PAGE 120
FavoriteRidesandDestinations . com / ridermagazine . com
A tank bag is the place for things you need often , or in a hurry . Its weight is centrally located on the bike , but high up , so put the heavy stuff at the bottom .
Expandable soft luggage ( see page 123 ) is lighter and cheaper but a lot easier to zip — or cut — open to get at the contents . On the plus side , soft luggage makes unpacking for the night a breeze . Just take it all off the bike in one unit and unpack it in the room . ( You can do this with some hard cases , too , but not all .)
A tank bag is handy for small things you want easily accessible — sunglasses , sunscreen , your phone , maps . Backpacks don ’ t work out that well for two-up riding except for the passenger . Neither pilot nor pillion should have anything hard and / or pointy in a backpack in case of a get-off . Stow your camping steak knives somewhere else .
Position the heavy stuff low and as far forward as you can . Try to balance the load left and right , too . My own habit is to put my heated vest and gloves , and a jacket liner , in the top box where their light weight won ’ t affect handling much and where I can get at them in a hurry if the weather changes . I keep my camera and tablet there , too , for security and weather protection . Heavier stuff goes in the saddlebags .