I carried roll-top throw-overs bungied to my crash bars for several trips, then a pair of Pelican cases attached crudely with u-bolts. The general goal was the same—distribute weight and bulk between front and rear panniers, keeping a low center of gravity as much as possible. That was on a KLR on which I stubbornly refused to upgrade seat or suspension.

Interesting....thanks for the post. I think some of these ideas will be easier to deploy once I have my bike and know exactly what I"m dealing with.

Thank you. By end of day I will be a member. You deserve this and more as the and contacts here are invaluable. Going to try to make it to Virginia HU meet in April - but that's early for biking in Canada. Still love to make it.

Thanks for all you do.

I am looking for alternatives to aluminum - just cause I can and have time. Lots of people are warning against carbon fiber - I get it...but what else is out there that I can use, repair, and keep the weight down. Titanium? I started looking at graphine - added to plastic, it adds great strength, and other useful characteristics. Cost of course is an issue - but I will be DIYing most of this.

Your link shows sidecars on a track. Maybe there are people doing RTW with a sidecar- but it does not interest me in the least. I have no experience with a sidecar, nor do I wish to learn. Everything I am bringing will be light, stripped down as much as possible, including the bike. No sidecar for me.

Thanks Mike!

NOTE: We've had people come by bus, airplane, car, truck, 4wd, shanks mare and bicycle - it doesn't matter - just go.

Chris scotts Adventure Motorcycle Handbook would be a very useful read.

Chris's excellent book is available at:

• Amazon.COM
• Amazon.CO.UK
• Amazon.DE
• Amazon.CA

Hi Mikekaycanada - by the sound of things I would serious re-consider the amount of stuff you plan to take, or re-consider the vehicle you plan to take...

As others have already suggested, a heavily modified bike is potentially far less reliable that a bog-standard one, especially once you start incorporating additional electrical/charging systems.

In addition, motorcycles are meant to offer a more simple and lightweight alternative (and ultimately more freedom, both physically and spiritually) than travelling in a traditional 4-wheeled vehicle might typically allow; but it sounds like you are going to end up being hampered and preoccupied by a lot of stuff that would normally make riding fun, especially after many days on the road?

Certainly a bike loaded with all the luggage and equipment you plan to take with you is hardly going to be a lot of fun in serious off-road conditions for example - and unless you are actively hunting out challenging single track type terrain, riding 'RTW' is going to be primarily on unsurfaced roads and trails that other vehicles use - including motorcycles with side-cars and 4x4s.

If you are planning on 'living off this bike for a number of years', your priorities are going to end up being very different to someone out for an off-road jolly over a long weekend - and I would have thought that reliability of your vehicle ought to be the #1 priority, followed closely by security of your [presumably expensive] electronic/music gear, and not least yourself when sleeping...

So in that regard, if you can't bare the idea of a sidecar for all your gear which Homers suggested (which actually sounds kind of cool!) - then I'd actually consider a 4x4 of some kind - something secure you can lock your gear in and not worry too much if you are away from the vehicle for any reason (taking a trip by boat or hiking for example) and always sleep inside if required, and I imagine it would be a far better platform for composing music in too I'd have thought?

Jenny x

Amazon can't ship till end of May --seeking another seller - but thanks for the lead. I am buying it.

Hi Mike

If you go via the Amazon.co.uk link then they have 15 copies available at the moment. Well, 14 as I am about to buy one myself!

EDIT: Well there will still be 15 as I am going to wait for the new edition.