Overloading your vfr

[Guest Havagan]

Since I have a bone stock VFR and my wiring modifications (widder vest, chatterbox power, mp3 power) are already covered by HispanicSlammer, I felt left out of the How-To forum!

So here it is: "How to overload your VFR" or "Packing for a three week trip"

1. With rubber fairing protector over the rear of the bike, load the saddlebags on the bike and cross connect a pair of bungee cords. The bungee cords don't actually support the bags it's really just an easy place to store some extra bungees! The Joe Rocket Sport Saddlebags have mesh pockets on the front that are the perfect size for two, one quart Gatorade bottles of water.

border='0' alt='user posted image' />

2. Because Honda wanted to sell factory hard bags, the 02 VFR suffers a lack of tie down points on the rear of the bike. With the exception of the grab rails there's nothing to latch on to. So on the rack for a GiVi top case I looped some nylon straps around the rack and attached a d-ring. The d-ring keeps the strap from coming undone and gives an easy tie down point for your bungees.

border='0' alt='user posted image' />

3. On the pillion seat goes the clothes bag. This is a large size, waterproof Ortleib duffle bag. It's my usual extended weekend travel bag. My sandals were strapped to the bag. The bag was then cross bungeed.

border='0' alt='user posted image' />

4. The bungee points for the clothes bag were the rear passenger pegs and the d-ring on the GiVi rack.

border='0' alt='user posted image' />

border='0' alt='user posted image' />

5. On the top case rack (I didn't bother to buy a top case or side cases since I don't usually do adventure trips like this) went the sleeping bag and my rain gear. Which were bungeed to the rack itself and the d-rings.

border='0' alt='user posted image' />

border='0' alt='user posted image' />

6. On top of the clothes bag (which is wonderfully flat on top and bottom for stability/stackability) went the tent and sleeping pad.

border='0' alt='user posted image' />

border='0' alt='user posted image' />

7. The tent and sleeping pad were secured with 8' heavy duty (1" wide) motorcycle tie downs. Besides securing a heavy load with no fear of a bungee breaking or stretching out, they also double as tow ropes in case of a break down. In another instance they were used to haul all of our gear to the second story of hotels and to hang our food from trees while camping in bear country. The tie down points for the tie downs (sic) were the GiVi wing racks and the passenger foot pegs. The buckles of the tie downs were secured close to the foot pegs where they wouldn't contact the fairings and the flat webbing of the strap was kept from the fairing by the rubber matting. The extra strapping was then tied around the buckle to keep it from accidentially coming loose and then tied to a ring on the clothing bag to keep it from flapping when in motion.

border='0' alt='user posted image' />

border='0' alt='user posted image' />

8. Once everything was loaded, a second set of one quart Gatorade bottles were stuck underneath the bungee cords holding the sleeping bag and rain gear. They were wedged in the V formed by the sleeping bag and the sleeping pad.

border='0' alt='user posted image' />

9. Finally my magnetic tank bag was secured and I'm ready to wedge myself in.

border='0' alt='user posted image' />

That's it!

I'll go ahead and put up a basic content list of what was packed in what bags and the things learned through trial and error on the trip. The first few days of camping were a nightmare as we struggled to find a routine which allowed for ease in packing/unpacking the bikes at night and in the morning but still kept things handy that we needed throughout the day.

Hav

[Guest Havagan]

Packing List:

Left Saddlebag:

1 propane cylinder for the camping stove

2 quarts of oil for the mid-trip oil change

4 cans of tuna/chicken

7 packages of ramen noodles

7 packages of lipton instant soup

7 packages of hot chocolate

7 granola bars

7 packages of instant oatmeal

7 snack boxes of raisins

1 sewing kit

1 extra bottle of bug spray (one was also in the tank bag)

1 bottle of rain-x

1 bottle of clothes detergent

1 box of 12 extra ear plugs

1 bag of assorted ziplock bags

Right Saddlebag:

1 propane cylinder for the camping stove

2 quarts of oil for the mid-trip oil change

4 cans of tuna/chicken

7 packages of ramen noodles

7 packages of lipton instant soup

7 packages of hot chocolate

7 granola bars

7 packages of instant oatmeal

7 snack boxes of raisins

1 oil filter

1 spare clutch lever

1 spare brake levers

1 spare clip-type master link

1 large spray can of Honda chain lube

1 bag of assorted zip ties

1 box of 12 AA batteries

* Food equates to one week's worth per saddlebag

Ortleib Dry-bag Duffle Bag

3 pairs of jeans

3 pairs of SmartWool wool socks

3 pairs of riding shorts

3 riding shirts (Dri-Fit)

2 pairs of cotton athletic shorts (sleep wear)

2 cotton t-shirts (sleep wear)

4 bandanas (do rags)

1 pair of sweat pants (cold weather)

1 fleece neck gaiter (cold weather)

1 zip-in jacket liner for Tourmaster (cold weather)

1 Widder System 2 Electric Vest (cold weather)

1 spray bottle of Febreeze

Rain Gear Bag:

1 two-piece rain suit

1 pair Tourmaster PolarTek gloves (cold weather/waterproof)

1 pair Polaris Snow Mobile gloves (cold weather/backup)

Tank Bag:

Main Pocket:

1 clear face shield

1 9mm

1 hat (can't walk around with helmet hair)

1 disc lock

1 map (of current state)

1 mp3 player

1 cell phone

1 pda (hp jornada)

1 pair of headphones (for off the bike music)

1 box of 4 AA batteries

Left Pocket:

1 box of 12 ear plugs

1 pocket knife

1 mini mag-lite

1 flashlight headband (for hands free light)

1 set of cubilete dice (cuban poker dice)

1 kick stand plate (with attached cord to pick it up while on the bike)

Right Pocket:

1 spray bottle of water

1 spray bottle of windex

1 clean cotton face shield rag

6 stridex face wipes

4 travel packages of tylenol

2 travel packages of benadryl

1 small package of bandaids

2 travel packages of iodine

Rear Pocket:

1 bungee net

2 spare bungee cords

1 shoulder strap for tank bag

Front Pocket (Detachable/Toiletries):

1 stick of deodorant

1 bottle of shampoo

1 bottle of liquid body wash (no bar soap)

1 tube of toothpaste

1 toothbrush

1 box of dental floss

1 bottle of eye drops

1 bottle of bug spray

1 packet of Charmin wipes (more compact than toilet paper, sturdier and they smell nice!)

1 comb

----------------------------------------------

* Clothes were packed in a dry bag and required no extra protection.

* The tent was packed in a large, heavy duty plastic bag inside of the cinch sack it came in.

* The sleeping pad, which is just vinyl on the outside, was also packed in a waterproof cinch sack

* The "Big Man" mummy sleeping bag, and zip-in fleece liner, was packed in a dry bag.

* The contents of the saddlebags were packed inside of a large, heavy duty plastic bag. In addition the bags themselves were treated with a coat of Camp Dry to waterproof the saddle bags.

* The contents of the outside pockets of the tank bag were packed in zip lock bags by type. Ear plugs in one ziplock, drugs in another zip lock. The toiletries were packed in ziplock bags when necessary. The water tight bottles of shampoo, etc. were not packed in bags but the deodorant, etc. was. Pack in individual bags because you really don't want deodorant in your toothbrush.

* The contents of the main pocket of the tank bag were double bagged in small garbage bags. In addition, I have a padded, waterproof dry case in which I keep my electronics (cellphone, pda, mp3 player) as insurance for my expensive gear.

* One week's worth of food along with mess kit, camping stove, cooking utensils, spices, camping lantern, etc. was kept in our "kitchen" which was the GiVi top case which was stored on my girlfriend's bike. If I were travelling alone this gear could have been compressed to fit in a single bag which would have been secured on the top case rack beneath the sleeping bag.

----------------------------------------------

Some tips for packing/camping:

The really important things, clothes, tent, sleeping bag and food, need to be kept totally dry. Certain items should be kept handy at all times (bug spray, windex for face shield, tylenol for those aches and pains, benadryl in case of an allergy attack -- like a bee sting, etc.)

When camping you have to pack your bags in the order you'll need them. Tent goes on top because it gets set up first. Then the sleeping pad goes in the tent, the sleeping bag goes on top of the bad. Then you unload all of your bags into the tent (riding gear, rain gear, clothes bag, saddle bags) to keep them safe and dry. The kitchen stays out until you're done eating and then it also goes in the tent. In the morning everything is reversed. The bags are unloaded from the tent and onto the bike. The saddle bags go on, the clothes bag, the sleeping bag and pad, the tent is broken down and loaded. After breakfast the kitchen gets loaded on and you're ready to go.

Your toiletries should be easy available at all times during your ride (mine were in a detachable pouch on my tank bag) because you never know when you'll need soap for washing your hands, bug spray for mosquitos or toilet paper for emergency situtations.

Items like a bungee net are good to keep handy. It's a nice treat to get some good food for dinner (ramen noodles get boring), strap it on top of the bike and then head to a remote campsite or scenic location for your meal. We had a very memorable meal of fried chicken and biscuits while sitting on the side of a mountain at 10,000 feet in Bear Claw Pass.

Hav

[Guest Havagan]

There are a bunch of little things I learned along the way that were handy and can be used on any trip, weekend or otherwise.

For example I have an earplug case (think of an old fashioned change purse but for earplugs) that I got from a place that makes custom earplugs. It's got a key ring on it that I've clipped onto a tag inside my tank bag. When I get off the bike for lunch, etc. the ear plugs go into the earplug case which keeps them clean and dry. It's also eliminated the old, reach in the pocket, pull hand out, watch ear plugs roll on the oily ground syndrome that I used to get at gas stations. It's cut down on earplug consumption.

I also have a small d-ring that I've attached to the shoulder strap clip on my tank bag. This is a nice place to clip my motorcycle keys when I'm setting up camp/camping for the night (or at a hotel). It means you can always find your keys in the morning and more importantly they won't fall out of your pocket on a dark grassy hillside when camping in the middle of nowhere.

Hav

[Guest Havagan]

Well, this has been fun. Now I have it up for posterity sake, I can copy & paste directly to my own website, and it's wasted the entire last hour of my work day so it's time for a three day weekend!

Woohoooo!

Hav <--- Post-Whoring ?

[Guest LtTripMD]

Packing List:

Tank Bag:

Main Pocket:

1 clear face shield

1 9mm

1 hat (can't walk around with helmet hair)

1 disc lock

1 map (of current state)

1 mp3 player

1 cell phone

1 pda (hp jornada)

1 pair of headphones (for off the bike music)

1 box of 4 AA batteries

am i the only one that caught that?

[HispanicSlammer]

Well I sure didnt, Last time there was a thread on the subject it was ugly, but then again this thread is not about that.

I wonder Hav, just how much did all that stuff wiegh? ?I took maybe half that much on my 2 week trip to Laguna, I eneded up not camping at all except the first day, it was way too hot to camp by the time I would find a spot to camp I could have made another 100 miles to my destination.

I could have cut my side bags, and went lighter. ? I wore my Stich so I did not bring Jeans, but rather these lightweight microfiber pants, they pack about 4 to 1. ?I could have left some of my electronic gizmos at home too. ?

My mp3 player has a hard drive and just couldnt take the shock of the motorcycle. leave that at home, bring my phone but not the motorcycle adaptor, I have a mini laptop which was great. ?All in all I could have packed probably a tank bag and a a rear bag no side bags, perhaps a ventura pack or a hard bag like a Givi.

[Guest AustinVFR]

Oh I caught that.  I almost did the same thing but I had also planned on possibly heading into Canada and that is a big No No!  I forgot my damn passport and stuff anyways.  

I kept my iPod inside my jacket pocket and suffered no illeffects from vibration.

For my trip to OH, I packed 4 days worth of clothes but my trip only lasted 10 days. I washed along the way.  I packed my tank bag and my Oakley backpack.

[Guest Montrealer]

Wow Hav!

That is quite a list, but then again you were making sure you were comfortable at all times during the road trip.  

Talk about making yourself home! :D

Cheers.

[Guest Montrealer]

Oh I caught that.  I almost did the same thing but I had also planned on possibly heading into Canada and that is a big No No!  

Yep.  Here in Canada, only authorized personal such as police can carry small firearms, but even then, they do have some restrictions.  Our gun laws are pretty strict.

From what I've heard, it seems that some places in the States are quite unsafe to travel thru so it would make sense to carry some protection.

[Guest Havagan]

For music I have the Sony MiniDisc player.

It had more upsides than down for the motorcycle.

1. Price:

The player was only $120 so I won't cry if I drop it like I would a $500 iPod.

2. Variation:

With the exception of the large capacity HD based mp3 players (like the iPod), the regular mp3 players only hold a few songs. With the MiniDisc when I get bored I swap a disc. The discs are tiny and each one holds about 5 hours of music.

3. Ruggedness:

Unlike many mp3 players, I have only been able to get the minidisc to skip once (when the front end came down a bit hard after a 1st gear power wheelie). Other than that no matter how rough the roads were it played smoothly.

4. Battery Life:

The iPod is good for about 10 hours of play time before it needs to be recharged. The minidisc player lasts for four days of riding (figuring 40-48 hours of playing time) on a single AA battery.

Hav

[Guest Havagan]

Miguel,

The gear weighed about 150 pounds total. The weight went down as food was consumed, etc. I could easily have packed lighter by having my oil changed at a dealer and taken less food and eaten out more often (more $$$ though). Those two changes would have lightened my load considerably.

I could have packed a bit lighter in the clothes dept. Didn't really need the tourmaster jacket liner and could have brought two fewer pairs of jeans (jeans are a very bulky item) but having never ridden in the cold I didn't know how well my electric vest would work. I am also anal about clean clothes.  :under:

With my fat butt and all that gear the bike still handled flawlessly! It was a bit odd at slow speeds because of all that weight, but once you got over 20mph you didn't even know the bags were there until they started interfereing with your top speed.

Even fully loaded and not pushing it hard I still wore all but a few mm of chicken strip off the rear tire.

Hav

[Jtaylor]

I caught the 9MM too, and don't blame you.  But my God, you are a packing/organizational genius!  Next time I move, I'm hiring you.

John

(taking road trip tomorrow to buy a 2000VFR)

[Guest jrpvfr2001]

Hav,

WOW!!! ?That is a lot of STUF. ?I?m not going to try and tell you how and what to pack. ?I have learned from my backpacking that only YOU can make that decision because only YOU will carry the load.

I will however give you my thoughts on some way that I have learned from my trips to cut down the weight and still have everything I would ever need on a trip.

I don?t carry food for more than a day. ?I do this because I know when I?m at the last town before I make camp. ?I will stop there for dinner and breakfast meals and pick something up. ?Sometimes I even will pitch camp and make a short trip back into town to get the food. ?It?s not really any additional cost for the trip when you stop and think about it. ?You either buy it all before you leave and pack it or during the trip when you need it. ?I do keep trail mix and other snacks handy at all time though.

Also to save the most weight, get rid of the heaviest items. ?Makes perfect since right? ?Probably the heaviest item you are carrying is fluids (oil, water, etc.). ?I use a collapsible bucket and water bottles with a high quality water filter. ?When I get to camp I fill the bucket and filter the water into the water bottles. ?As for during the day I keep a 12oz water bottle in the tank bag and refill it at gas stations and other places where drinking water is available.

As for the oil all I can say is just how far are you going in 3 weeks to need an oil change? ?I know the manual say change it every 3,000 miles but if you change the fluids before the trip using a high quality synthetic oil and you can easily make as much as 9,000 miles as long as you change it as soon as you get back. ?I would not recommend doing this on a regular base but once a year won?t hurt. ?After it isn?t the oil that breaks down it is the additives in the oil. ?I personally have made trips in 8500-mile range and had no problems with engine temp or fuel mileage decrease from start to finish.

Other areas you might want to consider is different camp gear designed for backpacking. ?You didn?t say what you where using for sleeping bags, stove, pots, etc. ?So I can?t comment except to say what I use. ?Stove I have is a very small (MSR whisper light) and uses white gas. ?I only bring one fuel bottle and have yet to have a problem finding fuel along the way. ?For pots and pans try the MSR titanium set. ?They pack nice and are light. ?Of course there are all kinds of alternative gear items I could recommend but everyone has budgets and how much they want to spend for pots, pans, stoves, lights, etc.

Good luck and above all things HAVE FUN!!!

Justin.

P.S. ?I also keep a 9mm in the tank bag as well. ?You never know who you?ll meet in the woods

[Guest jrpvfr2001]

I was looking for some files on the computer and came across this picture of me whe I got home after a week long trip.

I camped the entire time. Carried only want I needed and packed everything on my VFR.

Granted there were a few of us on the trp so we didn't double up on items we could share. ?And we spilt the loads evenly. ?Never the less the only thing I wasn't carring that I would have needed would have been my bivy tent which would pack up and fit into the pack strapped to the bike.

I had rain gear in the tank bag along with snacks, camera, and other quick need items.

Of course I was riding every day so I didn't need clean jeans every day. ?Just my leathers and under garments (those where changed everyday) ?I packed 1 set of "city cholthes" and one set of camp cholthes. ?everything else related to camp gear (Stove, pots, food, etc.)

Cheers,

[Guest Havagan]

Nice Vest.  :D

Just kidding!

As for the oil all I can say is just how far are you going in 3 weeks to need an oil change?

We had scheduled 11,500 miles but only completed just under 8,000 in two weeks. We cut the trip short because of really bad weather (I don't ride in snow and hail) and a very irritated girlfriend. I didn't do an oil change because of the shortened mileage and wound up bringing the oil home with me. If we weren't on such a tight schedule needed to crank out that many miles in 3 weeks I would have just had my oil changed at a Honda dealer along the way.

Hav

[HispanicSlammer]

Those vests are silly looking but they are required on US military bases, I had to have one each time I went to Fort Carson on my Motorcycle, and when they say 25 mph they mean 24.99999999 and nothing over, or some 19 year old gung ho MP is gonna give you a ticket.

[Guest RedFlyer]

My goodness, this has turned into quite a thread.  I have to admit to being very impressed with Hav's abilities, but as he was describing what went where I have to also admit that it began appearing like one of those little itty-bitty cars that 23 six foot clowns get out of.    Hav, you are an inspiration to us all.  

And I support Hav's 9mm (have a .45 myself).  I agree with  Miguel, though, that it's a potentially volitile subject, and besides, that isn't what this thread is about.  But long distance traveling unprotected in a country with lots of crazy critters out there is probably not the wisest thing to do.  We might wish to start another thread, primarily informational, such as laws (especially state to state), guidlines and some good old fashion gun safety (can never have too much of that -- lots of misconceptions out there), for those of us so inclined.

[Guest jrpvfr2001]

Nice Vest. ?:D

What you don't like my "escaped from local road side cleaning crew" look

I get greif all the time for that silly vest...

But riding here in Atlanta the best you can hope for is to be seen!!!  So far I haven't been able to find anything cheaper and more effective that I can stuff in the tank bag whenthe sun comes out.

After all it was probably the 1st thing you saw in the picture.

Speaking of bad weather riding.  I spent about 2 day on Blue Ridge parkway during a rain and hail strom one trip.  Take my advice DON"T DO IT.  It's not a lot of fun.

[Guest]

And I support Hav's 9mm (have a .45 myself).  I agree with  Miguel, though, that it's a potentially volitile subject, and besides, that isn't what this thread is about.  But long distance traveling unprotected in a country with lots of crazy critters out there is probably not the wisest thing to do.  :doh:

OK, but what does that mean for those who aren't packing heat?  As a Canuck, I gotta ask how many times over the years has anyone had cause to pull a piece (or let be known that they were carrying) to ward off trouble?  Perhaps the not so subtle message is that I'd be better off in a motel while travelling in the US.  Can that be true?

TIA.

[VFR4Lee]

As a Canuck, I gotta ask how many times over the years has anyone had cause to pull a piece (or let be known that they were carrying) to ward off trouble? ?Perhaps the not so subtle message is that I'd be better off in a motel while travelling in the US. ?Can that be true?

I don't have a gun, never really needed one the last 43 years.

I think you're pretty safe camping in most of the places you might camp. I don't think you would want to camp out in Compton, or New York City, South Side of Chicago, or Detroit, or... THEN you might need a gun.

I wouldn't worry about that Deliverance movie thing too ?much though. Unless you start to hear dueling Banjos. :laugh:

[Guest cexley]

I am not entirely clear on the saddle bags. I too am not planning on making to many long excusions, so could not justify the $900 hard saddle bags from Honda, or even GIVI hardbags. I do want to purchase semi hard saddle bags like yours. Is it necessary to get brkts to keep the bags away from the undertail exhaust. If so, what and how much do they run. The rear rack is a nice tie down spot, how much did that set you back. I would like the capability to pack up, maybe not to the extent that you did, and set off for a weekend.

[Guest VFRBee]

I think you're pretty safe camping in most of the places you might camp. I don't think you would want to camp out in Compton, or New York City, South Side of Chicago, or Detroit, or... THEN you might need a gun.

Problem is, the places you need a gun it's illegal to carry one! I'd say guys are pretty much safe anywhere in the U.S. except for the places noted above. If I was a woman I wan't to be packing some heat.

some 19 year old gung ho MP is gonna give you a ticket.

I used to be one of those MP's at Fort Carson in the mid '80s. :laugh: But I also has riding an '84 Nighthawk S as my sole transportation so I'm not all bad. :twist:

[KevCarver]

Hav, you pack too much! :wheel:

Vacation '02 was on two weeks on a Nighthawk 750 (5400 miles).  I has a GIVI Wingrack with three cases, and a tankbag.  All were loaded full.  I had way too much stuff that I didn't need, and not enough that I did need.  Spent too much time cold!

Vacation '03 was two weeks on a VFR 800 (6400 miles), with GIVI two case wingrack and tankbag.  Took less stuff, and did a better job of choosing what to bring.  I did laundry more often this year than '02.  Spent too much time very hot!

I don't camp, so it was just clothes and stuff.  I went to a dealer for an oil change, so only one spare quart.  I don't tend to eat much on vacation, either.

I like to ride with a Camelbak, or similar item.

Kev

:blues:

[Guest vfrgreg]

Nice list Hav, well organised and coordinated you have a miltary background??

:wheel:

I'm curious as to how the extra weight, all on the back, affected the ride and aerodynamics?

What was your cruising speed?

Fuel economy?

Greg

[Guest ksjcorpus]

ummmmm hav ..... here's some advice. pack half as much things and take twice as much money.