7 Proven Ways to Reduce Luggage Clutter on a Motorcycle Trip

Compulsive overpacking can be a problem, especially when you have very limited space such as on a motorcycle! Unfortunately, many tourers make some common errors when it comes to packing the bag for a motorcycle trip. With that in mind, we have curated 7 of the most effective tips to manage the luggage effectively.

Take only what is necessary

Organizing and compromising are the keys to keeping your luggage to a minimum. Take some time to think about the weather at the destination and pack your bags accordingly. You don't have to carry everything that you have in your wardrobe, first, because you won't use them, second there won't be enough space to carry all of that! So, take only what is necessary, and a smarter tip to reduce the clutter even further is to take out half of what you have decided to pack and go with just the remaining half. The more you have packed in your motorcycle luggage bags, the more difficult it becomes for you to manage it on the road. Not to mention the impact an overloaded bike has on the fuel efficiency.

Keep somethings for the road

Don't carry everything with you because a lot of the things that you are planning to carry will be easily available on the road in local stores and malls. Instead of filling up the bags with unnecessary things, buy some of those on the road. A few common things that come to mind are paper towels, food, water, cosmetics, toothpaste and toothbrush and disposable plates among other things. Also, unless you have a specific medical condition, you can also leave the medicines for the road.

Get the right bags & boxes

A well-managed luggage situation starts with picking the right boxes and bags. If you are going on the trip alone, you will need at least a couple of motorcycle luggage boxes that can be attached to the side of the vehicle, as well as a top box for the large and bulky items such as camera gears, footwear and dirty clothes. Carrying luggage on the pillion seat might not be allowed in certain places, so check the destination road safety laws and regulations before you violate any of them unintentionally. It is always smarter to have all the luggage in luggage bags, top boxes and side boxes rather than tying them down with bungee cords on the pillion seat.

Organize all the way!

Are you guilty of becoming unorganized with your luggage? Many people make the mistake of starting the journey with a lot of focus on organizing their stuff, but as the journey progresses, things start to get haywire! Always focus on keeping things organized. Roll and tuck everything instead of dumping them in the bag. Dirty clothes should be separated from clean one and large items should be separated from small items, particularly those that are prone to damage because of excess moisture or heat. By the end of the ride, take some time to organize everything back into its proper place and shape like you had when you started the journey.

Pack smart

Don't take unnecessary things such as laptops, and books if you don't intend to use them wholeheartedly. You can easily read/listen to books/audiobooks using a mobile phone application, or on an e-book reader. Large bulky coats should not be packed inside luggage boxes. We strongly recommend that you focus on getting as many as thermal wears that you possibly can rather than packing big jackets and coats. Always have some space in the motorcycle luggage box for your motorcycle riding gears, especially an additional premium helmet so that even if the primary one becomes damage due to some reason; you always have a secondary backup.

Wear bulky clothes, pack thin ones

If the destination you are heading out to is anticipated to be very cold, you will need large bulky coats and jackets. But since you do not have a lot of space in the luggage boxes, it might be a good idea to wear them instead of packing them. Pack the thin light thermal clothing in the motorcycle luggage boxes and have all the heavy apparel on your body for more efficient space savings.

Make time for laundry

Instead of carrying many pairs of clothing, manage your time in such a way that you always have at least 30 to 40 minutes every night to wash the dirty clothes and hang them to dry overnight. This way you can easily manage the entire trip without carrying a lot of clothes, which is not just easy on your motorcycle, but also on the fuel economy. In many places you may also find public laundry services that let you use their facilities for a small fee. But even if that is not available, you can easily use the facilities in your hotel room to wash the clothes and dry them before beginning the ride the following morning.