what do you carry on long trips?

[justintyper]

well the riding season is just starting in upstate ny and ive got some longer rides planned already. im just curious what you bring with you on a trips as far as tools and such? i just went through my gurl shes got new tires(tripletred on the rear) nos rear splines all lubed up nice ( got a killer deal on ebay for nos goldwing splines) rear diff service lubed driveshaft new brake pads all around rear goldwing shocks with air assist (rides like a dream and handles better) changed the oil ect ect. ive got a small compressor and a plug kit and the factory tool kit rain gear and an extra layer of clothes jic in my saddle bags already what else would you recommend?

[CajunRider]

Factory took kit, tire plug kit, 12V compressor, emergency cash (say, 100 bucks... that'll at least get you a tank or two of gas in case you're stuck at a station that doesn't have credit service).

Lay the rest out on a table or bed, toss half of it back into the closet, pack the other half on the bike.

  

I like to bring a small ice chest (soft side) to have a nice cool drink on gas stops.

[Hoser]

I like to carry a little extra gas if I'm going where I don't know the distance between fuel stops.  Hoser

[Mildew]

Cell phone and a credit card is all   I ever carried..
Although I should carry tools. Extra headlight, wheel bearings and a u joint but I don't own any extras. Unorganized is the way I've always lived

[Jess from VA]

I augment my factory tools with a set of metric hex key allens (and a couple big SAEs for the Kury pegs), real stubby screwdrivers, small 1/4 socket set, small and large zip ties, big folding knife, multitool, needle nose locking pliers, partial roll electrical tape, wheel bearings, kickstand repair stud and spring, petcock coverset, nitrile gloves, lighter, and a headband LED light.  Air pump, tire repair kit. Rain gear.  Small half cover (more for security at motels than rain, thou it keeps downpours off the electricals).  J-frame Smith and spare speedloader.  Money, real and plastic.

Hide a 2d flat bike key in the wallet or anywhere it cannot get locked in the bags before you lose the first key.

One of those caliper padlocks with a built in motion alarm might be good.

[James III]

Good subject!
While this will be the first summer touring on my Valk, I have done quite a bit of L-D riding on my Aero and a few other bikes through the years. I have a couple of "tool containers" I take, depending on the trip. Weight also being a consideration.
The question to ask ones self is what would I be able or willing to repair roadside.
When I ride with another on a planned trip, we have compaired our "tool kits" beyond the basics, and shared the additional tool "burden".
Solo I have been know to have all but the kitchen sink....I downsized to a small container of hand cleaner.
I carry allen wrenches that fit just about all the allen heads on the bike, several better quaility wrenches than in the OEM kits, a few screwdrivers, spare headlight bulb, three feet of jumper wire, a few fuses, testlight, tire gauge, tire kit and pump,a couple of flashlights(small), bike jumper cables, a couple of hose clamps, a bottle of water, a couple of razor blades, pliers, side cutters, and a half roll of the handymans secret weapon, duct tape.....as GK would say, "all repairs are temporary and short term so just about the only thing that works is duct tape".
This can be condenced easily to include only the following:
Cell phone, AAA card, and a bottle of water. Just don't run out of fuel.

[vanagon40]

I'm with CajunRider.  The only thing I carry in addition to the factory tool kit is a tire plug kit and 12 volt air compressor.

[Red Diamond]

I used to carry too much clothing, now I carry an "enjoy yourself attitude", and a spare alternator. Other than that, if your bike is serviced as yours is, she won't let you down.

[old2soon]

It galls my ass to buy/purchase exchange money for water. I try to keep at least a 1/2 gal when it's cooler but now that it's heating up at least 1 gallon of water. Rain gear is always on the bike as is tools and warm clothing. I also carry too many pairs of sunglasses and too many pairs of gloves.  Patch kit 12 V compressor odds and ends of wire Velcro and DO NOT LEAVE home without it-DUCT TAPE.  Cell phone plastic and cash. Couple of do rags to help keep the inside of my helmets cleaner. And a box of those soft foam ear plugs. Ball pen calculator flashlights. Tire gauge red rags and I KNOW I missing tellin ya some of the stuff.  RIDE SAFE.

[Bigun]

Cell Phone, rain gear, credit card, a large folding knife, Helmet in case of wandering into Missouri, A couple o changes of clothes, an extra pair of shoes, CZ P01 9mm and 2 extra mags. Police creds in case I'm questioned about large knife and 9mm. Other than the 9mm I really like to travel light, have to because the girlfriend doesnt. Looking into a tow behind just for her clothes and makeup. LOL

[sandy]

As for the water comment. I carry a 100 OZ Camelback and fill it  at the motel. When having lunch, I ask the waitress to fill it as I'm reaching for the tip. Usually an extra buck is appreciated.

[donaldcc]

  right bag on Tourer has tire plug kit, air compressor, pressure gauge, wrenches, zip ties, screw drivers, hex wrenches, 1 gallon gas, cleaning spray and cloth, headlight bulb, cover for bike, $100 cash, insurance and registration cards. have used most of them on long trips usually to help fellow rider.  for me extra gas was helpful a couple of times and had to replace lightbulb.  have been able to pick up parts a couple of times at auto parts store on road when needed.  nice to have a reliable motorcycle.

 my biggest dilemma is what clothing, raingear etc. to take along.

[R J]

I'm with CajunRider.  The only thing I carry in addition to the factory tool kit is a tire plug kit and 12 volt air compressor.

This makes another one that carries very little.     Outside of what came on MGM I carry a tire plug kit and a compressor, tiny one from Wal-Mart.

At the end of the riding season i drop a few drops of oil into the output fitting on the compressor, otherwise it might stick and no workie when ya need it.

Then the start of the 4th year I toss it in the junk pile and buy a new one.   Learned a lesson on the thing sticking.     Was in no man's land in Montana.

I have a word document named trip stuff.   Print it out, scan it for things not needed this trip and make sure I have packed the remainder.    I always hated to try and remember what I needed.

This is what it looks like:

   T-shirts                           Jacket (3)
   Regular shirts                 Electric Vest
                              Laundry Bag
   Shorts – Walking       Rain Gear
   Shorts – Underwear      Car hart - Pants, jacket
         
   Socks - Regular                Tire Repair Kit
   Socks - Shorts                Air Compressor
         
   Pants      
                             Rubber boots for rain
   Handkerchiefs      
X   Swim Suit      
         
   Money - Cash               Helmet
   Money - Travelers Checks   Face Shield
   Money - Checkbook      Gloves
                             Cell Phone & Charger
   Sun Screen      
   Camera      
   Rechargable Batteries      Small Jack
   Road Maps                 Lug Wrench -when pullina trailer
         
   Razor                           Ratchet Wrench (Metric)
   Deodorant                Ratchet Wrench (Std)
   Toothbrush      
   Tooth Paste                GPS
   Shampoo                Laptop
         
   Liquid Soap                Polish Supplies
   Tweezers      
   Comb      
         
   Medication (Pills)      
   (Where to)          # of nights          2
         

[fordmano]

Just the basics,,,,,,, (way too much)

have only taken one one ride that might actually be considered a LONG ride(for some).

Factory tool set.
Tire plug set.
Mini Compressor.
A couple shop rags.
A new/clean micro fiber towel.
A few various sized ziplock baggies.
Spare ICM.
A real screw driver or 2
A small hammer.
A couple spare spark plugs.
Cell Phone & Charger 12v & 110v
Credit Card.
Some spare cash in small bills. (don't want to get screwed if someone doesn't have change)
A compact foldable hair brush (mainly for the wife).
Small roll of duct tape.
Small roll of electrical tape.
A few feet of wire in the 14gauge size range.
A set of channel lock pliers.
A set of vice grips.
A couple 8"-12" bungee cords.
A tooth Brush, & travel size tube of tooth paste.
A disk lock & tether.
A couple bottles of water.
Tire air pressure gauge.
A spare set of driving gloves.
Frogg Toggs.
A spare set of either clear or tinted safety glasses.
A pocket knife, ( I am never without this so it's kind of redundant).
Spare fuel filter, (belly tank installed)
Spare fuses, at least one of each size I use for bike or accessory panel.

I am sure I left a few things out, most of this is in my left saddle bag or tank bag all the time.
 
EDIT: also carry full time a set of bike sized 8foot long Jumper cables. Long trips carry a siphon hose the bulb type for easy no SUCKING type transfers. Thanks Salty1.

See I told ya WAY TOOOOOoooooo much!

[Brian]

No one mentioned here your GWRR membership card and Gold book. Better than AAA and the Gold book lists members who offer services and lodging.  It doesn't cost anything to look into it.

[Valkorado]

Great suggestions all.  I also bring a small roll of rubberized tape and a clutch/throttle cable repair kit.

[Farther]

Cruz socket tool kit in addition to the stock tool set; wear and spare of most clothing; fleece hoody (I don't wear leather); uninsulated dearskin gloves; CO2 tire repair kit; tent with sleeping bag & air mattress; hygien items; ID, credit card & cash; two Buff doorags (one for face & second for helmet liner); sandals & swim shorts; and small .40 semi-auto.  My next long trip I will be taking an alcohol stove and Ti cookset.  It helps to have long distance backpacking experience.

I have found that SmartWool merino wool boxer briefs are a butt saver but have low durability and very expensive.  I have since gone to UnderArmor boxer briefs which are not quite as comfortable as the merino wool but affordable and way more durable.  Anti-Monkey Butt powder is a nice addition.  And sometimes I take Rosie my nine year old Corgi!

[Chrisj CMA]

I usually make sure I take my 22mm and my 27mm sockets along with my 1/2 drive breaker bar just in case a wheel/tire change has to happen and no one has them.......  I also have a generic (from sears) zip up automotive tool case, bout the size of a book slipped into a saddle bag.  I have used that kit A LOT!. 

[justintyper]

thanks a lot guys keep it comin! one of the main reasons i asked is cuz like some of you i over think and would prolly over pack being a mechanic for 20 years ive seen a lot of crazy stuff happen so the trunk of my car is full of stuff that ive mainly only used helping somebody else out. so i was trying to save from filling one whole saddle bag with tools lol. this is my second season with the big gurl and this year looks to be a busy travel season for me as well....already have a ride from syracuse to lake placid but taking one of the longer routes to get there(state rte 3) and possibly laconia and maybe inzane although idk if funds will allow both. ride safe everyone!

[BradValk48237]

I am kind of the same as Fordmano....

I keep all the tools that I need to work on the bike (the ones specifically bought just for bike work) in a small case in addition to the factory tool kit... along with metric hex keys, etc

Every thing I might need has to fit in the Left Saddlebag and lives there.. including rain gear, warm extra clothes, gloves, and my leather jacket. I also have an assortment of wire, tape(duct, electrical, 2sided), nuts n bolts, fuses, quart of oil and a 4 cell Maglight for "defense".. and light too, spare headlight,... small compressor, tire repair, and an atlas.....

Basically this is stuff that has gone from touring bike to touring bike... probably some Goldwing nuts and bolts....

So if I ever get lost on purpose, I have stuff there... Like when your headlights go out when you tried to Stetch a day into night and your miles from nowhere with no light (happened to me on the BRP in the dark and in September a long while back)

The reason I keep all that stuff is its kinda hard to find alot of that stuff on a trip without spending alot of time holding up the group...... and its handy when one of the other guys don't maintain and carry stuff like alot of us do and hold ME up on a big trip...

Id rather fix it in a parking lot than have to go searching for a dealer or hardware in the Boonies.... Been there , done that.....SUCKS.

So if your comfortable with just a cell phone and a wallet... Cool.... But the parts and supplies in my bike can get real EXPENSIVE....

Brad

[Jess from VA]

I have a similar approach.  My right bag is bike stuff: tools, rain gear, small cover if I travel, waterproof gloves, a fleece if it gets cold (but raingear is always good for cold, even in clear skies), tire pump and repair kit, a few valk-specific parts (but small).  I have two bikes.... and when I switch, this essential gear goes back and forth to the right bag.

When I travel, no clothes go in the bags (unless I decide to carry my mesh gear).  All clothes and toilet goes in a duffel on the back seat (or your luggage rack).  When you arrive, you just unbungee and take it in the room, no rummaging thru the bags.  The pistola is locked in a bag, but goes in the room overnight, but cannot stay in the room if you are not there.  I also take a tall kitchen bag, and as clothes get dirty (too dirty/smelly to wear), they go in the trash bag to not pollute the clean stuff.  The duffel/backpack for clothes really needs to be waterproof (otherwise all your clothes will be wet), mine isn't so I carry a lawn and leaf bag in a side zip, and bag my duffel if rain is coming.

I also use Novus #1 plastic polish as a general bike cleaner on the road (it does bugs and road grime better than pledge).  It comes in a pump, not aerosol.  I use small one ounce eyeglass lens cleaner sprays for my specs, but when empty, I clean and refill with Novus #1.  The Novus pump globs/wastes product all over the bike, but the much smaller eyeglass atomizer puts out a fine mist, perfect for cleaning the bike.  The one ounce plastic bottle lasts for weeks of bike cleaning (not a full wash, but quick cleanups).  I buy 10-20 pacs of yellow microfiber cloths from Costco, and 2 are always in the bike.  My bike may get cruddy as hell, but I hate looking thru a bug-guts shield when riding.

http://www.vintageswank.com/novus-plastic-polish.html

This is my half cover.  http://www.hondadirectlineofshadyside.com/stores/product.asp?pid=409&str=2&ID=124087685    It is more for security than weather, though it does keep a downpour off the electricals.  I have no Ultimate seat raincovers and have never had a wet seat either. It dries off very quickly. I have had tourists put their kids on my bike for a picture, and not even think the owner would object.  When your bike is covered in a motel, it mostly disappears from interest, and wandering eyes.  No honest man will lift a bike cover in a parking lot.  When getting rooms, I always try to get ground floor around back; I want to park it right outside my room window, with minimal foot traffic.

As others have noted, my tools and stuff have been used for other bikes way more than my bike.  

[fudgie]

My rt bag is full of tools. Barley get my rain gear in it. This I carry all the time. Last yr I carried a spare alt. I usually have a spare drive shaft. This is only when I travel west. Short trips, 300-400 miles, I only carry the tools in the saddle bag that are still there.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Zip ties, partial roll of electrical tape, fuses. Needle nose pliers, wire stripers, metric and a few sae wrenches and a full set of metric and sae allen wrenches. 1/4" drive socket set. Kickstand spring and pin. Small analog meter and tire kit. A couple of flashlights, a good knife or two. Sunscreen (to help out those who need it), chewing gum, clean, wet microfiber in a ziplock bag and a few dry ones. Some kind of windshield polish. Nitrile gloves. Ink pen, cheap tire pressure gauge checked with my at home digital gauge. Phone, pocket knife, firearm, spare keys, gps, spare glasses and spare gloves. Maps. Usually a light weight long sleeve shirt to prevent windburn on long trips and a sheep skin for long trips also.

The SAE tools come in handy if you never pass a stalled biker or if you drop your bike and get your highway pegs jacked up. I once helped put a crashed HD back into shape along the Cherohala Skyway with the help of the SAE tools I carried. I'm sure the rider had busted ribs which I couldn't help but he just wanted back on the road and we got him there.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

My rt bag is full of tools. Barley get my rain gear in it. This I carry all the time. Last yr I carried a spare alt. I usually have a spare drive shaft. This is only when I travel west. Short trips, 300-400 miles, I only carry the tools in the saddle bag that are still there.

Yep. What I carry depends on how far I'm going too.

[fudgie]

The SAE tools come in handy if you never pass a stalled biker

+1 

[Toledo Mark]

The tools I carry fit in the bottom 3 inches of my left saddlebag. It includes bearings u joint kick stand spring wire and other quick fix junk.

I also have the repair manual in PDF format on my iPhone.

[Toledo Mark]

I should add that any repair or maintainence done at home I use the tools I carry in the saddlebag. That way I know I have the tools required for a repair on the road. Last thing I want is to not have that one socket needed to complete a repair.

I also vary an extra oil filter. It is exposed pretty much and I little pin hole could ruin your day.

[pancho]

 Don't forget the insect repellent... especially if you go to Inzane,, it is right on the Mississippi...... home turf for the big boys.

[john]

  " Cell Phone, rain gear, credit card "                       

[Bigun]

Don't forget the insect repellent... especially if you go to Inzane,, it is right on the Mississippi...... home turf for the big boys.

LOL they arent that bad, well sometimes they are but there is usually a pretty good wind blowing down the river.

[Tundra]

LCP & Water

[salty1]

Did anybody mention jumper cables or a siphon hose? I tend to carry the kitchen sink, makes me feel better. 

[fordmano]

Did anybody mention jumper cables or a siphon hose? I tend to carry the kitchen sink, makes me feel better. 

Actually I forgot about the jumpers and siphon hose, the jumpers also live in the left saddle bag but the siphon is only added or should I say was added when I ran to Vegas with 2 other bikes and one was a Harley with a smaller tank. Since then the hose has gone bad (hardened up to almost brittle) so I threw it away a few weeks ago.

I will go add that to my list above, thanks Salty1.

[salty1]

Fordmano give this siphon hose a try from HF. It works well and the price is right. 
http://www.harborfreight.com/fluid-siphon-pump-93290.html

[fordmano]

I think that is the one that I had, well mine came from harbor freight almost 3 years ago and the last time I looked at it (actually needed to use it) the hose was so stiff I couldn't get it to straighten out enough to get it to reach the bottom of the tank in my lawnmower.

[YoungPUP]

Duct tape, small hand air pump ( high pressure lo volume ) patch kit.  Factory tool kit, plus in a small hard case( came from an unknown craftsman tool set) a set of 1/4" sockets with ratchet plus 1/4" drive allen set.  Rain gear, extra set of safety glasses, and for longer rides I also use a 2 liter camel back filled with ice and then topped off with water it helps keep you cool and hydrated.

[BobB]

I cannot add very much.  I carry a miniature digital multimeter available at Radio Shack to track down electrical issues on the road.  I carry about 6 feet of duct tape and electrical tape on a 6" plastic card rather than rolls.  This takes up much less space.  These and my tools are under the seat where Honda put them.  But I have removed the divider in that compartment that was used for the owners manual giving me room.

[gordonv]

I wanted to add this question to this thread, since it's all realated, rather than start another.

How about for those medications that require refridgeration (insulin?)?

I was thinking of a very small cooler pack, but no freezers to refreeze. Then mulitple zip lock bags. Put the medication in one bag to keep it dry, then that bag into another filled with ice gotten at the motel/restaurant/etc.

Going for 4 nights, and my wife needs her Diabetic 2 meds.

[hubcapsc]

I wanted to add this question to this thread, since it's all realated, rather than start another.

How about for those medications that require refridgeration (insulin?)?

I was thinking of a very small cooler pack, but no freezers to refreeze. Then mulitple zip lock bags. Put the medication in one bag to keep it dry, then that bag into another filled with ice gotten at the motel/restaurant/etc.

Going for 4 nights, and my wife needs her Diabetic 2 meds.

My wife used to get some dry ice at the welding supply place (and they
have it at our grocery store now too) before her medicine was classified
as safe at room temp...

Direct contact with dry ice make some stuff (like kegs of beer  )
too cold...

-Mike

[Brian]

I should add that any repair or maintainence done at home I use the tools I carry in the saddlebag. That way I know I have the tools required for a repair on the road. Last thing I want is to not have that one socket needed to complete a repair.

I also vary an extra oil filter. It is exposed pretty much and I little pin hole could ruin your day.

I have a Iron City Beer can covering my oil filter. Conversation piece as well as a stone protector.  The red on the can almost matches my bike.