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Everything Florian Packs for a 7-Day Motorcycle Trip

• 4 min read
Everything Florian Packs for a 7-Day Motorcycle Trip

Motorcycles are fantastic vehicles for thrilling travel, but cars do have one undeniable advantage—a trunk. Taking all your things along can be a challenge, especially for longer trips.

Packing a motorcycle for a week-long tour is just like any other art form in that it needs practice. Many motorcyclists, new riders in particular, tend to overpack, which makes effectively using your bike’s limited space all the more difficult.

You might be surprised by how little you actually need to bring with you. Here, we’ll explain what you should wear and pack in terms of riding gear, extra clothes, and tools, in addition to some useful tips and tricks for securing everything onto your bike.

This list of items is based on what our esteemed Editor-in-Chief, Florian Neuhauser, packs for a 7-day motorcycle tour that does not include camping.

Luggage

Depending on the motorcycle, your luggage selection may vary. Here are a few of Florian’s favorite luggage items to pack on a motorcycle:

Riding Gear

When choosing riding gear for a multi-day trip, your goal should be to maximize both comfort and safety. You’ll spend most of your time in the saddle, so you should pick climate-appropriate clothes that make for a comfortable ride.

A full RoadRUNNER-recommended riding gear getup features:

You’ll be wearing most of this set daily in the saddle, so you don’t need to make any special packing considerations. The next section will tell you how to pack the rest, so keep on reading.

Clothes

In general, seven days is the maximum length of a trip you can do without doing laundry. Any tour longer than a week will require you to wash some clothes, so no matter how long you plan to ride, the sweet spot is to pack enough clothes for seven days.

Here’s our list of clothes we bring on a seven-day motorcycle trip:

  • 7 sets of underwear
  • 4 pairs of socks
  • 4 T-shirts
  • 2 smarter shirts or tops for fancier dinners
  • 1 pair of jeans or pants
  • 1 pair of shorts
  • 1 light jacket
  • 1 pair of shoes or comfortable sandals
  • Toiletries

You might think four pairs of socks and T-shirts is too little, but keep in mind that you’ll only wear these clothes in the evening after the ride. You can wear the socks and T-shirt twice, unless you manage to somehow completely soil them.

To keep your clothes well organized, we recommend investing in a good set of packing cubes. Not only do they hold things in place, they make packing your panniers much simpler and faster. Try to choose non-black packing cubes to keep your items more clearly visible.

As a general tip, try to pick clothes made of synthetic fibers over cotton or other natural materials. Synthetic fibers will dry overnight, so you can quickly wash them in a hotel sink if necessary, whereas a cotton shirt will likely still be wet in the morning.

On the topic of washing, if you have the space for it, carry two pairs of riding socks with you. This way you can use the used pair every day and have fresh, clean socks waiting for you in the morning.

Finally, this packing list is designed for a multi-day trip during which you plan to stay in hotels or motels and take frequent breaks from riding to walk around sightseeing. For moto-camping or hiking trips, you will naturally need to bring additional gear.

Tools

You’ve now clothed and protected yourself, but you shouldn’t ignore your motorcycle. No matter how reliable of a marque you ride, something can always go wrong, so be prepared.

Your tool bag should include the following items:

Put these items in a waterproof bag or sack. Where you store it depends on your bike, but we’ll give some tips on how to pack your bike in the next section.

Loading Your Bike

Even with the best preparation and packing, actually securing all your things to your bike can still be easier said than done. Here are some of our best tips for loading various types of motorcycles.

  1. A tankbag or a tailbag is a great option for storing small items you need regularly, such as cameras, sunglasses, medication, or chapstick.
  2. Saddlebag liners are a worthwhile investment on motorcycles with hard cases. Not only do the liners provide cushioning, they make organizing and carrying things to the hotel much easier.
  3. Some bikes have a “hot” side and a “cold” side, depending on their exhaust configuration. If you have panniers on such motorcycles, it’s best to place sensitive items, like cameras, on the cold side.
  4. Remember that you need to bring your things to the hotel every night. Purchase saddlebags that come with a quick-mount system to keep mounting and dismounting your bags simple.
  5. If your panniers aren’t big enough or your motorcycle can’t accommodate them, slip your clothes packing cubes into a weatherproof duffel bag and strap it to the back of the rider’s seat or a luggage rack. It might not be the most aesthetic solution, but hey—it works.
  6. Try to avoid wearing a backpack while riding on longer trips. The extra weight on your shoulders can get very uncomfortable and lead to muscle soreness.

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