Motorcycle Trip Gear – 48 hours 1000 Miles
Tonight I began preparing my motorcycle trip gear. Normally I don’t prep too much for a 1,000 miles, but this time I’m riding solo. While motorcycles have come a long way, they still bring a lot of challenges cars don’t have to deal with. Bugs, rocks, rain, and wind can create problems most drivers never even think about. If you ever catch the side wind from a tractor trailer on the highway, you’ll immediately know what I’m talking about.
The Ride
On this motorcycle trip I’m doing 500 miles each way. I’m riding through Michigan, Ohio, and finally heading into Pennsylvania to stop in the Appalachian mountains. As you can imagine the mountains are beautiful this time of year so the ride will be very scenic. Everything is so green and lush you feel like your driving through a movie clip. When I was younger I never really appreciated the scenery as much as I do now that I’m older. Now though, after riding through the flat plains of the Midwest and dry deserts areas of the Southwest US, you learn pretty quick not every part of the world comes with green forests, steady rivers, and rolling mountains.
The Motorcycle Trip Gear
As with any solo adventure, having the right motorcycle trip gear is important. I’d like to say I’m rolling out like a 1970s badass with nothing but a t-shirt, pants, and boots. But I can assure you this is not the case lol. I have tried that before and learned it doesn’t make for a pleasant ride, especially when you doing 7 -8 hours per day. To head out I’m packing the following list below. This may seem like overkill, but the old saying “better safe than sorry” makes a lot of sense.
- Rain pants and jackets
- Windshield
- Helmet faceshield
- Leather jacket and vest
- Dark and clear googles
- Gloves
- SAE to USB adapter
- Phone mount
Finally, keep in my mind I’m sure I won’t use half of this motorcycle trip gear. I’m hopeful it won’t rain and I expect it to be warm enough for the leather vest only. But a motorcycle trip is slightly unpredictable, you can never be sure which half of your gear you’ll end up needing. When you plan for rain it’s 90F and sunny, and when you plan for sun it’s cold and rainy. So always plan ahead, prepare for any conditions, and start packing for your next trip!
-Justin
