Long Distance Touring
© Copyright, 2011, R. Fleischer

ldtouring.htm-61

This is an article that deals with common sense, with some uncommon sense added, all for the touring motorcycle rider.   For SOME, Long Distance may mean 200 miles, for others, thousands.    I will try to hit the highlights.  This is NOT an article for experienced Iron Butt and continental riders.

Some riders are minimalists, some take the kitchen sink, most are in-between.   You MAY find that if you take too much, it detracts from the ride.  You will likely find that if you maintain a too-high speed you will not see nearly as much, and will miss stopping to take in sights, those 'special' restaurants and special attractions.   For most riders, the faster you go, the more they have tunnel-vision and the more that they must concentrate on the road....all of which may well detract from the tour in the long run; particularly in fatigue; but also in what they miss.  There is certainly times when speed is of the essence.  I suggest planning for more leisurely rides.  I was nearly 20 before I learned how important it was.      Don't try to maintain too tight a schedule, you will regret that.  Leave room to stop, have fun, perhaps stay overnight a day or two, and to allow for 'things', such as weather, health problems, etc.  Being under high pressure will definitely reduce the fun of the trip.

Whilst I am not about to post my own full and long list....I am too lazy to type it all up.... what follows is somewhat generic, and it is not all specific for BMW Airheads.
 

Most of MY website you are looking at deals with maintenance and repair of your motorcycle.  I will deal with that subject first.

Having a breakdown, or even a constant annoyance on a ride, will detract from the ride.....and a nice ride IS what you want, isn't it?   BE SURE that your  bike is in good condition.   There is an article on this website that deals strictly with a maintenance schedule for an Airhead:   maintsched.htm

There is a tremendous amount of information on this website.   It will be to your advantage to read the entire website at least once, as that will give you a rather strong feeling and maybe some memory of all sorts of things.   I also suggest you read the technical articles on the Airheads Beemer Club website:
http://www.airheads.org     Click on the left side under Technical Tips.

If you have never taken a long tour before, perhaps you should take a shorter weekender once or twice, ahead of a long tour....find out what works for YOU, and what does not.  

Prepare your bike by inspecting it from top to bottom.  Try not to overlook anything.  Don't put off needed maintenance.  Do NOT do this or any major preparation closer than 2 or 3 weeks prior to departure on the long tour.   JUST BEFORE the tour, give the bike a solidly good inspection. 

I suggest that you put all your clothing, tools, gear, etc., someplace in your house where you will pass by it OFTEN.  You will get ideas about consolidation, changes, etc.   I still do this after all my many years of motorcycle camping.

I suggest that you take a good look at tools.htm (that's a hyperlink) for information about what to take along.  I am hesitant to specify what type of spare parts to take along.  Fuses, yes.  Many folks take a spare alternator rotor, diode board, and regulator.  Some take a LOT more.    Quite frankly, you must decide on this.  Are you REALLY going to want to change a diode board by the side of the road?....would you not REALLY travel to a goodly sized town first?...and even then reconsider?   Changing a diode board is NOT a quick job.     Diode boards do fail, so do rotors, but you may well ride your entire life without such a failure.  Do you have the talent and understanding...and tools...to change such parts?  Keep in mind that you can run a bike a rather long distance without the alternator working, and particularly so if you can turn off the headlight by such as a Euro-switch.....or simply disconnecting the lamp bulb connector.   If anywhere's near civilization, you can purchase a car battery, and very light gauge jumper cables, bungee the battery to the passenger area of the seat, and very likely travel all day on one charge.  A small battery charger can be purchased most anyplace that has an auto-parts store. I know of at least one person who plans that method in case of an alternator failure, and who would purchase a small 3 ampere charger at the same time as the battery purchase...and allow him to travel perhaps 10-12 hours a day per overnight charge. 

I often carry a few alternator repair parts, as I tend to help folks having failures who show up at Campouts and Rallies; but usually, in truth, MANY at such events already have those parts with them, and would likely give or sell you what you need.

Perhaps you will think that a cell-phone and a credit card are nicer to have than spare parts. OR, some few parts are taken along as well.   Contrary to what some may suggest, there are some things I do NOT suggest you carry.  There is no reason to carry a headlight lamp.  If the low beam or high beam fails, simply use the other....and every auto-parts store carries standard incandescent lamps.  I DO suggest that BEFORE your trip you inspect your BRAKE and RUNNING tail lamps.  If they fail, you may not notice and the indication of any lamp that is getting ready to fail is a sagging filament, often miss-shapened.  I do suggest that your Airhead bike has SOME tools selected from the tools.htm article and that you have whatever tire repair items along that you prefer...and KNOW how to use them!  "Knowing" means you have ACTUALLY done a tire repair YOURSELF, at some time....and not using tools you keep in your garage.

I like the spark plug type of compressor; and, if YOU are OK with something slightly larger, one of the $10-$15 WalMart or similar 12 volt compressors, with the case removed, and some cable modifications (unless you get one of the very tiny cased ones), is a NICE substitute.     I DISlike the CO2 cartridges as they take too many to do much, you can never have enough along with you...and sometimes are a big waste with trying to inflate an improperly rim-sealed tubeless tire; and, the stock BMW frame pump is a joke for flat repairs.   DO know how to repair flats....including how to remove a tire and also a tube, if that is the what you have.  Be sure any tire repair kit glue/patch/etc., is reasonably fresh; especially know that the liquid glue tends to harden with time, even when sealed.    The tubeless folks have it easier here.  It goes without saying that your tires should be in decent condition, as should be the rest of the bike.  You DO carry and USE a tire gauge, don't you?

YOU, physically and mentally should be in good condition!  

You know about hypothermia?  What about high heat, high humidity, or both?  Are you prepared?  Do you REALLY take along a quantity of water?    Do you subscribe to ATGATT...All The Gear All The Time (protective clothing, helmet, etc.).

There is a limited amount of room on even the best equipped motorcycles, even those with sidecars attached.  Some long distance riders do not use saddlebags, and everything is strapped onto the passenger's seat, often in one large duffle-like unit.  Some have saddlebags, tank bag, travel trunk, and still have a huge duffle on the seat.    Some have huge and expensive aftermarket aluminum cases.  Some use bungees, others have had problems loosing things and use straps.  THINK about these things!!   Also think about what you might do if a case mount broke...etc.

I think most of you will find that real touring saddlebags, of the type that remove easily, are far nicer to have, especially the hard types, as opposed to fabric or leather, however they cost a lot more.

When early style Krauser or BMW Tour bags (especially if the flat rear hinge type) are used, it is likely a good idea to add Bungee-Buddies and bungees, or straps, or some other method, to keep those bags from coming off your motorcycle if the rear hinge should fail (they can, and do, especially over a large bump in the road).   I tend to prefer a bungee, from one lid of one bag, to the other bag; some think bungees more dangerous than straps for this, and are probably correct.   I have heard rumors of bungees failing and causing problems hitting the rider, or getting into the wheels....but I have no REAL reports.  I replace my bungee cords when they start to seriously deteriorate.  I also inspect the ends and the knot or other holding fitment; and I tend to buy better quality ones.  I suggest you NEVER depend on just ONE strap (and in many cases TWO) to hold something to your bike.  Amazing the amount of things lost off bikes....even entire saddlebags.  I lost a brand-new $$ Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad once, it had TWO bungees on it...but the outer surface was fresh and a bit slippery, and the pad shrunk a bit under the bungee pressure....I never found nor recovered it. ...the lesson was ingrained.

Motorcycles handle BADLY as weight is increased back of the rear axle....avoid putting heavy items on a rear rack. Not only can the handling be awful, but safety will be compromised, and any tendency of the bike to have a speed wobble (your steering head IS adjusted correctly, isn't it??) is made FAR worse.    Be aware that saddlebags, seatbacks, tail trunks, etc., will all make handling squirrelly at high speeds.  If you must have such items, and you will likely want at least saddlebags, keep the speed down.  Generally speaking, it is only above 75 or 80 mph that the squirrelly effects are really noticed....unless there is a goodly gust of wind.  As the weight of the bike goes up (and effects of the wind on fairings, trunks, bags, etc....), you will have more difficulty in controlling the bike.    

I am a BIG fan of HUGE tank-bags.  Tank-bags are a great place (and the weight is FORWARD!)... to put heavier items, and also items you need immediately such as camera, snacks, etc..... and such things as a LARGE tank window for a map is nice.     Be sure that your tankbag does not help shut off your emergency ignition switch on the right side of the handlebar....if it does, consider a different bag, or not filling it so full....or eliminating that cutoff switch...which is then less safe in an emergency get-off, but MORE safe than if a tank bag shuts the engine off in a turn.  You could also modify that shut off switch knob.   When purchasing a tankbag, spend a lot of time looking at them, be sure the bag you select is convenient for inserting and removing maps (what about seeing that map with the rain cover on the tankbag?...is the top of the rain cover clear plastic?), has enough capacity, and will remain on the tank in a big gust of wind.   SOME magnetic tank bags do NOT stay squarely on the steel tank, and will fly off.   The TourMaster is a good one, as is the BMW Multivario, and many others.  Some folks will prefer a tankbag that converts to a backpack.   Again....spend a lot of time on selection of a tankbag.  Put some thin plastic wrap under the magnetic tank bag...it will avoid those magnetic particles that WILL be gathered by the magnets, and scratch the tank paint.   I use the perforated thin anti-skid kitchen shelf stuff, which is made of some sort of plastic rubber.

***Be aware that those convenient things like throttle friction devices that you can install (this includes the various BMW's that have the knurled knob that can be adjusted for throttle friction) can be dangerous.   On this website is a story...kind of written in a humorous way....of MY experiences with the use of a friction device.  I still use them...but...well, read:    SnowbumGetsOffAndRunning.

I take along a first-aid kit.  I made it up by first purchasing a commercial one and modifying it.  Don't forget your personal medications.  Keep some emergency money in that kit too!  I keep my first-aid kit in the bottom of my tank bag, in its own case.  BTW...I hide some money in several places on the bike.  Some people will not travel without a handgun along.  Think about that very carefully before making a decision.   Would you use it?  Will you be in an area where handguns are illegal?  How good is your emotional control in a crisis?  Will you REALLY be safer?

Always take along a few various lengths of bungee cords, or whatever type of fastening (strap?) you prefer.  Take along some heavy gauge plastic trash bags.  I carry a small camping type of trowel/shovel and toilet paper (and put the toilet paper in a waterproof plastic baggy).   Take plenty of water.  Take a rain-suit, it need not be of highest quality unless you ride in the rain quite often.   Some of you will spend $$$ and get an Aerostitch suit of some sort, for weather protection.   I don't own one.  I wear a HydroTour by Fieldsheer as my jacket, for long tours, but still carry a full cheap rainsuit (2 piece type). I also carry a nice Turkish towel...I splurge here, and take a good-sized one.  Everyone will have SOMETHING that is overly large or heavy that they want to splurge on;...so, go ahead and enjoy!

Knowing how to layer clothing, will greatly reduce your need for many items of clothing.   For motorcyclists, you need to be able to stay dry, stay warm, and to allow for cooling too, depending on the weather.  That means wicking type of thin clothing next to the skin, an absorbing layer over that, then your outer protection.   Leather, heavy as it is, still provides the very best over-all outer protection.  I have always owned a heavy leather jacket, but for long tours I prefer the above HydroTour, which is properly padded, has a great many pockets, and is better for all kinds of weather than any 'leather' motorcyclists jacket I ever saw...or used.  

 A good article on layering is in the November 2003 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News.  If you are not a subscriber, contact Ian Smith Information at 303-777-2385 for back issues.  Any good bookstore or backpacking store will have similar, or perhaps greatly expanded information.  

Select your clothing carefully, make each item do triple-duty. I prefer to take along gloves (often two different types) and other items as appropriate to the trip in mind.  If you are willing to spend the money, consider Aerostitch or BMW clothing/riding suits.   If you have heated clothing, consider if you will really need it.  If you have heated grips, consider that if they fail, they are not easily repaired, and will you have heavy enough gloves if they do fail.

There are a lot of hints and advice that will come from all sorts of motorcyclists.   You will have to try or consider advice, and select what works for you.  Sometimes very little things make a big difference!    I have been at this touring-thing for a very long time (I began riding in the early fifties) and have close to 900,000 miles on bikes...MUCH of it on longer tours.  I STILL tend to make some changes in my gear from time to time.  I STILL learn.

Example:  Some men find that short legged underwear, rather than briefs, are far more comfortable.   Some men prefer jeans or jeans with the diamond gusset.   Some few men use woman's panty hose!  Do NOT laugh!  In FACT, see this website:  http://www.ldcomfort.com/ . Women have their favorite comfort clothing too.  There will be MUST HAVE things that YOU have to have, that others would never take along.   I know someone who rides a 2-wheeler...no sidecar for him!....and he ALWAYS takes along a blender and fixings to make Margaritas.  He also is too cheeeep to buy a 12 volt one, so carries a rather hefty 12 volt to 120 volt AC converter.  I have room in my sidecar rig for a mixer....but I am too cheap to buy a 12 volt one, and am too annoyingly weird (to some!) to take a 120 volt one.    On the other hand, I MUST have my Lagavulin single-malt Scotch!...or at least a dark Porter.

Keep in mind that folks who have been riding and touring for DECADES, still update, make changes, improvements, try new things.....this never seems to end, although it slows down typically as you get older!   Books could be (and have!) written about JUST cooking stoves and utensils for bikers!     Do you REALLY want to carry along propane/butane metal containers?   Will you REALLY use fuel from your tank for your campstove?.......and a hundred more questions.

If you think you will do some hiking or? on this trip, perhaps you will want a backpack (day pack) along.  Speaking of going for a hike...just HOW do you SECURE your bike against vandals, thieves, kids who want to touch things, etc.??  What makes YOU feel safe and secure, to your body and your possessions?

Tennis shoes have no protection against a turned ankle or being trapped by a part of the bike in a get-off.  Heavy leather boots are the safest.  You decide.  You may have to go through several pairs of boots to find those you really like, and you very well may want to ALSO take comfortable around-camp shoes.  Some make do with just the riding boots, and some riding boots are good for all-around use, riding and around the campsite/motel/whatever.  I am not happy with any, due to their weight and stiffness of sole sometimes, for HIKING.  

Some riders use Camel-back's for water; I don't personally like them.   I heartily suggest you carry lots of water. This is VERY especially so in hot climates.  I also suggest a few energy bars, and some hard candies to suck on.

Do NOT forget about earplugs; even if your helmet is a quiet one.   Constant wind noise in your ears will, after a long day, not only injure your hearing, but leave your brain a mess.  This is FAR more important than generally thought.   Some folks prefer music in their helmets (forget fairing speakers, at any reasonable cruising speed they are unusable), some cannot stand music.  Some have the helmet wired for music, intercom, etc.....or some combination.  Some would not think of riding with a passenger without intercoms.
 

What to do about GPS units, ergonomics, seats, bars, ;....that sort of thing:

Let me tackle the GPS unit first.   These are nice, and not so pricey nowadays, toys...for some. For others they are a real necessity.  They will give you accurate speed, and exact routings to places, and all sorts of information on roads.  Most can be programmed for routing in various ways.  Many give voice directions and download the latest road information   I don't need one; but I like playing with one.   You might like or want one, you might not.  I always carry real old-fashioned maps; but I am a Luddite on such, and like big format things, especially something I can WRITE notes on!   I have been known to put all sorts of notes on maps, including stick-on notes.    I like my tank bag top clear plastic map compartment to have a folded section of a real map.  In some instances I simply cut a section out of a map (I LIKE AAA maps!)....and I like a piece of paper, not hiding a portion of the map I will be using, to have, in LARGE FONT, my routing/itinerary.    I mark the map with a bright highlighter pen too.   I LIKE stopping now and then, and folding maps open and looking at the big scale of things.  I have done this, to some much lesser extent with my GPS, but I really prefer to have both maps AND a GPS.  I can get along FINE without a GPS.
My favorite use a LONG time ago for a GPS was to calibrate speedometers.  SOME folks love their GPS, and constantly tell folks how great they are, how much programming can be put into them, how great the display is, and how it tells them things turn by turn.  Some of these folks have earphones in their helmets, and can have the GPS voice or music or 2-way intercom, etc., to their passenger....etc.
  You can usually change the GPS voice, if you have that feature.  MY GPS is an OLD hand-me-downs, a relics. 

 If you have a passenger, especially if in a sidecar, but not exclusively such, they MAY get bored, so, a GPS is a nice toy for them to see where you are, where going, how fast, routing, stops of interest, etc.  Some 2-wheeler riders will give a GPS, on a safety cord, and perhaps plugged into the bike's electrical system for power (or, batteries in the GPS itself)....to the passenger to have fun with during the ride.  Expect a knock on the helmet if you do warp 10 speeds....those GPS's all record speed information!     Your passenger can become, with a good modern GPS, good enough to program in fuel stops, restaurants, local features and things to see and do...etc.    I do it with paper, phone calls, the Internet, etc....when I make my itinerary; others do things almost exclusively with their GPS.      BTW...splurging on a LARGE screen GPS is a nice thing.  So is a AAA membership, even if just for the maps and other services they provide free.

Ergonomics:   This means how you fit the bike, its controls, the seat, all that sort of thing.   This is vastly more important than normally thought of, for longer distance riders.   Just a small thing like adjusting the windshield height or angle on the bars controls can make a big difference in comfort, and especially the wind....and noise you are exposed to.   HINT!  NEVER clean a windshield using circular movements, it makes for very fine scratches that are HELL when riding into a setting sun.   The type of grip on the bars makes a difference.  The grand touring type, with an elliptical cross-section, may be much more comfortable; providing they are not TOO fat.   A small change....in bar setback, height, angle...can make a LOT of difference.   Do NOT take those words idly...in MANY situations a small change in the angle the bar is clamped at (and a small rotation of the controls clamping) will make a big difference.   Let your bike talk to you after you ride it for an hour or two...make small changes in adjustments one at a time.......before you purchase different bars, or setbacks, etc.   Don't forget the adjustment of the shifting parts and the foot rests.      The seating position, foot-pegs position, controls position, and use of earplugs, all have a HUGE effect on what you feel like during and at the end of a riding day.

Ergonomics becomes more and more important as you get older.   Little things you overlooked when younger become more prominent.    One example, the SEAT:     As you get older, your butt has less effective padding, you get places that hurt if your seat is uncomfortable.   A sheepskin covers for your seats can be great for some folks, lousy for others.  You may want to try one.   I like the Russell Day-Long seat, once well-broken in. I have generally hated the Corbin seats.  I remember seats like the EZ-Berg, etc.    Your body is special to YOU, so you may like things I do NOT.    Since the seat is so very important, you may well...and I ADVISE this, want to sit on some seats for 15 minutes.....ask folks at a rally or campout if you can...and try to get in touch with your butt, pressure points, etc., and how the seat slope, size, reach for the bars....everything, seems to feel.  Don't just do this for 30 seconds. Do the seat and ergonomics testing with the bike on its centerstand, you sitting normally, hands on the bars, feet on pegs.   Remember:  Some folks have a Corbin ass, some have a DayLong butt!....and what about the bars height, reach, angle, and the footpegs, etc.

As mentioned....adjusting the shift and brake linkage and footrests can be important.   If you have small hands without a longer reach of grip, you may want to modify the clutch and front brake levers.   If the clutch action is too heavy for you (prior to 1981, airheads had stiffer clutch action), consider one of the EZ-clutch conversions (a chain and pulley affair at the back of the transmission area).  If you have a badly worn clutch cable, that will cause stiffness.   If the throttle has too much friction or force needed, you REALLY need to look into that. You need to replace throttle cables now and then, the insides DO wear. Do NOT lubricate BMW throttle cables, except at the very end fitments (and be SURE to do that at the carburetor barrels ends).   The earliest bikes, the /5, had the return springs around the cables at the carburetors.  They cause stiff throttle action, and can be modified...as these early carburetors and throttle levers did not mount nor look like the later types.   Maintenance, good cable innards, greased throttle assembly, etc., etc. are important.  A simple plastic piece called a ThrottleRest or ThrottleRocker is a neat goody, cheap, and I like them, you may, or may not.   There are several types of devices on the market to lock the throttle or increase its friction against returning to idle when your hand releases its hold.   KNOW what this sort of thing can do, before you idly start using one.  There is an article you MUST read on this, mentioned earlier:   Throttlescrews,etc.htm
Note also, that if the friction throttle is turned on at all, it can help in some situations, and in others will just make your hand more tired as you move the throttle.
 

This is how I packed for many years on my R100RT.  Note that I was hardly sophisticated back then...and, frankly, still am not.   I still do not have a proper pair of wicking poly-pro undergarments.  I still don't ride but very very seldom with real leather pants.  ETC.   So, what follows is just some history about ME.

I wore boots, chaps or leather pants, carried a good sharp knife, the correct layering and a perforated leather jacket with a removable insulated liner.  In colder weather I wore insulating cotton long johns under insulated Carhart pants, and chaps over that.  I always wore earplugs.  I admit to wearing just Levi's at times....that is...no chaps or leather pants.    I was too cheap to purchase a REAL riding suit.  Still am.   These days I do have that HydroTour jacket, still wear leather chaps now and then, but seldom use my leather jacket.

The Airhead factory saddlebags are rated at 22# each, and the LEFT should be heavier than the right.  I had bungee cords from rear cover to rear cover, and one over the top of the seat too.  THOSE prevented ever losing a bag. You may prefer straps.   Riding with stock bag frames with excessive weight in the bags, over rough roads, will eventually cause the bag frames to crack.  I did it, yep, broke frames, repaired, eventually replaced.  I still overload my bags once in awhile.  You probably will too.  Some die-hard very long distance bikers have aftermarket aluminum cases, that are huge and some of these are mounted very very securely and sturdily....and some are NOT.  You must decide.

Fairing, left pocket:  I had a sponge to clean the windshield under a teensy bungee on the top handle.  Inside was my tire repair items...everything except the spare tube.

Fairing, right pocket:  JBweld Quickset; Passport; gym pass (Member of a gym located in most States); fishing license; MOA anonymous book; Airheads Dairectory; registration, insurance card, spare keys, some small spare electrical parts, diode board, spare eyeglasses, small roll of Radiator Repair tape (lots better than duct tape).  I may put a small amount of paper money and some coins here (and other places).

Tank bag: canned goods and other heavy items; maybe a scarf; folding camp insulated hat; second set of gloves; rain covers for the instruments and seat; extra throw-away earplugs; tire gauge, mouth mints or hard candies; matches; pen; pencil; large heavy duty garbage bags; rubber bands; garden ties; notebook; 2 clothespins; route notes and maps; fork, spoon, churchkey/canopener, corkscrew, insulated plastic cup, mess kit, cooking stove, coffee pot, teapot, and a container with my usual drink mixes, cooking oil, etc.; camera, mini-tripod for camera, extra film; small radio of the type that runs earphones, and those tiny folding earphones; bottle of DEET mosquito repellant in a double protective baggy; first aid kit.  A covered cooking pot contained many of these items.  BTW:  magnetic tank bags will eventually scratch the tank paint, and use of something thin under the bag is a good idea.  SOME magnets/bags will not be strong enough at speed and/or in stiff winds, and your tank bag may come off the tank and go flying.....thus, a bag that has some sort of safety strap or clips, or something similar is a good idea.   I used the BMW Multivario bag for many years, but have owned other types.  I may have modified the bag for electric heat controller and wiring.

Left saddlebag: Other food items; toiletry kit; small metal shovel/trowel; toilet tissue; 6" folding saw; all the heavy steel tent stakes and a hatchet (sometimes managed to get it into the tank bag); clothing (except rainclothes); maybe the backpackers teakettle instead of in the saddlebag; also an alternate place for the cooking stove and its extra fuel bottle; camp shoes; on very long tours perhaps a front tube.  I always had mixed feelings about front or rear tubes.  see tail compartment.   I often put my water bottle and my heated vest and my Summertime wet vest (the cooling vest thing) in this area.

Right saddlebag: Possibly more water; 'bear' bag and rope for it; plastic cheapo instant shelter; cold soda's; gym sack and contents; heated vest with controller; jacket liner; special backpacker's pillow; large ground cover cloth made of nylon; alternate place for tennis shoes or camp shoes.

Rear rack:  Tent and its fly.  NOTHING heavy.  My personal limit was 12 pounds.

Under seat:  Tool tray kit.  In backbone:  BMW locking cable and some spare gas line and some emergency $ in a baggie.

Tail compartment:  Spare control cables, new tire tube

On the passenger seat:   Sleeping bag, ThermaRest

Tool tray:  BMW stock tool bag and tools, modified for my personal needs and that bike's needs.  I usually included some small bits and pieces.  I had a spare spark plug, fuses, thin jumper wires, a folding RadioShack digital meter, my carburetor sync tools (cut spokes and nipples).... little things.  You don't have to have a digital or analog meter....but a test-prod type of test light with alligator clip on the lead wire, is a GOOD tool.  Keep in mind that I carried things to help OTHERS, ...I was not much concerned about MY bike having problems.

If you ride with a passenger, your list is going to be quite different than it would be if just solo.
 

Miscl.

Whitehorse Press; motorcycle catalog; www.whitehorsepress.com; 1-800-531-1133
Motorcycle Consumer News; www.mcnews.com; 1-949-855-8822
www.roadgear.com
Rider Wearhouse (the Aerostich, and lots more, folks)  www.aerostich.com 1-800-222-1994

A number of motorcycling websites have links and information...way too many to list here
 

Final words:

Have fun!

Revisions:
02/22/2010:  remove dead hyperlink
04/26/2010:  review, update some areas
06/28/2011:  fix Whitehorse Press URL

© Copyright, 2011, R. Fleischer

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