From Los Angeles to Portland via Highway 1

Yeah there will be. I lived in a little town called Harmony (population 18), which you will be driving right by on your way north (don't blink). I am very familiar with the ride (MotoGP run to Monterey each year - no longer, bummer), and there will be numerous times you will want relief. Obviously not through Big Sur, or areas north of the SF Bay area, among others, but there will be plenty of times you will wish for it. If the road is slightly bending, and it is easy to maintain normal speed levels, the cruise controls are still very handy.

Chain lube and duct tape
I have several Kreiga products they are superb

I guess with the speeds I normally go, I tend to whiz right thru those areas.

HarmonyJim said:

Yeah there will be. I lived in a little town called Harmony (population 18), which you will be driving right by on your way north (don't blink). I am very familiar with the ride (MotoGP run to Monterey each year - no longer, bummer), and there will be numerous times you will want relief. Obviously not through Big Sur, or areas north of the SF Bay area, among others, but there will be plenty of times you will wish for it. If the road is slightly bending, and it is easy to maintain normal speed levels, the cruise controls are still very handy.

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Charliem90 said:

I've looked at these before. Actually their version for Triumph Street Triple (I'm considering trading my Triumph Sprint but need a bag setup).

If you have the time, I would like to see more pics of your setup. Particularly any shots from underneath the tail section. Interest is in the clearance and how far the bags extend. My concern is clearing rear turn signals. Doesn't show it clearly on the web page and the pics they have show aftermarket tail/signals. Could you post some closeups of the rear of your setup. Would be appreciated.

Also, are the rear passenger hangers required to be on? It looks like the frame mounts/stabilizers/whatever are bolted on top of them - at least at the rearward bolt mount.

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These side bags can be mounted with or without the passenger pegs, the bags come with all the screws etc necessary to mount them with or without the passenger pegs. The bags frame does use the 2 rearward peg bolts for mounting. I do have aftermarket indicator lights integrated into the main rear light, but the webpage shows the bags mounted with stock rear indicators, so it must work fine. One thing to be aware of, I have the competition werks number plate holder, competition werks makes 2 types of number plate holder, one of these mounts directly behind the exhaust heat shield, and the other one further back towards the rear tail light, in order to use this bag setup you cannot use the plate holder that goes right behind the heat shield. I will take some more pics and post asap.

Thats a long long way on that bike. I have been on that same trip on a BMW K1200 and that was rough! Cruise control???

N3RB said:

That would be great to meet up with some PNX riders. I don't have a set date yet, I just have to let my shoulder heal up before I leave. Gotta buy some new leather track pants, aiming towards dainese

looks like i'm getting the Kriega with all the positive reviews and possibly some new Dainese gloves. My Astars 3/4 gauntlet's are a touch loose in the palm :/

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Ok, PM me your ph # and let me know...

Stw said:

For such a long journey it has to be a Kreiga backpack IMO.... You decide what size but the Quadlock system is awesome....

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i suggest to NEVER EVER use backbacks when riding; use a tail bag like i do or some other method... backpacks cause fatigue since you have to carry weight on body AND in case of accident could cause/magnify spinal and especially neck damage in certain scenarios....

Jeez, missed this thread until now.

First of all, Highway 1 is awful in several sections. If you haven't left on your trip, be prepared to cut over to 101 at some point because PCH is not as glamorous as it seems. Lots of stoplight to stoplight through cities. And if it's on a weekend, you're going to be behind a line of cars stuck behind a Eurovan who doesn't use the turn outs even though he/she struggles through the turns at 15 under the speed limit. I cut over from 1 to the 101 (which is much more scenic than most of 1 and just as twisty in sections!), then cut back to 1 when 1 is good again.

As for backpacks, VAST is right. Unfortunately the back is the best place to carry your gear--in my opinion, the only place unless you have lockable hard bags. So a backpack becomes one of the dangers of riding. Panniers hold your stuff, but when you run into the gas station mini mart do you really expect that meth head in the '82 Datsun pickup not to do an unzip-and-dash on your soft luggage?

I've got an SW Motech quick-release for the tank, but it's not big enough for more than a few items.

Kriega makes durable stuff. Their tail bag suited me well for my C2C trip, but I didn't like the backpack. Reason: when traveling organization is crucial. One gaping top-loading hole and two very non-waterproof pockets don't cut it. When you want to pull something out of your bag you've got to dump everything out to find it. Do you like to spread all your underwear on the floor at the local coffee shop while you dig for your laptop charger cord? I don't. And neither do the people next to you sipping cappuccinos.

The adjustment straps are ingenius, but it takes a genius to figure out how to adjust 'em....and you'll never be able to adjust them while riding. Also, the two outer pockets are not waterpoof. They store water very well, but they don't resist it.

The buckle across the chest makes riding extremely dangerous. Imagine a 4-point racing harness in which both the top harnesses are connected very tightly. A side impact could tear your head right off.

One amazing thing about the Kriega, though--even filled with 50lbs of gear--it feels like you're not wearing anything. It's that good at distributing load.

For my RTW trip I simply went to REI and found the best size backpack for my needs. Cost me under $100 and has all the storage compartments I need, which saves me a ton of time trying to find exactly what I'm looking for. Passport? Here you go. Battery charger, right here. Tent poles, viola. Laptop--bam.

As for Gas stations: don't bother mapping it out. Just make sure if you're in the middle of nowhere and see a gas station, fill up even if you only have 65 miles on the trip meter. The only place that has a severe lack of gas stations is certain stretches in NV.