2UP Hyrdation

[gregory]

Greetings all,

We will be attending the Black Hills Roundup this time around. While we have done some distance riding 2up, this will be out first trip where we will be doing 500 mile days in the heat. Normally, I put my bladder in the tail bag, cover in ice and scoot on down the road, but this will not be an option.

We will be running with both side cases, a tank bag (I am tempted to do the tail bag trick with the tank bag, but keep too much in there. I know that Mosco Moto sells a $200 tank bag that has a bladder built in, but would rather not spend the $200---yet) and 55L Givi top box.

If I can, I want to avoid wearing the Camelbak for heat reasons and we are pretty close to begin with.

I am toying with the idea of making a bottom for the Givi, placing the bladders under there and putting ice on top, but I am not super excited to drill through my $400 case.

So, what have you guys come up with for 2 up hydration without towing a Bushtek?

TIA,

Greg

 

[HotRodZilla]

Your easiest option is going to be Camelbaks. A 70oz Camelbak can be had for around $43 and up. The 70oz packs are small enough that you won't have a huge lump on your back. They're not hot and actually counteract the heat. Fill one with ice and water and put it on. You can feel the cold eventually. 70oz is a lot of water, and it will be rare that you drink it all. 100oz is kind of overkill and the packs are bigger.

Yours will give your wife a convenient pocket to put her girl stuff, like her phone, chapstick, whatever she likes to have near when you guys ride. They'll be a little cumbersome at first, but by about 20 miles, you'll be used to them. By the second stop, you'll be super happy you have them.

 

[graler]

Drive slower so she has two free hands. One to hold your snack and the other to hold your drink.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Can't help with any cutting edge(!) ideas gregory. Other than carrying plenty of water, we do a short stop every hour or so. You don't lose much time and being able to stretch with a water break is an added bonus.

See you in Spearfish!

--G

 

[FJRay]

I don't see the problem. If you had a proper bike it would have cup holders

 

[eflyguy]

I have a "tactical" (ha!) camelback, designed to be strapped onto/into an existing backpack. It's compact and fairly well insulated, and I just place it in my tank bag - which is usually just the small snap-on mount Givi hard bag.

You don't really need to carry enough water for an entire 500-mile stretch - I'm sure there will be an opportunity to refill along the way?

 

[gregory]

I did buy a Honda Ray, no cup holders though.....

 

[philter]

I saw a rig, a while ago, that had the container strapped somehow to the side of the motorcycle just in front of the passenger pegs. I will look in my old "saved" items to see if I can find it.

YOU might be able to make a rig like that, using a plastic jug in a thin thermal wrap, filled with ice and water {even with the wrap it's not going to be very efficient out in the wind like that} and you can drink the ice/water as it melts. I am sure, after a section or two, you would know the ratio of water and ice that would last the 2-3 hours between piss/pit/gas stops.

 

[BigOgre]

Maybe something like tank panniers? There's a few companies out there offering their versions.

 

[FJRay]

Hydration for two up can be a challenge cause there isn't a lot of real estate on the FJR for two people and camelbacks. The jug on the passenger peg doesn't work unless the pillion is willing to ride sidesaddle. I have Butler Cup holders on the wing but that would be tough on the FJR. I believe Warchild rigged up a system using a cooler on the trunk. Maybe he will share his idea.

 

[gregory]

Yea, not a lot of room for 2 up.

Would love to do a bushtek, but that ain't in the cards this year. Looking at this for me up front https://moskomoto.com/collections/motorcycle-luggage/products/nomad-tank-bag and not sure on her yet. I have a Camelbak so that might work for her. Have to get on the bike to check and see how much room the Camelbak's leave for us.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Hey, Gregory!

Aunt Kelly and I ride 2-up a lot and our hydration setup is the same as my 1-up: A Camelback bladder in the tank bag with a loooooong hose coming out one end of the zippered opening.

I use one of those "security-badge-retractor-spring-reel" thingies to keep the bite valve close to the tank bag. The hose and retractor are long enough to reach Aunt Kelly, and we're not concerned about swapping spit. The hose does dangle below the gas tank, but it doesn't create problems or melt against a hot part. I stuff it back into the tank bag if it bothers my passenger to think about it dangling off the bike whenever I'm 2-up.

It's a 750-ml Camelback bladder (I think) that can be refilled from bottled water at any gas station, and no cashier has ever objected when I ask to put a scoop of crushed ice in there, too. Unless ya'll are Iron Butting your trip with an auxiliary tank, you're gonna stop every three hours for fuel, and to offload some of the water you've just consumed. No problems reloading when you need to.

 

[Warchild]

I believe Warchild rigged up a system using a cooler on the trunk. Maybe he will share his idea.

Yep... here is the write-up:

For the first time in many years, I need to be concerned about hydration systems for 2 on the FJR. Typically, when riding solo, the hydration system resides on the pillion seat, pillion footpegs, or aft rack.

None of these areas are available while riding 2-up with the Givi top box, obviously.

So we begin now an experiment using the top rack of the Givi V46 topbox to hold a 1.25 gallon Coleman ice cooler! The size of this unit is perfect for this topbox rack. This is the Coleman "FlipLid 6" Personal Cooler... here's the view from the front of the bike:

Side view.... as I've mentioned previously, I don't really care for placement this high and aft of the rear axle, but there is just no other reasonable position for it. At least the short, relatively squat rectangular container is an excellent size for this application..... not too big, yet still holds a reasonable amount of ice/water:

I found a killer bulkhead fitting to attach the drinking tube to: this Tru-Value Hardware 90-degree, 5/8" Nylon barbed bulkhead fitting that features a nice stainless steel area washing to squash a 5/8" O-ring (just visible under washer):

Below, you can see how the upper part of the tube is zip-tied to the rack right at the barbed quick-disconnect (allowing me to just carry the cooler into the gas stop to replenish ice/water), and then again to a zip-tie keeper lower on the Givi lid. This ensures that this crucial aft section of the drinking tube remains securely in place (and doesn't "tug" on the bulkhead fitting) while underway at speed:

Here is the critical piece of the puzzle: creating a leak-free water pick-up line. A short section of 3/8" tubing is a perfect soft "press-fit" into the bulkhead fitting opening, sealed with clear silicone. The business end of the pickup tube is affixed with a brass fitting to provide weight, sinking the end of the tube to the bottom of the cooler:

Below is the final installation. Two black 1" nylon strapping retains the cooler just fine at interstate speeds. A classic Camelback insulated line (with covered bite valve) is connected to the aft clear vinyl tubing. Since the bite valve is going to be passed back and forth between Annie and I while underway, it won't be connected to the usual janitor's key lanyard.

I am still using this exact set-up on the new matte blue bike.

In fact, it's first use on the 2018 FJR happens in about 3 weeks, I Annie and I ride out to Ely to chat "Bad Dog" rally logistics with the Hotel Nevada folks.

Hydration system still works like a charm.

 

[SLK50]

That is so...ghetto.

 

[gregory]

Thanks Warchild, that looks doable

 

[Warchild]

That is so...ghetto.

Fortunately, I don't give a flying rat's *** what it looks like; I am only interested in how it performs.

When you ride the blazing hot Desert West like we do - having easy access to water while underway is key.

And it has kept wifey and I hydrated in some very hot dry conditions. A lot of them.

Like Austin, Nevada in late August:

And again here in 100-degree mid-summer at the Sincliaer gas station Alamo, Nevada, site of some FJR1300 Word Records held by FJRForum members:

Just south of Death Valley in Trona, CA, a searing tropical paradise Rest Area:

On solo Nevada trips, it also gets used on the Hayabusa, where I also don't care how it looks...

Truth be told, it probably gets the most use on the Busa....

 

[Ijuggle]

I wear the Camelbak, a 70 or 100 and my wife and I just share the hose.