Travel luggage advise

[petshark]

So I'm finally heading out to the Alps for two weeks on a solo trip. I'm not doing any highway miles to get there, only back-roads.

I've planned the route and have booked B&B's so I won't need camping or sleeping gear. I've never done this before so I am looking at YT video's on what to pack, most by hardcore adventure riders.

My GT came with the Yamaha sport tank bag, side panniers and the big 50 L top case. I know that you're not to supposed to ride with all three cases but that some do this without issues. I also know that I shouldn't take too much stuff especially when I'm going to do those high Alp passes with steep inclines on the hairpins. I will keep the weight down. I will be moving all the time and so I will have the luggage on there almost all the time.

So my dilemma is this:

-Do I take all three cases but keep the top case almost empty and use it to stow things like my helmet, coat, gloves and satnav when I'm parked? I could also use it to take both my leathers and my goretex suit which isn't possible otherwise. (goretex only)

-Do I just take the side cases? I've ordered some "packing cubes" so I hope to fix things getting in the way of the rubber closing this way. I will have no option to leave my stuff and go on small hikes while on the road.

Bonus question: Do I buy a waterproof soft bag to put on the back instead or together with the topcase? I don't know if the side cases are really waterproof. They are still like new and should be at that price but are they?

The topcase makes the bike more top-heavy, even when I leave it almost empty I guess. It also takes a lot of wind when I'm up there but I'm seldom uncomfortable by that kind of wind on the highway. Will it make enough difference to be dangerous in the Alps?

I know no one can make these decisions for me but I'd be very interested to hear from experienced travelers that have done trips like these on the Tracer.

[ShedMoto]

Silly question: Why are you not supposed to bring the top case + the side panniers?

[betoney]

48 minutes ago, petshark said:

So I'm finally heading out to the Alps for two weeks on a solo trip. I'm not doing any highway miles to get there, only back-roads.

I've planned the route and have booked B&B's so I won't need camping or sleeping gear. I've never done this before so I am looking at YT video's on what to pack, most by hardcore adventure riders.

I know no one can make these decisions for me but I'd be very interested to hear from experienced travelers that have done trips like these on the Tracer.

For me personally, I always pack as light as possible.  On a typical week-long trip myself and a buddy fit everything in our bikes side bags.  2 other guys we ride with don’t have side bags, they fit everything in a rear seat 25-30 liter removable tail bag.  No one that I know uses a top box or brings enough stuff to justify using one. 
I usually put clothes in one side bag and a pair of shoes, lightweight jacket and bike maintenance items in the other bag. 
One other recommendation is pack enough clothes for 3-4 days and do laundry on the 4th evening instead of bringing 14 days worth of clothes. 

[TomTracer]

Lay out all you think you need. Then go thru it all and cull what you can. You dont need fresh clothes daily so think about 2-3 days per pants/shirt. Underwear you decide. Hand washing some stuff is a no brainer if you have the right materials. Laundry will likely be available at the bbs. For riding gear think hot/cold/wet/dry. Try to use minimal gear to cover all the conditions. If you cant secure gear when not on the bike without the trunk or saddle bags you will regret not having them. And, who says you cant bring them! Phooey to that. And, have a great ride, I envy riding the Alps!!

[PhotoAl]

WOW that will be a great trip.  Been thru the Alps several times but always with 4 wheels plus family.  Did get an E class Mercedes once that was fun.  

I totally agree with you about your concern about the top case.  I have the 39L Yamaha top case but for my recent 5,000 mile trip left it mostly empty.  Generally kept a bottle of water and rain jacket in it but sometimes wound up with my running shoes and 3 or 4 bottles of water/soda.  Had the sidecases full and worked to balance the weight of them and also had a 58L duffle on the rear seat.  The duffle was right behind me and was not light but didnt seem to affect the handling.  I did dial up the rear preload to 20 out of 24 I think.  If I was going to the Alps I would probably try and remove the top case just to get the rearward weight down.  I did not notice much impact from crosswinds but 50 is bigger than 39L. Rode thru a number of mountain areas and passes up to 10,000 feet.  One day spend riding around the Bighorn mountains with just the sidecases and top case on and all mostly empty.  

One of the biggest reasons to avoid the top case is the addition of too much weight behind the rear axel on a bike that is light in the front.  However at higher elevations there is a loss of power (LOL I accidentally mistyped poser instead of power maybe there is a connection) so the front wheel does not have the same tendency to lift as when at lower elevations.  

I rode thru several rain storms ranging from a steady moderate rainfall to an intense thunderstorm that had folks around me slowing to 25mph and turning their flashers on.  Thru all the rain not a drop of water in the cases.  I will say that it is easy to put too much stuff in the sidecases or to not get the lids fastened properly.  I took care to make sure the lids were latched properly and without too much effort.  If it's too much effort something is not right and the lid made be forced open enough to make a gap in the sealing.  I often packed the sidecases off the bike and flat on the ground.  I was on the road for 14 days and only spent 2 nights in the same place twice!  Lots of unpacking and packing!

Packing cubes are great.  Bought one for the trip at REI (camping outdoor store in the US) and it fit in the sidecase perfectly with room to spare.  I was tent camping mostly so it doubled as a base for an inflatable pillow.  Put it in a stuff sack with an inflatable pillow on top and it has enough mass it doesn't move too much but the inflatable pillow makes it softer.  I also found that it is easier to take fewer clothes and wash clothes on the road.

Two other things that thanked helped are I had a fair amount of weight in the tank bag and I have a skidpan which isn't heavy but does add a little weight.  That in addition to a Michelin Pilot Power 5 front and a Road 5 rear worked well.  I did get in some spirited riding but kept it in check as mountains are not a good place to go down.  

Pic is my Tracer in travel mode.

Sorry for being so long but hope this helps.

[OldBikers]

Don't worry so much about the top case, just pack it lightly.  The side cases keep the weight low and are fine.

I have ridden the Alps and the Pyrenees with Edelweiss Motorcycle tours and most of their rentals have all three cases except the mid size Ducatis.  I rode the 2019 Tracer 900 GT in the Pyrenees and felt no ill effect from the top case.

[Butrzrulz]

15 hours ago, ShedMoto said:

Silly question: Why are you not supposed to bring the top case + the side panniers?

Yamaha has a warning with the top case that you are not supposed to use it with the side cases because you could possibly overload the bike.  I asked about this in my post here.

[knyte]

18 hours ago, PhotoAl said:

Packing cubes are great

This cannot be overstated.  Plastic grocery bags aren't the solution in any situation, lol.  I'm able to fit packing cubes in my sidecases with enough clothing for a week, includes a laundry bag, and because they have a lot of mesh (plus they're different sizes), I know exactly what is in each of them.

All the gadgets (phones etc), extra glasses, microfibre cloth, wallet and such - all in the tank bag connected to the battery to keep it all convenient & charged up.

For everything else - laptop, extra shoes, rain gear, first aid kit, half-cover, etc - the bulky things - that all fits into an 80l Givi waterproof roll bag bungied to the rear seat (along with a tent / chair if I'm taking them).  A top box seems unnecessary, and the rollie is certainly cheaper.  With this, I can make it from bike to hotel room in one trip (although two is better).

Everyone's different.  This is just what works for me

What a great trip you're planning - sounds amazing!!

[PhotoAl]

My laptop went in a sidecase next to the packing cube.  I take an older 11" MacBook which has a shell case on it.  Have a piece of neoprene that folded in half fits perfectly around it.  This saves space and gives it some protection.  

As for grocery bags, I'm saving them to put gasoline in 🙂 

 

[TomTracer]

I use grocery bags religiously. Don't want to throw them in the ocean lest Greta scold me.

 

[BBB]

@petshark, this guy is a road tester so rides a lot and is probably at the minimal end of packing, but offers good tips. See around 12 minutes in for specific packing advice.

 

[PhotoAl]

Met him one time.  He is a good racer as well and a super nice fella.

[Kevin30]

Dont worry about using all 3. I used all 3 and aslong as u keep the weight low in the topcase u wont even notice its there. Its only a concern if you overload it. Keep the heavier stuff in your sidecases and use the topcase for clothes, raingear, gloves maybe some food and thats it. You wont know its there

[Skidood]

I'm no expert but for some reason I personally don't like the top cases, I use a duffel bag and bungee it down to the rear seat.  Also, the Yamaha side cases do not leak, they are waterproof, just make sure they are not so over-stuffed ,  the latch should pop smoothly closed when closing the latch, just like how it does with nothing inside.  I have stuffed a huge blanket into mine and the latch just does not pop closed properly sometimes unless I re-arrange the blanket and pack it better.  Have a great trip. 

[PeterL]

I think the point is to not exceed the rated carrying capacity of the MC overall. If you're not carrying a pillion, you ought to be able to carry all 3 bags full, I certainly do. As others have stated, you should put all your heavier items in the side bags, roughly balancing the loads, to insure you impart minimal effect on the handling characteristics of the bike. (Add some pressure to your tires if you normally ride light as well) Check your topcase rack for the spec of allowable weight, which is of course inclusive of the case itself! And just from my own experience, adding a canister of helium to your luggage does NOT help reduce the weight. Hardly seems fair... 😉

Sounds like a great trip. Hope you'll post some pics on your return.