First long trip!

[blacked_busa]

Hey guys!

Im taking my first trip from Richmond VA to the Dragons Tail in Tennessee in August. We are taking the Blue Ridge Parkway most of the way and we are looking at about an 8 hour trip. Im worried about my luggage space. I was thinking to strap down a duffel bag to the back seat and possibly get a tank bag. I don't need much stuff since its a 4 day trip. How well are the LARGE tank bags? Are they to big and bulky and get in the way?

 

[Trout]

I was thinking to strap down a duffel bag to the back seat and possibly get a tank bag. I don't need much stuff since its a 4 day trip. How well are the LARGE tank bags? Are they to big and bulky and get in the way?

You should be fine with a duffle and a tank bag. I use a 20L dry bag and a tank bag. The tank bag does not get in the way, in fact it's a benefit to have it there... I lay forward and rest my chin on it all the time.

This bike is packed for 6 days. The beauty of a dry bag is that it rolls up and down depending on how full it is. In other words, it expands and contracts with the cool weather gear as I strip it off by mid-day. I put all my tools under the hump. I try to keep only clothing in the dry bag. This helps keep it solid and round. I put all the non-stuff-able and pointy items in the tank bag... Nike shoes, spare visor, toothbrush, etc.

 

[pashnit]

15L will get you camera & gloves.

Go for a 20L expandable & you'll have a good balance of travel space & still small enough to move around in turns.

I'm a bit fan of either Bagster or magnetics.

 

[blacked_busa]

I like your luggage rack you made. I was checking out your post on that earlier. I was looking at the racks on other sites and they were a little out of my price range. I wish I was able to keep the hump on but ill suck it up and throw the rear seat on there.

I just picked this bag up off of ebay. Not to bad for the price. Motorcycle Magnetic Gas Tank Bag Rain Cover Sport Bike Cruiser Gear Dual Black | eBay
Not crazy about the white stripe on the side, but Its reflective so that is a + for visibility. Its not long in length but makes up for it in width and height of the bag.

 

[Trout]

I like your luggage rack you made. I was checking out your post on that earlier.

Thanks. It's turned out to be the most handy accessory I've ever "invested in."

I just picked this bag up off of ebay. Not to bad for the price.

That tank bag looks extremely close in design to the one I'm using. I got mine off a clearance table at Cycle Gear several years ago. Just goes to prove that you don't have to spend a lot to get good functionality. I think I spent about the same $30-ish for it. I've used it for several years on 2 different bikes. I suppose it's got 50000+ miles on it and it's still holding up just fine. The black color has faded a lot, but that's no big deal.

If this is your first big trip with luggage, I'd suggest you load up the bike long before August and give it a good shake-down.

Here's the first thing I learned about this bag you bought... the zipper for the expansion feature is under the handle on the front of the bag. The zipper pull will flip around in the wind and whack whack whack against the paint on your tank. I tried using a zip tie to keep the zipper pull in place, but finally gave that up and I just stick a layer of painters tape on the tank where the zipper pull will rub.

 

[dadofthree]

There's room for a lot in the trunk of a Gen I. I bought a cheap set of Nelson Riggs soft saddle bags years ago because the back pack was a pain in the arse. Now-a-days they allow me to pack everything I need for a week including Large camera, GoPro with rig, Laptop, and cables All my clothes and toiletries go in one side and all the electronics in the other.

 

[red1100cc]

I like having a tank bag to lay on. I uasually wrap my computer in a towel and a hoodie and lay on the sucker, feet flying behind me. 86mph is enough wind to keep your toes off the ground.


a duffle and a tank bag have worked well for me for many miles and many years.

 

[Superzuki]

I have all Firstgear stuff, soft saddle-bags, expandable, magnetic, tank-bag, and a tail-trunk. The trunk sits on the rear seat and holds a lot of stuff. {It's the only thing I use the rear seat for} I can carry enough stuff for a week.

 

[Poppy]

I have a Joe Rocket expandable, older model, that holds quite a bit of stuff. Also consider finding a set of sport saddlebags. I have a set of Nelson-Rigg bags and those are priceless for week long trips. I have used a backpack strapped over the passenger seat which worked out well. I've packed light with the plan of hitting a laundromat after two or three days. But honestly, the best arrangement I've utilized is the tank bag, saddle bags, and still keep the rear cowl/hump on. I also have the Ventura system which is awesome.....

 

[blacked_busa]

Yea it's my first trip with luggage so once my tank bag comes in I'm gonna do a mock pack as drive a few miles down the interstate to see how it holds up. Right now the plan is the tank bag, a duffel to the rear seat with a net to hold it down and I have a tactical book bag that I may hook to the travel net. I think that should be enough for the 4 day trip.

How does the cloth saddle bags hold up against the rear fairing? It seems like it would scratch the paint all up? If I ever do this trip again I might invest in some better gear for next year. We are trying to have a child so I'm not trying to go all out first time around.

Oh and I almost forgot about the trunk room. My tools will go there and possibly a few other items!

 

[Poppy]

I forgot to mention looking into doing the trunk mod for the Gen1. Works great and gives some additional storage space.

 

[blacked_busa]

I have a Joe Rocket expandable, older model, that holds quite a bit of stuff. Also consider finding a set of sport saddlebags. I have a set of Nelson-Rigg bags and those are priceless for week long trips. I have used a backpack strapped over the passenger seat which worked out well. I've packed light with the plan of hitting a laundromat after two or three days. But honestly, the best arrangement I've utilized is the tank bag, saddle bags, and still keep the rear cowl/hump on. I also have the Ventura system which is awesome.....

Yea I looked into the Ventura rack. A little out of my budget for now but I would love to have it. I really wanna keep my hump on. I hate a rear seat! The hump just makes the busa sexy! It would look good in the dragon tail photos haha!

 

[Poppy]

Yea it's my first trip with luggage so once my tank bag comes in I'm gonna do a mock pack as drive a few miles down the interstate to see how it holds up. Right now the plan is the tank bag, a duffel to the rear seat with a net to hold it down and I have a tactical book bag that I may hook to the travel net. I think that should be enough for the 4 day trip.

How does the cloth saddle bags hold up against the rear fairing? It seems like it would scratch the paint all up? If I ever do this trip again I might invest in some better gear for next year. We are trying to have a child so I'm not trying to go all out first time around.

Oh and I almost forgot about the trunk room. My tools will go there and possibly a few other items!

There's a thread here about a member that made a cool set of brackets to hold the bags away from the plastic. My bags have a rubber thingy to protect the paint but I also use the blue painters tape to provide a little more protection. Peels off easy, no gorilla tape for that! Look for some used stuff just to see how things are once you figure out what you really need. I found my Ventura system here online, from a great member.

https://www.hayabusa.org/forum/general-bike-related-topics/180152-quick-saddle-bag-brackets.html

 

[blacked_busa]

Pretty nifty! Once I do my mock run I'll see if I'll need the saddle bags. Maybe I'll also come across a Ventura rack for sale in my price range.

 

[blacked_busa]

Any other tips for the trip?

 

[Poppy]

I like your idea of a mock run with the stuff loaded. Maybe a few day trips with your anticipated load. That will help you with the changed dynamics, even if they are slight.

 

[dadofthree]

The nelson rigg has a protective pad between the bag and plastics. Never a scratch. I have a friend that haves to use the blue painter tape with his bags. He was admiring mine at the bash. They also come with rain covers.

 

[todd moyer]

There's some great info here and I have to say that an expandable 20L tank bag would be a really handy item. Mine is a Cortech Super 2.0 18L expandable and worked well for us / me as I laid against it while droning along on I81. When packed well they are great for leaning against and taking a bit of a rest while riding along. My wife and I just made the drive down to then rode the complete Blue Ridge Parkway, it was great.

 

[blacked_busa]

You guys have very nice set ups! Im hoping I fall in love with the touring thing and can invest in some nice gear! I used to travel a lot for my past job so I am pro at packing stuff so hopefully I can get a lot of stuff in my bags without carrying to much luggage.

I am thinking about bringing my rear cowl if I have enough room in my bag. Ill just rap the cowl in bubble wrap so it doesn't get damaged. Sounds like a little much but I really want it haha.

The only thing I am really worrying about now is my legs killing me. I recently got my seat reupholstered and got a gel insert put in which has relieved any back pain and I can ride about an hour before I start feeling it in my legs. How often do you guys take breaks?

 

[todd moyer]

Typically about every 120-150 miles unless sight seeing....... This is for gas, bathroom break, snack, then roll back out.