Preparation - Solo Ride through NEI

Following items I carried with me during this trip. For a new rider, it may appear like a lot, but they have been chosen over years of my riding and they serve their purpose.

The Beginning.

Motorcycle & Spares:

This is the most important thing for me, for such a ride. Thankfully it was already in decent shape, so I didn't have to do a lot of work to get it ready. However, an unexpected carburetor issue took me (and a friend) a whole day to iron out. Once fixed, it worked like a charming rest of the trip. So the effort there was well worth it.

• Engine condition - Good, so no work was required
• Clutch plates and springs - Got a new set, as the old ones had worn out
• Clutch bearing - changed from a roller ball type to cylinder type (custom mod)
• Carburetor - Reduced jet from 105 to 95
• Front tire - Almost new (Michelin Sirac Street 3.25 19)
• Rear tire - Useable condition (Birla Roadmaxx 3.50 19, Semi-knobby pattern)
• Engine oil - 1)Clutch side changed to 20W50 so that I can buy/replace on the way easily. 2) Engine side straight grade 50 (had a stock of 1.5 liters to carry along)
• Suspension - No change/fix (though I wish I had the time/budget to import an off-road-tuned suspension)
• Headlight - Replaced the HID bulb with a new one, as the original one conked out during rectifying some electrical issues (got a spare one to carry)
• Auxiliary/Fog lights - No change
• Spares     - clutch wire (fitted on the bike), throttle wire, HID kit, tube, fuses, bulbs, spark plug, main jets
• Standard Tool Kit - Already in bike
• Puncture Tools    - Already part of the tool roll, carried along
• Slime Tyre Compressor   - existing
• Charging port      - (new) Connected a water-resistant USB port near the handlebar (as I was using my iPhone 6s for navigation this time)
• Emergency Box  - Misc items like a steel wire, spare fuses, indicator bulbs, jump start wire, etc.
• Rear Seat             - Not fitted, only the rear rack to support saddle bags and tail bag
• Cable Lock  - existing

Motorcycle Luggage:

• Cramster Saddle Bags - existing (Damn, this pair is not dying out at all!!!)
• Generic Rain cover for saddle bag - existing (finally these got torn to shreds during this trip and I am happy that I can replace them now!)
• Overboard 30L waterproof backpack (as the tail bag) - existing
• Hein Gericke StreetLine Tank bag - existing
• Double Bungee Cords with metal rings - existing
• Rynox Waterproof Phone Mount - existing (became totally loose by the last day)
• iPhone 6s running the offline GPS App - existing (free app)
• Anker Rugged USB-Lightning Cable - existing

Photo/Videography Equipment:

• Lens cleaning pen - existing
• Nikon D7000 body - existing
• Nikkor 16-85mm  - existing
• Nikkor 35mm f1.8 - existing (didn't get to use this one)
• Manfrotto Tripod - existing
• SJCAM 4000 WiFi - Bought this 2 days before the trip to try it out (before thinking of investing in a more expensive camera)
• SD Cards (class 10) - 4GB, 16GB - existing
• Micro SD  (class 10) - 32 GB - (new) for the action cam
• Storejet 160 GB HDD - existing
• Kingston Wireless G2 - (new) To back-up photos and videos to an external drive, without a laptop

Clothing:

• Frank Thomas All Season Riding Jacket - existing
• Rynox Advento Riding Pants - existing
• Altberg Waterproof Riding Boots - existing
• LS2 FF386 Modular Helmet - existing
• Scoyco MX Gloves - existing
• Via-terra Marine Hydration Pack 1ltr - existing

Mostly carried a few full sleeve cotton t-shirts to wear inside my riding jacket, as short sleeves don't wick sweat as well, nor provide warmth when needed. New generation base layers are good I have heard, but were out of budget at this point. Other than that the usual pair of long shorts, a pair of jeans, briefs, socks, and a pair of slippers for hotel room/off-the-bike usage. 

First-aid Kit:

Existing kit with first-aid medication and bandages. Few painkillers, muscle spray, etc.

Camping:

Pointless to discuss as I couldn't set up a tent anywhere along the route, due to security concerns or heavy rain.

The End Result.

Shipping of Motorcycle & Luggage:

Due to a lack of time to go to the railway station and book the motorcycle and the luggage (as a parcel), I chose GATI again, albeit this time, worked with a new guy for packing and paperwork.

Things I carried in flight:

Clothes, camera, electronic accessories, and helmet

View the Main Post for this ride

Packing For A Weekend Solo Trip

An impromptu video recording, while I was packing for a solo motorcycle trip for a long weekend. Made the recorded clips into this video and hope it to be of help to new long-distance riders to identify and pack the essential items for their rides. A bit of dubstep was thrown in, to make it as much fun to watch as I personally had while making this video. Enjoy!!

Here is the summarised version of my checklist:-

1. Toolkit for motorcycle and wheel/ tire removal (e.g. tire iron, valve remover, patch stickers, etc)

2. Motorcycle Spares (e.g. headlight/break-light/indicator bulbs, extra tube, spark plug, clutch and throttle wire, fuses, electric insulation tape, a small torch/flash-light, engine oil (if old RE models

3. Air Compressor (e.g. Electrical, hand pump, foot/pedal pump, etc)

4. Good quality multi-tool (e.g. Leatherman, Gerber, Swiss Army, etc)

5. Bungee cords (either 2 simple ones or 1 X-shaped), for the luggage/emergency scenarios

6. First-aid Kit, hydration solutions (e.g. ORS, etc), and prescription medicines (if any)

7. Photocopies of documents (e.g. Driving License, Vehicle Registration, Emission Certificate, etc)

8. Toiletries, sunscreen, and a pack of wet tissues

9. Clothes for on/off the bike use

10. Climate-specific clothing (i.e. Rain gear, Thermals, etc) based on the weather and climate of the region of the ride

11. Gadgets: cellphone, camera, spare batteries, earphones/headsets, charging cables, etc (If the cellphone is used as GPS, keep a spare charging cable)

12. Water in bottles/hydration pack

13. Energy/Nutrition bars, energy drinks, chocolates, or other snacks [Optional]

Few points to remember while stuffing your things in the saddlebags. If you are like me and enjoy cornering and leaning on, in the twisties, then the bike must be well-balanced at all times, especially with the luggage tied to it.

A bike without luggage is well-balanced for the most part and is aerodynamic to some extent. However, when we add things like big saddlebags full of stuff or even a tank bag, we are not only affecting the center of gravity of the motorcycle but also changing the vehicle's dynamics. Without going too much into technical details (like the direction of shift of the center of gravity, aerodynamics, etc), if you ensure the following things, you would be just fine:

1. Keep heavier items (e.g. tools, spares, filled water bottles, Engine oil bottles, foot pump, etc) as low in the saddlebag as possible and split evenly into both sides.

2. Keep heavier items towards the center of the bike (i.e. towards the bike/wheel instead of outwards) as much as possible.

3. If you use a tank bag along with saddlebags, then it's a good idea to keep frequently accessed items (e.g. Camera, sunglasses, spare gloves, small towel, tissues, the mobile charging cable in case you have a charging point on your bike, etc) in it. This will help you avoid opening and shuffling items inside your neatly organized saddlebags, while on the road.

4. Ensure that the saddlebag and tank bag are completely secure and firmly tied to the motorcycle and there is no possible play when the bike leans to the sides or pushes up or down on suspension. Also, you wouldn't want the belts/buckles to get into the motorcycle spokes/alloys when you are rolling, that would be dangerous. So make sure there are no loose ends. If required use additional bungee cords to secure the bags on the motorcycle.

5. Try not to let your saddlebags bulge too much laterally, as that may touch other vehicles while maneuvering through tight spaces and especially in the traffic in cities in India. If you slot in the items smartly, the shape of the saddlebags will remain symmetrical (rectangular) in shape from top to bottom. Use the compression straps on the saddlebags to tighten them, after you have put them on the motorcycle.

6. Double-check your bag setup from time to time for your peace of mind and safety. Be attentive to any change in the handling after every sixty to hundred kilometers or so, as something might have come loose. If you get such a feeling, slow down, pull over to the side into a safe spot, and do your check. Tighten any strap/cords as necessary and then continue with your journey.

Hope these tips save you time and keep you safe on the road so that you can focus on enjoying your rides.

Now lastly, I am not an expert. The tips and tricks shared above come from my limited experience of riding my motorcycle. Every single day, I too am learning something new about packing and motorcycling in general. So if you have any suggestions for me as a fellow rider, or want to discuss something, or have any questions on this post, feel free to leave a comment below. I shall get back to you as soon as possible.

Until then.


Ride Safe & Ride Far,


Sid