Packed for maximalist camping

[Ripshod]

Here's my NT waiting for a ferry ride somewhere in Wisconsin last year on my way to Duluth for the Very Boring Rally and eventually into Canada, around lakes Superior and Huron. Re-entered the States at Niagara.

The little bags behind my heels are supposed to be tank panniers. I came from an ST1300 and had to improvise to get all my gear loaded on. I'm old and like to be comfortable so I take along enough gear to be sure of it.

And that helmet only hangs off the back when I'm off the bike and waiting for something like a ferry.

 

[Phil Tarman]

You may actually be carrying more stuff than I did on my Epic Ride!

 

[Ripshod]

Well maybe but i wouldn't bet on it. I've never cared much for top boxes, much prefer strapped-on soft bags. They're much more forgiving and will usually stretch just a little bit more when I need to get one last thing in there. But yeah, that's quite a load you have there. And I think I've said it before but i like the paint job on your side bags. I'll probably do that when i've gotten enough scratches on mine.

 

[Phil Tarman]

After riding with Jim Rau on the way to Alaska and watching how much stuff he carried (less than you and I, but still quite a bit) in his two Ortlieb Dry Bags, I'm inclined to agree with you. I do like the top box for just general day-to-day flexibility in carrying the stuff I use when I'm riding around. But I think if I ever did another long trip, I'd probably ditch the top box and go with two big bags.

 

[charlie b]

Jerry,

It is great to see the old girl. And, yeah, that's more than I packed on there, almost as much as the guzzi

 

[Phil Tarman]

Charlie, I love your Goose!

 

[Mellow]

9-day trip... This is the most I usually bring - camping the entire way..

 

[Miairhead]

I do agree top cases can be a limiter for long turning and a larger bag could be of benefit. I have top case and sometimes take them off for longer rides and a much bigger bag. I always go alone, so the bag and be a back rest on a long day.
Using the top case for normal around town shopping, with the large lids is more then enough room for most trips. I get 32 hotdogs in the top case plus and rest of groceries in large lid side cases (dog rescue hotdogs are for piling the dogs: they eat them so fast they don't know what is in them.

 

[Ripshod]

After riding with Jim Rau on the way to Alaska and watching how much stuff he carried (less than you and I, but still quite a bit) in his two Ortlieb Dry Bags, I'm inclined to agree with you. I do like the top box for just general day-to-day flexibility in carrying the stuff I use when I'm riding around. But I think if I ever did another long trip, I'd probably ditch the top box and go with two big bags.

The bike had a top box on it when I bought it from Charlie, first time I've owned one. Yeah, it's very handy for running around town but I have another bike, a little 250 Super Sherpa, (pictured in my avatar) that's all racked out so I can hang lots of bags on it, and it's a lot better for that kind of short hop. The fact is, when I got home from the long trip I removed the bigass flat rack i used to mount the bigass bag, and I remounted the top box mounting plate. I'm not sure that I'll do that again after this year's trip. We'll see how much use I get from the box this year.

Wow. I have to ask, with all that weight back there, have you gotten any high speed wobble (the precursor to the dreaded 'tank slapper')?

No, not in the least bit. I always make sure to put the heaviest items in the front (and the truly dense items go in the little panniers, low and forward) but honestly, I've never noticed any issues of that sort at all, regardless of the exact distribution.

I like to be comfortable on a long ride as well. My credit card and hotel reservation information fits snugly in my wallet. :smile:

I have a particular sickness that makes me enjoy camping as much as I like to ride. Luckily, I can combine the two hobbies into one.

 

[junglejim]

Phil and I each learned a little something from each other on our Alaska ride, well as much as old farts learn much of anything. Phil's bike was pretty heavily loaded to start with, but after a few towels that he got from Rick blew off and he shipped his cot back home after hauling it to Alaska he had it pretty well dialed in. Now if he would just leave his "Mega" thermos bottle of coffee at home he be right where he needs to be.

I, on the other hand, should probably add a few things. Most needed is a FUNCTIONAL GPS. I just hate to take my eyes off the road to puch buttons on the dash or GPS, and that's partly because I don't always know what button to puch how many times.

Here is Phil and his bike followed by mine early in the trip.

 

[RedLdr1]

Now if he would just leave his "Mega" thermos bottle of coffee at home he be right where he needs to be.

"leave his "Mega" thermos bottle of coffee at home" Blasphemy! :rolleyes1: I always carry my old Stanley 1.1Quart filled with up with coffee on any ride over a couple of hours and reload it whenever it gets low! Now if I could find a way to use the heat off my motor and exhaust to constantly make fresh coffee while riding I might consider leaving behind my Stanley...but I doubt it...

 

[Ripshod]

Yeah, it takes a few trips to get it all dialed in to what you'll need and what you'll want when you get there. It seems to me that once you've figured out how to cook a meal in any situation, sit comfortably to eat and drink and get a good night's sleep, and do it all in any weather, then you've pretty much got it figured out. Well, as long as you can get all the gear strapped on well enough to get there with you, that is.

 

[Ripshod]

"leave his "Mega" thermos bottle of coffee at home" Blasphemy! :rolleyes1: I always carry my old Stanley 1.1Quart filled with up with coffee on any ride over a couple of hours and reload it whenever it gets low! Now if I could find a way to use the heat off my motor and exhaust to constantly make fresh coffee while riding I might consider leaving behind my Stanley...but I doubt it...

Nothing at all wrong with that. We all have our particular vices.

 

[bicyclist]

That's one heck of a sheepskin seat cover! Bet that keeps you warm in the winter.

 

[charlie b]

Yep, the Sheepie can keep you warm. And she thinks the couch is hers too. The WHOLE thing!

Rear weight and wobble. Yes, it can happen. The Guzzi when loaded like that can get a bit iffy at high speed. BUT, mine has a 16" front wheel and VERY quick steering geometry without a steering damper. Even then it doesn't get really bad, just enough to wake you up. If you're doing over 90mph you should be paying attention anyway At below 90 it is still stable.

I changed my packing scheme to get ride of some of the weight aft. Lost about 20lb aft of the rear axle and now it is stable to as fast as I want to go (which is below 100mph ).

Warming coffee on the engine reminded me of an old design feature on the jeeps. The exhaust manifolds had a flat 'top' on them. You could open the hood and put your Cration cans on there to heat them up. When in tanks we had these diesel fired heaters in the crew compartment. REALLY hot. We'd put the crat cans in the exhast pipe to heat them up.

Punch a hole in the can FIRST!!! many a new solder learned the hard way that spagetti and meatballs smell horrible after being baked on.

One of the "design" features of the Guzzi is that you can warm your hands on the rocker covers Yep, no heated grips needed

PS looking at the pic of my bike reminds me how "pretty" it is when it is clean. Guess I need to wash it again Heck, that pic was taken just after the last time it did get washed, Sep 2013

 

[Phil Tarman]

I've never noticed any instability from my loading either on the Concours or the NT.

 

[Phil Tarman]

"leave his "Mega" thermos bottle of coffee at home" Blasphemy! I always carry my old Stanley 1.1Quart filled with up with coffee on any ride over a couple of hours and reload it whenever it gets low! Now if I could find a way to use the heat off my motor and exhaust to constantly make fresh coffee while riding I might consider leaving behind my Stanley...but I doubt it...

Amen, Brother Wayne! Amen!

 

[JQL]

I did a 10 day trip around parts of France and everything fitted in the topbox and panniers (with big lids)...

 

[Comanche]

Aha! Now we see how Charlie did the latches on the panniers. (Not to hijack the thread or anything :rolleyes1

 

[Herb]

Here's the packing job when wife and I went cross country summer before last and we camped most of the way. Had to keep it simple. Great fun.