Loading a bike

[Nathan]

Im gonna be going away for a weekend with a pillion and we need to take clothes for 4days (I realise this is only one set plus clean underwear)
two sleeping bags, a tent and cooking equipment.

I have a SRX with a tail rack, on which i will probably put clothes and sleeping bags.
A small tank bag which will just take a stove etc,.

but im concerned on where to put the tent.
Ive often seen it on the front forks, but there isnt much room on srx forks to do that.
Also considering the pillion wearing a light bag with it in.

Any suggestions?

[guest18]

I'd try to get a cheap set of throwovers and put the tent across the rack, pillion could carry it but it would be a pain...

[Andy M]

Throwovers are the best bet. Clothes and sleeping bags in the panniers, stove and expensive gear in the tank bag and tent on the rack. Keeps the weight low and shouldn't fall off. Obviously take care with the exhaust, the smell of burning nylon usually only reaches the rider after their underwear has departed!.

Stuff on the forks is a pain in so many ways. It'll effect the handling for one. Not so bad solo, but two up, no thanks. It's also a pig to fasten on so it stays. Your pillion will soone get bored of a rucksack. I'd leave that plan to the Harley boys.

One idea I have seen work is under the rear rack. More bulk, but keeps it low so the pillion can get on and off.

Andy

[guest7]

I'd hate to go back to camping trips on a solo, I've been spoiled rotten by the sidecar.

I'd avoid putting anything on the forks - lots of people try that once and never do it again, it buggers up your handling a treat.

Throwovers are cheap as chips these days and by far the easist option. It's always the bloody sleeping bags that soak up the room and there's no easy answer there unless you spend a fortune on trick bags.

GC

[Richard 003]

Im gonna be going away for a weekend with a pillion and we need to take clothes for 4days (I realise this is only one set plus clean underwear)
two sleeping bags, a tent and cooking equipment.

I have a SRX with a tail rack, on which i will probably put clothes and sleeping bags.
A small tank bag which will just take a stove etc,.

but im concerned on where to put the tent.
Ive often seen it on the front forks, but there isnt much room on srx forks to do that.
Also considering the pillion wearing a light bag with it in.

Any suggestions?

Attach a large wheeled topbox to the side of the bike.

[guest27]

Hi there all.  Having done 16 days on the IoM two up on a RD500.....  Compression sacks - get them from millets etc.  put in cloths or sleeping bag and get other half to sit on them as you crank the straps down - works pretty good.  I am told that an old Ronco vacuume packer works better - friend used to pack t-shirts etc in poly bags and then vac them - filled up ruck sack.  Went to Iceland.  also took a load of pre addressed self seal placcy bags addressed to his mum.  sent her all his dirty washing.. came back to him clean.  Would also work with clothes for bike hols.  Tent - I always fixed this across the back of the bike- nice firm structure to attach other things to, along with throw overs and a tank bag (I could barly see over) and piullion carrying a ruck sack with light stuff in worked fine.  For rallies we could dispose with the rucksack and most of the tank bag.  Better still would have been a couple of bivvi bags.  I have asked wild country why they do not do a double bivvi bag, they claim there would be no market, The Boss and I recon there would be one.

Final thought from mu Uncle, "What do you want a tent for - an old fertilizer bag and a ditch will do fine".  There again he did used to cycle from High Wycombe to Cornwall for his hols, not bad going being as he was paralized in one leg...

Other option is the tooth brush in one pocket and the credit card in the other....

R

[Nathan]

Final thought from mu Uncle, "What do you want a tent for - an old fertilizer bag and a ditch will do fine".  There again he did used to cycle from High Wycombe to Cornwall for his hols, not bad going being as he was paralized in one leg...
R

MMMmm, wheres those ol suvival bags...

Im gonna pinch throw overs from a mate and with the tail rack i should be fine.

[guest18]

Final thought from mu Uncle, "What do you want a tent for - an old fertilizer bag and a ditch will do fine".  There again he did used to cycle from High Wycombe to Cornwall for his hols, not bad going being as he was paralized in one leg...
R

MMMmm, wheres those ol suvival bags...

Im gonna pinch throw overs from a mate and with the tail rack i should be fine.

Well Transalp John and I both slept in the carpark of a dutch motorway services with just thermarest/bivibag/sleeping bags, way below freezing, on the way back from the Elefantentraffen... mind you, being absolutely shattered had something to do with it!

[bill#138]

Sleeping in an AA telephone kiosk at Knutsford at 03:00hrs in the thermal underware, leathers and waterproofs after waking up in the outside lane for no apparent reason and still riding the bike, convinced me sleep is acheivable anywhere.

Embibing quantities of the falling over fluids has the same effect. But that's telling TC members how to 'Suck eggs'!

Cheers, Bill

[steveD]

Panniers are the best and along with a tail pack and tank bag you can load a vast amount of gear, I know if anyone has seen the DR fully loaded. I was also going to get a pair of cheap small rucksacks and sew them together at the shoulder straps. They then drape over the tank, under the tank bag and bungeed to the front down tube. Yes I have seen it done and told Beeman, next thing I knew up rolls Beeman with exactly that design!
The tent just straps to the back of the tail pack. Use a small grill under the tailpack, on top of the rear carrier to take the weight.
But the best advice is to go to rallies and see ther ingenuity of how others load their bikes, you'll be amazed at how they do it and just what can be carried.
SteveD

[Andy M]

Made myself a pair over Christmas. Sainsburys were selling backpacks designed to hold CD walkmans/walkmen (??) for a quid a go. Cut the straps off and resew to make a harness and all the tools that won't fit under Triumphs seat.

Andy

[Bill Rutter]

Go Kreiga, the best bike rucksacks going if a little expensive

[guest27]

Still have ,my first throwovers - a pair of surplus knapsacks, waterproofed with some brown gloss paint and sewed together with a bit of old sack.  Have been given others since (proper thingies) but the first pair were the best pair.  Used to love the Spanish and French tourists that passed through Plymouth in the mid 80's.  Big traillies (well XT500 / XT550s etc) with soooo much luggage - most even had what looked like custome made racks and small panniers mounted on the forks either side of the front wheel.  Wonder what that did for handling.  Having been benighted on the top of Llanberis pass I have to recommend a tent and sleeping bag over the option of a cold ditch mind.

R