I guess the place to start is to by saying motorcycles are not the most practical way to get to and from a convention. They're not the most comfortable, hassle free way to get to and from a big event. Riding a motorcycle to and from a convention any significant distance away from home certainly is an idea but you'd be hard pressed to describe as good let alone not bad.
None of that matters.
If you're a motorcyclist you understand what I 'm talking about. If you're not a motorcyclist then there's no amount of description that I can offer that will convey the adventure of a road trip on the back of a motorcycle. It's best if I just leave it at "It's fucking awesome...for me." Just like motorcycling isn't for everybody, con-hopping on a motorcycle isn't for every motorcyclist, either. It is a certain level of madness.
The conventions I most commonly ride my motorcycle to are in California, mostly that's Califur. The first time I decided to experience this madness was Califur III. I almost chickened out at the last minute due to weather. (I don't mind riding in rain if I get caught out in a storm but starting a trip under pissing skies is not my idea of a good time.) Eventually I just shrugged it off, slipped into my leathers, pulled on a nylon rain-shell, and tore ass for Orange County despite the weather. And damn that was fun! (And fast, but I won't mention specific speeds achieved.)
I used the first Antheria as an excuse to finally ride Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Cruz to Los Angeles. For that ride I strapped a GoPro on the front of my Triumph to snap frames at 5 seconds intervals. The battery ran down somewhere near San Simeon unfortunately but the video compiled from all of those shots is fun to watch nonetheless. I present it here to illustrate the range of conditions you can encounter on a long ride like that. You encounter them in a car, too...they just don't affect you as directly.
[Insert standard motorcyclist comment about being in the environment vs riding through it here.]
Raiding Pacific Coast Highway - 09.30.2010 from SmackJackal on Vimeo.
Enough babble about that crap, on to the meat of the topic, how I change up my packing for motorcycle vs. car travel to a convention which is, on reflection, not all that significantly different than how I pack when going by car or plane.
First things first: I don't ride a luxo-barge BMW K bike or a Honda
Generally, when I travel long distances by moto I have a tank bag, saddle bags, a tail bag and a my backpack. (Some only optionally, I'll elaborate on that in due course.) I'll babble about each of these components separately and what I typically pack in each, starting with my tank bag.
TANK BAG
Off hand I don't remember the make or model of my tank bag. It's magnetic, not too huge or too small, and has a fair number of pockets. Goldielocks would be the best way to describe it. Making it more useful I've added an electrical connector to pass power from the bike to the battery powered crap I store use on long rides. The stuff that goes in my tank bag is the stuff I want to have handy on a long ride away from home.
- Phone - Again, keeps it handy and with the electrical connector and a 12v USB charger always charged. Since I also use it for music, good thing to have accessible.
- Camera - Because sometimes you'll see something so awesome you have to pull over and snap a shot you don't want to have to dig around.
- Powerbars - Body fuel for when you start feeling a little drag-ass.
- Maps - Because Google Maps is only useful if you're in a place you get decent wireless signal for your specific carrier.
- Water/Gatorade - Access to hydration should be fairly quick and easy when you're in the middle of goddamn nowhere California.
- Microfiber towels - One 'dirty' and one 'clean' to help wipe bugs off my visor and such.
- Visor/Plastic cleaner - Because bugs suck.
- Ibuprofen - Headaches, body aches, etc...
- Emergency Contact Info
- First-aid Kit - Keeping this in the tank bag keeps it much more accessible.
- Baseball Cap - To protect my melon from the angry sun when I'm not on the bike wearing a lid.
- Spare t-shirt - Don't ask me why I keep a spare t-shirt in my tank bag. I just always have and I make sure it's one without logos or rude statements printed on it.
- Tool Kit - I keep a small tool kit with the most commonly needed things for road-side repair in my tank bag, including a tire plug kit with a C02 inflator.
It's a Nelson Rig tail bag but the brand doesn't really matter. What matters is that it's got bungies built-in to help strap this bad-daddy down to the bike. This is what I pack my clothing in. Water resistant but not water proof, I pack my clothes in 13 gallon kitchen bags before packing them into the tail bag. Luggage locks and a security cable are useful to further secure my stuff to my bike when I can't keep a direct eye on it, like when I'm stopped for sight-seeing or lunch. I try to pack low value soft-stuff in the tail bag but it would still be annoying it if all walked off.
- Pants - One pair for every two days.
- Underwear - One pair for every day I expect to be traveling + 2 spare
- T-Shirts - One for every day I expect to be traveling
- Socks - One pair for every day.
- Shoes - Because going to a con and only taking motorcycle boots is a stupid idea.
- Button-Down - One or two, depending
- Hoodie - Zip-Front
- Wind Breaker/Rain Gear - I keep my rain gear in this bag 'cause it should stay fairly handy but is too bulky for the tank bag.
- Toiletry kit (if I'm not taking saddle bags with me)
My Triumph, thankfully, is equipped with hard cases that lock solidly to the bike. On my previous moto used soft saddle bags that weren't nearly as secure. If it's an option I highly recommend hard bags that lock solidly to your bike, they just make things easier. Because my saddle bags are relatively secure being both locked to the bike and operable only with the bike's ignition key I stash my more valuable gear in these when traveling. There's no set formula for what I spoon in and if I find that I don't actually need them for what I'm taking with me then I don't take them with me.
- Laptop/Tablet and Chargers - My 15" Macbook fits PERFECTLY in the lid of my saddle bags.
- Cameras/Camera equipment - DSLRs, video cameras, mounts, accessories, etc...
- Toiletry Kit- Because I'd be really annoyed if my power trimmer got nicked.
- Booze Flask - Travel with it empty, please.
- Breakables - Like bottles of wine I plan on sharing with friends.
- Other Gear - You know...stuff that really doesn't go anywhere else if I'm taking it.
Backpack
Strangely, I try not to pack anything large, hard, or lumpy in my backpack when I ride, certainly nothing hard or sharp edged. As grim as it may sound the though of falling off my bike at 70 miles an hour and landing on my back with a DSLR packed in my backpack makes me shuddering a bad way. If I can avoid it taking a backpack I do, instead packing a canvas shoulder satchel in the tail-bag for con loot. At most I'll pack my laptop/tablet, a charger and a paper notebook in my backpack.
A Special Note On Costumes/Fursuits
Some people transport their suits with them via moto, I do not. Suits are bulky enough that I don't want to deal with the hassle of compressing and wrestling with them on the bike. In the past I've shipped them to and from the event hotel via FedEx or bribed friends with cars to take them for me. Both have worked pretty well.
One Last Note
Not specific to traveling to conventions by motorcycle but useful none the less, I keep a Wordlock bicycle lock on my motorcycle so that, when I need to, I can lock my jacket, lid, or backpack to the bike in a way to at least deter casual theft. Also good for locking my tank bag to the bike when I don't wanna pull it off and carry it with me.
It's all about the Givi topcase.
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