Best Motorcycle Luggage
We got this Harley-Davidson Touring Bag and we absolutely love it!
Here’s why:
- It’s got zippered expandable sides — to hold souvenirs & all of that poorly packed “stuff” that gets tossed in the bag by the end of the trip.
- It’s got 3 large zippered compartments, plus 2 smaller mesh compartments — to hold items of all sizes. (The zippers are heavy-duty, they open very smoothly, and the zipper pulls are large enough for gloved fingers.)
- It comes with a detachable water-resistant cover — in case it starts raining. (The zipper seams are waterproof too.)
- It’s got reflective piping on the front and sides — every little bit helps you be seen by other drivers that may be crossing your path!
- It has a huge elastic/spandex band (or pocket) that goes over the sissy bar to keep the bag in place on your luggage rack — which makes mounting and removing the bag a cinch. (Plus it has 2 snap-clips and 2 velcro bands for extra security.)
- It’s got lots of rings so you can strap on (or clip on) extra bags, packs, and doo-dads. (We didn’t need them on this trip, but we took bungee cords along just in case.) TIP: Never strap one piece of luggage to another; they must always be attached to something solid on the bike instead.
- It’s super-duty, yet lightweight. It seems incredibly durable and rugged, yet light enough to carry up stairs to your hotel room. (Believe it or not, they also make motorcycle luggage with wheels and a roller-handlejust like regular luggage.)
What To Pack In Your Saddlebags
Initially, we had planned to get some Harley saddlebag liners for the bike. Others speak very highly of them since they’re the quickest and easiest way to get what’s in your saddlebags to your hotel room (or wherever you’re staying).
TIP: Be sure to pack all of your items in the saddlebag liners while they are in your saddlebags. Otherwise, they’ll never fit if you try to stuff them in after you’ve packed them!
If we hadn’t purchased the luggage bag for the seat back / sissy bar, we probably would have bought the saddlebag liners. But now that we have the big luggage bag, the saddlebag liners aren’t really a necessity for us any longer — especially since the things we keep in there (all the time, including on multi-day trips) aren’t the type of things that we need to take into the hotel (or cabin, or tent) with us.
We use our saddlebags to hold these things:
- 2 rainsuits (we each have a Firstgear Rainman jacket and Firstgear Rainmain pants which have heat-resistant material from the knee to the ankle; highly recommended!)
- 2 heated jackets (1 for each of us) and 2 pairs of gloves (while we each have summer gloves and winter gloves, we also want a pair of waterproof gloves eventually)
- 1 motorcycle cover ( invaluable at keeping the morning dew off your seat and handlebars)
- 2 water bottles
- 1 baseball cap (so I can enter public places with messy hair; not necessary for Jim… he’s bald)
- 2 microfiber cleaning cloths for dusting the bike
- 1 tool set
- 1 small ziploc freezer bag filled with first aid type stuff (bandaids, neosporin, tweezers, benadryl, aspirin, wet wipes, etc.)
Motorcycle Checklist For Multi-Day Trips
Before deciding exactly what to pack for our first long distance motorcycle trip, I consulted with a number of friends who ride — as well as experienced riders on motorcycle forums — in order to create a first draft of the ultimate motorcycle checklist that I planned to use and revise over time.
Then, after we returned home, I fine-tuned that list by adding and subtracting some things — now that I knew for sure what we really need on multi-day rides and what we don’t.
Here’s what our long distance motorcycle checklist looks like now (in addition to the items in our saddlebags, mentioned above)…
These are the bare necessities:
- Make sure the bike is in good shape – check brakes (plenty of brake pad before you leave), check tires & shocks (air pressure), clean windshield (RainX will keep bugs from sticking and rain will bead off). Here’s how to do your own bike safety inspection.
- The givens – ID, cash, insurance & roadside assistance info, motorcycle key, phone/camera/charger, maps/directions, sunglasses & rain/night goggles, luggage, helmet, gloves, riding shoes, and clothing worn on the first day.
- Clothing (packing light) – take 1 extra pair of pants, 2 or 3 changes of shirts (consider layering them & switching up the layers on different days), socks can be worn 2 days each, change underwear daily, something to sleep in, and a jacket.
- Depending on the length of your trip, you may need to do laundry. If so, consider packing your own powdered laundry detergent in ziploc bags or taking small sample sizes which will be cheaper than buying detergent on-site. UPDATE: While I’ve heard great things about using laundry sheets on the road, I take laundry pods and a roll of quarters.
- Take the smallest/thinnest garments that compress the best. (Polyester is your friend on the road! It’s lightweight, packs small, and dries quickly!) Ziploc bags keep clothes dry and organized — especially socks, undies, sleepwear.
- When buying new garments, consider Under Armour and similar garments with wicking properties. It works wonders in summer and winter temps; plus it’s thin, light, and packs small.
- 3 thin shirts are warmer, lighter, and more flexible than 1 thick hooded sweatshirt. In cool summer temps, a fleece vest or pullover keeps you “warm” without making you “hot” and is easy to layer.
- Your rain jacket (kept in the saddlebag) can be your go-to jacket for nighttime rides and whenever temperatures drop a bit. In the winter, pack an extra fleece jacket as well as warm gloves and a neck warmer.
- Headwear – ponytail holder(s), skull cap (to wick sweat in summer, keep warm in winter), bandana (to keep bugs off your face at high speed, mild warmth in cool temps), headband (to keep flyaways from slapping you in the face). UPDATE: I used to wear basic wide elastic headbands, but now I prefer That’s A Wrap headbands!
- Tools – adjustable wrench, alan wrenches, screwdriver (to remove the seat), air pump, and othermotorcycle tools
- Notepad & pen – I use a small leather flip notepad with pen that fits in the palm of my hand to jot turn-by-turn directions when we don’t use a pre-printed route
- Toiletries (hotels have shampoo & soap) – toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, comb/brush, lotion for dry skin, chapstick for dry lips, kleenex travel pack (or just tuck a couple of them somewhere on the bike)
- Prescription meds – anything you regularly take, as well as a couple of ibuprofen and cold tablets just in case (I toss a few ibuprofen and cold tabs into my regular pill bottle, rather than taking separate bottles/packages of meds on the trip.)
- Extra bags – ziploc bags, plastic shopping bags & 1 larger garbage bag (to keep things organized and dry if rain enters the forecast, and to use for dirty laundry)
