I used to over pack my GS/RS. I started to realize the last couple of years before I got my F3 that I didn't use a lot of the stuff I packed so I started to weed through and reduce as I knew I would have less room on the F3-S when I got it. I just didn't need the assortment of tools, spare parts, etc that I carried for miles and miles and never touched.
So I would add my thoughts to this thread with what I have learned.
1. I have an F3 now so I don't need to carry oil with me. Waste of space
2. Second everyone on the first aid kit.
3. While many of us have smart phones, I still also use a dedicated Garmin GPS. Maybe it's just me, but a dedicated device out in the boonies is sometimes more useful. I still use my phone on RAM mount as well, but that is for music, phone, and using Siri for finding closest gas, food and lodging... Then I let the phone navigate. If you don't want a dedicated GPS then buy a dedicated GPS app for your phone so you'll have guaranteed offline map data.
4. I mentioned RAM mounts right? Make sure you get a good phone/GPS holder and it is also wise to get a weatherproof case. You can get a dedicated case for your phone or a weather proof RAM mountable one like this one that is pretty quick to swap out when you need to.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B5A38MA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
5. I keep a dedicated kit for Cell phone, GPS, Tablet charging in the spyder at all times. If you have to transfer them from vehicle to vehicle you might forget to pack them. So I pack something like the following:
6. Some people carry Battery packs for emergency charging like these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X5SP0HC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 or they carry a mini jump box like these which can charge devices and jump your bike.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015TKUPIC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
7. I carry some microfiber clothes with me. I probably carry a minimum of four and I can wash them out in the hotel sinks and dry them between uses. I use them to clean the windshield and lights as well the body of the Spyder.
8. Pair those microfiber clothes with some plastic cleaner or detailer of your choice like PLexus:
https://www.amazon.com/Plexus-Plast...id=1488777188&sr=8-7&keywords=plastic+cleaner
9. A head strapped flashlight. I used to think they were stupid, but I now find them the most useful thing ever. I also carry a AA sized Mini MAg LED flashlight.
10. Extra batteries if you think you might need them for something that is a battery hog but I tend to buy rechargeable stuff and the LED flashlights will never use up the batteries in a single trip if you even need them... Just swap out the batteries now and then to make sure they are good and not leaking... This is another item that is dedicated and always at the ready in the SPyder.
11. Extra gloves... Many have mentioned rain gear. I carry one pair of insulated gloves if the temps are going to be lower... and sometimes I've froze my butt off in the mountains in the morning and by time I made it over the mountains I was hot again. If you want reasonably priced insulated gloves that are also fairly weather proof then buy some skiing gloves. You'll find a wider assortment and they won't be outrageously priced. I also carry a regular set of gloves in case my others get soaked.
12. I always pack a couple pair of surgical gloves just in case I have to get my hands dirty and don't want to transfer that gunk to my clothes, bike or good gloves.
13. Pack a decent Leatherman. I also always have a folding lock back knife on my person. Knives are so handy to have. My leatherman is what allowed me to fix my helmet last year in the rain on the side of the road quickly and get on my way. Takes up very little space and you can wear it on your belt.
14. A hat. If you wear hats. I usually have a baseball cap on the spyder.
15. Sun screen. Absolutely need it. Multi-day trips will burn your face through your face shield and if you ride in just a t-shirt you will want to protect your arms.
16. I ride with a three season jacket made by Olympia... Lots of manufacturers out there, but it gives me a protective outer jacket with a zip in wind/rain for a secondary liner and a third zip in thermal liner. Best money I ever spent on a riding jacket. I ride with it on 99% of the time and the liners don't take up much space.
17. Tools. Not many. I carry an air gauge though I rarely have needed to use it on even a two week trip. Just good to have. I carry some torx wrenches and one multibit screw driver and zip ties. Throw in some of the common fuses and uncommon fuses (not much space at all) just in case of electrical issues.
18. Duplicate copies of insurance and registration. Just me being OCD.
19. WATER. For drinking and some snacks. These are pretty important.
20. Road side assistance plan. These are expensive but seeing as I also have an RV covered with AAA that also covers my Spyder.
One thing I use the heck out of in packing all this is some old laptop carry case half mesh bags from Targus. They hold all the small and medium sized items and I can see through the mesh to see exactly the items I need. You can find a variety of similar bags on Amazon. Like these - though I stick to the smaller ones only.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...=Mesh+packing+bag&rh=i:aps,k:Mesh+packing+bag and
https://www.amazon.com/ZipClikGo-At...61&sr=8-9&keywords=mesh+laptop+bag+organizers
My F3-S has a lot less storage than my old GS/RS. I added the V35 GIVI side cases to it and I use the nelson riggs tail bag I had on the GS. I lost half the Frunk space and the 46 liters of Givi hard tail bag on the GS.
Ironically, I'm not missing the space. If anything I still have a surplus of room for buying tshirts along the way like we all do and packing things in different places. My frunk holds my charging cables, air guage, flashlights, gloves, hat, polish, jump box, Ram MOunt stuff, water and snacks with room to spare. My Side cases are for my clothes typically. My soft tail bag holds my microfiber cloths, All my rain gear - Top and bottom Toggs and boot covers, first aid kit... all with room to spare.
I do not carry a tire plug kit. I could and have before but I don't. THat would also imply that if I carried a tire plug kit I would also need to carry a small compressor. Think about that space. In 8 years of riding spyders I've only gotten one screw in one of my rear tires. Most riding is done during the day and that day we pulled into a tire shop. They couldn't pull the rear tire as they weren't equipped to handle that, but they pulled the screw (which did indeed leak after) and plugged it from outside in. Usually they want access to the inside of the tire as well to do it proper. They didn't charge me as they didn't want the record of liability and sent me on my way. That tire held for about 1200 miles and when I got home I swapped it out to be safe. Remember I mentioned a roadside assistance plan? I know some people are screw magnets... I'm not. Lucky me.
That's the list.
The other things I do before a trip are any maintenance checks and perform any maintenance that might come due during the trip. THis means I might change my oil 1000 miles or more early just so I don't have to deal with the time and a dealer when on the road. Same for tires if they are marginal. Check the oil level, top off the tires, check coolant... Fix things that are loose, making undo noise, etc. I used to practically tear my GS down before every big trip because she was a finicky machine. This F3 is simply a dream and I go through less headache before long trips now.