2005 ST1300 Packed 2-Up

[ST_John]

My girlfriend and I just completed a 4200 mile, 11 day trip through the Pacific Northwest and Canada, so I thought I would share information on packing the bike.

For this trip we camped most of the time (7 of 11 days) and were able to fit all of our camping gear and food in either the saddlebags, top box, or tank bag without strapping anything else onto the bike.

I don't have a picture of the contents of the tankbag, but in there was the laptop, 2x iphones, 2x cameras, Contour 1080D helmet camera, 2x head lamps, medication, bug spray, reservations, wallets, camelbak reservoir. I also ran some temp power with a 12v cig lighter extension that I got from Radio Shack so we could charge everything

I tried attaching some photos to demonstrate how we packed everything...

Regarding camp site quality, most were fairly nice and had internet access which proved to be very helpful. We stayed at:

Douglas, Wy KOA (pictured)- Very nice but open area. Not bad for a stopover
Bear Creek Campground outside Bozeman, Mt - Nice amenities and friendly people running the place; however, no fires and is located adjacent to a busy railroad track
St. Mary KOA - East Glacier, Mt - Very convenient location, friendly people and one of the nicer places we camped. We were located in the trees so wind and noise were not an issue.
Banff Tunnel Mountain Campground 1 - This was an average campground typical of most National Parks. I originally chose this one because they advertise a bus that runs into town, however, upon arrival we found the bus no longer stops at this campground. I recommend staying at either Tunnel Mtn 2 or 3. Otherwise, great showers and space from other sites.
Bee Lazee RV Park, Prince George, BC - This place is located south of Prince George and was the biggest surprise due to the very nice people (they brought us sodas and firewood without asking) and when I had some wiring issues with the bike were very willing to offer assistance.
Newhalem Campground, Cascades NP - Our campsite was surrounded by huge trees and was somewhat isolated from the other sites. We really enjoyed staying here
Sinks Canyon SP, Lander, Wy - I think someone else posted a review of this campground which is how I found it. It's a basic campground and we found it ok for the night. Can't reserve a spot which made it tough since we got there late after riding 600 miles.

[ST_John]

Nice-- Very very impressive to do 2 up camping! I love seeing these pack pictures. I'll have to check out those sun dried tomatoes. Thanks for the trip report too.

You say you charged using cigarette lighter. Was this off of the bike's battery? What did you charge (e.g., 2 cell phones, 1 laptop, etc. etc). How long did it take to recharge a cell phone? Did you leave the bike running? If so, does your bike need to run at a particular rpm to start charging the battery?

Also, any idea of where to get those bubogears tent poles? They seemed to have stop making them, last I checked.

Hi, thanks for the reply! I got a load of great ideas from others who posted pictures so I figured I needed to do my part.

I should post a simple recipe for couscous with sundried tomatoes with lemon pepper tuna - it's quick and really easy.

Regarding the cigarette lighter - I have the Honda 12V accessory outlet in my right fairing pocket, but I wanted to be able to easily charge some combination of the phones, laptop, or camera if needed. Most of what I have can be charged using usb cables, so at Best Buy I bought a converter from usb to cigarette lighter. Kind of like this one:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Cyber+Power+Systems+-+USB+Travel+Charger/9812284.p?id=1218182821233&skuId=9812284&st=usb%20power%20cigarette&contract_desc=null

I got this extension from Radio Shack: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3889593 which is nice because it has a disconnect in the middle which was perfect for the tankbag. I can leave everything plugged in and easily disconnect the bag. This particular extension has three outlets, so I usually charged three things at one time and always when riding somewhere. I don't like to chance killing the battery in the middle of nowhere.

I have a voltmeter on my bike, and with everything plugged in I was at 13.8v at idle. I also have the Honda heated grips and did notice I needed to be over about 1500 rpm for them to be happy. Otherwise the grip controller blinks because the voltage/current is too low. At speed I was getting the expected 14.2 volts. It didn't take too long to charge either the phones or the laptop - maybe a few hours? We typically rode 400-500 miles, and by the time we reached the next location everything was fully charged.

I just checked and the website for the poles is up and running. You can find them here: http://bubogears.com/eshop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=10&zenid=722dc2c7e1cc5273c8d3c08df90ecb67

Thanks,
John

[ST_John]

Interesting about your grips. My HD charges after 3K rpm, that could be interesting with handgrips since I keep it between 2.5 and 3.5 most of the time. I knew a guy who increased the diameter of the alternator wheel/shaft (??) to lower the rpms it would take before his honda would charge his battery, but that is way way beyond my skill level.

Won't it be nice when mc's and cars come with usb ports?

Poles are ordered! Thanks, I was really bumbed when they had a notice that they might not be making any more of those. Glad they changed their minds!

Now if I could find a copy of Ray Jardine's tarp book....

Hmm, you've given me an idea about the usb ports...maybe I can run switched power to the tank bag somehow. ;-) Have to think about that.

Glad you got the poles! They are a little annoying at first but once you figure out how to assemble them they're great.

Check out this link for the book: http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Tarp-Book/index.htm

Anything else I can help find? :D

[ST_John]

I found some used copies on Amazon, but they're really expensive....

Amazon.com: The Ray-Way Tarp Book: How To Make A Tarp And Net-tent, And Use Them In The Wilds (9780963235954): Ray Jardine: Books

[DILLIGAF61]

nice report post some more of your trip pics and also post that recipe you mentioned
heres a easy recipe of mine
1 pkg.Knorrs (Lipton) fettuccine Alfredo cook according to instructions add 1-2 cans tuna last couple minutes of cooking let sit for a couple minutes while sauce thickens and dinner is served
a variation is add a can of peas also

[denny]

Awesome Job!! No Trailer needed +10

[bigdoghd]

I'm still amazed by what people get in the tour packs. Once all the BS that I have going on I'm planning on hittting the road. This post was great, still don't know how you packed it all. Plus I believe our HD packs are bigger (that's a question, so Wizz doesn't read into it and scold me for knocking someones tour pack).

St John as far as checking your voltage, that's great, but what you really want to know is how many amps its using and what is your charging amps on your scooter. To much of an amp draw will cause the charging system to be full fielding all the time, which could cause premature failures. I'd highly doubt in your case that would be an issue, but it's good to know.

Thank a again for the great post!!! P^

[Bluebullet]

Wow! The pretty girl you are packing in the back seat looks like a real keeper.

[ST_John]

Thanks! We're looking forward to our Alaska trip in July :D

[Robert Ford]

Thanks! We're looking forward to our Alaska trip in July :D

Will you be riding one of the haul roads or sticking to pavement?

[ST_John]

Unfortunately, we're not going to have a ton of time, and since it's our first trip this long we're just planning to ride a loop around Anchorage, through Denali, Fairbanks, then back again.

[Timmer]

For charging items, I found a charging pod which combined the RS one referenced by the OP plus the Best Buy USB charger all combined in one unit. We can charge 3 12v items and one USB item off the same device. I found it at a local auto parts store and it wasn't very expensive.

I, too, am planning to head for AK again this year. I'm looking forward to it.

And, kudos for the super packing job.