The Key Preparations for Riding Include:

On a trip like ours yous need riding gear that works well for Georgian snow just as much every bit for the estrus of the Persian desert. After a couple of longer motorcycle tours we have plant equipment we are happy with. Also solutions for our luggage and for navigation. Below we would like to introduce you to the stuff we rely on every day.

Riding gear

We used to wearable blackness leather jackets considering they look much better with Motörhead-Shirts and we will continue to practice so. But not on this trip. We utilise textile suits with water-proof Sympatex membranes (KTM HQ Risk). They are much lighter than leather gear, completely waterproof and good for a large range of temperatures. They accept a lining that can be taken out for hot conditions. For cold weather nosotros use motorcycle-fleece jackets as an additional layer. That’s it. Nosotros haven’t used the rain gear we also brought. We both brought ii pairs of gloves, summer and intermediate. As a beginning layer, you might desire to consider merino wool.

Helmets

We both really similar our Shoei GT-Air for its comfort, ventilation, the built-in dominicus-screen, the anti-fog pinlock visor and the fully removable padding which makes information technology like shooting fish in a barrel to clean the helmet from time to time. That’s why we also took them on this trip. However, on a tour like this we stop quite frequently to have photos, have a closer await at maps, talk to strangers, talk to policemen at checkpoints etc. In some countries the latter alone justifies a closer look at the latest generation of flip up-helmets like the Shoei Neotec oder Schuberth E1. That way y’all don’t have to have off your helmet all the time. Plus they don’t look as goofy equally flip up-helmets used to and they have all the overnice features mentioned above.

Boots

Go some good boots. You will drop your bike at some point and don’t want your ankles to get injured. In addition to being robust they should be absolutely waterproof. This will toll you lot a scrap – only like the suit and the helmets discussed to a higher place – but it really is worth it. We accept a pair of Tall Star Toucan and a pair of Sidi Adventurer 2 respectively. They both practice the task.

Luggage

Panniers accept the obvious advantage that you can lock them. That way yous can go sightseeing without having to worry about your luggage. Or you can get out a lot of stuff at your bike when you are staying at a hostel. However, if you lot drop your bike it volition most likely autumn onto the panniers. For that reason it is a good idea to become heavy-duty panniers and holders. Nosotros are using the depicted Touratech-panniers. Instead of a top-case we use water-proof dry numberless where we keep the stuff we utilize on a daily basis. The bags are bully for the room and the variability they offering. The bags are tied to the bike with ROK Straps, great solution.

Navigation

We utilise a water-, dust- and shock-proof Android smart phone mounted on a generic smart-phone-holder and connected to the 12V-socket of our KTMs. That works just fine. For offline-navigation we use both gratuitous MapFactor Navigator which is based on open street maps and does a good chore in general. A big plus is the availability of maps worldwide. Where maps are bachelor we also use Alk CoPilot Mobile Navigation, which after a recent overhaul has go quite intuitive. For planning and documentation nosotros as well apply Google Maps. A great tool is the GPS-tracking App Geo Tracker, that plots a map and compiles statistics of your trips. For finding camping spots, nosotros use iOverlander, a great user-driven app that can also exist linked to your navigation software. All this is all good, but we also brought a set of difficult-copy maps (waterresistant fabric by Reise Know-How) for a better overview when planning our trip. Highly recommended.