June 17, 2023
So you’re planning a European motorcycle trip. That’s great! I just returned from 2 weeks riding in Spain, and I can tell you exactly what I brought, what I was glad I had and what I wish I had brought with me.
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My first bit of advice for any motorcycle trip is pack light. Even when I think I’m packing light, I always end up bringing things I don’t use. Packing light helps you enjoy your trip more by not having to lug around extra gear, not having to sort through a bunch of stuff every time you need something in your luggage, and easily attaching your luggage to your motorcycle. By packing light, you will can also save money on airline baggage fees and have room for souvenirs or purchases you make along the way. Unless you are going well off the beaten path, you can generally stop and purchase any necessities you may have forgotten.
On my recent trip, we stayed in hotels every night, so there was no camping gear needed for the trip. Most of the time nowadays, I find that a credit card packs smaller than camping gear! 😉
How to Get Your Gear From Here to There
If you are flying to your travel destination, your first challenge will be figuring out how to pack for the airline. My advice is to pack most of your gear in a light, rolling duffel bag and carry a small carry on for things you want on your flight(s) and when you arrive. On some trips, I have carried my helmet with me, but generally now I pack it in my checked duffel bag, but try to cushion it between my other gear. I also stuff the inside of my helmet with smaller items like rain jacket, gloves, etc. The duffel bag I use was actually made for scuba gear, but believe it or not, it does just as good a job with motorcycle gear as scuba gear. Keep in mind that some heavy duty duffel bags can be pretty heavy empty, and the heavier your bag is, the less you can pack without exceeding airline weight limits. My bag is about 115L and weighs just under 8 pounds. I make sure my fully packed bag is less than 50 pounds. Click here to see some similar products.
My carry on bag is usually a small waterproof travel backpack that weighs almost nothing and rolls up into a small pouch about the size of my fist when empty. It is similar to this one you can see here. The main things I like to carry on include noise canceling headphones, a long sleeve shirt or sweater, a cap, a phone charger, some basic toiletries and water bottle. TIP: Noise canceling headphones are one of the best purchases I have made in the last decade, and now I cannot imagine traveling without them! You can see the ones I bought here.
Packing the Bike
Whether I am renting a motorcycle and planning my own itinerary or going with an organized tour group, I always plan on leaving my duffel bag along with anything I won’t use on the ride at the rental/tour office. If you know you will have hard luggage on the motorcycle, you may want to just bring a couple of pannier liners with you to pack/take your gear off at your stops. On my last ride, we ended up with a top case only, which was great for smaller/easy access items. I packed everything else into one waterproof backpack that I strapped to the pillion pad behind me. This was actually a great setup. It was nice not having bulky panniers for navigating through tight traffic and small parking spaces.
My typical top case contents included travel docs, my lightweight waterproof backpack (same as airline carry on bag), a ball cap, extra gloves, water bottle, snacks, rain jacket, bike alarm, and sometimes a sweater.
The List
Here is a full list of everything I brought on my last trip. Click product links to see Amazon listings. Keep in mind this trip was in April/May with several days in the mountains and several days near the beach. Average temperatures during the day were 65-85F and 45-70F at night.
Motorcycle jacket – Scorpion EXO Yosemite
Motorcycle helmet – Arai Defiant-X
Motorcycle boots – Sidi Adventure 2 Gore-Tex Boots
Motorcycle pants – Alpinestars Ramjet Air Pants
Earplugs- custom molded
Microfiber cloth – great for cleaning off helmet visor
Garmin GPS handlebar mount for Garmin GPS
Plastic exercise band – because I like to pretend I’ll work out on my trips
4 pairs of underwear – lightweight, quick drying synthetic material
1 pair of boxers
4 T-shirts
4 pairs of motorcycle socks
1 pair of jeans
1 pair of lightweight khaki pants
1 pair of shorts
1 long sleeve water shirt – great for sun protection on beach/around town
1 swimsuit
1 pair of workout shorts
1 workout T-shirt
1 pair lightweight sneakers
1 sunglass case
1 beanie
1 neck gaiter
2 saddle bag liners
1 pair lightweight motorcycle gloves
1 pair waterproof motorcycle gloves
Rain jacket
Generic phone/GPS mount
2milemoto stickers – to hand out to new friends
Plastic trash bag for dirty clothes
Ziploc for important documents
Emergency zip ties
Paracord – makes a good laundry line or emergency tie down
Waterproof backpack (main bag)
Waterproof day bag
Toiletries
Long sleeve button down
Short sleeve button down shirt
Lightweight wool sweater
Puffy jacket
Ball cap
Sena helmet communicator
Power adapter
Small power bar with USBs and outlets
Phone charging cord
Sena charging cord
Water bottle
Passport
International Drivers License
Travel/Medical Insurance
What I left with my duffel bag at the rental office during the ride:
- Saddlebag liners (since we didn’t have saddle bags/panniers)
- Headphones
- Generic phone handlebar mount (kind of wish I had kept this)
What I am glad I had:
- Lightweight wool sweater – this was great as an extra layer and also looked good going out at night
- Earplugs – I never used to ride with these, but they make longer rides much more comfortable without the wind noise. I can still hear my helmet communicator even with them in.
- Small power bar – this makes it really easy to charge phone, helmet communicator, etc.
- Lightweight sneakers – these were the only shoes I brought for off the bike and they were perfect.
- Sunglass case – Great for throwing the sunglasses in the top case and not worrying about them breaking.
What I didn’t use:
- Motorcycle socks – I could have easily made it with 3 pairs
- Jeans – I wore them once or twice, but really could have made it with just the khaki pants
- Waterproof gloves – I always bring them and never use them. Would probably be great if the weather was cold and rainy
- Rain jacket – got lucky! I always bring this. On this trip, I didn’t expect much rain, so I didn’t bring rain pants. I usually only wear those in heavier/extended rain.
- Disc brake lock – I brought this as an afterthought, but never used it.
- Puffy jacket – I wore this once in 2 weeks. Could have lived without it, but it has been great on other trips and doesn’t take up much room.
What I’m glad I didn’t bring:
- Laptop computer- It’s big and bulky and for 1 or 2 weeks I can get by with just my cell phone
- GoPro- When I bring this, I spend too much time messing with it instead of just enjoying the ride. I can take video with my cell phone when I’m off the bike, and how often am I really going to watch video from the ride?
- More clothes- I had plenty
- More shoes/sandals- these just take up space. One pair of sneakers and one pair of motorcycle boots was perfect.
What I wish I had brought with me
Nothing that I can think of. I had plenty, and there were always stores around to buy anything I needed.
Tips:
- Book an Air BnB with laundry instead of a hotel every few nights so you can wash your clothes.
- If you are going to be in the same hotel room for a couple of nights, do some sink laundry since your clothes will likely have time to dry before packing them again.
- Pack lightweight clothes with synthetic fibers that dry quickly and take up less room.
- Pack your main motorcycle luggage so you don’t need to access it during the ride. Keep small items you need to access in your top case, tank bag, backpack or pockets.
- If you are renting a bike, try to find out ahead of time exactly what storage options are included/available so you can plan accordingly.
- Keep your sneakers in a plastic bag so they don’t get your clothes dirty.
- Only pack what you really need…not what “might be nice to have”.
I hope this helps you plan for your next trip. Good luck and safe travels!