Travel Accessory Checklist

[phil]

I have never toured on 2 wheels to the Great Rocky Mountains. To save my feeble brain from the strain, can one of you highly-experienced folks share a checklist you may have for packing for long trips? Things like tire repair kit, 1st aid, etc. Thanks.

 

[squeezer]

Tire repair kit and pump would be at the top of my list.

Credit card and a cell phone come next.

A couple of small, but good, flashlights because, although it's never been scientifically confirmed, I'm convinced most breakdowns happen at night.

A good multi-tool and the proper hex wrenches for all those fairing screws, plus a few extra fasteners, are almost guaranteed to be handy.

Don't forget the duct tape.

Tire pressure gauge, of course.

Make sure you have some drinking water somewhere in case you're stuck for awhile.

A first aid kit seems sensible. Make sure you add stuff for bee stings. Much more handy, though, is having both Motrin and Gold Bond Powder easily accessible. And on the meds front, I also keep some Pepto-Bismol in the tank bag. The gamble on roadside diners pays off both ways.

I carry something to clean the windshield and my visor because I've been through bug storms that made it impossible to see.

You'll see some gigantic checklists out there, but for me, anything more than what's listed above is pretty much gravy. For the record, I also carry what I think is a pretty good tool kit, tho' there's no real reason to haul tools for stuff you don't know how to fix anyway. I carry spare headlight and taillight bulbs, extra fuses, and some wire because I had electrical gremlins in a previous bike. Haven't needed them on the fjr. I also carry a tube of silicone sealant/adhesive. I carry extra bungee cords, often a spare helmet visor, extra gloves, spare glasses and sunglasses, and whatever gear I think I'll need to stay comfortable in changing weather. On other bikes I carried an extra quart of oil but I weaned myself away from that with the fjr.

 

[2WheelTiger]

Some trip articles I wrote:

Tank bags

Long trip advice

Trip tips

Bad weather comfort

YMMV. Hope these help.

 

[phil]

Thanks, Squeezer and Andre. These will help me be ready for NAFO, as well as other trips planned this year. Phil

 

[madmike2]

Link to Pashnit: "What to bring on a tour" list

My suggestions:

1) On the bike all the time--

Tire repair kit

air compresor

OEM tool kit

extra "main fuse:

extra fuses for my aux. fuse panel

ear plugs

2) Long trips:

A) In my Cordura "tailbag" strapped to my pillion seat....

Flashlight

Electrical Tape

Duct Tape

Assorted ROK straps and bungees

Tools

hand cleaner (or handi-wipes)

"Fix-a-flat" aerosol can

First-Aid kit

Shock Blanket

Cleaning supplies (plexi and polish)

B) in my topcase or tankbag:

Raingear

extra gloves (warmer?)

balaclava

heated liner

I'm sure there are other things I add...but this would be the basics for a multi-day or multi week tour.

 

[LDRydr]

I've got some Excel templates that I use, different ones for just me and for going two-up. PM me with a real email addy and I'll send them to you.

Also, MicaPeak.com has a customizable checklist you can create then printout. CLICKY HERE

 

[skuehl]

I have a checklist in excel. It way over extensive. However I just check off what I want to take then filter it so the rest disappears. If you want it. PM me your email address and I will send it.

 

[doodad]

I have never toured on 2 wheels to the Great Rocky Mountains. To save my feeble brain from the strain, can one of you highly-experienced folks share a checklist you may have for packing for long trips? Things like tire repair kit, 1st aid, etc. Thanks.

Take way less than you think you'll need for clothes and do laundry at hotels along the way. Everybody else covered tools, etc, but instead of ( or in addition to...) a flashlight, go to a camping store and get one of those little headlamps. They're awesome for tight dark jobs. GPS is kinda handy too, but maps still work.

If you get up to Canadian rockies, let us know and we'll buy the first ( real ) beer.

 

[SMC]

I have never toured on 2 wheels to the Great Rocky Mountains. To save my feeble brain from the strain, can one of you highly-experienced folks share a checklist you may have for packing for long trips? Things like tire repair kit, 1st aid, etc. Thanks.

:blink: Howdy Phil,

I'll toss this out at you and you can distill it further to suit your needs.

I don't have a tank bag nor do I have a top case like most of the guys.

All this gear fits into the two saddlebags and my smuggler and is enough

gear to get me through my trips from a few days to multi-week trips from

temperatures as cold as 38 degrees to 120 degrees and weather that is

quite soggy.

Documents and I.D.

trip itinerary, hotel addresses, phone #'s, reservations #'s

back-up maps and road atlas

wallet, checkbook, cash

FJR manual and Y.E.S. card

airline I.D.

Riding Gear

Cycleport kevlar jacket, water proof liner

Cycleport kevlar pants

Arai helmet, light smoke visor, helmet bag

Sidi motorcycle boots

2 pair Rev'it motorcycle gloves

Tourmaster rain suit

Camelback rehydration system

back-up ignition and smuggler keys on lanyard

Clothing and Footwear

4 REI Sahara microfiber longsleeve shirts

2 pr. REI Sahara microfiber zip off leg pants

1 REI rain parka

1 long sleeve cotton T-shirt

1 long sleeve insulated undershirt

1 pr. REI shorts

5 pr. REI underwear

5 pr. synthetic quick drying socks

1 pr. black sneakers

Navigation and Communications Equipment

Garmin GPS, ac power adaptor, manual, security screwdriver

Etymotic ER4P earphones

Cell phone and extra battery

MacBook, ac adaptor, high speed DSL cable

Photography Gear

Nikon D-80, manual

Sekonic light meter, manual

Gitzo tripod

multicoat polarizer and UV filters

2 four gigabyte flashcards

2 lithium ion batteries and ac recharger

Repair and Maintenance Equipment

1 tire pressure gauge

1 Stop and Go Pocket Tire Plugger repair kit

1 sticky string tire repair kit

1 CO2 tire inflator

1 box of CO2 cartridges

1 Aerostitch First Aid Kit

1 headband flashlight

1 clip on flashlight

1 cable lock system

1 expanded tool kit

1 small roll duct tape

1 small roll electrical tape

1 Cold steel pocket knife

Toiletries

toiletries, medicine, vitamins, lip balm

visine,

sun block

talcum powder

Miscellaneous

1 pair foam ear plugs with connector cable

1 garage door opener

1 magnifying glass

1 pair sunglasses

1 pair reading glasses

alarm clock

6 large ziplock bags

12 rubber bands and plastic ties

If my trips are over five days I just plan for doing laundry at the hotels every five days.

The reason why I can pack so much gear and clothing is I have discovered microfiber clothing made by REI, the weave of this stuff is so small and tight that you can pack two shirts in the space that a normal long sleeve shirt would take up and two pairs of pants in the space that a pair of denim jeans would take up. The clothe has a SPF factor of 40, drys in no time flat, doesn't hold odors, and breathes well.

All the repair and maintenance gear fits quite well in the Corbin Smuggler and is easily accessible along with the rain or wet weather clothing.

The camera gear along with some clothing and sneakers below it fit quite well into the right saddle bag that when you have the motorcycle on the side stand is quite accessible. Since the bike is tilted to the left when on the side stand, when you open the right

saddlebag, the camera equipment and tripod are on top of the clothing and easily removed for those Kodak moments without falling out.

The computer along with clothing below it are in the left saddle bag and is something I have never needed until I get to the hotel. Then it comes out to obtain satellite imagery of weather systems, e-mail and downloading what photos I had taken that day.

Every morning before hitting the road I fill the Camelback up with ice then fill it to the top with water. When you have a rehydration system that holds almost a gallon of water you can go a long way and through the worst heat with no problem (i.e. west Texas, Mojave desert, southern Nevada and Utah) You would be surprised as to how much a COLD drink of ice water will refresh you will you are tooling down the road.

I have also gone over Independance Pass (12,051 ft above sea level) and Bear tooth pass when there has been snow on and to the side of the road and the ambient air temperature has been 38 degrees. I just plan ahead and layer the long insulated underwear, REI shirt and the Jacket with liner in and have managed to be quite comfortable. If its really chilly and windy and wet, on goes the rain gear on top of that.

Of course all the REI clothing is also perfect for "when you get there" and decide you want to climb down into the Grand Canyon, walk along the California coastline near Carmel, Monterey or climb around Yosemite taking photos, not to mention going to some nice restaurant when you are in a local that has fine dining.

Hope that helps you and you have some wonderful trips on your FJR.

Scott

 

[Checkswrecks]

The completeness of these lists is incredible. I keep a bag packed for work travel and the bike stuff is sorta in one part of the garage (sorta), so it's dump and go.

Really posting to add not to forget all the car and wall chargers that your toys need. Camera(s), cellphone/Blackberry, GPS, laptop, & whatever else. Buying second and third chargers because one was left at home is expensive and stupid, just don't ask how I know.

Bob

 

[keithaba]

Well, that was quite the list.

The only thing I can add, is that instead of a regular flashlight, I take one of these. If you are by yourself, no one is going to hold the flashlight for you!

petzl headlamp

 

[twistedcricket]

The completeness of these lists is incredible. I keep a bag packed for work travel and the bike stuff is sorta in one part of the garage (sorta), so it's dump and go.
Really posting to add not to forget all the car and wall chargers that your toys need. Camera(s), cellphone/Blackberry, GPS, laptop, & whatever else. Buying second and third chargers because one was left at home is expensive and stupid, just don't ask how I know.

Bob

GUNNY! $20+ chargers suck... now if your cell phone uses a USB charger, you can sometimes charge that off the laptop (if you carry one).

Universal chargers (with different connectors) are nice, but I don't have experience with them.

The headlamps are cheaper and you can sometimes find a decent one at your favorite local discount store.

 

[gr8eyes]

HOLY pac-rat Batman. There are alot of Boy Scouts around here.

 

[Jagermeister]

Some trip articles I wrote:
Tank bags

Long trip advice

Trip tips

Bad weather comfort

YMMV. Hope these help.

Impressive stuff, Andre.

How is the luggage locker working out?

 

[2WheelTiger]

Some trip articles I wrote:
Tank bags

Long trip advice

Trip tips

Bad weather comfort

YMMV. Hope these help.

Impressive stuff, Andre.

How is the luggage locker working out?

Well, there's an update on the site with all the most recent details. It hasn't been my favorite transaction.

 

[HaulinAshe]

Nowadays, more and more of my preparation for long trips is prepared electronically. In less than one year of ownership, I've become very dependant on the Zumo and my route files.

A tidbit of electronic insurance I used for traversing the country to WFO last summer, was to load a copy of:

GPX route files

Excel spreadsheet with hotel reservation info

PDF maps of route sections

into the SD card on my cell phone. I figured that if I lost both the Zumo and my cell phone then I was probably hospitalized and it didn't matter anyway. But recovering from something like a SD card gone bad in the Zumo would be hard to do 3,000 miles away from home.

The single most critical piece of physical gear I carried, was the last thing I ever expected to use. My Camelback. Hydration rules in hot weather!

 

[LAGO RUNNER]

All the above and a bottle of Crown(or what nector of the gods your prefer) for when you stop at hotel, camp, or break down..

 

[beemerdons]

Hello Phil, I turn sixty this year and the packing list below started out in the Summer of 1969 handwritten, just before I left my US Army Base in Augsburg, Germany heading for Lisbon, Portugal on a two week pass on my 1966 BMW R60/2. Its served me for forty years and 800,000 miles. If you are a fellow Irishman, Section B is the most important part of the list!

Week Long Motorcycle Tour Check Off Packing List

A. CLOTHING

1. Riding Gear-Rocket Jacket & Pants

2. Motorcycle Riding Boots

3. Widder electric vest (always)

4. Long Johns (if wintertime)

5. Cold weather gloves

6. Hot weather gloves

7. Full coverage helmet

8. BMWRA sweatshirt

9. Rain suit in stuff sack

10. Long sleeve shirts

11. Socks

12. Jeans

13. Underwear

14. Handkerchief

15. Bermuda shorts

16. Flip-flops

17. Tank top

18. Pool shoes

19. Swimming suit

20. Sunglasses

B. COOKING/EATING EQUIPMENT

1. Beer bottle opener

2. Beer can opener

3. Beer stein/mug

4. Jameson's Irish Whiskey

5. Bushmill's Irish Whiskey

C. CAMPING/SLEEPING GEAR

1. Therma-rest pad in bivouac bag

2. Aerostich electric lantern

3. Sleeping bag (fart sack for us GI’s)

4. Two flashlights (penlight & medium)

5. Extra batteries for the lights

6. Tent with rain fly

7. 8’ x 12’ ground cloth

8. Folding camp chair

9. Ear plugs (for notorious BMW rally snorers)

10. Small camp/travel pillow in stuff bag

11. Dish towel/sponge (keep beer mug clean)

12. Bags-Ziplocs both large and small, garbage

13. Leatherman multi-tool with short saw

14. Nylon cord, 25’ roll

15. Very small claw hammer for driving stakes and digging rain trench

PAGE TWO: Week Long Motorcycle Tour Check Off Packing List;

D. BIKE PARAPHERNALIA

1. Extra bike keys

2. Extra saddlebag/topbox keys

3. Vehicle registration documents

4. Insurance papers (en particular para Mexico!)

5. Cloth bug/washing rags

6. Bungee cargo net

7. Bungee cords, up to six

8. Cable lock with key

9. Disk lock with key

10. Chamois and bike wax

11. BMW or Yamaha tank bag

12. Cell phone and small address book

13. Lamps: headlight, taillight and turn

14. Alaskan sheepskin seat cover

15. Extra fuses and small electrical kit

E. TOOLS

1. Duct tape (flatten the roll) and electrical tape and connectors

2. Two tire pressure gauges (put in two different locations)

3. Air pump, electric with the BMW plug or foot for the Yamaha/Harley/Kawasaki

4. Can of Fix-A-Flat (never enter Mexico without it!)

5. Large BMW tool roll, with extra tire plugging gear (goop & plugs)

F. PERSONAL EFFECTS

1. Digital camera with extra memory cards and extra batteries

2. Shaving/overnight kit and first aid kit

3. Extra reading glasses and contact lenses

4. Alarm clock and wrist watch

5. BMW MOA Anonymous Book (most recent edition)

6. Insect repellent/bug spray

7. Maps/campground-travel guides, bring magnifying glass

8. Extra pens, pencils and hi-liter pen/markers for the maps/guides

9. Two different credit cards and Travelers Checks (if necessary)

10. Passport, always bring along for Mexico and Canada!

11. BMWMOA, BMWRA, HOG, AAA and AARP membership cards

12. Checkbook, quick contact number and account numbers (secured)

13. Bath towel and wash cloth

14. Army duffel bag, in case the bike/me craps out in Guatemala & I fly home

15. Prescription medicines (god damn heart attack!) and daily vitamins

 

[SANFRANFJR]

TOILET PAPER

DON'T FORGET THE TP FOR THOSE EMERGENCIES

Happy Travels,

Kirk