In fact here is the whole gear report of what I found useful.....
GEAR report:
1. Belstaff Tsunami rain jacket ($40, Motorcycle Accessory Warehouse). Bought new for the trip. After wearing the jacket twice the waterproof lining on the right hand sleeve came away and bunched up at the bottom of the sleeve. Light flimsy jacket - ok for summer showers but unfortunately cant recommend the quality based on my experience.
2. Belstaff quilt-lined waterproof jacket. I bought this jacket 10 years ago for my first road trip and it’s still a winner. Excellent in the cold, nice wrist cuffs (with velcro), good sized pockets, mostly waterproof (after 10 years this is not bad. Needs a sustained downpour to make it slightly leak.), good zipper with combined storm flap and poppers. Great jacket for the cold although at a cost of bulkiness.
3. Marsee Touring saddlebags 40 liters ($185, Motomkt.com). Bought these the day before I left. I’m glad I did as on the whole they were very good in terms of capacity and I liked the added side pockets, the double zipper (for padlocks) on the main compartment and the tie-down to the bike were ok . Felt secure. Dislikes - despite the claims of water-repellant coating, not waterproof at all - first sign of rain and they leaked like a sieve (I guess that’s why you buy the $40 rain covers. However, see the Chase Harper tank bag section for comparison!). Require to use garbage liners if you don’t have rain covers (which are bright silver - not very inconspicuous). Also after 5 weeks continuous use one of the saddlebags (left side) developed a tear above the zipper. The seam stitching had come away. As time went on the other bag developed the same problem at the same spot. Also the underside of the bags got holes in them (they had adequate clearance from the exhausts so this was not the cause. I would like to see tougher, more durable material
for such an expensive bag. Overall good bags with lots of room but quality/durability not what I expected from previous reports. (Update - after the trip I complained to Marsee products and after a bit of back and forth they sent me new bags to replace the torn ones....these lasted 2 trips (Europe 2003, and Easy Rider trip 2004) before the stitching for one of the bags came away and had to use a bungee cord to secure one side. Much as I like the bags i wouldnt buy them again.
4. Chase-Harper Tank bag (20 liter, $90, JCW I think). Great bag! Has two side compartments (very useful for camera, suntan lotion etc..) and main compartment with mesh net on inside of lid is useful for holding documents, maps etc. It also had an expandable zip compartment. Attachment was by quick release buckles and these worked well despite my initial skepticism). Bag never leaked and was durable and no tears (although to be fair the tank bag sees less rain than the rear saddlebags). I managed to pack a lot in and still feel comfortable riding. Map pocket on top of lid was great and never leaked; was also removable by velcro strips. Recommended buy! (update - still have this in 2006 and still use it for trips - last one was 2004 Easy Rider Trip - LA to New Orleans).
5. Tire pressure gauge. Don’t leave home without it! Great thing to have at
gas stations that have no gauge. Very useful!
6. Handlebar muffs ($20, JCW). A cheap alternative to heated gloves/grips.
I used these across South Dakota (snow, ice and temps of 32F, Wyoming and
Idaho and loved them! Kept hands much warmer (still wearing gloves).
Recommended for riding in cold weather.
7. EMS Gore-Tex pants. Great for keeping wind off legs and when used with
leather pants and thermal underwear keep legs very warm.
8. Paratrooper/commando boots (local Army/navy store - $20). Warm,
waterproof and very durable. An excellent cheap alternative to expensive
biker boots and look tough as nails as well!! Can wear round town when not
riding without looking like you just stepped off your bike. Recommended!!! (update - still have the boots in 2006 and still riding in them!! Cant beat the quality!)
9. Head-torch (Petzel). Good thing to have for those late-night bike
emergencies and of course for camping. Essential!
