or luggage from your bike to your tent or hotel room with ease. You might imagine what a strain this represents particularly after a long and fatiguing journey.

The second important point is that the luggage you do have and use is packed properly. There are a range of luggage and pannier options to decide upon including side cases with varying capacities, top cases and luggage rolls – and many entirely waterproof. Whichever solution you decide to go for, select something solid that fastens safely to your type of motorcycle and maintains good balance – is evenly distributed. You don’t want to spend your time riding and worrying about your cargo every few kilometres.

THE PACKING GOLDEN RULE: Heavy luggage at the bottom. No question. It is so important because this is how you ensure your luggage or cargo will have a minimum effect on your road performance. But even then you should always remember that a total extra payload of, for instance, 50kg will make a considerable difference to the total weight of your motorcycle. This results in a change in your bike handling, your braking, accelerating and your overall road performance. Be sure to adapt your riding style accordingly.

ROUTE PLANNING: Every motorcycle rider has their own priorities when it comes to planning a route. Often however, there will be some stretches of road or expressway that you’ll want to get done with as quickly as possible. This is so you can get back to whatever it is your motorcycle heart desires – bends, hills, mountain passes or gravel tracks. Whatever you want, and wherever you seek- make sure you plan your route carefully before you leave. And be certain that once you are out on the road, you always have quick and ready access to your route information. It can be extremely dangerous having to look away from the road for an excessive amount of time when uncertain which way to go. Fortunately these days we now have the ease of smartphones, motorcycle GPS systems bringing us excellent resource and guidance.

It still remains a good idea to bring a paper map as a back up. All our gadgetry rely on connectivity and battery life. When these fail, at least you’ve got your trusty paper map!  And wherever you are on your route, don’t forget that you are always subject to range limitations, both with regard to fuel and food/hydration.

TAKE BREAKS:  Each rider has their own performance capacity where some riders can continue along only stopping when needing to refuel. Others just a few hours before discomforts kick in. It is about personal strength and stamina. Motorcycling is a joy but as far as the physical demands it places on you, it is far more intense than driving an automobile. This is why it is all the more important to take enough breaks and frequent ones. If you don’t, your concentration and reactions fade increasing the risk of entering an uncontrollable situation. Riding fatigue can make the rider suddenly fall asleep for a few seconds, a phenomenon which obviously is far more dangerous on motorcycle than in a car.
As a preventative, be sure to reward yourself with enough breaks, even if you are only riding down a motorway.

Read More About Preventing Rider Fatigue

DEALER AND SERVICE NETWORK:  Prior to departure, research and find dealerships who can service your motorcycle along the way. Some brands such as BMW give you a listing online. Book mark these in your smartphone’s browser or GPS device ahead of time. And as aback up write a few down on a piece of paper and stow on your motorcycle.


Tools: The Must Have Basics

  • Tools (specific to your bike): Figure out what size wrenches you need to remove wheels, adjust chain, bars, brakes, levers, bodywork, etc. A screwdriver with reversible Phillips and flat-head bits is handy!
  • Compact Wrenches:  Pack a set of inexpensive, compact box wrenches  (SAE or Metric; for Japanese motorcycles you should use JIS).
  • Fuses: A variety of proper fuses. Check your owners manual to be sure they match OEM specifications.
  • First Aid Kit. There are many mini first aid kits to be found. These come if various levels of first aid – some with just the essentials and others equipped to handle fore serious injuries. They are easy to purchase and come in kits which travel well.
  • Bulbs/Lights: Bring at least one of each lighting system replacement bulbs.
  • An LED flash light.
  • A crescent wrench and pair of pliers.
  • A master link (for final drive chain motorcycles); they can be purchased from a dealer or some hardware stores.

Miscellaneous:

  • Spare tube. This is of course for tires which are tube-tires. If you only carry one, make it a front because it will work in both tires.
  • Compact bicycle hand pump/or CO2.  A manual pump will always work, but if space is tight, a can of CO2 is more compact.
  • J-B Weld: Punch a hole in an engine case and this epoxy can save your day.
  • Safety wire and/or zip-ties. You’ll be amazed at the things that can be fixed with these items.
  • Duct tape.  Here’s a trick – peel a couple of feet off the roll and fold it into a nice compact, flat square.
  • Spare nuts and bolts.  A few common nuts and bolts can be used for a variety of repairs.
  • Spare clutch and brake levers.  Carry one of each as in most tip-overs these will be the things to break.

Though this might seem like a lot of items; these tools are light-weight and will fit within very small spaces – your motorcycle luggage!

Have a great journey and don’t forget to send in some photos!

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1 comment

John 2 July 2022 at 06:24

This is a great article! I never would have thought of some of these things. This will definitely help me on my next long distance trip. Thanks!

Reply

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