The Bag

I bought a large bag for the bike today. The bag mounts on the new back rest I put on yesterday. I could not find a luggage rack for the Bonneville so I had to mount the bag backwards. The bag faces front and sits on the seat instead of facing back and sitting on a rack.

The bag is made by Tourmaster. It's actually a 2 piece bag system. The bottom bag is large and rectangular. It should fit most of what I will take on the trip. The top piece is a smaller barrel bag. I'm sure I will have plenty of things to store in there as well. I paid 149.00 for the bags.

Even with this new large backrest bag and my tank bag, I'm concerned I will not have enough storage for the trip. I'm working out how to strap one of my backpacks to the Tourmaster bag. If I cannot make that work, I may need to buy some throw over saddle bags.

I've been weighing the pros and cons of staying a few nights in camp grounds instead of hotels. If I decide to camp, I will need storage for a tent, a sleeping bag, and some cooking equipment. Camping will add to the challenge of the trip, and make it feel more adventurous. It will reduce my costs, but it will also drive up my storage needs. I'm concerned that most campgrounds are not designed for motocycles. I need to keep the bike on paved areas.

My current working list of things to bring includes:

• 2 changes of clothes (jeans, shirts, underwear)


• Running shorts and shirt (I will run)


• Running shoes


• Hiking shoes


• Bathroom kit (toothbrush, razors, deodorant, contact supplies, shampoo, soap)


• Eye glasses and case


• Gloves (half and full)


• Rain gear


• Riding boots (I'll be wearing those)


• Warm sweater or heavy shirt


• Denim Jacket and leather vest


• Leather Jacket


• Belt


• Notebooks


• Compass


• Still Camera


• Video Camera


• Laptop (after all this is a writing trip)


• Route maps


• Camera Tripod


• Single person tent


• Winter sleeping bag


• Tent stakes


• Fire starting supplies


• Flash light


• Toilet paper


• Knife


• Hatchet


• Bug spray


• Cooking equipment


• Thermos


• Collapsible water bottle/container


• Towel


• Cooking clean up supplies (soap, sponges)


• Coffee pot


• Oven mitt

This is a lot of stuff....