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Do i really need this? Do i really need this?
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Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 25 Jan 2013
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Do i really need this?
Do i really need all this touratech crap thats now adorning my bike, for a RTW trip. Is any of it really useful?

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  #2  
Old 25 Jan 2013
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You must be joking you dont even need a expensive bike like this:

Adventure Motorbike trip around Southamerica: Chile and Argentina part 1
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  #3  
Old 25 Jan 2013
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you don't "really need" any of it, including the 1200gs,

i place the emphasis on need. rtws have been done on all sorts of bikes from 110cc right up through the bike range.

people travel with a back pack strapped to their bike with just their clothes in it.

you don't need any of the Touratech stuff you mentioned but it should may make life easier for you. but there are cheaper companies producing good products if you don't care about the brand name. mind you i think you do have a bit too much stuff on that bike.
i prefer to carry less then more. i can usually buy anything i don't have, but find it hard to ditch perfectly good items i don't really need.
my next trip will likely be a klr or dl 650 a set of hard panniers a tank bag (for the expensive stuff) and then a tent and sleeping mat on the back.
K.I.S.S Keep It Simple Stupid
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  #4  
Old 25 Jan 2013
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Thanks Ozranger, for the advice. My bike had a lot of stuff on it, granted but i had the missus on the bike as well so both our stuff was on there. Still, i could of left some of it at home in hindsight.
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  #5  
Old 25 Jan 2013
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Quite simply, it is your bike and your adventure. You can ask for some advice or opinions but the final say is what you want to do...rather than swaying to the latest trend or way of thinking.

If you are comfortable with the bike in its present trim, and considering the amount of money you must have spent getting it that way...you are going to be crackers if you strip off the parts unless they are causing excess weight or other problems.
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  #6  
Old 25 Jan 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ozranger View Post
you don't "really need" any of it, including the 1200gs,
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Spafford View Post
but i had the missus on the bike as well so both our stuff
There is a lot of evidence that the 1200GS is one of the best, if not the best, all round bike for two up riding; after that, obviously the amount of stuff you carry will be refined as you gain some experience including taking into account the needs of the pillion.
It looks like you are camping rather than using other accommodation on route.

If you have an unhappy pillion, the journey can be utterly miserable.

The yellow bags do show off the red bike very nicely
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  #7  
Old 26 Jan 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout View Post
There is a lot of evidence that the 1200GS is one of the best, if not the best, all round bike for two up riding;
I am not debating the merits of the gs (that has been done enough already to sink a ship) simply stating that you don't NEED one. the trip can be done on a range of bikes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout View Post
If you have an unhappy pillion, the journey can be utterly miserable.
VERY IMPORTANT POINT! i would carry double the junk i already carry if it will keep the missus happy!
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  #8  
Old 26 Jan 2013
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Its not required at all. some people have lots of $ and can afford it all. Me I cannot so I have a DR 650 and a set of used happy trails panniers. I was going to use soft luggage and then I remembered a friend just finished touring with his Tiger and did not want to do any more so I swapped him some other kit i had for his. Some people have toured with a old Honda CT90 and a backpack made it around the world , just depends on YOU
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  #9  
Old 26 Jan 2013
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You don't mention how far you plan to travel for or for how long so assuming it is a full RTW trip lasting at least a year I would say leave with what you have and send back/sell/give away anything you have not used after a couple of months, with the obvious exception of spares and first aid.
No matter how many times you have packed your bike it will take about a month on the road to refine it to the neatest setup that allows access to the things you use most.
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  #10  
Old 26 Jan 2013
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what you need & hat is advisable or not depends, as has already been said, on what you're doing & where you're going & where you're staying.

a long trip using a majority of paved roads or at least "roads" will require different equipement to a long trip predominantly off road & for various reasons, weight not being the least.

if you're mostly camping the you'll have more stuff than if you're mostly hotel or hostel sleeping. you may well need to adapt bike a gear for various stages of a longer trip.

there would appear to be no single correct answer, up to you, your plans/ needs/ budget etc.

after all, is not the original idea of motorcycle travel one of choice & freedom?
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  #11  
Old 26 Jan 2013
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Not sure where this thread is heading
Quote:
Originally Posted by ozranger View Post
I am not debating the merits of the gs (that has been done enough already to sink a ship) simply stating that you don't NEED one
Nor am I debating the relative merits (it's not one of those eternal "which bike" threads after all).
But, Jason doesn't say much in his first post about his background, which bikes he has owned previously etc etc. In fact, I wasn't going to bother at all with this thread until he mentioned that he has a wife to keep happy which was the main point - there are masses of pillions in this world travelling about on the back of a Beemer GS who are very happy with their lot compared with some other passengers on other makes and models of bikes.

+ he actually does own a 1200GS right now, even if we don't know for how long etc etc etc, and so on and so forth.
i.e. he doesn't need one because he has one already; there again, you can never have enough of a good thing.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Spafford View Post
Still, i could of left some of it at home in hindsight.
And, now I notice this is in the past tense so Jason has been somewhere, done something with the GS; which bits of the Tourawhatsit stuff he may not like is up to him and his wife basically, but those yellow bags are still quite fetching.
It is always possible to remove the Toura stuff and sell it on - someone will buy that stuff.
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  #12  
Old 27 Jan 2013
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Sorry Dave, should have given a bit more info.

I've been biking for years but only recently have i been into the whole motorcycle travelling thing. I bought the GSA in the pic above and decked it out with touratech stuff but the more i speak to people on the subject the more i feel i could of saved a bit of cash ( i blame Ewan & Charlie :-)
Did a short trip last year through europe and did the stella alpina (which got featured in ABR magazine) which was a warm up for my trip this year to south/central/north america and maybe further.
Plan to do 50/50 on road, off road plus some camping and some hotel/hostel.

I've done plenty of travelling in the past but not much on a bike.
Thanks for all your points of view, guys!

Jason
Last edited by Jason Spafford; 27 Jan 2013 at 18:21. Reason: spelling
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  #13  
Old 28 Jan 2013
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yes, i realise that!
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  #14  
Old 28 Jan 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mezo View Post
Just because Ewen & Thingy did it on a GS doesn't mean its right, ask Ted Simon.

Mezo.
I guess you are referring to his first RTW on a Triumph.
TS made his second RTW trip on a Beemer GS = "Dreaming of Jupiter".
IIRC, he got that bike as a loan from a local garage in the UK.

Also IIRC, he had a lot less trouble on this second journey with the bike maintenance, shaft drive and all.
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  #15  
Old 28 Jan 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Spafford View Post
Did a short trip last year through europe and did the stella alpina (which got featured in ABR magazine).
Did you get to the top in 2012, or did the snow drifts stop the bikes?
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