PACKING FOR A LONG RIDE
Carriers / Saddle Bags / Side Boxes
For a long ride Carriers are the best option giving you the freedom to pack the way you want without any space constraint in comparison to saddle bags / side boxes. Carriers made out of hollow Iron pipes are not only light but cheap and sturdy enough to take any kind of weight. The only drawback of the carriers is, your luggage is exposed and cannot be locked.Removable Aluminum boxes can be fitted onto the carrier which can be locked but they will have space constraint.
Saddle bags are prone to space and weight constraints. To sustain long rides and tough Indian weather conditions saddle bags have to be of superior quality which are very expensive.
For solo rides.
Ideally there should be only one main bag, a small bag and sleeping bag.Main Bag should have all your clothes and other stuff which you wouldn't need while riding. Usually this bag(Main) will be heavy, it should be tied or bungeed on the rear/back seat of the bike. But make sure this bag is protruding equally on both sides of the bike. Inequality will lead to bad weight distribution and the bike tending to tilt on the heavier side. Main bag if packed properly on the bike can even act as a backrest, so make sure the side of the bag supporting your back doesn't have sharp objects that can disturb you on the ride.
One small bag can have all the day-to-day stuff, like soap, cream, gloves, etc. Basically stuff you might need during the ride.
Tank Bag is very useful, you can keep your camera, bike papers, map and other handy stuff here. Even your snack, fruits. It also helps in even weight distribution if you have a lot of weight on the rear. Tank bag is a lifesaver if the ride duration is long.
If the ride is long, you will be carrying spares and extra tools for the ride. Keep the spares you think you will need more in right hand side toolbox. Rest of the spares and tools can be put on the right or left hand side of the bike. You can balance the weight by putting sleeping bag and the small bag on the other side. Make sure weights on both sides are more or less same.Balancing weight is the key to smoother ride.
Rest of the luggage like tent, sleeping mat can be packed on the back carrier. That is the carrier behind the rear seat. If you put too much weight here than the bike will tend to jump from the front end.
Use bungee nets instead of bungee cords, for nets can cover the whole luggage.
Covering the luggage with tarpaulin sheets not only safeguards your luggage from the weather but the tarps can also be used as sleeping mat and to cover your bike after the ride. Tarps also comes handy to keep your stuff together if your bag comes apart.
When riding with passenger:
Pack both the main bags( rider's and passenger's) on either side of the bike, usually both the bags will be same in weight. You can also pack respective sleeping bags with the main bags. Rest of the small luggage with tent, spares can be packed on the end carrier.
Tank bag comes very handy while traveling with passenger
Key is to travel light for a smoother ride. Having a common bag for day-to-day stuff helps in decreasing number of bags. Less bags means less bags to pack and unpack everyday.
Use bungee nets instead of bungee cords, for nets can cover the whole luggage.
Covering the luggage with tarpaulin sheets not only safeguards your luggage from the weather but the tarps can also be used as sleeping mat and to cover your bike after a ride. Tarps also comes handy to keep your stuff together if your bag comes apart.
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