TIP: Most 3rd world countries have anything your heart desires

I disagree with mollydog, but this sort of travel is very personal and I don't travel solo now I'm hooked up. ;)

I personally prefer camping in remote areas and enjoy the place in silence (I came out of the urban jungle to enjoy the world after all) and drive into the nearest town for some breaky. So camping gear is a must for me. We carry a tent that's a bit to large, but when used almost every day it makes up for it.
That mattress looks way to big. I would go with the thermarest light range. I've got the tent with the matt and some clothes behind me in a aluminium top box which comes to just over 10kg. All the other stuff goes on the sides and the tools and some parts in front of the bash plate.
We also carry the absolute minimum cooking stuff. One little kettle, a frying pan, a spoon (don't need a fork, and you have a knife anyway) and a stove. we also carry a small kitchen knife which makes lunches (cutting and spreading bread) easier then Victorinox. The stove helped us out on a long wet muddy day in Siberia when we couldn't find a single hot pre-cooked meal. Those were the best noodles I've ever tasted. Really picked up morale.
I also travel with a water filter just in case. Didn't on one trip where I really needed one.

One thing we found is that it's a bad idea to have any item stick out more then the handle bar. You simply don't think of it when manouvring. Seems like the pannier companies are starting to catch up with this growingly more popular believe. I'm making my own setup as nothing out there really suits me. And you'd be amzed of the cost. It's actually cheaper, but does take more time. Water storage goes in PVC tubes with a little ball valve under the exhaust. Carrying water is heavy, but there it's nice and low to the centre of gravity.

We usually try to find tyres near the end of life of our current tyres wherever we can find them. There's always something, even if they're not the tyres you like (or the right size). But then again, you're not in a rally. Anything to get you from A to B will do. Just take it easy. We really struggled finding tyres in Siberia (Eastern Russia really has some challenges), but with road tyres through the mud we got where we wanted.

As for suspension. Every bike handles differently due to suspension setup. So I simply accept that when loaded it's a different bike. I'm more concerned with spring weight. They didn't design the stock suspension to be used for the weight we put on it for long trips, so this should get adjusted. Either with a new shock, or by changing the stock spring and getting a revalve to have the shock adjust to the spring. I would go with progressive front springs though. Good for emergency braking, off which there will be plenty, and good off-road response.

As a rule, if it pisses you off on a 2 day trip, it'll piss you off heaps on a big trip.

check out the Vince family for some inspirational feedback.

Lois on the Loose
Mundo Enduro for "How not to" or Terra Circa at Aimimage Camera Company - The Shop