Need tankbag and other touring accessory recomendations

[Brian_M]

I'm trying to get my Futura up and running for a few longer trips I have planned with a few friends. Basically me, a friend, and both of our girlfriends will be going on a few long trips during spring break and throughout the summer so I'm going to get my bike prepped soon. Anyways, I need to get a new tankbag that straps to the bike (the Futura's tank is plastic) and is decent sized but not huge. I'm going to be powering the bag to plug in my gps, cell phone and ipod. Also I've got a Magellan Maestro 4040 GPS and I'm going to get a steering stem mount for it but need something to help shield the gps from getting wet. Are there any other useful gadgets or good things to have while out on longer trips that I'm missing here?

[md86]

Spring -s ? Heated grips perhaps .....

[Newbie2it]

I just bought a tank bag and saddle bags not long ago. I just took these today of the bike with the bags in the right place.





I found their bags to be very durable, Mine is the cl350 which expands from 7" to 11" high. Has the clear sealed mapholder on top that you can probably put the gps into. Mine is magnetic, but they offer the same exact one with straps. Its the CL 300. Worth looking into their lines. Http://www.nelsonrigg.com

[40something]

For long trips nothing beats hard luggage. I would check with twistedthrottle.com to see what they have that will fit your bike. If you can get the GIVI or Krauser luggage these are removable which is great for the times you don't want it on the bike and can act as your luggage to take into your hotel room or tent. I know hard luggage isn't as cool looking as soft but the benefits are worth the loss of the cool factor

Touring seat from Corbin would be good also for long distance comfort.

Throttle lock to give your right hand/wrist a break every once in a while. Worth it to reduce fatigue and it lets you ride longer between stops.

Ear plugs or good qual ear buds that reduce background noise. You will be surprised how much these help in not only saving your hearing, but will also reduce rider fatigue at the end of the day. I tried these for the first time on a 3 day run last year and now anything over 10 miles they get put in.

Good riding gear (other than standard jeans and sneakers) this is a must in case you go down. This can mean the difference between walking away and a trip to the Hospital or worse. Make sure all riding companions have good gear. Good boots are a must. I had a minor accident about 10 years ago and if I had not been wearing boots I might have shattered my left foot. Remember gear does you no good if you don't wear it.

Take a good first aid kit also. Some items to add to the first aid kit are (I know this may freak many of you out) at least one child thru super Tampon (used to plug punctures that can occur during a crash, overnight size maxi as these are sterile and make great bandages for major cuts and road rash. Extra gauze wraps for many diff uses. As you sound young I'll skip the asprin, pain med Tylenol or IB Prof. You may need these after day 2 as it is usually the worse.

Toilet Paper and wet wipes. These are used when you have to stop where there are no restroom or when one has run out and you have to go. I carry the camper rolls from Walmart as they do not take up much space.

Rain Gear - obvious reason along with extra riding jacket and gloves in case the first ones get wet before you can get your rain gear one.

Good set of tools or your AAA card

Hide some cash on your bike or at the very minimum distribute between rider and passenger and don't carry it in your wallet. Keep some in a different pocket whatever in case someone lifts your wallet or you loose it you will still have funds available. Hide an extra credit card somewhere for emergencies.

Take along an extra set of ID such as a passport or if no other ID available make a copy of your DL and tape it and a copy of your insurance card to the bottom of your seat. Again in case of wallet loss. At least this can help prove to LEO's that you are legal. I do both.

Make sure that you have emergency contact info both in your wallet and stashed with your bike registration/insurance card. This can help emergency personnel know who to notify. Also if you are regularly taking any meds list these on the doc to include condition why the meds are being taken and the daily dosage/times. If you get a chance you may want to use one of these systems:

http://www.meds.org/mcyclehelmet.php

http://www.med-flash.com/

These can save doctors a lot of time and trouble in having medical info such as blood type, med allergies, etc

Just some thoughts

[Brian_M]

Great list! I fortunately already have the factory hard bags on the Futura and have no complaints about the stock seat (it's the best seat I've been on). The throttle lock you mentioned would be very nice to have on the long straight streches, but I've also seen people installing the universal Audiovox CS100 cruise control on their bikes. This seems like a good option to me, I'm just not sure how difficult the install would be.

[40something]

Great list! I fortunately already have the factory hard bags on the Futura and have no complaints about the stock seat (it's the best seat I've been on). The throttle lock you mentioned would be very nice to have on the long straight streches, but I've also seen people installing the universal Audiovox CS100 cruise control on their bikes. This seems like a good option to me, I'm just not sure how difficult the install would be.

Go with the Rosta all electric then you will not need vacuum lines or canister. Less to fail on you.

[Pablo]

Personally, I can't travel without my Etymotic's .

+ 1,000 on what they state about good gear. The "goodness" of the gear depends on what you like to use and how much you're willing to spend. My personal choice is a bright red, one-piece Aerostich. It functions well in very cold and very hot weather.

If you are traveling to cold weather, make sure you have a good balaclava to protect your neck from the cold wind. I like the one UnderArmour has because it's light and almost wind-proof. Glove liners (if you don't have heater grips) are definitely a must too.

If you are traveling in a group, it's a good safety option to give another rider a copy of your key, an envelope with emergency contact and medical information (diabetes, allergies, et cetera). This guarantees that should something occur the correct people are informed and the correct measures are taken.

Since you have a GPS I guess you are covered. I only carry maps.


Happy riding, happy travels.

[idphillips]

I just bought a tank bag and saddle bags not long ago. I just took these today of the bike with the bags in the right place.





I found their bags to be very durable, Mine is the cl350 which expands from 7" to 11" high. Has the clear sealed mapholder on top that you can probably put the gps into. Mine is magnetic, but they offer the same exact one with straps. Its the CL 300. Worth looking into their lines. http://www.nelsonrigg.com

+1
I have the full Nelson Riggs Silver Streak line and I have nothing but good to say about them. High quality, durable great bang and functionality for the buck. As far as the GPS goes, I would try it in the tank bag map holder. I can't think of any better way to give it the protection it needs on that type of bike. Just my 2 cents.