The hardest part about any motorcycle adventure is setting off.
This is true about many things in life, and really, as long as you’ve got two wheels and you’re willing to make it up as you go along, you can just jump on your bike and head off around the world right now.
Of course, it’s best to be more prepared than that, but it can be easy to get carried away planning and gearing up, rather than actually getting out there.
That’s why, with help from our friends at Givi, we’re bringing you the five essentials you need for any motorcycle adventure.
If you’ve got these, you’re ready to explore the world on two-wheels.
Motorcycle luggage
There was a time when motorcycle luggage consisted of a duffel bag bungee strapped to the pillion seat of a bike, with a bin bag over the top for weather protection. The more gear-inclined might’ve even had some leather panniers or surplus ammo boxes strapped to some crudely-welded racks.
However, all this has changed now, and we’ve got a wealth of options to choose from which make our lives as adventure motorcyclists a whole lot easier.
For big road-based adventures, we’re fans of hard luggage, like Givi’s Trekker Outback Evo aluminium cases. If you’re on the road for a long time, you need your gear to last a long time and Givi’s boxes have never let us down.
Hard luggage gives you the ability to store your gear securely, safe from weather, impact, and prying eyes, so it’s always worth having in the long run.
However, soft luggage has its own advantages. We prefer it off-road or while riding smaller bikes, because it’s lighter and has the advantage of fitting to the size of what’s inside it, which means you never have any dead space.
However, we don’t like to compromise on the ability to keep our gear safe, which is why Givi’s lockable, robust, and waterproof Canyon series of soft luggage is worth looking at.
Tyre puncture repair kit
There’s nothing more deflating than getting a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere. Cars come with a spare wheel and tyre from the factory, however, motorcycles don’t have that luxury.
If you’ve got tubeless tyres on your motorcycle, which adventure bikes increasingly come fitted with, patching most punctures can be an easy, five-minute roadside fix.
Of course, you need to have the right tools. But being prepared with a puncture repair kit can mean the difference between being stuck for 10 minutes or being stranded for hours.
A simple kit like this one from Givi has everything you need to patch a tubeless tyre and re-inflate it to a rideable level, so you can get yourself back to civilisation and find a new tyre to continue your adventure.
First aid kit
A first aid kit is one of those things that you never hope to use, but you’ll be glad you’ve got one if you ever do find yourself in need.
Aside from potentially being life-saving, a first aid kit may also required to be carried by motorcyclists in certain countries, including Germany and Austria.
Givi supplies a useful and compact first aid kit which complies with EU homologation that’ll keep you safe and on the right side of the law.
Helmet
It’s safe to assume that unless you’re a patched MC member in New Hampshire, USA, you’ve probably already got a motorcycle helmet. But have you got yourself an adventure-ready helmet?
We’re fans of versatile adventure helmets that have peaks, wide visor apertures, and plenty of ventilation. After all, if you’re going to be wearing your helmet every day for weeks on end, you want something that’s comfortable and easy to live with.
Givi’s X27 Tourer is a great example of the type of helmet we look for.
With a peak to keep the sun out of your eyes and bushes away from your face while riding off-road, a drop-down sun visor, good ventilation for airflow, and even an ever-useful flip-front, so you don’t have to take your helmet off every time you want a sip of water, it’s a great piece of kit.
Smartphone holder
As much as I love getting a map out and planning a route the old-fashioned way, your smartphone is an incredibly powerful navigation tool, making the process of getting from one side of the world to the other as simple as entering ‘Ushuaia, Argentina’ into Google Maps and hitting go.
It should go without saying, however, that holding your phone while riding isn’t best practice, and therefore a dedicated smartphone holder is essential.
There’s plenty on the market, but we’ve used Givi’s range of smartphone holders and appreciated their ease-of-use, universal design, and thoughtful features like a sunshade to reduce glare and waterproof rain cover for tropical deluges.
Five essentials for a motorcycle adventure
When it comes down to it, that’s really about all you need to go on a motorcycle adventure. Oh, and a motorcycle.
With just a few basic necessities and a healthy does of adventurous spirit, you can head off around the world.
However, you want your essentials to be high-quality, so you can be sure they won’t let you down when you need them.
Find out more about Givi’s range of adventure motorcycle accessories here.
