Luggage for XR650R

[bajajoaquin]

I’m getting ready to do a trip from Tecate to Cabo next spring. Currently I’m looking for luggage. Giant Loop Coyote seems to come up a lot. Any other good, reasonably priced options? I’m not going around the world on this bike and I’m not going to be doing dirt bike camping as a regular thing.

I mean, getting down to brass tacks, is the Mojavi going to be enough for this trip?

 

[Ozarker]

I sold my Transalp to a buddy who bought some aluminum boxes, nothing special, just a bit bigger than a computer bag. He got some aluminum plate and cut out to the size of the box plus about 4 inches that was bent 45 degrees to form an "L". The bike had screw/bolt stays in the frame below the seat in the rear of the seat and rear frame. He got some rubber gromets and bolted the plate "hanger" he made to the frame, then put more rubber gromets on the deeper side of the box and bolted the box on the plate with the lid of the box folding out and down. He added a few D rings to the outside of the boxes to manage straps that would strap down soft bags or stuff rolled up in canvas.

My XR 650 had mounting stays in the frame as well, you can fasten D rings or other fastners to secure straps.

I had fiberglass bags on a couple "full dressed" bikes, they looked cool, but I didn't like them as they were made for looks and to carry helmets and maybe some wet weather gear, not much else.

For real bike touring, strap on soft bags!!!! I used some waterproof bags, intended for rafting and kayaks, along with a medium size canvas bag that had pockets outside the bag.....very handy to get to items used frequently.

Thing about soft bags, when you drop your bike they don't get scratched, dented or cracked. They conform to fit more stuff in the available volume than trying to pack stuff against a hard side or in a formed corner of a box which is wasted space. Soft bags are lighter than metal or glass boxes/bags. If the bike drops, no harm, no foul, no scratched paint, just know how to pack your jewels. Best of all, you look like you're on a bike trip and not like a deliver guy from New York City.

 

[Cabrito]

Sounds like a great trip. Are you going to be camping and living off the bike or riding a lot of backcountry on this trip?

If you are camping the Coyote might be a little small, but you can add a second duffel or dry bag. If you're not camping the coyote should be just right, but it all depends on how you pack and what you bring. I found the Coyote too small for me so I went with the Great Basin. My friends use a mix of the Coyote, and the Great Basin on our Baja trips, but we don't camp unless we have to.

If you plan to run the Mojavi bags then you don't have much room for anything other than tools, spares, ect. I would run that with a top duffel for clothes, and personal items and water ect..

This is my XR400R and my friend on his Beta 490? He's got the Coyote and I have the Great Basin in this shot. We stay in hotels on our Baja trips.



Here is my XR400R with the Coyote, but I had to add a second bag even for a single overnight (I don't pack light) - This was a shakedown ride for Baja


XR400R with the Great Basin that I ended up using for Baja (way overpacked)


My current setup for Baja with no camping I run Wolfman side bags and a top duffel to keep it as light as possible because I'm on a heavy bike.

 

[bajajoaquin]

That’s awesome info, thanks.

We are going to stay in Mexican motels when available and sleep in the field when not. Our plan is to string a light weight tarp between the bikes as our shelter. Small stove for coffee in the morning but otherwise cold food between towns.

So we will each carry a sleeping bag a sleeping pad, water, one day of food, communication device.

We will split: tarp, tools, gas can.

Am I totally out of my mind with under packing? I’m totally an over packer in trucks and campers.

 

[Cabrito]

On our earlier Baja group rides we packed for the occasional camp, but it turned out to be easy enough (and cheap enough) to just get a room and get rid of the extra gear. You would be surprised at how much space the sleep kit, and cooking kit actually takes up in your luggage. I carry a SOL Emergency Bivy just in case I have to sleep in the bush for a night. I can sleep in my gear to be warm and I can rough it for one night if needed.

I love my morning coffee, but will just carry some small caffeinated things like energy blocks and Excedrin. Most of the coffee in smaller towns is instant and weak, but you can get better coffee in more and more places these days.

I like the tarp idea between bikes. Just watch out for scorpions! They seem to end up in boots and other dark places, but they can't kill you.

Soda bottles work good for gas in a pinch, and my motto in Baja is "See gas, get gas" Never pass up an opportunity to top off.

 

[Hnoroian]

I use bicycle panniers on mine, in one food/kitchen stuff and in the other clothes and a blanket. A small tank bag, HF Apache medium sized case on the tail with the tent attached on top for kickbacks. A backpack with a bladder for water and things I don’t want to leave on the bike.

 

[Hnoroian]

just another consideration for for sleeping on the trail. My days of backpacking lead me to sleeping in a hammock (faintly and netting), smaller pack size and lighter. I've used a single tree and rigged to the bike. I'll likely do that again in a few weeks for another trip. I've slept on top of various bikes before too, though not the best idea it was what had to happen.