How do you pack your bagger?

[papabruce]

The group I tour with, stay in hotels/motels. I'm always amazed at those who can pack everything for a long trip in the 2 saddle bags.

I have a clothing touring suitcase behind me (attached with bungee cords and acts like a bit of a back rest) and both saddle bags are full of shoes, rain suit, smallish bike cover, litre of oil, extra bungee cords, space for coat, helmut etc.

I'm always looking for a better way to cram all my stuff in. How do you do it?

[WEGI]

Hi Papa
Not the most storage available on our B. I tend to wear waterproof jacket and over pants with zippered vents so I pack no separate rain gear. Saddlebags have thin bike cover rolled up small, few tools, tape ,tie wraps, tire plugs air pump, spray cleaner with cloth, heat out/freeze out jerseys, mesh jacket... Then I have a Torrent 40 liter waterproof bag for my clothes, boat shoes, toiletries. It straps on the rear seat. Like you, I can't fit everything in just the saddlebags. And it serves as a backrest. Maybe somebody will invent disposable clothes!
Small flashlight, helmet "T" to lock to bike, extra earplugs, small cloth to wipe off helmet shield and windshield pen, tire gauge in left cubby. Center cubby holds my GPS when parked for short time, sunglasses,
Happy trails!
WEG

[Az Wingrider]

Papabruce,

This may be one of those threads that gets tons of replies because everyone has different needs and different ideas about what they need to take with them but since you asked I will tell you how I pack my bike.

I carry a bag strapped to my back seat which has all my clothes, doff kit, laptop computer, all my charging cords and all other personal items I need on a daily basis. This makes it easy to put everything in my motel room or throw it in the tent after each days ride.

In my left side hard bag i have the following items, all of which are packed into small individual bags. Tool kit, tire plug kit, small 12 volt compressor, small bag of spare bulbs and small parts, extra tie down strap and bungees, my heated jacket liner, my cool vest, 2 endura cool neck wraps, 2 pair of spare gloves, a lightweight motorcycle cover, rain pants and several neck scarves. That sounds like a lot but it all fits.

My right side hard bag has my leather chaps (rolled not folded) and plenty of room for my textile riding jack which is waterproof and armored and room for miscellaneous items needed during the day including food and water bottles.

The center cubby compartment is for registration and small items that i need to access frequently.

I also have a hydration system mounted to my right side passenger foot peg and rear crash bar. The hydration system is essentially a camelback but it is mounted on the bike and not carried on my back. It hold a gallon of water and keeps it cold all day.

Kind of a long response but that's what I travel with.

Good Luck and travel safe
Az Wingrider

[dksmith]

5337

Papa
Photo before leaving for Florida from Eastern NY, 2600 miles round trip. I have rain suit, tool kit, tire plugger, hoodie, winter gloves in right bag, left bag has first aid kit (an old band-aid box restocked) but mostly open space for jacket and GPS at stops. Bag on passenger seat is adequate for 2-3 day trips, longer, I add the roll bag. All clothing, sneakers so I don't need to wear riding boots, pledge, bike cover, etc in add on bags. At hotel, just unstrap add on bags and walk in. This trip I took a three legged folding stool for the airshow.
Dave

[JGF6B]

I always wear my mesh jacket and pants when riding so my riding clothes consist of shorts and a t-shirt. I only have to worry about packing clothes for additional non-riding events instead of full pants for each day on the road. This really trims down the space required for clothing.

[gadgeteer]

5337

Papa
Photo before leaving for Florida from Eastern NY, 2600 miles round trip. I have rain suit, tool kit, tire plugger, hoodie, winter gloves in right bag, left bag has first aid kit (an old band-aid box restocked) but mostly open space for jacket and GPS at stops. Bag on passenger seat is adequate for 2-3 day trips, longer, I add the roll bag. All clothing, sneakers so I don't need to wear riding boots, pledge, bike cover, etc in add on bags. At hotel, just unstrap add on bags and walk in. This trip I took a three legged folding stool for the airshow.
Dave

Pretty darn close to the way I travel too. : )

[crossbowme]

I put a Show Chrome rack on my B so I could carry my stuff such as laptop, extra boots/shoes, etc. I have been riding since the early '60s and have learned to also bring certain things for my B such as oil, tools, etc. I also have learned that, on a long trip, you can guarantee rain. So, since I also ride snowmobiles, I take my waterproof snowmobile bag and cram in the stuff I can expect to use during the day. Then, I lash it to the back of the B by attaching it to my backrest bracket and to my rack. This makes a very secure attachment that is also water proof. It also detaches quickly so you can take it into your hotel room. I then put clothes and other niceties in my side bags. Having experienced every kind of weird event on a road trip I pack double underwear and other clothes that I might need in my side bags.

This works out good for me since I rarely have a passenger. If you routinely ride with a passenger, you're screwed on long trips.

[2wheelsforme]

I'm surprised that now two people bring oil along. I can not remember any time I have needed oil on a trip. Besides it is very easy to purchase if you were to happen to need a bottle. Sometimes I wear the oldest jeans etc that I have and after a few days they can go in the garbage and less dirty stinky clothes to pack home. Now I have room for some new souvenir t-shirts. My bourbon and rum supply also gets smaller by the day. No spare parts and only the smallest of a tool bag. Rain gear and a few other pieces of stuff in left bag and right side is free for as needed. Leather jacket rolled and the extra helmet are just put on top of what ever, maybe the half lid in the right bag if wearing the full. Five days is one travel bag but have room for another if a longer trip.

[seagravesg]

what type/brand mesh pants do you guys recommend?

[2wheelsforme]

That is another subject: http://hondaf6b.com/showthread.php?11721-Overpants&highlight=mesh+pants

[tenxxx]

I have a GIVI top trunk that will hold my CPAP and a few other small items. Small Strap on bag on the passenger seat. I can easily get 3 days worth of clothes in the side bags with zippered liners. If I'm gonna be gone longer I pull a small trailer that only weights maybe 100lbs empty.
Wish I had a reverse. Kinda new to long distance riding but getting some miles in this year.
I see some of the riding gear mentioned here has zip in water proof liners. Will be getting some of those soon.
Never really did long distance till this year. The reason for the 2013 B I got in March.
I am just amazed at how well suited it is for highway cruising.
I'll travel one way or the other till I can't!

[DarkKnt]

I'm setting off in August for 2 months with my gal. We need to be self sufficient in everything from 5 degrees C to 35 C, rain or shine with camping gear to boot.. also need some reasonably formal clothes for nights on the town and touristy shit... Believe it or not, with the addition of an old tour pac, we're set. Did a trial pack and everything is internal, except our self inflating sleeping mats, which must be strapped on the rack on top of the trunk. We have more space than my buddy with his full 'wing.

[crossbowme]

I'm surprised that now two people bring oil along. I can not remember any time I have needed oil on a trip. Besides it is very easy to purchase if you were to happen to need a bottle. Sometimes I wear the oldest jeans etc that I have and after a few days they can go in the garbage and less dirty stinky clothes to pack home. Now I have room for some new souvenir t-shirts. My bourbon and rum supply also gets smaller by the day. No spare parts and only the smallest of a tool bag. Rain gear and a few other pieces of stuff in left bag and right side is free for as needed. Leather jacket rolled and the extra helmet are just put on top of what ever, maybe the half lid in the right bag if wearing the full. Five days is one travel bag but have room for another if a longer trip.

I guess it depends where you travel. If you stay on the I's or go thru towns you're fine. I however, I do neither. I try to go to remote areas like Alaska, Hudson Bay, Cape Breton, northern part of the Provinces, Montana, Maine, etc. Some by car most by F6B. Often it is hundreds of miles between gas pumps (in AK it was often in the front yard of some resident). To expect oil to be available is really pushing your luck. In my 55 years of riding I have often needed extra oil. To me by F6B is not a boulevard cruiser, it's an escape pod.

[stevenolts]

In the left saddlebag: Schuberth C3 full face helmet / a few tools not much / pair of gym shoes / shower kit / small bottle of rum / contigo coffee cup
In the right saddlebag: Klim Overland Jacket / Klim Lattitude pants / Klim waterproof full gauntlet gloves / tourmaster heated jacket liner
In my Harley Leather Covered hard tour pack: Lap top / clothes gym bag
Rock strapped on: sleep apnea machine against the tourpack / bag with waterproof cover for misc... and extra 3/4 full shield helmet (I use this as a backrest)
I wear Bates waterproof Thinsulate leather boots, Rukka Air All pants, Klim Induction jacket, fiberglass half Harley style helmet, sunglasses, Dainese summer weight goat skin gloves.

I have spent a lot of money on gear but I find this works great for me in hot weather.
In cold weather I wear the Klim Gortex vented gear with the heated liner so I have more room in the right saddle bag for insulated under armour etc...
I wear Tommy John underwear and under armor long sleeve t-shirt with either hot or cold gear.
In the heat I also use my Harley Davidson mesh seat liner which flows air under my but as I ride.

I have my cell phone with USB charger and Bluetooth helmet speakers. Roadside phone number / I have both Honda and Good Sam / American Express will take care of anything else I may need.
stevenolts

[F6Bster]

This thread has some interesting info for sure. Everyone has different needs and requirements, that's for sure. In my early years of cross-country riding (70's) I traveled very light and had all kinds of stuff tied to my bike with bungee cords, including tent, sleeping bag, clothes, etc. Very little in the way of tools or well-designed riding gear like we have today. It was pretty much a mess, but served my purpose at a low cost.

For my F6B:


Left saddlebag (my goal is to never open this bag on a trip): A few tools, tire plug kit, small air compressor, rain gear, warm gear (riding in the mountains you have to be prepared for BIGGGG swings in temperatures at the higher elevations), Gerbings, small first-aid kit, extra gloves, Honda Cleaner/wax, extra bungee cords, and a few rags; and my 32G USB plugged in for music.

Right saddlebag (easy access and try not to overload): Dual USB charging port with power at all times (can charge things when stopped for break or lunch as needed, couple of rags/cleaner, tennis or walking shoes, a few healthy snack bars (low sugar and fat), sunblock spray, USB power pack for charging anything USB such as Sena stuff and phone (if power pack needed; I could leave this behind very easily), pretty large Leatherman tool, tire gauge, extra jacket as needed/desired, long-sleeve shirt, paper maps, backbrace when not wearing it, ballcap, reading glasses, extra USB cords, and my digital SLR camera if I plan to take pictures with it. Quite a few of the items are in a zippered bag to keep them compact and in-place.

Bag strapped to the rear seat (I ride solo; might be a larger bag or a smaller one, depending upon if the trip is 3-days or a longer trip): One pair jeans, tee-shirts, socks, toiletry items and medications in a mesh bag that fits into a solid nylon bag, charging cables, powered drink mixes to add to water in my Butler Cup on the handlebars, couple more snack bars,couple of ziplock bags (gallon, quart, and snack size), tall kitchen bag for dirty clothes, sandals, and usually a few other things.

Left cubby in fairing: Midland 75-822 CB wired to aux power and CB antenna (installed in place of radio stub antenna), Sena SR10 for controlling CB push-to-talk and convert to Bluetooth to allow use of CB with my Sena 20S EVO in the helmet.

Center glovebox: Garagedoor opener, lip balm, the small helmet cable, footstand for the sidestand (in case on soft dirt), sunblock (cream), hand sanitizer, extra sunglass lenses (clear, yellow, and another dark set), bike registration and insurance cards, small notebook and pen, earplugs, small knife, extra sunglass lenses (yellow, clear, and dark), eyedrops, and coughdrops.

Handlebars: Butler cup and Zumo 395LM GPS.

On me: Riding pants, riding jacket, gloves, helmet, riding boots, and sunglasses with interchangeable lenses.



So, I can easily do any length trip. If more than one week, I just wash clothes at the end of each week.

[stevenolts]

How do you guys like the Butler cup? Is it the one to get?
stevenolts

[2wheelsforme]

Take a look at Wingstuff, they have several diff types. I do not think we need the swinging type that I see offered. I prefer the type I can throw away the used dirty cup and start new. I use this one, it can be used with a can or bottle in a coolie or without if the cup is large. Also handy to temporally store things like glasses etc. http://wingstuff.com/products/33242-cool-rider-beverage-holder?from_search=1

[jm21ddd15]

Oil? No need to carry oil on an F6b, waste of space. These bikes don't "burn" oil. Unless you got a lemon.

[oldxtreme]

Lot of folks carrying an air compressor and plugs vs. a can of Spare Air with slime. Which is best to carry on a long cross country ride on old Rt. 66? Lot of open spaces between little towns and no cycle shops!

I have experienced a flat coming back from Sturgis and had to wait two days to get to a place that could sell me a new tire. Sat beside the road for over 8 hours to get AAA to haul me to a motel so I could wait another day until a shop opened. Then I had to get to a store to buy a small air pump to get enough air to get to the shop. $400 and a new tire later, it turned out to be a cracked valve stem!

So, I need to take either the air pump and plugs or just a can of Spare air.

Any recommendations?

[2wheelsforme]

Spare air with slime will make a mess. I carry a tire plug kit and 10 or so air canisters. Also had a stem to fail once and a plug kit does not help with that. No more I now only use quality metal stems. I do recommend trying out your plug kit ahead of time so you know how to use it.

[2wheelsforme]

I don't think you really need this if you have good metal stems but ya never know. This and some air canisters would get you back on the road if a stem fails. https://www.colbyvalve.com/

[oldxtreme]

Live and learn...the hard way. The stem was a long 90 degree angle, rubber, on my VTX 1800. My guess is that the additional weight of the stem, being off center, just fatigued the stem after all that inertia and millions of rotations! Won't do that again!

Noticed that no one is carrying spare gas. The biggest issue with the X is that it only gets about 130 miles per tank, running hard. The first time to Sturgis if realized that some gas stations are very far apart. Coasted into that little gas station on the edge of the Bad Lands...out of gas! After that experience, I stop at every station along the way.

The F6 gets great mileage per tank...approx. 240 miles, so spare gas should not be necessary if I fill up mid-tank when a station is available.

[adventurous1]

Once I stopped riding HD's and started riding VTX, Stratoliner, the B, I never carry oil. The Yami has close to 70K miles and the 2 yr old B has 25K on it. From TX to LA to Canada, etc., etc. Never carried oil.

Heading out late July for another 5 wk trip. Once I'm off the 'freeway' it's hwys. Whenever I'm in the desert and/or mtns if I come across a gas station and I'm half a tank down or less - I fill up. Left side bag has my cold weather gear. Leather, cple of thermals, cple pair of gloves, cple of Balaclavas (in case one of my ladies flys in along the journey to ride for a few days), cple pair of warmer socks (all of it fits in a bag liner). Light weight bike cover folds into this bag as well, not the liner. Right side bag contains, my toiletry bag, clothes for the up coming night's stay / dinner. Sandals and shoes. On the bike rack and/or passenger seat is Kuryakyn full dresser tour bag - just picked up Kuryakyn's newest version called the XKursion XW1.5 Roller Bag. 2 pair of pants, t-shirts, etc., etc. Enough clothes for 6 days. On the 6th day, I'm doing laundry at the hotel. Helmets, I generally cargo net to the bag or luggage rack.

[papabruce]

lot of good ideas for the necessities on a long trip.
I also have a 'big bike parts' rack behind the passenger back rest. My bike suitcase fits well on the passenger seat, but can't figure out how to fasten my coat or other, to the rack. I've tried bungees but not very secure.
Any other ideas on what or how to fasten things to the rack?

[stevenolts]

Use nothing but rok straps the best
secure and don't worry
stevenolts

[Dirtstiff's F6B]

5363

[OlyF6B]

Pre-flight report....

I'm loaded up and ready for a 6-day trip from Olympia, WA to Grand Tetons (via Lolo Pass). Everything I need is packed into two saddlebag liner bags (https://www.saddlemen.com/saddlebag-liner-large-universal-1) that allow a little bit of room fore and aft to "scrunch" in some soft stuff like tote bag for rain suit.

5378

A tool kit, some bottles of water and misc necessities such as cigars and extra gloves are in a round tail rack bag (https://www.saddlemen.com/r1300lxe-deluxe-roll-bag-universal) from Saddlemen. I'm figuring on one possible load of wash on D-4 and luckily the forecast is stable across all days so I don't have to pack a lot of extra clothing to "be ready."

I thought I was going to have to use my Saddlemen "Tunnel bag (https://www.saddlemen.com/ts3200-deluxe-sport-tail-bag-universal)", but don't need it! (And it should be noted that I'm packing my small CPAP machine in one of the Liner Bags.

5379

Over the years... I've learned to "pack light" and when traveling with a group, we divide up things like First Aid Kits, 12v compressor, etc. so we're not doubling-up.

One thing I'd love some feedback on is what "cargo net" people are using to strap things down on the passenger seat. The stylish, but odd shape of the grab rails isn't "Hook friendly."

[2wheelsforme]

I use short soft ties around the grab rails and hook my bungees to the soft tie loop.

[stevenolts]

Try the rok straps
you will never worry about thinks falling off the bike or shifting again.
I love them / before I would always try to look at my luggage as I was riding or reach back and make sure it wasn't shifting.
Never again these straps are rok solid!!!
Stevenolts

[Draxsr]

4 of these (http://www.bigbikeparts.com/templates/product.aspx?ProductGuid=52-802&GroupGuid=16) on the hand brackets allow me to stretch a cargo net across the pax seat. This gives me a great spot to stash things I may quickly need (like rain gear or covers). When riding in the rain, it's covered by my RDL seat cover.

[WEGI]

Hi AZ
Can you put up a pic of your Camelback hydration bag attached to the passenger foot peg and rear crash bar?
Thanks
WEG

[Az Wingrider]

WEG,

I don't have any pictures of my hydration system right now and it is not on the bike. I should have time Thursday and I will take pictures of the individual pieces and of the complete system on the bike and then post them.

The system is not hard to make. It consists of a one gallon Coleman insulated water jug that I bought at Walmart (about $8.00), some 5/16" food grade vinyl tubing bought at Home Depot ( about $10.00 for 15 ft.) and a bite valve for a camelback bought anyplace that has hiking supplies. And then build a fixture that clamps to the rear crash bar and comes forward to rest on the passenger foot peg.

The Coleman water jug has a fixture on the lid that turns up for drinking from it. The 5/16" food grade tubing is a tight fit but can be forced down through this fixture. Push enough tubing through to reach the bottom of the jug then measure off enough tubing to easily reach your mouth when tucked under your leg on the way forward. Then put the bite valve on the end of the tubing. About 5" back from the bight valve I wrap the tubing with velcro and secure the velcro with small zip ties. I then glue a small piece of velcro to my fuel door for a place to secure the tubing when I am not drinking.

I wear a modular helmet and when I want a drink I flip up the chin bar, stick the bight valve in my mouth and then drop the chin bar back down. When I am finished drinking I replace the tubing back on the velcro. A gallon of ice water stays cold and generally lasts a full day.

I got the idea for this from some articles in Iron Butt Magazine. I think you can find some of their articles online. The Iron Butt riders are serious long distance riders and I have learned quite a few neat tricks from their forum and from the magazine.

As I said I am busy tomorrow but Thursday I will get the system out and take pictures of the pieces and pictures of it installed on the bike.

Az Wingrider

[OlyF6B]

Ordered a pair of 60 in. Rok Straps.... yup.. these will work just fine!!

5419

5420

5421
(Not a realistic "tie-down" - just to illustrate how much is left of the 60 inches of strap.)

5422

5423

[jm21ddd15]

Every year, I take several cycle trips, from 2 days to 10 days. Each time, I learn that I can take less and less "stuff", and have a great trip, without carrying so much extra stuff. Bike handles much better without all kinds of stuff and extra weight, strapped all over the back end.