Luggage space on 2012 RT?

[snayl135]

Hi all,

My wife and I are renting a 2012 spyder RT in Arizona in a few weeks and wanna know how to pack. The issue is we are going right from the airport to get the Spyder - so we know a suitcase won’t work. We are also bringing our own helmets. I was thinking of 2 small backpacks fir the helmets and just placing a few pair of clothes in them and having them as carryons. But I’m not sure if backpacks will fit on the RT. Also I have a CPAP
machine. If we were using a hotel as a home base that would solve the problem but we will be traveling around a bit. Any thoughts?

Thanks

[safecracker]

My wife I tour alot with our 2011 RT. We use soft bags for our luggage. These have worked well for us. If the back packs you are using are foldable then you should have no problem.

[Woodaddict]

I don't know if the 2012 RT frunk cargo hold is same as my 2015 RT, but I can push in a airline soft cargo bag (the travel carry on size)into frunk. If you use soft kinds of bags you can move stuff between them. Then you have the 2 side cases and the rear trunk yet

[RICZ]

Safecracker has good advice. Everything should be collapsible. Or. if not, hard cases can be stored in an airport locker, providing you are returning to the same one.
Motels have laundries, so pack few clothes. No one knows what you wore in the last town. No heavy clothing items - think layering.
Helmets may be too wide for carry on unless they are half helmets.
You can UPS/FEDEX almost all to the first hotel you are to be at. I've done this a lot. Label should read: Snayl135, C/O Hotel California, etc.
Good to see you are planning ahead.

[Bfromla]

CPAP will be the item to eat up most the space most likely& fragile. However you can safely carry it to hotel & store it get out of way. Rest of clothes & daily essentials should fit fine. Various packing trips on YouTube for whatever suits you best. Several years RT’s came with luggage that fits frunk(front trunk) that also doubles as carryon bag so that hopefully gives you idea of its size. Think one side bag would fit a full face helmet. https://youtu.be/R5HHgOOkHXY
Backpacks are good & familiar functional. Some places may frown on/deny entry or required searching. As well as the helmets. FYI here in Louisiana; a helmet required state, some places will not let you carry helmet freely while visiting. Check at door valet, desk clerk , however/whatever available.
(Mostly Casinos but not restricted to just them).
If feasible ship whatever extras you collect (souvenirs& such) back maybe wrapped in dirty laundry. Good idea back up pictures somehow before heading back. Good luck enjoy the trip

[Wmoater]

Go to Walmart and buy 2 super cheap duffle bags. Then get 2 really nice sing sacks and put as much cloths as you can in each sac. One hers, one yours. The Walmart bag needs to hold one helmet and cloths with sac. Then wear the jacket, jeans on plane. Each of you gets one duffle bag, helmet and sac. When you get there, one sac goes in left saddle, Other in right. Squeeze/ collapse one duffle into nothing and use the other as storage for frunk. Small dot bag goes in trunk but you buy toothbrush, paste, soap and wash towels etc when you get there at a Walmart. If you were really careful and you did no mark or scratch the bag and the tags left on the duffle bag, return it with the receipt from home. No need for it anymore. After long ride send everything home shipped by mail and go home on plane with one duffle. That’s how I’d do that trip if you go straight from plane to spyder

[Wmoater]

As a side note in 2018 we did a week long snowmobile trip way up north. We put our helmets and tekvests in 2 bags with cloths. We wore our snow pants and jacket. They scanned us good but let us through. Get there early, expect to be scanned if wearing jacket and be ready to be asked question. Who cares if you’re hot and miserable wearing jacket on flight. Once you’re there you’ll forget all about it. Once we got there we bought cheap toiletries and had a blast. Washed our cloths every two days in tub and let dry over night. We mailed everything back. No need for the jackets, helmets etc. on way home. On way there one carry on, one under plane. Worked perfect!

[JayBros]

I travel regularly with a CPAP machine, a ResMed AirCurve10, in its OEM travel case. It fits smoothly in the left saddlebag and behind it there is room for three 20 oz plastic water bottles in which I carry distilled water that gives me a seven day supply. That leaves you and your wife the right saddlebag, frunk and trunk for personal storage. I agree heartily in Wmoater's recommendations because that's the way I travel on my Spyder -- light.

[pegasus1300]

I also use a CPAP and have rack on top of the trunk and that is where I carry my CPAP. I leave the frunk and the left bag for my wife and the right bag and some of the trunk for me and the rest of the trunk for thinks I might need at a gas stop or snacks. CPAP water I buy at the last gas stop of the day. My 2012 still has the factory luggage so I do use that.

[snayl135]

appreciate the comments. Got duffel bags and compression cubes. I think I have a good idea what I can pack at this point
REgarding exploring Arizona on the Spyder - I recall from previous visits some of the places I wanted to see required some dirt roads - do I need to stay on paved roads with the Spyder or can I take it on dirt roads?
Thanks

[JayBros]

On solid packed dirt roads ground clearance of the 2012 RT is not much and that is your major consideration, IMO. If there is any gravel on the roads that becomes a consideration because you don't want stones getting kicked up into the belt, jamming in the rear sprocket and damaging the belt. Therefore in such a road condition one should proceed very slowly. Read the fine print of your rental contract very carefully. Personally I avoid them and if forced to ride them I do a very detailed inspection of the belt and rear sprocket when I clear the gravel.

[RICZ]

So that clothing takes les space, I roll up everything very tightly and secure with rubber bands. This also keeps outer wear relatively wrinkle free. Items, that are too big to rubber band, I use Velcro tape.

[jthornton]

The 2012 RT front trunk is 10" wide at the front, 16" wide in the back, 12" front to back and 20" deep.
The rear trunk is 16" wide 8" front to back and 12" deep.
The saddle bags are 11" high, 15" wide and 10" deep each.
Soft bags work well.
There are two helmet locks under the seat to put the D-Ring in then close the seat.

JT