Setting up California 1400 Touring for long distance lots of gear

[toaster404]

Oddly, my wife's versys seems to be easily set up.  Front bags with attached tank back, trunk, big saddle bags, large throwover waterproof duffel and there's still lash on room.

The California touring seems a bit more slippery.  I am far from convinced that I like the hard bags.  Relatively hard to get in and out of.  Slipperly.  Have toyed with putting little racks on top of the side bags.  Looking at giant tank bags.  I don't have the trunk, considering getting the smaller trunk and putting a rack on top of it.  Have a Kury Gran tour with backrest. 

But really, relatively large soft bags with flat tops and lash points are more what I'm used to.

Any suggestions?  This is for long distance camp touring, so lashing tent and sleeping pads on the side makes some sense. 

Understanding why the adventure tour bikes have hideous boxes!!!

[rocker59]

Maybe what you really need is a trailer hitch and a trailer.

[charlie b]

That's why I had this big trunk on mine.  Held 60L of stuff.



But, I think I am going back to a large duffle for camping gear.  Just strap it across the tail and be done with it.

I would not be without the locking side cases.  They stay on the bike permanently and I can secure stuff if I am away from the bike.  But, it depends on how you travel.  Many, many folks like all soft luggage.

[toaster404]

Huge trunk interesting. 

Must shop for racks for top of side bags.

I do tend to keep bike and emergency stuff in side bags always.  The stock ones are SO wide. 

Will have to shop for giant tank bag. 

[LowRyter]

maybe the Custom model is better with soft bags or HB Jr? 

[charlie b]

I do like a tank bag, but, not huge.  Too high and it feels oppressive.  Wide and log enough for my map case.  Big enough to hold my rain gear, spare gloves and hat, first aid kit and maybe a bottle of water.

[Travlr]

Maybe what you really need is a trailer hitch and a trailer.

  Unigo

[toaster404]

Moto Guzzi doesn't recommend towing a trailer, and specifically advises against it.

[twowings]

That will be interesting news to more than a few....

[bad Chad]

No it won't, Guzzi has NEVER recommended towing anything, the bikes were not designed with that in mind.   That doesn't mean they won't do it!

[Guzzistajohn]

That must mean they won't cover any warranty repairs if you've been pulling a trailer.......O.... M.....G!!! Not that!   

[Zoom Zoom]

Everyone has their own system that works for them. Mine is clothes, flip flops, shaving kit, in left side bag. Jackets, liners, and a couple other odds and ends on the right bag. Trunk has electronics, gloves, LED lights, Jet Boil, coffee, medicine, wine bottle/can opener, lighter, cup, collapsible cooler. Duffle bag on back seat has sleeping bag, sheet, pillow cases, chair, tent, pillows, air mattress. (Sometimes the air mattress goes on the rack on top of the trunk.) Anyway, everything gets put into the bag and then the bag is tied down. Whatever you put in the bag when you packed it will be there when you arrive at your destination that night. Putting separate items on the bike and hoping none sneak out from under a net is asking for things to take their own trip. I speak from experience on this one!

For an extended trip, I usually take 5 days worth of socks, underwear, T-shirts, and one extra pair of blue jeans, swim trunks that double as camp shorts, micro fiber towel and wash cloth. Most KOA's, if not all, have a coin operated washer and dryer to clean clothes. I can live with wearing the same jeans for a few days, but I don't care for dirty underwear. Those have to start out clean each day!

All in all, it's really not too difficult to carry everything you need for two or three weeks, or even longer.

John Henry 

[charlie b]

I wear synthetic underwear/tshirts and wool socks.  Carry three days worth.  At night I hand wash and hang to dry the stuff I wore that day.  Works well out here in the west  :)

[Kiwi_Roy]

I'm with ZZ, you are carrying way too much crap.
I took the side bags off my EV and just used the top box for camping 1 week.
Tent, sleeping bag, mattress, change of clothes, some tools, cooking gear, light, wet weather gear



Limit yourself to the weight you could carry on an airplane without paying excess.

I must confess I bought a soft bag to unload my riding buddy when he started whining about all the "Group Gear" he was carrying LOL


On the New Zealand trip (flying brick) I used the side bags for clothes and turned the top box into an ice box for beer and food.

You can't enjoy the ride loaded down with the kitchen sink.

[toaster404]

Probably work with bags in existence.  My Kury GranTour for backrest, hard cooler with soft shell on rack, emergency gear & bike maintenance in one hard bag with a big of misc, and medical in the other.  Camping and fishing on top of the hard bags with anti-slip stuff on top or mini-racks, and a big tank bag.

The wife unit just wants to take everything.  And if we hit the rockies, we'll need cold weather stuff.

My medical kit is pretty large.  Standard first aid isn't what concerns me.  Remote trauma does concern me.  I've been there needing gear!

Small trailer also makes sense.  Don't know anything about them.

[pete roper]

Jude and I did about 12,000 miles in ten weeks or so around the US on ours. Factory set up with panniers, top box and rack and we used a big tank bag too. Worst thing was the non QD panniers which meant every bloody night you had to unpack and trolley junk up to your room rather than just un-clipping the bags and walking off. Really got old after a few days.

Seat is an abomination!

Apart from that? Well, it's too heavy by a mile, can't handle even the most casual unsealed road and has horrid, primitive, suspension. As a Touring Mule the driveline and EM are second to none but it's like taking a modern turboprop powerplant and sticking it in the Spirit of St.Louis.

Pete, (Not a 'Cruiser' person.) and Jude, (A bitter cynic who likes to be able to feel her arse at the end of a day's ride!)

[charlie b]

I travel and camp solo.  I have about 120L of case volume that I fill, plus the tank bag.

My 4 person tent does use up one side case by itself  :)  I only carry three sets of clothes and no cook gear.

Tent, air mattress, tarp, sleeping bag (15F rating), chair, pillow, axe, rope and pegs.  That is my camping gear.

Three or four sets of underwear/socks.  Walking pants, shorts, shirt, shoes. Jackets and base layer stuff appropriate to the weather.  Shower stuff.  This is what I carry even if staying in motels.

That almost fills up my 120L of storage.

Most of the bulk in my setup comes from cold weather stuff.  I don't plan on being out in below freezing weather, but, have been caught in it enough times that I pack for it now.  And I always carry my 15F sleeping bag, even if the lows are going to be in the 50's.  Easier to unzip it when warm than not be warm enough if it turns cold.  I always take my electric riding gloves as well.  My rule of thumb is to look at the forecasted lows and then plan for 10-20F colder.

[toaster404]

The trauma kit does take a bit of room.  Those hard cases are a pain to fill and empty. 

I will figure out something allowing lashing dry bags to the top of the hard cases.

Comment above on the suspension is well taken.  I'll have to investigate some middle ground better rear dampers, and think about the front.  Were it an old bike, I'd consider lowering the oil level in the forks and adding valves to add some air pressure!  Seems a bit crude for this type of machine.