The art and science of packing your motorcycle for an upcoming tour

Experienced riders know how to pack a motorcycle for an upcoming tour – they’ve done it countless times over many years. But they all started somewhere, like me. About the only thing I didn’t pack for my first tour was the kitchen sink!

I started on an old Triumph America LT that groaned under the weight and was quite hard to control in the Portuguese mountain twisties. Needless to say I had a couple of spills which amused my more experienced buddies.

Jump to:

• Less is more on two wheels
• Loading a motorcycle
• The best ways to pack
• Final thoughts

Nowadays I’m more of a minimalist. I don’t overpack but I also don’t underpack. There’s no point being far away from home base without some essential piece of kit or an important personal item. It’s an expense I don’t budget for.

So what’s the balance? It could be as simple as packing everything you need and nothing you don’t for the trip you have planned.

Less is more on two wheels

There is a strategy for using the limited space on a motorcycle when touring. From back to front you can consider two panniers (hard or soft); a top box if you use one – if not then waterproof roll bags or similar on the rear luggage rack; space on the back seat if you’re riding solo; a rucksack; and a tank bag. Besides the rider and fuel in the tank, every item packed into these available spaces will add to the total weight on the bike and has to earn its place.

• Related: The best motorcycle luggage

Some items can serve multiple purposes while others can be used more than once, especially if you’re in a different place each night. I’ve toured with people who buy cheap t-shirts and underwear and bin them after use, so their load gets progressively lighter. This probably isn’t the best approach for the environment, though…

Loading a motorcycle – an art and a science

Loading up a motorbike isn’t about stuffing items wherever they fit. It’s about packing in an organised way so you have control of the machine and easy access to stuff you need most frequently. The science is about where you pack, and the art is about how you pack.

I’ve heard of the ‘Load Triangle’ which, if you can visualise it, is formed from the contact patches of the front and rear tyres and the top of the rider’s head. The engine and a fully geared-up rider are heaviest and are at the centre of the triangle. Other heavy items should be packed as close as possible to the centre before you start filling up space toward the front or back. It’s the principle of packing “low, centred, and balanced”.

So the left and right panniers or saddlebags should be fairly equal in weight and the heaviest items placed at bottom and toward the front of each one. If the rear end of the bike is too heavily weighted you risk doing unintended wheelies when you accelerate. And heavy backpacks can raise the centre of gravity on the bike making the rider top heavy.

What are the best ways to pack?

Everyone I know packs a bit differently, and mostly they make it work for the space they have. Some swear by packing personal clothing in airtight compression bags. This minimises the space each item takes up. Others roll their clothes instead of folding, which apparently stops them wrinkling. I’ve gotten used to folding clothes and organising into zip-lock bags where the air is squeezed out.

I used to pack all my clothes in the panniers, but now I use a waterproof roll bag clipped on the rear luggage rack. It’s relatively light so it works well there. If I’m camping then my tent and sleeping bag go on the back seat closer to the centre of the bike. My tools, tech, camping gear, shoes and other bits go in the panniers. I have quite a big tank bag with lots of smaller items I might need quick access to.

Final thoughts

This goes without saying, but once your bike is loaded check the tyre pressure. I take my portable tyre pump on tour and check regularly. In summary, I would say the biggest mistakes I’ve made in packing my motorcycle for a tour are:

• Overpacking or underpacking
• Bad weight distribution on the bike
• Luggage not secured properly
• Not planning properly and taking the wrong gear for the conditions
• Forgetting important stuff
• Packing in a hurry

Being in the saddle for long hours in sometimes challenging environments does take its toll. The last thing I want is to be struggling to control an unbalanced machine or faffing about with loose luggage. Or worst of all, retracing my steps to find something that’s fallen off.

Planning what I take and how I pack it all onto my bike leaves me free to deal with whatever challenges the adventure throws at me without worrying about my luggage. It becomes a part of the structure of my bike and I don’t really give it a second thought since it works from the start of the journey.

With all of the planning, work and anticipation that goes on before the ride begins, it would be a shame to spoil it en route with a badly packed motorcycle. That has been known to spoil the fun of it all (just saying).

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