List of equipment for autonomous motorcycle travel

When preparing for a long motorcycle trip or a motorcycle journey, probably everyone has faced the question - what to take with you?

On the one hand, you need to take everything that can be useful on the road, on the other hand, there is not so much space for luggage on a motorcycle. Moreover, it is much more difficult to control a loaded motorcycle that is hung with bags and trunks from all sides, especially when off-road. And the dimensions of the motorcycle are greatly increasing, it will no longer be possible to squeeze between the cars, although everything of course strongly depends on the distance of the trip, the selected region, weather conditions, the demands of the motorcyclist, the presence of a passenger and many other factors.

Content:

• How to fix the equipment on a motorcycle - motorcycle jackets.
• Personal belongings, motorcycle equipment
• A motorcycle travel kit
• List of motorcycle travel equipment
• Motorcycle jeep, equipment
• Walking clothes
• Electronic devices and navigation
• KLMN
• Bivouac
• Hygiene
• Motor chemistry
• The tool
• Motorcycle Equipment
• Other
• Documents and money
• Food, water
• First aid kit

There are two main approaches to the selection of equipment. First, do not take anything with you on a motorcycle trip except a credit card with a certain amount of money in the account, live in hotels, eat in cafes and restaurants and buy everything you need as needed. This approach is convenient because the motorcycle is not hung with trunks and bags, but requires a decent amount of money, and perhaps deprives the journey of some romance.

The second approach is "I carry everything with me." In this case, all the necessary things and equipment are taken from home and mounted on a motorcycle. This approach will reduce travel expenses to a minimum, makes it possible to stay overnight in any place you like, rather than banging in the dark in an unfamiliar country in search of at least some hotel, as well as travel in absolutely deserted regions of our planet. In a word, almost complete autonomy. However, there is one drawback - all these things need to be transported by motorcycle somehow...

With the first approach, everything is simple - the main thing is that the card is accepted for payment in all visited countries and that there is enough money. But there are a lot of questions about the second approach: what to take, where to put it, how not to lose it on the road and how to fix it on a motorcycle. Let's look at these issues in more detail.

How to attach the equipment on a motorcycle - motorcycle cases.

It would seem that there is nothing difficult here - I bought trunks, sat down and drove... But not everything is as simple as it seems at first glance. There are two main types of trunks - hard trunks (plastic motorcycle trunks or made of metal) and soft motorcycle trunks (in fact, bags made of durable material). There is a permanent battle about the choice between these two types of motorcycle cases on a variety of thematic forums, and each motorcycle traveler defends his point of view. Each side has its own arguments in favor of his favorite design and even more arguments against the "enemy" design.

According to the experience of many motorcycle trips, the following conclusions can be drawn - metal motorcycle cases are best suited for long-term autonomous off-road and "wild" places, plastic motorcycle cases are more suitable for traveling on asphalt roads with good coverage, where there is no risk of falling in a swamp or sand, soft motorcycle bags are suitable for almost any conditions, but do not ensure safety items from theft and moisture.

It is also very popular to use a motorcycle case, or rather a bag that is attached on top of the tank. Such a trunk can be attached to the tank using magnets, slings and latches, or to a special platform / cover that is pre-fitted on the tank. Such a trunk usually does not have a very large volume, so as not to block the view, and not to interfere with driving a motorcycle. You can put items in it that you may need in the first place, for example, a thermos of tea or a sandwich, sunglasses and other small things.

I consider using a small backpack to be a very convenient alternative to a trunk on the tank. I attach it to the motorcycle at three points - by the upper handle it is fastened to the steering bar or somewhere in the area of fastening the steering bar to the motorcycle frame, the other two at the lower point of fastening the straps or backpack belt are sewn two carabiners that are attached to the tank or motorcycle frame with slings. The option with a backpack is more convenient because the backpack can be put on your back in case of walking without a motorcycle and does not worry about the safety of things, it is more convenient than carrying a trunk in your hands.

Personal belongings, motorcycle equipment

For traveling on a motorcycle, I consider it mandatory to use special motorcycle clothing or, as it is called, motorcycle equipment, first of all, it provides some kind of protection in case of a fall, and will protect your body from being erased on the asphalt. Secondly, it protects against wind and precipitation. And thirdly, it's just convenient, because tourist motorcycle clothes, as a rule, have many pockets where you can put a bunch of necessary things like a phone, wallet, documents and other small things.

All motorcycle clothing can be divided into two classes - textile and leather. For long-term motorcycle trips, textile motorcycle equipment is better suited, since the fabrics from which this equipment is made are specially selected for the required conditions of use and have all the necessary characteristics - strength, wear resistance, water resistance. Leather motorcycle equipment may look more stylish, however, leather has only those properties that nature has endowed it with and it is not possible to change them much. in summer, in the sun in a black leather jacket, you will have a personal portable hell, in cold weather it will be cold in it, and in case of getting wet it will dry for a very long time.

Nevertheless, it is worth noting that in case of prolonged rain, textile motorcycle clothing will get wet sooner or later, too, and this, I will say from my experience, is very uncomfortable, especially if the air temperature is below +10 degrees. So it's better to stock up on a rain suit (raincoat) for motorcycle clothing in case of rain.

But if you are not going to wear your motorcycle clothes all the way, then you should take some "ordinary" clothes with you, and an additional pair of comfortable shoes.  After all, walking around the city in motorboats is not very convenient.  The choice of clothes depends on your personal preferences, personally I prefer comfortable and practical clothes of a "tourist" type. It is completely suitable for the time spent traveling free from riding a motorcycle - lightweight, takes up little space, comfortable, functional, just what you need. Sneakers are the best choice for shoes.

A motorcycle first aid kit

Here I include all those things that may be needed for motorcycle maintenance and repair.

If you have a motorcycle with a chain drive, then a mandatory attribute on the trip will be chain care products - grease and cleaner, if the trip is not very long and a large amount of dirt is not expected, then you can do without a cleaner, only with grease.

Also, a pack of wet wipes is very useful on a trip to wipe the visor of a motorcycle helmet from smeared flies and other insects, such wipes remove even dried insect debris very well.

Unfortunately, no mechanism, including a motorcycle, is immune from various problems and breakdowns. So you need to be ready to fix minor problems with the motorcycle yourself. To do this, you will need some set of tools and at least an approximate idea of what is where, how it works and why it is needed. This does not mean that you necessarily need to know how to fully unwind the motorcycle engine and replace the piston, since modern motorcycles are quite reliable and most likely will not cause trouble on the road. However, every motorcycle traveler should know how to change the light bulb in the turn signal, or tighten the chain.

 

Camping equipment

This is equipment for organizing overnight stays in the field. First of all, this category of equipment should include a tent (or awning), a sleeping bag, a sleeping mat. All these things are needed to spend a comfortable night, get a good night's sleep and gain strength to continue the journey. Unfortunately, these 3 things take up quite a lot of space and have a decent weight. In conditions of autonomous travel with a limited baggage size, you need to carefully choose the equipment to match their expected weather conditions. Now there are a huge number of models of tents, sleeping bags and mats, and it can be difficult to figure them out the first time and choose what you need. Therefore, we will consider each piece of equipment separately.

Tent

Choosing a tent is a serious challenge that arises when preparing for a trip.

Since motorcycle trips are usually made in the warmer months and do not provide for any super-difficult weather conditions, it makes no sense to take the coolest climbing tent with increased wind resistance, snow skirts and other bells and whistles. The main requirement will be compact packaging and ease of use. However, you should not save too much and take the cheapest tent, because it can fail at the most inopportune moment - it will start to leak in the rain or the zipper at the entrance will break, or something else will come off. The best option would be an entry-level camping tent from some well-known manufacturer, this will ensure a decent level of quality of materials and workmanship. Such a tent will serve you for many years.

Now most of the tents on the market are double-layered, that is, they consist of two layers of fabric, this provides greater comfort, but increases the weight of the tent. There are also single-layer tents, they are usually much lighter and more compact than double-layer ones, but you have to pay for the gain in weight with comfort. In such a tent, the inner surface is covered with condensation, which collects in drops, and can wet things inside.

Sleeping bag

Another attribute that provides a full night's rest in nature during a motorcycle trip. It would seem that in summer, in hot weather, you can spend the night without a sleeping bag, but at night, and especially in the morning, the air temperature can drop significantly and it will be cold to sleep without a sleeping bag. So even in summer you need to take a thin summer sleeping bag. In general, the main characteristic of a sleeping bag is the temperature at which it will be comfortable to spend the night in it.

The sleeping bag chosen for motorcycle travel should correspond to the expected air temperature, there is no reason to carry a warm sleeping bag for winter hiking or mountain climbing, if you are riding a motorcycle in warm countries, and even in summer, this sleeping bag will take up too much space and it will still be hot to sleep in it. For such motorcycle trips, a compact kilogram (or even less) sleeping bag for warm weather is better suited.

It is also worth noting that over time, the insulation in the sleeping bag tends to stick together, and the sleeping bag stops “warming”, so it is better to take a thinner, but a new sleeping bag, rather than an old heavier one, they will “warm" about the same.

Mat

The main purpose of the mat is to protect your body from the cold ground during sleep, so the main characteristic of the mat is thermal conductivity, the less the better. The mat also provides a more comfortable sleep on an uneven surface.

There are many varieties of travel mats, from inflatable (self-inflating) to the simplest foam of various compositions, densities and thicknesses.  The choice of envy depends on the expected level of comfort and personal preferences.

At the end of the section about camping equipment, I want to share one method that will allow you to slightly reduce the size of the equipment - if you have a couple - a girl / guy with whom you travel all the time, it is convenient to use a double sleeping bag and a mat, by weight and volume they will be much smaller than two single sets, and sleep in such a sleeping bag much warmer.

Cooking equipment

After a whole day on a motorcycle, it would not be bad to eat, as always, there are many options for how to do this. You can stop at some major gas station and buy a sandwich, or something like that and drink a coke, the option is not the cheapest and not the most useful. You can stop at a roadside cafe and eat a full meal for the price of a sandwich from a gas station. Or the third - the most touristic option, to cook your own food. With the first two food options on a motorcycle trip, everything is simple, let's take a closer look at the third option, namely, how to cook food on a motorcycle trip.

To cook hot food, the first thing we need is a fire. You can make a bonfire, but it is not always legal, and in some countries it can be punishable by a large fine. Therefore, we do not consider this option, its legal replacement is the use of tourist burners.

Burners can be divided into two types according to the type of fuel - gas and liquid fuel. Special gas tanks are needed for gas burners. You can buy such cylinders at any sports store, the main thing is to check that the connector on the cylinder fits your burner. Most often, 250 and 450 gram cylinders are on sale. One 450 gram bottle is enough for about 2 weeks for 2 people.

The second type of liquid fuel burners uses, as you might guess from the name, liquid fuel, such as gasoline or kerosene. The type of fuel that can be poured into the burner is indicated by the manufacturer, it depends on the design of the burner itself and in particular on the injectors. By the way, what we have been calling "primus" since Soviet times is a typical liquid fuel burner.  Using such a burner is somewhat more troublesome than using a gas burner. First, you need to pour fuel into a special container (for example, purified gasoline - galoshes), then pump some air into the container with a pump to create pressure. After that, you need to open the tap to release some fuel into the burner, then close the tap to ignite the spilled liquid. When the burner warms up and the fuel in the supply tube boils, the burner switches to normal operation - combustion of fuel vapors, not liquid, the usual blue flame appears, as on a gas stove. After that, you need to reopen the fuel supply from the tank and start cooking. Everything sounds complicated, but after a couple of trial runs it does not cause any difficulties and does not take much time. But, of course, everything is easier with a gas burner, it cannot clog up from low-quality fuel, does not stink of gasoline (or kerosene) and does not contain so many parts that require maintenance, and it costs less. But a good liquid fuel burner can work not only on 95 gasoline, but even on diesel fuel. For example, MSR HGK Ex, this burner from an American manufacturer is considered one of the best, but it also has an appropriate price.

It is worth mentioning separately that the so-called cooking systems are a design of a burner and a pot that are connected together and can significantly speed up the process of boiling water and save gas. For example, according to the manufacturers, it will take about 3.5 minutes to boil 1 liter of water. The first company that came up with such a design was Jetboil. They took a mug, attached a radiator to it from below to improve heat transfer, made a burner that is firmly attached to the mug and equipped it with wind protection. Now there are several manufacturers that produce similar systems. As a result, this design turns out to be much lighter and more efficient than an ordinary mug placed on a burner.

Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages, and everyone chooses for himself which approach suits him best.

Plastic or metal tableware is best suited as tableware on a motorcycle trip, it is versatile, durable and is not afraid of bumps. A 1-1.5 liter pot is enough for cooking for 1-2 people. If there is a metal mug, then it will be possible to make tea in it, and not wait until the pot is free of soup or porridge. In general, now there is a huge selection of tourist tableware, which is not very expensive, but it will be much more convenient than usual. For those who have nowhere to put their money, there is even titanium tableware, which is a couple of grams lighter than usual.

That's probably all that's worth saying about the equipment for cooking and eating. The main thing is not to forget the spoon and the mug. You can live without the rest

Useful little things

Be sure to take a flashlight with you, preferably a headlamp, so that you don't look for something by touch or lighting it with a lighter in the dark. Also, a flashlight will be useful to examine some of the insides of the motorcycle.

In cool weather, a thermos of hot tea will be a very useful thing. Also, for cold weather, you can stock up on a couple of chemical warming bags, you can buy them at a pharmacy or a travel store. The principle of their operation is very simple - to break the sealed packaging, take out a bag of powder, shake it and put it in a glove or shoes. It will keep you warm for several hours.

A few rubber harnesses and a sling can be very useful to secure some part of the load on top of the motorcycle.

A metal cable or bicycle lock will be useful to fasten helmets to a motorcycle during a walk.

If you plan to stay in a hotel or hostel, take a tee, because as a rule, there are not enough sockets in the room to charge all phones / cameras and other gadgets at once. It is also very convenient to install a cigarette lighter and a USB adapter on the motorcycle, so you can charge something while parking or even on the move.

There are many more nuances and questions that may arise when preparing for a long motorcycle trip. After returning from our motorcycle trip around Europe, we decided to write a short article with useful tips - Tips for motorcycle travelers, I think those who do not have much experience will find it useful to read it so as not to make mistakes.

And you can read more about our motorcycle trip here: 

An interesting video about what to take with you on a motorcycle trip from a famous motorcycle traveler - Alexey Korovin, who, unfortunately, died of malaria during his solo trip across Africa. 

And finally, below is a complete list of what we usually take with us on a motorcycle trip.

List of motorcycle travel equipment

Motorcycle jeep, equipment

• A motorcycle jacket with protection or a separate jacket and motorcycle protection.
• Motorcycle pants with knee pads
• Raincoat (overalls or trousers + jacket + shoe covers)
• Helmet
• Walkie-talkies, talking devices
• Liner
• Moto gloves are thin and thick
• Motorcycle boots or other boots
• Thermal underwear

Walking clothes

• Trousers
• Shorts
• Sneakers
• T-shirts
• Socks
• Underpants
• Towel
• Jacket
• Sweater or fleece

Electronic devices and navigation

• Lantern
• Navigator
• Charging for the navigator, if necessary
• Maps, route descriptions
• mobile phone
• charging for a mobile phone
• perhaps a power bank
• USB Adapter for Cigarette Lighter
• USB charging wire
• photo camera
• tripod

KLMN

• Cup
• Plate - bowl
• Spoon
• Knife
• Gas or gasoline burner
• Matches, lighter
• a sponge for washing dishes

Bivouac

• Tent
• Carpet
• Sleeping bag

Hygiene

• Soap
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Sunscreen cream
• Shampoo
• Towel
• Hairbrush
• Repellent
• Toilet paper
• Wet wipes

Motor chemistry

• A means for washing the visor from midges or Wipes for wiping the visor
• Chain lubricant

The tool

• A set of end heads
• Candle Key
• Candles
• Tap wrench
• Wrenches
• Fuses
• Spare light bulbs
• Patches for cameras with glue (Repair kit for wheels, spare cameras)
• Bicycle pump
• Installation
• A set of hexagons
• Nylon ties
• Pliers
• Gasoline Overflow Hose
• All sorts of nuts and screws, wire
• A couple of pieces of wire
• Duct tape
• Tester, multimeter

Motorcycle Equipment

• Side trunks or textile bags
• Central trunk or bag
• Waterproof bag covers in case of rain
• Anti-theft cable or chain with lock
• Elastic bands and slings for cargo fastening
• Trunk - a bag for the tank
• Motorcycle helmet

Other

• A pen
• Duct tape
• Garbage bags and ordinary large ones (suddenly your feet will get wet)
• Scissors
• Dark glasses

Documents and money

• Passport
• Motorcycle registration certificate
• Rights
• Spare keys
• Money
• Bank cards
• insurance

Food, water

• Snack - dried fruits, nuts, chocolate
• A bottle of water of at least 1 liter
• Tea, coffee, sugar.
• Products

First aid kit

• Bandage
• Cotton
• Activated carbon
• Anesthetics
• Iodine
• Bandage
• Medicines at your discretion