Road Trip - Arizona to South Dakota

Things to Think About

1. Weather
2. Weather
3. and, ummm, Weather
4. What's it like when you leave?
5. What's it going to be like during the day (no you don't have to be a meteoroligist but a little research won't kill you.
6. What's your route and where's it take you?
7. Your personal comfort level?
8. Sun protection - no vacation, roadtrip, run, ride, or whatever you want to call it... isn't fun if you're blistering from a sunburn!

Some Tips To Consider

1. Don't overpack. If your luggage rack says max weight 10 pounds - don't put 20. Common sense right? You see it all the time. Not only does it jeopardize your safety but it can also make your bike harder to handle and your trip ultimately less enjoyable as a result of the effort and energy wasted on fighting what your bike wants to do.

2. Use your saddlebags. I would recommend that if you don't currently have saddlebags on your bike your go buy some. This is especially true if your going for multiple days and even more so if you're riding two-up. Putting saddlebags on now will save you miles of heartache.

There are a lot of different styles and price points to choose from; over the fender: both sides are connected with a leather strap (usually 4 or 5 inches wide; Rigid mount, you can get these either in leather or fiberglass resign. In the links section I've provided a couple of suppliers that have a wide variety (style and price).

3. Pack Efficiently. Try to pick clothing that is all weather. Instead of rain gear and a cold weather jacket try a leather jacket with a zip-out liner and chaps. I've put mine through some torential down-pours and they've kept me dry and have held up just fine.

4. Pack ahead of time. Pack your clothes a week ahead - lay it all out: see what's going to fit and what can you (or have to) sacrafice, use some extra socks to take up space that your personal items will take up when they're packed.

5. Familiarize yourself. When your luggage is packed, go put it on your bike. I suggest doing this a couple of times just to get used to how it all loads and secures. This holds true for luggage you've never used before and the set that you've owned for a while. It may have been a long cold winter and you haven't thought about packing or loading your bike for months. A few minutes of re-familiarizing yourself will make arrival and departure from the day's stop smoother. If you've never road-tripped by motorcycle before, you will, or should be, taking your luggage off your bike at the end of every day and putting it back on the next morning.

Packing Trick
This one I learned while in the military. Roll your clothes, just like you would a sleeping bag. The theory is that if you roll up your jeans, T's and other clothing they will take up less space. I haven't compared packing this way versus packing with the clothes being folded but I always feel like I'm able to get a few more items in by rolling.

- not always agreed on but it was a good template to use over the years. Also, this is NOT 100% inclusive - My wife was a really good sport about trying to keep to the list but no matter what there were the essentials that she had to have - so it all worked out, she got her stuff and I got my cigars.

It looks like a lot...(that's what I say every year!) Now, double it for your passenger!

Jeans - wear 1 T-bag 1-2
SS Shirts - wear 1 (option) T-bag 2
LS Shirt - wear 1 (option) T-bag 1
Deorderant - T-bag
Travel size Shampoo (in ziplock) T-bag
Bar Soap (in ziplock) T-bag
Socks - wear 1 (not opt) T-bag 2-3
Underwear - optional :) T-bag 2
Vest - wear 1 (option) saddlebag
Chaps - wear 1 (option) saddlebag
Leather Jacket - saddlebag
Gloves / cool weather saddlebag
Face Mask - saddlebag
Bandanna's - wear 1 (option) T-bag 2
Zinc Oxide - wear T-bag/out pocket
Sunblock - wear T-bag/out pocket
Flip Flops - optional T-bag
Sport Shorts - optional T-bag
Sun Glasses - Night Vision Saddlebag
Cell Phone(s) T-bag/out pocket
Cigars - T-bag/out pocket
Camera - Saddlebag
Memory Stick - T-bag
Sweatshirt - Saddlebag
Hats - T-bag
Eye Drops - T-bag/out pocket
Chap Stick - T-bag/out pocket
Tooth brush & tooth paste - T-bag
Bike cleaning kit - Saddlebag
Oil - Saddlebag
Tools - Saddlebag
Bike Cover - Strap to T-bag
Extra Bungee - Strap to T-bag
Fix a Flat - Saddlebag
Map & AAA Guide - T-bag/map pocket
Journal - T-bag/map pocket
Bee Sting stuff - T-bag/out pocket
Hard Candy - T-bag/top-roll
Gummi Bears - T-bag/top-roll