extra gear

[Car 54]

'07 R1200RT, two up riding.

 

Starting to plan long range for a trip next summer. Standard side cases and 49L top case. Question; Where do you carry spare gear such as jackets when not wearing them while riding. At times they are just too warm to wear so we wear reflective vests. We would also like to carry a cover for the bike when it is parked for the night.

 

The only thing I can come up with is to somehow strap this gear to the top side of the top case. It may not look the best, but at this time I do not know what else to do. Suggestions greatly accepted.

 

Regards,

John

[Kathy R]

Respectfully, I offer the following for your consideration.

 

The first time I rode the desert southwest I decided to take off my over jacket. I discovered that, for me, it was not a good solution.

 

When you take the jacket off you cause the bodies natural air conditioning to fail, by allowing air to move too quickly over your skin. This removes the sweat too fast and it dries you out, causing you to dehydrate rapidly. You will be more thirsty, more often.

 

I wear cooling gear under my over jacket, when needed. I have a Hoon Cooler, but they are no longer made. You can make one for yourself. If you are interested I can provide detailed photos. It packs in next to no space. I'm sure other folks have cooling gear they can recommend.

 

On the road you can stop in a store for two cheap sweatshirts and bungie net them to the top case. When it's super hot (over 90 degrees) get the sweatshirt soaking wet and put them on. Close every vent on your over jacket and put it on, over the wet sweatshirt. Once you start moving you will be cold. The sweatshirts dry out in about an hour and you need to load them with water again, so this is why most folks find hydration gear to be ideal. But if you aren't drinking water as you ride you might want to stop anyway, to get some water to drink.

 

I hope you don't mind me putting this forth, but I believe it's better, for many reasons, to keep your over jacket on.

 

Have a great trip

[Caddis]

I have similar comments as Kathy. In the hotter season, I wear a mesh jacket, and take along extra layers to wear underneath if it is cool. If it is going to be really hot, I will carry a cooling vest. Your experience may differ, but it is so dry around here that exposing skin to the wind when it is really hot feels like riding into a blast furnace, and getting turned into jerky.

 

In the colder season, I wear a warmer 3/4 length jacket and extra layers. So I guess my answer is that I always have just one jacket along, and I am always wearing it. That doesn't really help with your question, except to suggest an alternate approach to the issue. Just my two cents.

[elkroeger]

2 up travel poses special problems like this. You really have to be minimalist to get it all in. Especially when you try to leave some empty space for the stuff like clothing, purchases, food, etc. that comes and goes. A lot of people use this concept: My bag is right, yours is left. Bring whatever you want, but it all has to fit in that saddlebag. Choose wisely. Top box is for jackets, food, etc.

 

While I agree with previous posts - prolly best to just wear the stuff (hence, the need for high quality gear that works well in a variety of climates).... If it were me, I'd place a set of bungee buddies (or similar product) on top of the top box, and use a bungee net. Next, a similar endeavour can be accomplished on the tops of each of the side cases. Be sure to install all of it so that you can still get into the cases without taking everything apart. You may have better success with bringing some extra stuff sacks, put the jackets in the stuff sack and then under the bungee net. Straps, belts or rok straps can work just as well, but require a little more attention to setup than a bungee net.

 

Oh, and whatever you do, don't just drill a hole and screw in a bungee buddy. Carefully measure it out, and make sure everything's square. Your bike's next owner will love you for it.

[dave sawyer]

On past trip when the temps are in the 90's I'll fill my hydration bladder with ice and water and place it inside my roadcrafter. Lasts about a tank-full. I've also found that most fast food/gas stops will give you ice for your bladder.

Kathy's right about keeping rapped-up.

[Guest Kakugo]

If you can fit straps to the top of your top case, you can fit a roll pack over there.

I have one of these: Louis 50L Roll Pack and of these Louis 75L Roll Pack.

Keep everything inside safe from rain, dust etc. According to manufacturer is good for up to 180 km/h if properly tied down.

 

As for warm: I wholeheartedly agree with everything the others said. A cooling vest underneath your jacket and good quality underwear (LD Comfort, Spark etc) are a much sensible option than riding in a shirt. I often get surprised stares from people riding in shirts and shorts when they see me covered from toe to head and without a single drop of sweat while they are dripping.

Plenty of cooling vests to choose from: I recently purchased a Techniche Ultra Sports and it's worth every single penny.

 

 

[ElevenFifty]

Did 17 days 2-up this year, 15 days 2-up in 2010. Key is to take as little as possible.

 

2 pair of LD Comfort shorts under mesh pants for riding - T-shirt under mesh jacket ... rain gear for the wet and as windbreakers when it is cooler ... fleece as added layer and nothing beats Gerbings.

 

Buy 2 10" diameter roll bags and tie them down to your side cases. Pack things so that:

1. top rack on your top case is available

2. rain gear, purse ... anything you need periodically is in the top case

3. roll bags packed with any 'may need' items at the top (dirty laundry is always in a plastic bag at the bottom of one of these)

4. side cases have all the stuff you won't need during the riding day.

 

My wife has a microfiber 'little black dress' that packs in no space for dinners out ... I take one pair of jeans and a favorite microfiber shirt.

 

After this years ride through Texas, AZ, NM, and the CA desert I can state without reservation that having water aboard is the best solution to the heat. Fill a hydration bag with a mix of ice and water - drink continuously - and the heat really is not that big a deal.

[moshe_levy]

Hold on, before starting to assume that the OP meant he wasn't wearing a jacket! On our x-country trip, we encountered temps from 25 to 110 degrees! So knowing this, we bought our summer mesh gear, and also winter gear also. You do need both under that sort of range, and maybe that's what he means.

 

Ultimately as others have said, figure out what you need, and bring half of it. We would up stopping at Chicago Harley for some rain gear (BMW dealer didn't have a single garment in that area!) and having them ship back half the crap we bought with us because when you're really out there, lugging more than you need around becomes a pain.

 

So my advice based on 30 days / 10,000 miles across 22 states:

 

1) Bring less than you think you need

2) Invest in gear that can be used across a wide temp range, reducing the need for multiple jackets

3) Look into luggage racks for the top case - Wunderlich makes one http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorcycle/R1200RT/8200300-302.html

 

2-up is tough. When I went my wife had her own bike, so she carried her stuff and I carried mine, in waterproof camping duffels strapped to the passenger seat. With that space gone in your case, the best advice is "pack light."

 

-MKL

[Kathy R]

Hold on, before starting to assume that the OP meant he wasn't wearing a jacket!

 

No assumptions made.

 

From the OP

Question; Where do you carry spare gear such as jackets when not wearing them while riding. At times they are just too warm to wear so we wear reflective vests.

 

 

[Albert]

My wife and I travel 2 up lots. On my RT I use the factory tank bag, 49L top case, and I've added a Givi luggage rack on the top case. I found a nice rectangular bag that straps on to the luggage rack.

 

We've done numerous week long trips and a few in the 14-17 day range. Depending on where you're going you may be able to live with heavier jackets than you think. On our trips west, typically early in September, given their generally lower humidity, we were comfortable wearing our textile jackets all the time (Utah to Montana). You can see the above mentioned bag in this picture. Note our gear laying on the bike. This was a warm September afternoon in Idaho.

 

 

 

We've found we can easily carry what we need for these trips as long as we find a laundry several times during the trip. Many hotels have guest laundries and that's a priority when we're planning (note: we don't camp anywhere so don't ask. No neon - keep going).

 

Another thing we've found is, you tend to over pack due to uncertainty in weather conditions. For a long trip that may be unavoidable but, once you're on the road the post office is your friend. On all of our long trips after we were around a week in, we've evaluated the rest of our trip and shipped things home to lighten the load and ease packing. Once, after looking at the weather for the upcoming week, we even shipped all my wife's rain gear home. You can buy a box, tape and labels at any post office. Makes for some interesting conversations with postal employees too. An added bonus is your bike will feel like it gained 4 to 6 horsepower after you lighten the load.

 

Pack for dual use too. For example, your jacket may have a spiffy liner for colder temperatures. Leave it at home and take a sweater or sweat shirt instead. That way if you're doing things off the bike (dinner, tours, etc.) you'll have something to wear if it's chilly (people look at you funny if you walk into an Applebee's wearing a jacket liner). We've gradually migrated most of our riding gear into waterproof textiles. We pretty much never carry rain gear which is a huge space saver. Also we've found with electric gear we really don't need anything else.

 

My wife considers a bike trip to be an utter failure if she doesn't encounter at least one "shopping experience". Just about any place we've been they are more than happy to ship your items home for you. Finally, and I know you're wondering, no that' not George Clooney signing autographs in the picture above, that's me.

[Selden]

'07 R1200RT, two up riding.

 

Starting to plan long range for a trip next summer. Standard side cases and 49L top case. Question; Where do you carry spare gear such as jackets when not wearing them while riding. At times they are just too warm to wear so we wear reflective vests. We would also like to carry a cover for the bike when it is parked for the night.

 

The only thing I can come up with is to somehow strap this gear to the top side of the top case. It may not look the best, but at this time I do not know what else to do. Suggestions greatly accepted.

 

Regards,

John

Here's a suggestion: take everything that you want to pack and put it in two piles, one for you, one for your wife. Sort each pile into "nice to have" and "must have." When you really think about it, you don't need all that much. Pack the "must have" pile. If you err on the side of packing too little, you can always pick up needed things along the way.

 

Re jackets, a mesh jacket plus a rain suit such as Frog Toggs (which packs down pretty small) will allow you to wear the jackets all the time, avoiding the problem of where to stow them.

 

Here's my packing list for a 6 week (solo) ride to Alaska: http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~libssd/Alaska2006/packinglist.html. Without camping gear, the volume of things would have been cut in half, as tent, sleeping bag, and Thermarest occupied quite a bit of space. Also, consider using compression stuff sacks, which can reduce the volume of clothing and soft goods by about half.

[moshe_levy]

Hold on, before starting to assume that the OP meant he wasn't wearing a jacket!

 

No assumptions made.

 

From the OP

Question; Where do you carry spare gear such as jackets when not wearing them while riding. At times they are just too warm to wear so we wear reflective vests.

 

 

Ooops... My fault - sorry. In THAT case, ATTGAT!!

 

-MKL

[tomk99r11]

Each trip I lay out what I think I need - riding gear, clothes, tool kit, first aid kit, whatever. I then go through everything 2 more times because I tend to pack things I think I need vs what is actually needed. Think double use items - sweatshirt under a rain liner under a mesh jacket can keep you pretty warm, etc. I also try to think thru what I took previously but did not need or did not use. Helps minimize excess. With 2 up this will be more difficult, and most men are willing to get by without frills. If I forget or don't have something with me, thrift stores are often cheap and handy, as is Wally/Target/KMart/TSC/etc. Good luck and planning for your ride.

[kmac]

Car 54 I am different from many on this site in that I am not an ATGATT proponent. I do not have a problem with someone wearing ATGATT if they want to, but it is not for me. I love riding with shorts and a T-shirt when it is nice out.

 

Helmets are important and gloves are important but the rest is argueable to its value imho. I have gone down on a track in full race leathers and still ended up with rasberries, and have hit a coyote on a Harley at well over 100mph in jeans and a T-shirt with no helmet or gloves. All I wish I had on was a helmet and gloves.

 

ATGATT is a false sense of security imho. Use a watertite bag like you would use while hiking and strap it on top of the side or top bags when it is hot and enjoy your ride.

 

Bash away all of you safety freaks.

Kelly

[Paul Mihalka]

To each his own, but if all the scuffs I collected on my leather jackets and pants in 60 years would have been on my skin it would have been very painful.

[Francis]

Think about leaving off the 49L case and replace it with a large wterproof duffel (Cabelas has them) across the luggage rack and onto the lip of the side cases. You can stack a smaller diffel on top of this first duffel and have quick access to items you may need while under way. Volumetrically I beleive you can pack more items this way.

[Car 54]

Good evening,

 

My thanks for all of the replies and suggestions.

 

Kathy R, you are correct regarding my riding without a jacket. It only happens in extreme circumstances such as the 106F temp. we encountered in the Carolinas about three plus weeks ago. 99% of the time they are being worn. I will have to check on cool gear.

 

Albert, is that a wunderlich rack on the top of your case? Did you install it yourself, and how hard was it if you did do the install?

 

Selden, thanks for the list. I have a similar one from my trip in 2004, but I had a slide-in truck camper. Still, room was at a premium.

 

Again, thank you for all of the replies. I will take all of them under consideration.

 

Best regards,

John

 

 

[tallman]

Add more later.

 

For now, revisit your gear.

Modern firbers are much better than jeans wrt weight and space.

I take one pair of convertible pants in a dark color.

They roll up to less than 1/3 the weight size of jeans.

Convert to shorts/bathing suit.

Two micorfiber riding shirts than can wash and dry in room/camp site overnite.

One Ex Officio dress shirt, sort of like the fishing shirts

Columbia sells.

The dark pants and nice shirt w/my SIDI On road boots (no flahy adornments) gets me in most places.

Beth takes a similar kit w/a LBD.

Boots and medium duty sandals for me.

She takes another pair of shoes.

Med kit, tire repair, usual suspects.

Mesh, one silk turtle neck (packs tiny) for cold.

Rain gear for cold/wet over mesh.

2-3 pairs of wool socks, 2 underwear (like Under armour)

which dry quickly after room wash.

If you need to use laundry these materials wash/dry quickly.

 

BMW bags w/touring lids, GIVI 52L.

We take a lot of gloves too, 3-4 pair, sometimes 8-10

Room for other stuff.

No extra bags added, although I have luggage rack on GIVI and sometimes carry H2W mesh bag and put it ont the rack.

Good to keep raingear away from other stuff after the rain

and helps dry if needed.

The suggestions to get liners and practice loading the gear into the space available is spot on.

You need 1/2 of what you think you need, at most.

Good luck.

[SteveHebert]

I always wear gear. Changed it up this year to the BMW AirFlow jackets and carry Gerbings with us. Put FrogTogs over that and you have a riding suit that will accomodate a wide range of temps and conditions.

 

I used to carry Helen Two Wheels duffel bags mounted on top of the side cases. Made a great throne for my wife or daughter. Keep the top case as light as possible due to the high CG and use it for the quick to get items, rain gear, hats, purse, firstaid kit, etc.

 

I lightened the bike considerably this summer and purchased a used Unigo trailer. It is the best thing I have done for two up. You can carry what you want and not worry about a thing. It pulls like a dream and you forget it is there. Makes two up very enjoyable again, especially if you camp.

 

[DiggerJim]

We would also like to carry a cover for the bike when it is parked for the night.

No one answered this one for you - get a Kwikover for the bike. It's a 1/2ish sized bikini cover that comes with its own storage pouch that you can mount on the rear of the pillion seat and makes for easy on/off of the cover without getting in the way.

[snookers]

My bride and I took everything we needed for a 2 week trip down south and placed items extra items like sleeping bags, tent etc. in two dry bags, and bungee netted them over the side cases. Worked liked a charm