Recommendations on Must Haves / Packing List for Traveling/Touring on your Spyder

[LoewRider1]

I'm a new 2022 RTL owner and loving it. I'm in the process of planning a few short trips as well as a long one. Any suggestions / recommendations on what I need to be carrying on my Spyder at all times or while traveling long distances?

Thanks in advance!

 

[UtahPete]

Have you ever done motorcycle touring before?

Without knowing much about your experience, physical capabilities, preferred style of travel, intended locales, I'd say "money, flexibility and patience"

 

[RayBJ]

Basic tools + wire/tape, air compressor/CO2 & tire plug kit, battery jump-pak as everyday carry items. As for riding gear, rain protection, a warm layer, spare gloves. For long haul, list of Can Am dealers, credit card, backup cell phone (no sim needed for 911). If you ride alone a Garmin Tracker will allow others to follow your progress and provide satellite messaging (if no cell service) in an emergency.

 

[Navydad]

I spend as much as eight weeks straight on the road at times. I have riding pants and jacket as well as waterproof boots all Tourmaster, but brand isn't important. Dedicated riding gear helps cut way down on the wardrobe you will carry. If wearing riding gear all day instead of jeans I can get several evenings out of the jeans instead of changing a pair every day or two. I pack two pair of jeans and a pair of shorts. Five or six lightweight shirts for under my riding jacket and three "nice" shirts for off the bike. Rain gear and a heated jacket liner round out my traveling gear. Underwear and socks are up to you as to what you may need or want. A supply of quarters for laundry comes in handy when on the road for weeks. Rainy days make good laundry days. A small compressor and tire change kit, I prefer rope plugs over rubber plugs as I have had rubber plugs fail. Rope plugs never have let me down. Compressor over CO2 cartridges here as well. Credit card and cell phone. I don't pack tools or spare parts on my bikes simply because they take up space and there is actually very little you can repair beside the road with a Spyder or most other newer bikes. I travel two up and we have plenty of room on the Spyder without dragging a trailer, something I refuse to do, but that's just me. REMEMBER. There is a Wal-Mart, Walgreens, or CVS, on every corner and many are open 24 hours. All of that necessary crap that you may use just once or won't use at all can be picked up along the way instead of trying find a place for it. If you go shopping use UPS, FEDEX, or similar to ship stuff home instead of trying to stuff Aunt Irma's new coffee mug in a saddlebag. If you take something and don't use it, leave it at home next time. A lot of stores carry small travel sizes of toiletry items. Better than trying to fit large containers on the bike. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drink plenty of water as you will dehydrate quicker on a bike even in cool or rainy weather. Have fun and take pictures.

All of this is assuming you will be staying in motels and not camping.

 

[JayBros]

The tools and foul weather gear recommended above. Make a list of what you're going to wear under your riding gear. Cut that list by 50% and take off. I can live for a month or more on the clothing I can put in the frunk.

 

[ARtraveler]

And there is always a wal-mart if you need another t-shirt etc. I always pack very light. I can put a weeks worth in one saddlebag. I have NEVER needed to re-stock from wal-mart.

 

[Navydad]

And there is always a wal-mart if you need another t-shirt etc. I always pack very light. I can put a weeks worth in one saddlebag. I have NEVER needed to re-stock from wal-mart.

Yep :agree: My wife gets the frunk since she needs her girlie stuff. I take the right saddlebag for my wardrobe. Left saddlebag holds our foul weather gear and our off the bike shoes. Trunk gets the tire repair stuff and our small toiletries bag with room to spare.

 

[cyclerambler]

Yep :agree: My wife gets the frunk since she needs her girlie stuff. I take the right saddlebag for my wardrobe. Left saddlebag holds our foul weather gear and our off the bike shoes. Trunk gets the tire repair stuff and our small toiletries bag with room to spare.

I'm quite envious of your packing strategy... a question or two if you don't mind. We just got home from a one night over-nighter out of state and our trailer was a winner... you mention the foul weather gear goes into the left saddle bag... what does that include? Rain gear, cold weather pant and jacket liners, heated liners for both you and the Ms, and room for off-bike shoes?

Just the rain gear alone just about fill up the right saddle bag on ours. The left bag has our regular pant and jacket liners, frunk has spyder cover and cold weather gloves, ect. Wife's suitcase, my duffle, shoe bag, tool bag, really cold weather pants, electronics knapsack went into our trailer. In retrospect, we could have gotten most on the cycle without the trailer, leaving much behind (all cold weather gear), but would need bags strapped to the exterior trunk carrier.

Do you guys use the custom fit zip up bags that fit inside the saddle bags?
Thanks

 

[JayBros]

Think outside the box. Why worry about carrying rain gear AND pant liners; let the former do both jobs. It just takes some practice to fine tune things. The most important thing to do is when you return from a trip of any length is make a list of the things you took but did NOT use.

 

[Peteoz]

Yep :agree: My wife gets the frunk since she needs her girlie stuff. I take the right saddlebag for my wardrobe. Left saddlebag holds our foul weather gear and our off the bike shoes. Trunk gets the tire repair stuff and our small toiletries bag with room to spare.

I’m envious, Navydad…….My size 15 EEEWide shoes alone fill the right saddlebag (although I could fit some undies and socks in there). Finding room for XXXXXL/Tall jeans, tshirts, sweatshirt etc for an extended trip means I need the trunk and saddlebags just for me :roflblack:

Pete

 

[UtahPete]

I’m envious, Navydad…….My size 15 EEEWide shoes alone fill the right saddlebag (although I could fit some undies and socks in there). Finding room for XXXXXL/Tall jeans, tshirts, sweatshirt etc for an extended trip means I need the trunk and saddlebags just for me :roflblack:

Pete

Maybe you need a Spyder for each foot. Do an updated Ben Hur kind of thing. That would get the Joeys' attention!

 

[canamjhb]

My advice comes from over 30 years of multi-week touring. I ALWAYS pack way too much! Just got back from 26 days on the road and I unpacked more stuff that I didn't use than stuff I did. I'm a real slow learner. If there's space, I tend to fill it. Next time...... Yeah right! Jim

 

[Peteoz]

My advice comes from over 30 years of multi-week touring. I ALWAYS pack way too much! Just got back from 26 days on the road and I unpacked more stuff that I didn't use than stuff I did. I'm a real slow learner. If there's space, I tend to fill it. Next time...... Yeah right! Jim

Jim, my boy, you are NOT alone :gaah: :roflblack:

Pete