Luggage

The amount of luggage you will want to to take will depend greatly on where you are going, where you are staying and for how long.

Luggage choice will vary bike to bike, but in general tank bags, panniers (hard or soft), Cargo nets, Bungee Straps and a Rucksack wont go a miss. Luggage will be available at most good bike shops and you will get some great advice from a well informed sales person.

At bare minimum we recommend a small rucksack for the things you'll need to keep to hand. And Panniers. If you need extra room, then we would suggest a tank bag, and luggage rack.

Remember the more weight you pack on your motorcycle will affect handling and performance. If you have a luggage rack loaded up, your front end will be lighter. So take the first few miles incredibly steady until you have adjusted to riding with a fully loaded bike.

Tank Bags - Tank bags usually work on a magnetic grip system, attaching by strong magnets to the surface of your tank. Other bike specific tank bags are available which work by use of a tank-bra, permanently fitted to your tank, which the bag then attaches to by fastenings.

Panniers - Soft Panniers are usually thrown over the pillion seat, they are easy to take on and off and are ideal for short trips. Hard cases are usually bolted to your motorcycle, better for longer tours. They do not usually interfere with carrying a pillion passenger, although they can cause a little bulk which adjusts the seated position.

Cargo Nets - Handy bungee style nets, which can be attached to the pillion seat or luggage rack to transport small or bulky objects. They are relatively cheap to buy, but are not an alternative to luggage. They are useful to strap over luggage during trips.

Rucksack - There are many motorcycling specific rucksacks available on the market, many which have been designed to be aerodynamic, or multi functional (for carrying crash helmets etc). Whilst a regular rucksack can be used, they often have straps and pockets which could be hazardous if caught on something during riding, or in the event of a crash.