When I’m touring on my bike without saddlebags I use a 70 liter waterproof duffel from First Gear. Inside goes everything: couple pair of jeans, couple shirts, some socks, no undies as I go commando, Two piece rain suit, a lightweight fleece, toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant. Shorts that double as a swimsuit and a pair of hiking sandals. The bag gets strapped onto the pillion seat. I take a break every hour or so to stretch, drink something, a little snack. At gas stops I take a longer break. I’m able to cover 250-300 miles a day, which is plenty for me as I avoid using the interstate like it was the plague. Enjoy your trip. I hope you find touring as addictive as I do.

 

One change of clothes, you can wear both for several days if you wash them out at night in the sink...and laundry facilities in most Motels now... GOOD rain gear.... waterproof duffle which will double as a back rest....2 water bottles... some walking shoes.... small tool kit, and first aid kit.... of course all that advice comes from someone who loads out like this....


The dog didn’t go to Alaska

 

There is some good advice posted - A couple more things - bring extra glasses, both sunglasses & after darks, be sure they are accessible - sometimes they just break. Take 2 lane roads as much as possible, look at the map , find a road that goes in the right direction & takes it. When you get up there spend some time just wandering around. Stay away from Gatlinburg - it's a parking lot. Plan on both cold & rain

 

There's lots of good suggestions here about what to bring/what not to bring, but in general I would say assign top priority to things you will or might need while riding, and obviously meds if you need them. Don't skimp on the riding gear, at some point you'll need just about every piece of gear you own. Likewise with water bottles, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc. I have a few simple tools and a tire gauge, other than that it's AAA or HOG. Also I'm a big believer in old-fashioned cash, it's accepted everywhere and you don't have to worry about your card getting skimmed, which happened to me once. My wife laughed at me carrying cash until one time when we arrived at our destination and headed to the local watering hole and their card reader was down. That beer tasted twice as good with the "I told you so!"

Second priority should go to things you might have a hard time finding on the road. For me good strong coffee is a necessity so I always bring my own. I always like to have a Butler map for the area I'm riding. I have a pair of black deck shoes I use for walking around town, they don't take up much space and also a pair of swimming trunks and flip flops. I agree with the Ex-Off recommendation, good underwear really helps with ride comfort.

As others have said, most all motels have laundry facilities or just wash in the sink so I don't carry much in the way of town clothes.

 

thanks for that list , Sailmo. Some good ideas there

 

In addition to what has been suggested already don't forget chapstick.

 

Just got finished with a 3K ride on a 2018 FXLR.

Re luggage, with a sissy bar you have all the options in the world. I went 3K miles with two 20-liter bags and a swingarm bag, albeit with some recycling (threw out some things, bought some things at Walmart)

Agree with what's been posted, would add:

In terms of investments, consider
1. LD comfort drawers. Google em up.
2. Heated vest.
3. Merino socks
4. Windscreen. If you wear a full face helmet, you're better off with a smaller screen, rake it back so the airflow hits your forehead to avoid buffeting (make sure that's tuned before you take off). I use a Windvest, works like a charm
5. Seat pad, thicker is better to relax your knee and hip angle
6. "Nice trailer, *****" T-shirt

Peculiar to the FXLR
1. You *can* run a heated vest off the trickle charger pigtail. But it's close, I blew at least one fuse and still haven't sorted that out. Wire the thing direct to the battery like it's supposed to be.
2. Make sure you have your rear suspension set right. Weigh yourself with gear and luggage and look up the correct setting in the manual. If you have too much preload on the back, it will really screw up your handling, both on the highway and in turns. At high speeds you'll get a front end shake, in tight turns the front will bounce up and down. You won't find either one very refreshing. Get that setting right.
3. Fix that frickin gas cap buzz. Believe me, after about 30 hours it will drive you absolutely bat-**** crazy.

There's really no such thing as a perfect sport-touring bike, but IMO the new softails are darn close. Get your ergo's set up and you can cruise the crap out of that thing, I have several ten hour days in the saddle.

Once you get there, that bike will tear up the twisties. It's really amazing, I don't know how it does it. Hats off to the MoCo, everybody loves to gripe but those engineers just nailed the geometry and suspension. This is an exquisitely well designed bike.

Note, if you're dragging pegs in the twisties, you aren't doing it right. Keep your hips and arms loose, lean into the turn. You don't have to hang off. Pretend like you're initiating the turn by weighting the inside peg, really stand on that thing. That'll get your body position where it needs to be, head forward and in, like you're trying to kiss yourself in the mirror. You gain at least another inch or two in cornering clearance, and gives you a chance to countersteer -- press -- if you find yourself fast and wide in a turn. Shade toward a slightly lower entry speed with gentle, gradual pressure on the brake -- easy on, easy off -- and rely on your torque to dig yourself out of the hole once you hit the apex.

But if you do enter too hot, don't be afraid to countersteer. Just press, the bike can handle it. Even if you're trailing a rooster tail of sparks, *press*.

Remember: slow is fast. Well, slow is smooth... and smooth is fast. That's true on a Ducati, and particularly true on a Softail.

To be clear, your bike will make the Dragon into a kitty cat. You'll be safe regardless. You do these things to ride the TOD well, and aggravate the crap out of the Ninjas and such. Which is amusing on several levels.

 

Consider riding with a full face helmet if youu don’t have a fairing. You won’t feel all beaten up at the end of the day. Bring along long underwear for an early morning start. Nothing worse than being cold when you don’t have to be. If you wear contacts, take an extra pair along with your glasses.
Be sure to bring along a good laid back attitude. You’re out there to have fun!

 

As listed on the AMA trip tips list .... ear plugs. I use them on every long road trip I take. You can find them at any drug store, Walmart, wherever. I use the foam ear plugs, but any ear protection is better than none. You will be a lot less tired after long days of riding and you won’t have to deal with ringing ears from wind noise. Ride safe and have fun!

 

I made the same ride but in the opposite direction last year. Lots and lots of flat straight roads in Florida and south Georgia. Be prepared by seeking out back roads or just getting after it so you can spend time on the amazing roads to the north. Go over at least 1 alternate road option incase of construction, or if you want to vary the pace. Pack light. If your not sure that you need it, you don't. Put everything you think you'll need together, then figure out how to get rid of at least 1 full outfit, maybe two. You can wash underwear or socks in a hotel sink if needed or ditch em and pick up fresh ones at the local store, seriously. And if your like most of America, you're gonna buy a t shirt from your trip. Since you don't have hard bags get a good waterproof bag, roll top type used for river trips are great. Tools only if you actually know how to use them, make sure your bikes in good shape before you leave, tire filling adapter definitely (if you need one). Raingear for sure, earplugs and sunscreen. Don't forget an extra ziplock bag for your wallet/phone and a charger.

Figure out how your going to stay hydrated, water bottle camel back, drinking when you gas up? On long days it'll make the difference b/w finishing comfortable or dog tired and beat up.