Long Bike Ride Essentials: Complete Packing & Prep Guide

10 Things you must take on a Motorcycle Trip

Documents:

Valid Driving Licence
Govt. Issued Identity Proof (PAN / Adhar card)
Motorcycle Registration Certificate (original)
PUC
Valid Motorcycle Insurance

Riding Gear:

Helmet
Riding Gloves
Riding jacket
Riding Pants if possible/available (Otherwise jeans). If you don’t have riding pants, you will need Knee Guards.
Riding shoes

Even if you are going for just a breakfast ride, you shouldn’t leave home without these 10 items. Period. Forget any of these and you would be in big trouble.

Here are a few of the top quality riding gear that we offer -

Before You Leave: Pre-Ride Bike Check

Packing the right items means little if your bike itself isn't ready for a multi-day ride. Give your motorcycle a proper once-over a few days before departure, not the night before, so you actually have time to fix anything you find.

Engine oil and filter: If you're due for a change within the next 1,000 to 1,500 km, get it done before you leave rather than mid-tour.
Chain slack and lubrication: Check chain slack and lube it fresh before departure. A dry or over-tight chain wears out faster and is one of the most common breakdown causes on long rides.
Tyre condition and pressure: Check tread depth on both tyres and inflate to the manufacturer's recommended pressure, adjusted for the extra weight of luggage and a pillion if applicable.
Brake pads: If your pads are already thin, replace them before the trip. Mountain routes especially put a lot more strain on brakes than flat city riding.
Coolant and brake fluid levels: Top up if low, and check for any visible leaks around the radiator or brake lines.
Battery terminals: Check they're clean and tight, a loose terminal can strand you with a bike that won't start.
Lights and indicators: Confirm your headlight, tail light, brake light, and both indicators are all working, mountain and rural roads often have little to no street lighting.
Nuts and bolts: A quick check of mirrors, footpegs, and luggage mounting points for anything that's worked loose is worth the five minutes it takes.

If any of this turns up something you can't fix yourself, this is also a good time to review the spares and tools list further down this guide and decide what's worth carrying as backup.

Brief explanation about motorcycle luggage-

Now let us consider what other items you need to carry while going on long ride. Motorcycles are designed for riding and not for their carrying capacity. But there are quite a few dedicated motorcycle luggage solutions available.

Let’s have a look at all the types of motorcycle luggage -

Saddle Bags

Saddlebags have their lineage when riders used to ride on horses and had to carry luggage with them. These bags typically fit on pillion seat of a motorcycle. The luggage compartments are on both sides of the bikes. The top portion (that is above pillion seat) is usually a flap / strap so that pillion can also sit. These bags come in different capacity. Typically saddle bags for sports oriented bikes have lesser luggage carrying capacity than bags designed for Royal Enfield. Most of the saddlebags are sufficient for rider+pillion luggage if you don’t intend to carry whole world with you.

Here are some Saddle Bags for you:

Tank Bags

Tank bags are bags designed to be fixed on top of fuel tank. There are two types of bags. Bags with magnet that can fit only on bikes with metal fuel tanks and bags with straps that can be fitted on any bike. Tank bags, being on fuel tank, are extremely easy to access and are usually used to carry your camera, napkin, mobile etc. Small items that you need quick access to. You don’t always want to stop, get down from bike, open up saddlebag for small items that you may need frequently in a day.

Many companies have launched tank bags that can also be used as tail bags.

Here are some Tank Bags for you:

Tail Bags

Tail bags, as the name says are to be mounted behind a rider; on top of pillion seat. If you fit a tail bag to your bike, you can’t carry a pillion. But if you are riding without a pillion and don’t want to carry too much luggage, tail bag is the correct solution. Typically tail bags are bit bigger in size than tank bags and can accommodate laptop (upto 15 inch). So a tail bag can be your daily office bag also.

Here are some Tail Bags for you:

Panniers

Hard panniers are suitable if you intend to go on a long ride. Unfortunately, you can’t just plonk on the panniers. You need to mount its hardware on the bike and then attach panniers. It is not really suitable if you don’t go on multiple day rides every month. And did we say, they are very very expensive as compared to other luggage options.

Other luggage options:

There are several bike model specific / usage specific options like. There are several bike model specific / usage specific options like hydration bladders, Waist pouch, Thigh bag, Saddle Stay etc.

Choose from these options:

What do I Pack for a long Motorcycle trip

If you are going for a multiple day ride, in addition to the 10 Things you need to take on a Motorcycle Trip mentioned above, you should carry –

Critical:

Phone Charger
Power bank (charging points aren't guaranteed on remote stretches, and your phone is often your only navigation and emergency contact)
ICE list (A sheet of paper / card that you should always have in your pocket that mentions phone numbers that others can contact in case of emergency)
Spare key of motorcycle

Clothing:

4 T-Shirts (preferably dri-fit)
Jeans / trousers
Quick Dry Towel and Napkin
One track pant / shorts (for sleeping in)
3 Undergarments
2 handkerchiefs
A pair of shoes/sandals to roam around

Weather Protection:

Rain suit (2-piece, worn over your riding gear rather than instead of it)
Rain cover for your luggage bags, most saddle and tail bags aren't fully waterproof on their own
A waterproof pouch or case for your phone

Personal:

Ear Plugs (they block out air noise and reduce fatigue)
Tooth Brush and Paste
Medicine Pouch (band aids, Savlon/ Dettol, cough syrup, pain-relief spray, medicines for fever/cold/bad stomach/allergic reaction)
Mosquito repellent spray or cream
Nutrition Bars, Chikki, GluconD/Glucose powder, Electrol, Chocolates

Optional:

Camera and Charger (+ Memory Cards)
Tripod
Hand sanitizer
Tissue Papers
Chain lube/clean

That’s it. You don’t need anything more. Riders always, yes always, over pack. They carry so much unnecessary stuff with them that it borders on ridiculous. Try to travel as light as possible. Let us give you a brief explanation why you don’t need more stuff.

Why you don’t need to carry more on a motorcycle ride

Tshirts – you would be wearing riding jacket while riding so whatever you are wearing inside won’t get much dirty. You can allocate 2 t-shirts for riding duty and 2 others when you want to roam around in the evening. Dri-fit T-shirts occupy quite small space, you can wash them in the evening and they would dry out by the time you are ready to ride out next day morning. If you don’t want to wash clothes, you can always go out and buy a cheap t-shirt costing couple of hundred, use it and throw it away after couple of days.

Same logic applies to Jeans / trousers. If you are wearing riding pants, you actually need just one pair of jeans. You can wear it for any number of days without looking shabby. And you aren’t going to participate in some beauty contest. Right? All this luggage is quite small in size so you would be tempted to stuff it in a backpack. But it is a bad idea. Why? Read on -

Is it advisable to carry a backpack on your back during long bike rides?

No! It is not advisable to carry a backpack on short rides also.

Heavy backpack will tire your shoulders and back. Tired shoulders will not be able to give correct inputs to the handle bars for steering.
If you loosen the backpack to keep it rested on the pillion seat, while turning it might slip off the seat and that sharp tug will unsettle the bike.
On highways, crosswinds will bother you much more.

If you are planning to ride your motorcycle in colder climate, here is a list of items that you need to add to the above list of items you should be carrying

Items you should carry if you are riding your motorcycle in Cold Weather:

2 sets of thermals
Monkey Cap (preferably woolen)
Sweater for using in evening
4 pairs of thick or woolen socks
A Scarf / muffler for covering your neck
Sunglasses with UV protection
Sunscreen lotion

High Altitude & Mountain Riding Essentials

Routes like Ladakh, Spiti, and parts of the Northeast add a genuinely different risk on top of cold weather, altitude itself. Above roughly 2,500 to 3,000 metres, thinner air can cause altitude sickness even in riders who are otherwise fit, and it has nothing to do with how experienced a rider you are.

Acetazolamide (Diamox): Commonly used to help the body acclimatise faster, but talk to a doctor before your trip rather than starting it for the first time on the road.
Know the symptoms before you go: Headache, nausea, breathlessness, and dizziness that don't improve with rest are signs to stop ascending, not push through. Our detailed guide on high altitude sickness, prevention, symptoms and medicines covers this in depth and is worth reading before you leave, not after symptoms start.
Extra fuel: Petrol pumps thin out fast once you're past the last major town on high altitude routes. A jerry can or a soft fuel bladder for extra reserve isn't optional on stretches like Manali to Leh or the Spiti circuit.
Gradual ascent: Where the route allows, avoid gaining too much altitude in a single day. Spreading the climb over two days rather than one gives your body more time to adjust.
Extra warm layers: Temperatures at high passes can be dramatically colder than at your overnight stop, even in peak summer. Layer up rather than relying on one thick jacket.
Portable oxygen can: Not essential for everyone, but worth carrying if you have any history of altitude related issues or are riding with someone who does.

If you are planning to ride in the wilds where access to service centre / mechanic is extremely doubtful, please add following to your luggage.

Bike Spares and Tools to carry on a long bike ride:

Tubes (1 rear and 1 front)
Puncture repair kit
Foot pump
Allen key set
Spanner Set
Clutch & Pressure plates
Fuses
Spark plug & Plug cap
Clutch & Brake lever, along with yoke
Headlight Bulbs
Chain link
Clutch & Accelerator cable
Screw driver set

This list is quite long and you can pick and choose any of those items that you feel would be needed. In case your motorcycle is in decent condition, not many would need any or all of these items.

Carrying puncture repair kit when you don’t how to repair a puncture is pointless.

Now here is a list of miscellaneous items that are completely optional. These depends on how and where you intend to ride.

Miscellaneous Items to carry on bike ride:

Plastic bags good quality (they come in handy for storing wet clothes, or to protect your mobile from rain or carrying your trash)
Bungee cords (At least 2)
Ratchet straps (more secure than bungee cords for heavier or bulkier loads, worth having at least one pair)
Bungee Net (At least 1)
A cross bungee (Good Quality)
A cotton rope (10 meters) for pulling stuck motorcycles
Torch with Cells
Knife
Lighter / Matchbox

Must have Accessories for Long Rides

If you intend to go out on a long ride again and again, you should consider investing in these must have accessories:

Mobile Mount

Bike Phone Holders also called as Motorcycle Phone Mount is a must have accessory for all the tourers. It helps one in navigating roads of unknown cities or regions.

Seating Solutions

These seating solutions are aimed at providing comfort to riders on long rides. These seats have either memory foam or air cushion so your bum would be happy riding long distance.

Action Camera

You see lots of amazing things while riding but can’t click photos. And how do you brag about your awesome ride? Simple solution is to get action camera. While action cameras like GoPro are expensive, you need not break the bank. There are several cheaper alternatives available. Have a look at Thieye i60+ Action camera or Yi lIte action camera. Thieye costs just Rs.7000 still you can shoot 4k high-resolution & beautiful slow motion videos with it.

Bluetooth Headset

Answering phone calls / listening to navigation instructions on mobile headset are pain. And most of the stock headsets don’t fit properly inside a helmet. So companies have come up with these solutions.

Cheaper versions of Bluetooth headset enable you to listen to music, answer / make calls etc. Feature rich Bluetooth communicators like Sena permit you to talk with other riders in your group (who also have Bluetooth communicator) without making a call. This features is most helpful because you can alert other riders when there is obstruction on road ahead or you want to stop etc.

Here are some Bluetooth Headset for you:

We hope we have provided a complete list of all the items you should / can carry with you. We haven’t included items required for camping. That is a subject of another article. Remember the mantra of 5Ps. “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance”

Remember to carry sufficient cash. Your card may not work everywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How far in advance should I start preparing for a long motorcycle tour?

A1. Start your bike check and gear review at least a week before departure, not the night before. That gives you enough time to service the bike, order any spares you're missing, and actually break in new riding gear rather than wearing it for the first time on day one of the tour.

Q2. What's the single most common item people forget to pack?

A2. A proper first aid and medicine pouch. Most riders remember tools and spares for the bike but assume they'll be fine health-wise, right up until they aren't. Carry it even on trips where you don't expect to need it.

Q3. Do I really need to carry spare fuel on every long ride?

A3. No, only on routes where fuel stations are genuinely sparse, high altitude routes like Ladakh or Spiti, or remote stretches in the Northeast. For most highway touring in mainland India, fuel availability isn't a real concern.

Q4. How much luggage weight is too much for a motorcycle?

A4. Check your bike's specific payload rating in the owner's manual, it accounts for rider, pillion, and luggage combined. As a general rule, keep heavier items low and close to the bike's centre, saddle bags and tank bags, rather than stacked high on the tail, which affects handling more than the same weight carried lower down.

Q5. Should I carry a paper map as backup to GPS?

A5. A downloaded offline map on your phone covers most situations, but on remote high altitude routes where network coverage disappears entirely, a physical map or at least photos of key route sections saved offline is a reasonable backup if your phone's battery or GPS lock fails.

Q6. Is a tank bag or a tail bag better for a long tour?

A6. They're not really interchangeable, most long-distance riders use both. A tank bag keeps frequently needed items like your phone, documents, and snacks within easy reach without stopping, while a tail bag or saddle bags handle the bulk of your clothing and gear.