A killer soundtrack in your ear, traveling from coast to coast with the wind running its fingers through your hair? No, it is not a dream but a must-do on your checklist. It’s time to check it off!
Haul your ride out, pack your absolute essentials, and don’t forget yourself! No, wait and read this through. It is vital to plan things through, whether it is your motorcycle or one you would be renting soon. Taking all the factors into your book of knowledge before you hit that pedal must never be overlooked. It doesn’t dull the thrill, but it sure does saves you from misery.
Follow through our assembled checklist of essentials that must be ticked off to ensure a comfortable, hassle-free, safe, and full of blast ride.
1. Carry a Heavy Wallet, Not Bag
Acknowledge the fact that your ride presents you with no trunk but limited space. To ensure the bike doesn’t go off balance with heavy packing, pack light. The “Less is More” mantra should be repeated again and again until you get the gist of it.
How would you do that? Make a list, of course. Get disposable stuff instead of wash ware, buy luggage carriers instead of hauling suitcases, pack a small change of comfortable clothing instead, and carry sachets instead of your ketchup or other sauce bottles.
2. Get a piece of luggage than a backpack
With a vast variety of luggage carriers with varying capacities, top cases, and a must be waterproof material, choosing the right one will be a hassle. The backpacks or suitcases won’t cut for you. Saddlebags often prove to be best for trip purposes since they can easily adjust on the sides or backseat themselves.
Besides, the tank or tail bag also serves a similar purpose, but for short trips, they feature a magnet designed to hug the tank area, ensuring the bags stay secured in their place.
3. Setting a Riding Limit
You wouldn’t want saddle sores and muscle ache to rob you off of the thrill of your ride. Even though your mileage limit and tolerance might get better every day once you get to it, don’t overdo it. Remain committed to the set limit while riding down high and low ways, having maximum contact with mother nature, and a carefree aroma in the air can sure be addicting. But the effect would wear off, and exhaustion and frustration would settle in, which will be an over road enthusiasm kill.
Once you have hit your limit, take a much-needed break instead of overdoing yourself and your ride. This will ensure good time management while making small steps to take in sights, explore local shops, or appreciate nature.
4. Fueling Up Check Points
Depending upon your routed trip, the gas stations can be scarce and far or somewhere near. So make sure to bring along a guide map that can help you locate gas stations in your vicinity or scout your routes before you set off to avoid getting stranded with an empty tank.
5. Protect those Ear Drums
Cruising down the scenic highway with horns drumming your eardrums surely doesn’t sound thrilling. It can get extremely noisy on highways and cause immense pressure on your ears. Pull out headphones to avoid such nuisance and hit the play button on your long ride list to ensure you stay awake, motivated, and alert on your ride.
6. Gear Up to Avoid Weather Scares
Even when the sun is glaring down, some places remain prone to unexpected thunderstorms or a heavy downpour and nerve-wracking high wind conditions. Either weather type can prove to be a nightmare if you are unprepared.
Be sure to bring along the right gear and replace or change your bike grips and get tires with greater traction to make sure the bike doesn’t maneuver out of control at any point and is suitable for all-terrain types.
7. Pull Out The Essential Checklist
Not packing everything but packing for everything is the prime objective here. The make sure to pack essentials are
- A battery charger to ensure you don’t get stranded in the middle of a scenic desert. (Minibatt battery charger unit is suggested since it is portable and can rev up a 600cc engine)
- A GPS device, hardcopy of maps, and for greater ease, a built-in Bluetooth helmet to navigate you through
- Spare gloves and socks set
- Spare neck cover
- Energy bars (preferably protein and granola bars)
- A first aid kit
- A motorcycle jacket with waterproof removable thermal lining
- A microfiber cloth with a boat to rid the helmet screen of dirt and bugs
- Waterproof matches
- Flashlight
- Phone charger
- Tire inflation kit
Visit ThrottleBuff.com to grab all the essentials for your next motorcycle trip.
8. The Bike Inspection
You can not afford to own a heavy maintenance bike and even heavier to handle when heading out for road trips. Dust up your bike information and pick a comfortable, low maintenance bike that offers exercising control without breaking a sweat.
You need to do the following
- Check the air pressure levels in your tires, adjust it accordingly since you will be carrying luggage
- Check the spark plugs
- Replace or add new motorcycle oil
- Double-check battery fluids in each cell
- Change or replace the air filters with cleaner ones
- Do light testing
- Lubricate the clutch and brake cables
- Be sure to fill-up the low fluids
However, if you are not well-versed with your bike’s operating, then take it down to your nearest local garage for a tune-up or hit up a friend who knows his way around the bike operations and ask him to help give you a once over.
The Final Verdict
To make sure you don’t end up lost miles away from home somewhere on a backroad, learn how to prepare for and combat situations that pop up during your motorcycle ride. Make sure to place the heaviest luggage at the bottom, and be sure to carry replacement fuses, clutch, and jumper cables in your tool kit. Best of all, the thrill that the world can offer to you so that you plan on reliving this ride again and again!
