Am I packing too heavy

Uncle Phil

Site Supporter
Joined
Feb 26, 2007
Messages
11,299
Age
71
Location
In The Holler West Of Nashville, Tennessee
Bike
4 ST1100(s)
2024 Miles
002064
STOC #
698
Contact Peter Mallon on this site - He and Miss Fi travel on the ST1300 and always seems to get everything in the topbox and the panniers. Pros at it, in my book and they live in Devon on your side of the pond. And they've done the Alps more than once. ;-)

http://www.unclephil.us/Alps2008Day11.htm
 
Last edited:
Joined
Sep 19, 2008
Messages
423
Location
CA desert/Montana
Bike
2009 ST1300
STOC #
326
In my experience, if a traveler is asking this question, the answer is invariably YES. My wife won't travel on the moto but I have taken my son. He gets a bag, I get a bag, and shared gear (tent,cook stuff, etc)/moto gear (tools, spares, etc) gets a bag. No chairs, no sleeping bag liners, no pillow unless inflatable, no solar shower unless it doubles as a water bladder for one of you, etc. No extra shoes as they take up a huge amount of space - maybe a pair of flip flops as they pack pretty flat but that goes in your individual bag. One cook pot with nesting stove and purchase/carry only one or two meals at a time. When my son is along, I don't get to carry my electric liner. If my wife would ever go, I might carry one for her as she is sensitive to the cold. One pair of convertible travel pants each with zip off leg. One off-the-bike shirt that can be worn when riding for a little extra warmth. You get the idea - not much stuff can be carried.
 

Steve398

... another retired Black Rat.
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
218
Location
West Sussex, UK
Bike
2018 BMW R1200RT LC
Steve- Very kind mate. I'll take you up on that offer if I may. Any news on the tyres- perhaps a trip to the nice part of Sussex could be upcoming? Might even try some camping down your way.
No probs, come see me and have a coffee mate!
 

JQL

Growing old disgracefully :)
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
207
Location
Essonne, France
Bike
NT700VA
If it'll all fit on a Honda 90 Super Cub then you've got the right amount :D

[video=youtube;hAjlV2DdC5o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAjlV2DdC5o[/video]
 
Last edited:
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
8,190
Location
Cleveland
Bike
2010 ST1300
If it'll all fit on a Honda 90 Super Cub then you've got the right amount :D

[video=youtube;hAjlV2DdC5o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAjlV2DdC5o[/video]
Wow! Put this guy on a ST and he will never stop.....
 
Joined
Nov 16, 2007
Messages
1,372
Location
MURFREESBORO, TN
Bike
18 Gold Wing
STOC #
7285
I have camped several times riding two up both on the ST and DL but only in the summer when you can travel with light clothes and thin sleeping bags. It would be very difficult to do without a trailer in the winter or cooler temps. I was a back packer in my younger days so it's easy for me to pack things onto a bike if you don't have to carry it! Practice makes perfect!
 
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
3,545
Location
kankakee
Bike
R1200rt
packing heavy will take a long time to pack it up again and again, such a waste of time. Travel lite!!
 
Joined
Apr 1, 2007
Messages
72
Location
Southwest Ohio
I can do two-up camping on my ST because I'm a backpacker. If you want to do it right, research backpacking kits. And yes, you're waaaaay over-packed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Steve398

... another retired Black Rat.
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
218
Location
West Sussex, UK
Bike
2018 BMW R1200RT LC
I have camped several times riding two up both on the ST and DL but only in the summer when you can travel with light clothes and thin sleeping bags. It would be very difficult to do without a trailer in the winter or cooler temps. I was a back packer in my younger days so it's easy for me to pack things onto a bike if you don't have to carry it! Practice makes perfect!
I have a friend who would cut the handle on his toothbrush in half to save a few grammes... his point was that it all adds up!
 
Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
35
Location
Regina, SK
Bike
09 ST1300
Too much stuff ? if you can squeeze it in or strap it on .. should be fine.

My question is related to Weight. Riding 2 up with all the gear .. are you still under the 425lb weight advisory ? Assuming you and your rider are both under 200lbs ?
 

Steve398

... another retired Black Rat.
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
218
Location
West Sussex, UK
Bike
2018 BMW R1200RT LC
When we went to Greece last year we worked out that us two plus the bike and load was around 500kgs, which I believe is around the maximum weight. That was without tents, or any kind of camping kit.

Now I probably come in at 200lbs-ish (fully kitted) and my wife about 150lbs max, allowing for kit to be about 20-30lbs each.

I suspect that with camping kit he'll be officially overweight.... but then again, who takes any notice of such things?
 
Last edited:

Steve398

... another retired Black Rat.
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
218
Location
West Sussex, UK
Bike
2018 BMW R1200RT LC
Ignoring the legalese from Honda, how many riders do you honestly believe will work out their weighload before they go touring?

I'm OCD enough to actually weigh my luggage and ourselves and do the maths, but from experience I suspect that a lot if not most riders would try very hard to jam in everything they plan to take... I'm sure we've all seen some interesting sights on our travels.

Last year I met one guy riding solo on a Harley from the UK to Sicily whose luggage and tie-ons were actually taller than he was when he sat on the bike and bulged out either side. Another was a rider on a BMW had so much stuff piled on top of his topbox that the bike fell over when he tried to put it on the centre stand.

I would agree that a trailer would probably be the answer for 2-up camping but they're certainly not a common sight in Europe, I suspect that far more trailers are used in the USA than just about anywhere else.

I try very hard to cut down the overall weight every year, a fully loaded Pan is a real handful on crappy Italian pot-holed roads!

This is us packed for a 5-week tour of Europe

 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Joined
Mar 13, 2011
Messages
57
Location
England
That's what I would like mine to look like Steve, but with a top box instead of the tailpack. Biggest difference for me is carrying camping gear. I think I have a steep learning curve ahead.
 

Steve398

... another retired Black Rat.
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
218
Location
West Sussex, UK
Bike
2018 BMW R1200RT LC
Hi Nick

The only reason for the tailpack is that Debs wasn't comfortable with the Topbox and liked the Pirates Lair backrest, I was fortunate in finding that the Ventura Tailpack fitted over it like a glove!

If I have anything that will be of assistance on your trip, give me a call mate.


On a different note, Physio's given me the all clear on my shoulder :)
 
OP
OP
Joined
Mar 13, 2011
Messages
57
Location
England
If I have anything that will be of assistance on your trip, give me a call mate :beer3:-

On a different note, Physio's given me the all clear on my shoulder :headbang:
Thanks mate. I'm off to Val D'Isere Tuesday, so I'm in skiier mode, not biker mode ATM. I've booked soooooo much stuff for our break :money1: Looks like it'll be beans on toast for the next few weeks for us :D
 

Steve398

... another retired Black Rat.
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
218
Location
West Sussex, UK
Bike
2018 BMW R1200RT LC
Have fun mate, I won't tell Debbie she'll start talking ski-ing again!

I'm a happy bunny as the ski-jumping is (finally) finished on the TV, and the MotoGP's on again :) so there's something sensible to watch instead of nutters chucking themselves off high places and then landing on ground covered in slippery stuff!

Coffee's always on...
 
Top Bottom