doh:confused1::( Use the search function:thumbup1:

She will love you forever if you do not make her use a back pack !

You can get many types of throw over panniers, just make sure they do not make the seat uncomfortable for her, usually caused by straps.

I've used couchsurfing a lot, but mainly when in the USA.

Washing is something you do at night, if on a campsite just jump up and down on your things while having a shower. Then hang them on the bike the next day to dry in the air.

Larger items usually need a proper machine. That becomes the evenings entertainment.

Or if space then you can use a "dry sack" Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers' Stories - Two Pegs to Patagonia

Rack.
 

Hi, just tried a 'net search for Ninja 250 racks and it turns out Ventura make them. This is a thorough solution but not cheap. Kawasaki Ninja 250 (EX250J8F-JAF) luggage, motorcycle luggage, racks, touring | Ventura I just hope the link is live, Lindsay.

It works :) That is excellent , but I'm taking my Girlfriend on my pillion :) so with that rack stuff it won't fit her on :P.

I listened to all your advices and I obtained 2 gericke travelling sacks. Which you can put over your pillion :)

I fitted it and it comes close to my exhaust but it doesn't touch ! so lucky me :) I can attach it to the bike probably to let it hold on tightly .

but then there is the problem with that girlfriend sitting on the pillion and the bags coming close to the feet supports -_-

I think travelling with a small bike it do able , but travelling with 2 on a small bike is hard xD I'll try to make it work and I'll test it out for a full day before actually going on the journey :)

What straps are best to get to strap stuff tightly? For example a tent or my bags need some good rope thingies. Should I buy like climbing ropes? You know the colored ones that r really strong ? or ..? :)

Thanks for the replies !

strapped for straps
 

Hi,

Go to your local motorbike shop and ask them for the straps that are on the new bikes when delivered:thumbup1:

I got ten ov them from a local BMW dealer. They are great for tying down luggage:thumbup1:

And they are free:D

We got a bmw dealer around my corner lets try that out ! :P hope it works :D !

Yes it will. The Ventura racks allow a bag to fit both ways, on the seat or behind the seat.

Will she be able to see with that over her ? :-)

they go at the sides and r binded together over the pillion :) so she can sit on it and it doesn't feel awkward as you guys mentioned. Only gotta try to fit em on tightly they come close to my exhaust and if they move to much they'll burn ! :(

I'll keep you guys updated . !

Pillions.
 

Hi, I'd protect the bag on the exhaust side, expecting it to sag down in time. An alloy plate bolted on or some heat proof material strapped to the bag. Even consider putting only low value items in it incase it burns or melts. By the way, pillion, means the person on the back of the bike! Have a great time. Lindsay.

omy thanks for noting that out ! xD I thought it ment for my second saddle ! xD

Anyways I'll try indeed puttin on some kind of material. THing is if I drill and put some alloy against it which is easely done , I'd damage the waterproof cover from the bottom .. so I don't kinda like that Idea. But i'll try to fix something for it ! I'll make it work one way or an other :)

Exhaust shield
 

This is what I used for heat insulation, between a soft pannier and a silencer, for a year around Africa:

A plumber's solder mat from builder's merchant/hardware shop:
Monument plumbers soldering mat,2350x :: Toolman Yardley, tools ,bahco tools, C.K,stanley tools, estwing,stabila, marshalltown, bosch, knipex, trend, irwin,draper, fluke, monument, kamasa, fisco, silverline, rothenberger, irazola screwdrivers,

And about 2 yards of propane gas tube from plumber's shop/camping caravan shop:
13mm LPG Gas Propane Hose Pipe BBQ Camping 1 Metre | eBay

wrapped into a coil like this:

http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/...1740_crop1.jpg


Use galvanised steel wire (from B&Q or hardware shop) to keep the coil together, and to hold the coil and mat in place between pannier and the bike's side panel. Thread it through holes drilled in the side panel, around a grab handle or other convenient bit of subframe or seat.

I also used cable ties to help keep the pannier in place, threaded through holes in the solder mat. As the bike's side panel was between the solder mat and silencer they survived.

Expect the side panel to get distorted by the heat over time.
If you want to make doubly sure, you could use two solder mats, one each side of the coil.

This is what it looks like without the pannier:

http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/...0157_crop1.jpg


And with everything in place:

http://i1263.photobucket.com/albums/...1742_crop2.jpg


It all still survives fine, including a few low-speed drops.

Have a great trip.

that should definetely do the trick ! :) If I just put the mat against my bag will it do the same trick ? or is the isolation (the hose ) needed?

Also , the solder mat won't leave stamps on my exhaust? I don't wanna sound like a noob but I've got a full chrome exhaust .. so marks on it will kinda ruin it for me when I get back and drive normal again. I'll print your post and get to the stores and try it out ! :) thanks a lot for the well built reply !

Right, I just looked at some pictures of your bike.
The exhaust is completely different to what I had assumed.
The suggestion I made is for a bike with a high-level exhaust behind a plastic side-panel, where the silencer has metal 'stand-off' brackets attached to it to maintain space between it and the plastic cover.
So best ignore all that.....

For your bike you'll need a pannier that is always high enough so that it never gets near the silencer. Even fully loaded.
"Sports" panniers usually do this (like the Oxford sports range).
Or, fit a pannier frame (if one is made for this bike) that will do the same job. Maybe there's one that will go with the Ventura rack.

Either way, I'd suggest to get it all set up well before your trip, so you can test it out, fully loaded, on a ride of a day or so, with pillion passenger. You're bound to find luggage problems that'll need fixing, so best to give yourself time to get it right before leaving home.

If you're using panniers made of nylon or similar, there have been plenty of people that have ridden off on a journey only to find that the bottom of a pannier has melted from exhaust heat, and all the contents disappeared!

Oops!

Well there's like 5 cm space atleast. SO i wanted to buy the soldering mat like you said
make it long enough so that it covers the bottom and both sides. then buy some velcro. Attach it on there with some thread. Put it around the bike , velco on top so that it stay tightly. and that'll protect it too ? not? not sure and my bags r made of nylon :P