Touring gear.

[Galactica]

I’m hoping to do at least three trips this year.  Ten days in June (10th-19th), sixteen days in July (9th-23rd), and ten days in September (17th-25th).  Perhaps even another trip in August.

These three trips are planned with my neighbour.  We’ve done a couple of trips together the last couple of years.  Things haven’t always gone, ahem, smoothly but we manage to smooth over the rough spots and get along.  The June trip will likely be a BC/Alberta trip but may morph into a BC/US trip.  The July trip is likely to be a Rocky Mountain spine trip into the US.  And the September trip will likely be a US Coast and Volcano loop.  An extra solo trip may happen in August out to Saskatchewan.  Shawn will see me coming for a couple of days and have time to hide.

I’ve done lots of touring whether it’s been hiking, skiing, or motorcycling.  Every time I go through the same process of getting ready.  Lists, assemble gear, sort and pack.  Every time I take too much stuff.  Being a glass half empty guy, I always plan and pack for most eventualities.

I thought I’d show you the stuff I’ll take for a 10 day -2 week trip.  Starting with my tool kit.  It includes wrenches, sockets, pliers, enough to almost disassemble the bike.  Tire repair, epoxy, nuts & bolts, tent repair, fuel syphon, and more.  

I’ll post more as I assemble it.

Cheers,
Ross

[Galactica]

Dang!  Too much!  Too heavy! Too bulky.

I revisited the tool kit.  Removed a couple of things. 

Do I really even need a tool kit?  It’s a modern Yamaha.  Gonna revisit it again.  Do I really need anything beyond what’s necessary to plug a puncture and adjust the chain?

[Steve G.]

  A BCAA service card weighs .75 grams. Saved me 3 times. Premium package gets you coverage to Key West, all the way to Deadhorse.

  I can't remember if your bike has tubeless tires and rims. If it does, the tire repair kit can be made much lighter,  as wheel removal to fix a flat is not needed. Bring tools only to adjust the chain should it go slack., and a reduced size chain lube.
 
  Of course personal preference on nightly accommodation can change the volume of the gear needed. I know you have extensive camping experience, way more than me, so your collective camping gear will be way more thought out and more compact than what I would bring. Hotels, for all their obscene cost, do reduce your entire motorcycle gear volume by 50% instantly.

  3 pair of gloves, super warm, mid warmth , and motocross.  All gloves leak, warmth while wet is important. Take all your very worst, most embarrassing underwear, wear them 2-3 days, throw them away. Same with all your very worst sox. I actually save horrifically worn out under garments specifically for ride tours, its amazing how pleasurable it is to have more room on your bike when you arrive back home.

 Put the heaviest "stuff" at the bottom of your panniers, to reduce top heaviness of bike, easier to ride, easier to push on and off stands, easier to life up a fall over.

 

[Galactica]

  A BCAA service card weighs .75 grams. Saved me 3 times. Premium package gets you coverage to Key West, all the way to Deadhorse.

  I can't remember if your bike has tubeless tires and rims. If it does, the tire repair kit can be made much lighter,  as wheel removal to fix a flat is not needed. Bring tools only to adjust the chain should it go slack., and a reduced size chain lube.
 
  Of course personal preference on nightly accommodation can change the volume of the gear needed. I know you have extensive camping experience, way more than me, so your collective camping gear will be way more thought out and more compact than what I would bring. Hotels, for all their obscene cost, do reduce your entire motorcycle gear volume by 50% instantly.

  3 pair of gloves, super warm, mid warmth , and motocross.  All gloves leak, warmth while wet is important. Take all your very worst, most embarrassing underwear, wear them 2-3 days, throw them away. Same with all your very worst sox. I actually save horrifically worn out under garments specifically for ride tours, its amazing how pleasurable it is to have more room on your bike when you arrive back home.

 Put the heaviest "stuff" at the bottom of your panniers, to reduce top heaviness of bike, easier to ride, easier to push on and off stands, easier to life up a fall over.

 

Ditto on all of what you just said.  This week I’ll investigate the cost of an associate membership to my wife’s BCAA card.  My friend and I like to do a combination of camping and hotels.  Get some good meals, good sleep, and a hot shower once in a while.

Pretty much every trip I’ve been on, I’ve packed so much sh*t for every eventuality that I never used.  Especially if most of my riding is on the pavement, it makes no sense to carry my tool chest along.  Especially with this bike, what could I really do to repair it if it failed?  Just get a tow truck.  Duh.  And yes, it has tubeless tires.  I’ve plugged numerous punctures on my other vehicles. 

[hardrockminer]

Have you considered bringing a spare motorcycle along?

[Steve G.]

  Next to Honda, and probably HD, I put Yamaha as #3 on dealership availability in North America. If something quite problematic comes up with your bike happens, it’s a short tow truck ride to the closest dealer, unless your riding to a place where there are no bike shops, like say,,,, Tuk.

[Bucko]

I was in crappy tire yesterday (while leaking fuel all the way home  ) and noticed they had those small footprint compressors - similar to the one in Ross's photo - for sale for about $20.

[Galactica]

I was in crappy tire yesterday (while leaking fuel all the way home  ) and noticed they had those small footprint compressors - similar to the one in Ross's photo - for sale for about $20.

If you get one of those things be aware of their limitations. 

My bike has a pretty big rear tire, 180/55R17.  From flat, it takes 10 minutes to fill to 40psi, and the unit gets quite hot.  Would probably take half an hour to fill a car tire.  It’s fairly noisy.  Don’t expect to use it to inflate an air mattress.  Not at all sure of its longevity.  Basically it’s just for emergency use.  You could even get by with a small bicycle hand pump, but that would take a long time and be a heck of a workout.

[Steve G.]

https://bestrestproducts.com/shop/cyclepump-ez-gauge/cyclepump-expedition-combo-w-gauge/cyclepump-expedition-tire-inflator-combo-w-gauge/

  Here’s the kit I have. It fills air mattresses, car tires, anything. It’s loud!

[Galactica]

https://bestrestproducts.com/shop/cyclepump-ez-gauge/cyclepump-expedition-combo-w-gauge/cyclepump-expedition-tire-inflator-combo-w-gauge/

  Here’s the kit I have. It fills air mattresses, car tires, anything. It’s loud!

Waaayyy more money than I’m willing to spend for something I hope never to use.  It certainly looks more bulky than mine. 

[Galactica]

I got mine on sale last year for like $16.

[Steve G.]

  Yeah I certainly understand the shock of that price. I did however buy it 30 years ago, for $59. It’s earned its keep, 2 runs to Cabo San Lucas,,,,6 flats there alone, and many air mattresses at campsites. Plus it’s tiny.