If you are someone who loves going on motorcycle road trips, you must be aware of the importance of minimalism.
Unlike a four-wheeler, a motorcycle has limited space and there is only so much that you can carry along with you.
And, if you really want to have a hassle-free trip while being on the wheel, you should be a minimalist as much as you can.
While doing so, it is imperative that you are not getting bulked up by your belongings whatsoever. Besides, you cannot compromise safety by any means.
Here’s a list of the most important accessories which would ensure a smart and safe road trip for you:
Rolls of Quarters/cash
These come in handy when you want to get something from the vending machine and/or your laundry. When and if you run out of food supplies and water, vending machines would come to your rescue.
We don’t need to emphasize the importance of laundry while you travel. So, pay a visit to your bank and get those quarters before you go to your much-awaited road trip.
Wet Wipes
They come in use for a multitude of things. You can use it to wipe the remote of the hotel you’d be staying in. Yes, these tend to carry a heck load of germs.
People also use them as toilet papers while on the road. One clever idea we can recommend is to save those makeup removal wipes that hotels offer you. You can easily use them as wet wipes for all you know.
Extra Camera Batteries
It’s pretty obvious that you’d be carrying with you your camera while on a road trip. Also, you will be taking plenty of pictures throughout your journey.
Imagine how much upsetting it would be when you come across something really worth capturing but your camera batteries just died and you don’t have any spares with you. So, it’s always wise to carry with you a couple of spare batteries on a road trip.
Durable Plastic Bags
Whenever you’re provided with a large plastic bag when you’re shopping, you should save them. These come in handy especially when you’re on the road.
You can use them to store extra munchies you might be carrying with you or anything whatsoever. These durable plastic bags are extremely light and are great to take with you on a road trip.
Extra Gallon of Gas
You wouldn’t always find a gas station everywhere you go. If you’re someone who loves traveling to adventurous places, chances are gas stations would become rarer the deeper you go into such places.
To avoid running out of gas and getting stuck in a rut, we suggest you take an extra gallon of gas with you.
Travel Power Strip
You would be seldom lucky enough to find enough power outlets to plug all your gadgets. This is where a multi-outlet power strip comes in use.
They have extension cords, so this enables working on your gadgets while plugging them to charge. You can also consider keeping a portable power source on your motorcycle to charge your mobile phone.
Spare Bike Key
Among all the motorcycle accessories, a spare key would be something which is underestimated while on a road trip. You never know when you will lose them. It could even be in between your riding pants’ liners.
Or it could be anywhere in your campsite. So, we suggest you carry a spare bike key with you—maybe wear it in a chain around your neck.
Hydration Backpack
While on the road, you would have zero protection against the heat. In such cases, it is important that you stay properly hydrated by drinking plenty of water and eat salty snacks.
To avoid any severe cases of dehydration, we recommend you carry a hydration backpack which allows drinking water through a pipe even with your helmet on. You can also use your backpack tool bag to carry a few water bottles.
Sunblock
Even if you wear gears that prevent most parts of your skin from getting exposed, you still should carry a sunblock with you. There would be times when you would dismount from your motorcycle and soak in some air and/or sunlight.
While doing so, your arms and neck would get crispy faster than you would realize. To avoid this, apply some sunblock before you start your journey and reapply it accordingly.
Bike or Helmet-Mounted Video Camera
A good road trip is an experience worth sharing. Also, such an experience would make you want to relive it yet again.
A bike or helmet-mounted video camera would let you record every substantial experience and memory that you encounter throughout the journey. This way you can share it easily with your family and friends. And also maybe post it on your website if you like vlogging.
Modular Helmet
While on a motorcycle road trip, safety comes first. Besides, the very first thing that comes to mind while ensuring safety on a motorcycle is a helmet.
A modular helmet would enable proper coverage and protect your eyes and face from all the dust and also enable you to grab a quick snack by simply flipping the vizier.
Rainsuit
You can never be too sure about the weather. There’s nothing as uneasy as riding wet on a motorcycle road trip. Also, you would want to avoid this since being wet and cold might lead to hypothermia.
This would spoil your entire road trip and you will be done for. So, it’s better to carry along a rain suit when things get unexpected on the road.
Motorcycle Toolkit
Although we suggest that you get your motorcycle checked before hitting the roads. However, there might be times when you would need to fix a loose mirror or would feel the need to tighten a screw and the like.
Motorcycles these days come with meager or no toolkit. For such situations, you should carry a toolkit with you to make minor repairs along the road.
Flat Repair Kit
No matter how modern and well-equipped your motorcycle is, all tires are vulnerable to punctures and cuts. And, if it happens with you on the road, you wouldn’t want it to halt your journey altogether.
Besides, there isn’t any guarantee that you’d come across any mechanic at that point. Such desperate measures demand that you carry with you a flat repair kit to get back on the road at an instant.
Portable Air Compressor
Fixing your flat tire would require you to reinflate it. Some repair kits do come with CO2 cartridges but they’re seldom enough to inflate it enough up to safety standards. The best thing you can do is to get yourself a dedicated air compressor for such a purpose.
Emergency Communicator
If things go a little wrong and you have to face some sort of accident in a remote area, a GPS messenger is more than useful. It might save your life when there wouldn’t even be mobile phone connectivity to reach out to your friends and family. It sends a message to them stating your location and you can be rescued on time.
Bluetooth Helmet Communicator
There’s nothing wrong with simply enjoying the solitude inside the helmet with only the sound of the wind. However, sometimes, you might want to listen to your passenger at times and also your GPS navigation instructions.
You can also use it to play some soothing music while you’re at it. However, we would not encourage you to receive calls through this because it is absolutely unsafe to do so.
A Road Map
A good road trip isn’t just about the destination but also has a lot to do with the journey in itself. To have a smooth one, you should have a map in hand that would guide you through the good roads you can take.
You should get a map which is water-resistant as we have already mentioned that there’s no guarantee about when the sky cracks open.
GPS Navigation Unit
Taking a good look at a road map is imperative before getting on the road. However, while riding, it is impossible to take out your map and navigate.
This is where a motorcycle-friendly GPS navigation unit would come in handy. You can listen to the instructions while you ride with the help of your Bluetooth helmet communicator.
Cargo Net
There might come a time when you would require some extra space to squeeze in a few more stuff. In such cases, a cargo net would be very much useful when it comes to a motorcycle.
You can easily strap something to your tour pack or bike seat from point A to point B. It could be anything from toting an extra bag to your helmet.
These are the most important road trip accessories that you ought to take along with you. Anything less will only be an impediment to a smooth trip.
Author Bio
Jessica Smith
She is a blogger who loves to write in different verticals. She co-authored Supercharge Organic
Traffic: A popular course focusing on Organic Traffic for E-commerce. Her hobbies are reading.
That’s a good die to make sure that you have something waterproof to wear in case it rains. I would think that would be good to have so that you could avoid all the cold and uncomfortableness that come with getting soaked. I’ll have to make sure that I get something like that if I decide to go on a long distance motorcycle trip.
Thanks Tyler.
Excellent. Absolutely loved reading and very helpful at the same time.
Motorcycle is a thing of love. This article is so informative and helpful. I gather some important tips and informations to read this article.