Touring tips - the little things | Page 5 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Touring tips - the little things

I pack everything in freezer bags. It keeps to keep my clothes compact and and gives an extra layer of waterproofing. It also helps to organize my junk. Wallet and passport in one. electronics in another. tools in another. clothes in a few.
 
I always wear earplugs. I used to use disposable ones but got custom ones a few years ago and wouldn't hop on a bike without them.

I keep two microfiber cloths in my tank bag.. one is dry, the other damp in a zip-lock bag.

Since I wear a modular helmet I can lock my throttle and wipe my shield while riding if I wish.

I use a Go-Cruise Throttle lock. Mine holds perfectly and could lock all day as I use some aircraft safety wire to snug it a bit. Releases easily but holds perfectly.

I use a throttle lock. I DON"T use one that holds with Velcro.. they are nearly impossible to adjust while riding and I do find I like to adjust them depending on the speeds I am riding.

I love Rok-Straps. I carry a pair of large and a pair of small ones. I also carry a bungee net. Some things just work better with a net. I carry a very small, folded up waterproof bag in my topcase., I forget the liter size but I think over 30 and might be over 40. Very handy if I need to pick something up I hadn't counted on.

I take three thin moisture-wicking underwear from Mark's Work Wearhouse and three Tilley Travel Dress socks (The socks are my everyday socks for work under my suit nade tire and riding from below freezing to over 126°F /52°C.)

I have Aerostich rain Overgloves in one of my pockets. I can put them on while riding if it starts to rain and I feel my gloves might need to be kept dry. (Some of my gloves are waterproof, some aren't.)

Hydration is very important to me. I have one of those larger Gatorade bottles that I clean and refill with water.. it has the nipple kind of top so that I can drink it while riding and I don't need to fiddle with bladders, etc. Just flip up the front of my helmet and drink. I carry NUNN Hydrating tablets (available at Sail and MEC) to turn the water into a decent hydrating solution without the sugar Gatorade has (but would buy Gatorade if I ran out.)

I carry a small air pump that can connect my battery (or anyone else's) and a worm-type puncture repair kit. I have fixed about 6 flats on my two V-Stroms and one of a fellow riders. (Last puncture a month or so ago.)

I have a little USB charger (less than one inch square) that plugs into my heated gear connector. I don't normally use it since my cell lasts all day without charging but just in case.

After seeing an "Antigravity Micro-Start" that is smaller than the oversized iPhone start a V-Strom recently I bought one of those. It is very small and sits nicely in my topcase. It can jump start a car as well as charge phones, tablets, etc and has emergency lighting built in plus a number of popular connectors including the Apple ones.

I use a motorcycle-specific GPS unit. (Zumo 660.) Yes I can use a phone or my iPad to navigate but really nothing works as well as a GPS and I never have to worry about rain, heat, cold etc. I keep chain lube in my tank bag so I can lube my chain when I fill up and after every ride in the rain. (My chains typically last over 70,000 km.)

I wear an oversuit (Aerostitch Roadcrafter two-piece.) I wear this summer or winter and have worn it from below -10°c to into the 50's (in Death Valley.) It is Goretex and pretty waterproof. I wear different amount of clothes underneath depending on the temperature range.. I will often have pants that convert to shorts so that I can just unzip the legs as it warms up. Otherwise I wear whatever is appropriate street clothes under it. When stopping it comes off in seconds. The look of shorts and boots doesn't work well for me so I have a pair of sandals in my top case that I can put on when I stop.

..Tom
 
Have an Agreed meet up place

Currently kid and I after a great but long day are staying 87km apart
Sigh

Hwy 99 is superb!!!!

Additional tip....mind the critters evening and morning.

Kid had close encounter with a bear ( 3 meters ) last night and me with a deer standing on the side of the road ...maybe 5 meters ...was in a spot I would not have thought there would be critters.....edge of town....VERY steep banks one down one up - he lept over the concrete guard rail and down into the canyon.

Both saw deer and I saw a young moose and managed to murder a big marmot. :rolleyes:
 
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V-Tom said:
I have a little USB charger (less than one inch square) that plugs into my heated gear connector. I don't normally use it since my cell lasts all day without charging but just in case.
Click to expand...
Hey Tom,
Do you have a link to this charger?
 
shanekingsley said:
Hey Tom,
Do you have a link to this charger?
Click to expand...

Google Warm n safe the heated gear manufacturer. I got them ( one for me one for Sandy) from them.

..Tom
 
A couple of bottles of water and a few granola bars just in case the next food/rest/gas stop is farther away than you think.
 
always....Mars bars too pack a lot of calories in small space.

Lithium Battery with multiple connections ( will charge a cell 4 x and start a bike ) has been very useful. Anti-gravity Batteries....Microstart.

2013-07-22_19-38-05_IMG_0242.jpg
...really works well and gives you a super long lasting bright flashlight as well as an emergency bike starter.
Review is here...I'd say must have for the tech carrying motorcycle tourer.
 
I like having a paper map printed out for trip overviews in the tankbag window. I have a GPS and a smart phone, but a paper map is easier to glance at, can be written on, etc. But printing maps from Google on a B&W printer really sucks - the contrast is so low that it is almost useless.

I've discovered https://snazzymaps.com, which is a site for sharing and creating new Google map styles. There are some wild color schemes on there, but some of the high contrast ones are much more suited to printing:
https://snazzymaps.com/style/16139/simple-monochrome
https://snazzymaps.com/style/4269/kern-clean-detail
 
Ash said:
I like having a paper map printed out for trip overviews in the tankbag window. I have a GPS and a smart phone, but a paper map is easier to glance at, can be written on, etc. But printing maps from Google on a B&W printer really sucks - the contrast is so low that it is almost useless.

I've discovered https://snazzymaps.com, which is a site for sharing and creating new Google map styles. There are some wild color schemes on there, but some of the high contrast ones are much more suited to printing:
https://snazzymaps.com/style/16139/simple-monochrome
https://snazzymaps.com/style/4269/kern-clean-detail
Click to expand...
Print to PDF/screenshot and quickly adjust the contrast in an image editor?

That Antigravity booster sounds good. I have one of the huge ones from Crappy Tire that basically has a full size marine battery in it. Stupid thing will barely boost a car or bike despite it's enormous size and weight. Although I suspect that's partially due to the fact that the tiny wall wart supplied with it can't even get the thing to 12V after being plugged in for 3 months.

I also love Rokstraps. Was able to strap two carry on luggages onto my little 125 with those things.
 
When in the US, I keep all my change in a sandwich bag in the top pocket of the tank bag. Then when I approach a toll booth I hand them the bag of change and the toll operator takes whatever they need. Beats removing gloves and fumbling for change. Someone had posted this tip on GTAM before.
 
What was the credit card tip for putting in your postal code in the USA when gassing at the pump? Was it enter "0's" instead of the numbers or do the numbers followed by 000?ie: would L4L 8R1 become 040801 or 481000? (I think the latter but don't remember for sure.)

..Tom
 
V-Tom said:
What was the credit card tip for putting in your postal code in the USA when gassing at the pump? Was it enter "0's" instead of the numbers or do the numbers followed by 000?ie: would L4L 8R1 become 040801 or 481000? (I think the latter but don't remember for sure.)

..Tom
Click to expand...

for L4L 8R1 at the pump you would put 48100
 
After loosing a pairs of expensive gloves on tour.. Make sure you get in a habit of checking your departure point when you leave for things you may have dropped.
 
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Don't overfill your oil...sigh.

Sucked it out with a gas siphon....was a few oz over full. Lessons lessons....one advantage with the Burgman 650 has...real time oil level.
Don't know why Suzuki does not put that on the Wee and the real time outside temperature reading.

Make sure you get in a habit of checking your departure point when you leave for things you may have dropped.
Click to expand...

Speaking of which .....:rolleyes: moved the bike to check the oil level.
Left the tank bag with all the camera gear in the cabin.

Took off for the station to top up oil.

Fortunately kid saw it and juggled it down the road to me......I HATE getting old.....now where was I ....

Happily in Stewart BC hitting Hyder Alaska tomorrow for a few hours. I'm SURE this trip will generate more tips.
A fuel siphon is a useful thing.:sleepy1:
 
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MacDoc said:
Don't overfill your oil...sigh.
Click to expand...

Sucked it out with a gas siphon....was a few oz over full. Lessons lessons....one advantage with the Burgman 650 has...real time oil level.
Don't know why Suzuki does not put that on the Wee and the real time outside temperature reading.

The 2012+ DL650 V-Strom and the 2014+ DL1000 V-Strom have temperature read-outs.

I don't tank an oil level indicator in the dash is really a big deal.. My 2006 DL650 with over 180,000 km used less than the difference between the high and low marks being ridden at 130 to 150 kph on 1200 km days very loaded in temperatures ranging from 30 to 40C. Otherwise it rarely needed an oil top-up between the 6,000 km oil changes even as it aproached 200,000 km. My 2012 DL650 never has needed to be topped up but it only has 132,000+km on it.

..Tom
 
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