Here's the gear & accessories I use to ride 500+ miles a day in comfort 

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I’d like to see a video where you go back over the stuff you packed and tell us what you didn’t need to take.

40,000 subscribers when you made this video and now you're close to 240,000. Keep the great info coming!

Good video. As soon as he mentioned $700 for the luggage set, I realized him and I will be packing very differently.

Great recommendations, perfect timing to learn of touring gear. Since April this year I have a BMW R 1250 RS to enjoy for retirement and your advice is useful. Thanks for the sincere, enjoyable presentation! Look forward to more on the topic.

The mesh seat cover has been popular in Southeast Asia for a long time. We park our bikes outside under the sun a lot and in the summer you can cook eggs on the seat after a while. The cover helps with ventilation but also protects your bums from getting roasted when you get back on your bike in your casual pants.

Thanks Ian! I thrive on long hour, high mileage, multiple days in the saddle too. Just yesterday I put a deposit on a '22 GSA and now I'm going through your video collection and gaining some very valuable information. Keep the vids coming!

On the seat cover, I’ve learned never to go with anything but sheepskin seats. It made the biggest difference of all of the comfort mods for long days touring. I was skeptical but it made a MASSIVE difference.

Great video. I had a 2020 GSA decked out. Your attitude about it’s off road capability is spot on to me. It was just to top heavy for me. I have a bad back so sold it and bought a KTM 890 AR. I do have a 500 EXC-F when i want to hit he more technical stuff. Love your video’s.

I really dig your full on practical take with these videos. What works, what's not worth the money, and why you pick what you pick. Please never sell out to sponsors. My questions regarding long distance riding center around mapping. Apps, devices, subscriptions, etc. I'm nowhere near as hardcore as you, and would do one long trip /maybe/ every other year once i even get to that point.

Really enjoy the honest appraisals and good quality camera work. These are the exact same things I consider for my type of riding, thanks again.

Your videos are fantastic and very informative! Thank you for all of the great content!

Thanks for the video, no matter how long I've been riding I can always use good tips and advice.

I came across your videos pretty much by chance and am now a fan. I ride an NC750X DCT and am considering upgrading to the Africa Twin Adventure Sport next year - so I'll be paying really close attention to your review, especially whether Honda's addressed the suspension issue you described in the base model. Thanks for your comprehensive video reviews. Looking forward to the next.

+1 for the Airflow seat cover. I got it on a lark and it made summer rides and rain so much better.

Thanks for the great gear and trip review.

Your videos are fantastic and incredibly helpful to me! I really appreciate these!

I like the start- your getting much better as a videographer. As usual I’ll use the word honest. It’s the best compliment I can give anyone- weather I agree or disagree with your opinion I know it comes from an honest helpful place. I also know your not shilling products and that makes me appreciate your opinion. Thanks for another great video. JML

Great vid again Ian. I've been wondering about those seat covers. I've seen them advertised as well and I've been thinking that they could be really great but hadn't seen anyone mention them in a review before. Thanks for your positive assessment of them. I'll have to keep an eye out for an add for them now.

Thanks Ian! Great review, information, explanation and inspiration! I just did my first week long motorcycle tour on my 2018 Honda CRF 250 L, from Baltimore Maryland across eastern Pennsylvania and back riding mostly twisty back roads, dirt roads and some trails. In addition to all the regular safety gear, I wear heavily padded high-quality bicycling shorts for comfort. The padded bicycling shorts definitely help with comfort until I upgrade the stiff Honda stock seat. Additionally, a good bit of stretching and intermittent standing while riding is helpful. Based on your recommendation for cooling comfort, I just ordered the airflow seat cover. Thanks Ian and friends! Safe riding to all and enjoy the day! Kindly, Dennis

Thanks for sharing. This was very informative!!

Thank you for the well thought out, informative, and to the point videos. The detail you provide shows that you are a real rider that is thinking through and trying different solutions. The detail level you provide is just right for me, considerate of your viewers' time and offering more info on request for the extra nerdy like myself. I also really appreciate that you differentiate yourself through your specializing in riding comfort in touring and adventure riding and emphasize important considerations (weight, fuel capacity, design, etc.) that are often lost in marketing hype or less thorough reviews. At your request, here are some topics for long rides that would be interesting to me. I currently ride a 2013 Multistrada mostly for 5-14 day rides and usually hotel rather than camp. Hydration: Other options besides a tank bag, that also doesn't require wearing it. Best storage alternatives to tank bag, on the bike for convenience items needed frequently like hat, sunglasses, snacks, etc.) Noise isolation vs. convenience: This is a major issue for me. How to best handle noise, music and comm, while simplifying getting on/off bike, helmet, earbud wires, itchy ears and sanitary issues of touching earbuds/plugs. It would be ideal if the bike/helmet were quiet enough and helmet speakers worked great, but you already know that's not the case. I like your fidlock helmet that reduces the fuss factor. Fuss factor reduction: I would be interested in more fuss reduction ideas that reduce time and hassle of all involved gear and preparation. Motorcycle camping information geared towards folks like me who normally prefer a hotel but would like to save some money. How to stay clean, comfortable, and well rested at camp, and showing how to pack, and how you setup camp. Simplifying/consolidating electronic accessories (e.g GPS, phone, Bluetooth). For example, best phones and phone navigation apps. My favorite is "Scenic" but it's iOS only and I only have Android now. Review of additional low cost panniers and luggage, e.g. Tusk Pilot V2 and similar or using non motorcycle specific bags (e.g. MOLLE or equivalent). Extra info: I also use a Puig wind deflector and have even cut a custom plexiglass shape for better aesthetics and coverage. They definitely improve the situation, but the bike is still noisy. For ear protection, I use expensive custom molded earbuds that provide a decent seal. They plug into my Sena headset and a chord dangles down through my jacket collar. They sound good and cut noise about 75% as good as earplugs. To hear my environment at a gas station or other stop, I turn on the ambient mode on my Sena unit. Although functionally excellent, they're a huge hassle and time expenditure during helmet on/off. I'd love a better way.

Really super review. The set up looks excellent. Thanks.

Hey there! Here another satisfied R1200GS rider from Europe. Every year I make a long ride around Europe arriving at different cities. I found your video useful, specially on some accessories like the extra foot pegs which I have longer for after some kilometers driving. GS is awesome, trying to put it on a difficult off road track is like putting an off road dirt bike on a speed track. It makes no sense. So I’m with you, this bike is not for dirt riding, nor is the idea for the customers who purchase it.

After watching your video, I decided to purchased the airflow seat covers . What a difference it made on my longer trips. I didn’t have any issues with the passenger’s cover, installation was very easy for both of them. Thank you for mentioning them(covers) on your video, now I can take longer rides with out having to stop that often.

Very good information on what you like and don't like. I do like your channel for your honesty.Keep safe my friend.Hi from Scotland.

Thumbs up, thx a lot for this video. Ride on safely, Ronald

Nice video... I picked up a seat cover very much like yours. I like you wasn't sure how well it would work, but I was pleasently surprised.

Great video, very informative. I am grateful that I stumbled upon channel today, definitely subscribed! I can’t wait for your next videos especially on the Honda 300 L that I just bought.

When I looked at the length of the video, I said to myself I have things to do I will just watch some of the video, 24 minutes later I am going it's over already! Great information.

Great video and very informative! Thank you!

Nice job. I enjoyed that. All well thought out. I need to look into that seat cover. Thanks. 🙂

Now I have to watch this more as I just picked up my 2022 GS Adventure. Thanks Ian.

Spot on set up& tips

Great information. I'm planning a cross country ride later this year on my Pan America... You covered everything.

Thank you I Ian, your information and opinion about these items is very helpful - I’m considering doing a similar nav option using my iPad mini. I’ll be investigating the Ram Mounts you referenced

Awesome vid, informative! Thanks

Great video I have exactly the same bike , yesterday went to MotoGP here in the UK 310 mile round trip that seat cover is great first time of using it , I use a large iPhone in the bmw cradle with a cheap AliExpress ( Chinese) converter works brilliantly and obviously is water proof dust proof . Keep your great videos coming I’m learning new stuff all the time. 👍👍

awesome channel! Beautiful Bike!

The first time I saw one of your videos (thoughts on new KLR) I was thinking, who is this dork? A bunch of videos later and I'm like, this is the coolest guy ever. I love that bike. I think my wallet only allows me an AT but I'll definitely try that seat and highway pegs. Thanks! 😊

The transition shield on the Krios is awesome! For a guy who wears glasses and can't be switching between sunglasses and no sunglasses it's necessary. And yeah, I already have transitions on my glasses, they're just not effective enough for my level of sunlight discomfort.

Good content bro.Keep it up

I so appreciate your Videos, informative great content

I actually wished I had a bit heavier bike riding home from Baja last week on 5 with all the wind. My theory on long distance, less is more. If I make more stops more frequently before getting soar I can ride a longer day. But the biggest impact on planning length of day is am I camping or hoteling. I probably plan 100 miles shorter days if having to break down camp in the morning and find and setup a camp site in the evening vs walk out of a hotel and leave.

Excellent informative overview Ian. Appreciate thank you. Love to hear your opinion of the new 2022 Triumph Tiger 1200. Ride safe and rode often.

Great review. Subscribed.

The day after I made delivery on my GS back in June I 600 miles in 12 hours. Stopping every couple of hours to stretch my legs. This is the first time I was ever happy with a start saddle.

This was a great video. Thank you. Your experience and sincerity are evident.

Another great vid ian which are informative and insightful. I'm from the UK and think the 2021 versys 1000 s is another great tourer

Excellent video. Great information for those of us who travel distance on our motorcycles! Thank you!

Thanks for another great video. You have a good idea using the tablet, gives you many more options. I agree ,the Garmin Nav 6 is very expensive and for me a bit difficult to use.

This video is a fricken goldmine, and I don't know why I'm surprised. If you ever thought about buying an ADV product and you weren't sure, check with Ian, because he tries everything . Bikes, gear, parts. I have the same problem with the fitment on my Klim gloves, but quality of Klim is awesome. I still use my android for navigation, instead of my Africa Twin android auto. I was considering that tank bag mount, and that seat cushion looks interesting. I don't mind the gadgets on long open road rides, and they are good to have while stopped. Another great video.

Thank you it was so useful

Another good informative presentation.Thanks.

I really enjoyed this video...lots of good information.

Informative video, thank you. I'd like to hear about under garments, the best materials for long distance comfort, managing perspiration, seam comfort etc...

The sleeping baby in the background @ 11:34 🤣... great video some really cool functional gear.

Great Content 👍 Best Wishes from Germany

Nice video with valuable information. I agree with you about that the BMW GPS. As for the cockpit, I've been reducing the amount of technology. Maybe age is a factor, but I feel the need to reduce the distractions. Keep up the great videos.

I owned a few pairs of the Bridgestone A41s on my previous GS and got along with them pretty well. My only complaint was traction in the wet. Sure there are better tyres, but I’m used to riding with 70/30 tyres which are always a compromise.

Great presentation. I was wondering about this seat covers myself.

Great video! The BMW is pretty much my dream bike. I hope to have one someday.

Great video as always Ian. Had I known you were heading back thru eastern California I would have offered a place to stay just North West of Reno....Next time. Congrats on your 40k subscribers! Mike

Your info vid was very usefull and much appreciated. Thanks, Gary/ Fresno

40+ years of on and off road moto all over the western US. Keeps me young and sharp. Long rides really demand a good setup. It’s great that you share your experiences, likes and dislikes, and insights in a very straightforward way. Two things I prefer for longer rides, instead of a two piece suit, is my aerostich roadmaster, and a back pack 3L water bladder for continuous hydration on summer or marathon rides. I’ve even ridden offroad in the roadmaster. When it’s time for a break just removing the one piece suit into comfy street clothes is such an awesome feeling. Happy riding!

I got the .45mm JBL upgraded speakers in every helmet, for my Cardo Packtalk Bold. makes a big difference, louder and better base too.

Fantastic and so details reviewed. In fact, my calculation between both GS and GSA is the same as yours before decided to buy the GSA 1250. Thanks for introduce the advantage of some stuff, I will buy some gears per your recommendations. Subscribed.

Thanks once again, I have a Carlsbad jacket, trying to find videos on the Baha jacket now 😂🙏🏼

Oh man you have a lot of cool content coming can't wait to see that stuff I'll say it again that GSA is the ticket real sweet ride. I have old 2007 1200gs what a great touring machine I'm doing 500 mile days easily back in 2018 did route 66 5000 miles with all my detours two weeks I could have stayed out on the road longer. 2019 did Baja down to Santa Roselia took ferry over to Guaymas booked a 4 star resort in san Carlos Sonora Mexico went exploring the beach areas man that's a beautiful inexpensive place to visit and nice roads back to tucson az then ride back to riverside ca was okay stopped by salt&sea went down by the lake big mistake got out in the sand I wont do that again. anyway keep up the content.

Really good content...Thanks!!

For me it's the best Touring rig I've owned to date.... when any 7"-8" galaxy / Ipads go on sale I'll give this method a try instead of my quirky Nav 6... Thanks for posting

Great video ..Again! I love those seat covers for the summer.....But! for me I have a very short inseam(29"-30") so at stop signs and stop lights I can only comfortably support my bike (1st gen Weestrom) with my left foot flat-footed and my right on the peg.. so I need to slide slightly to the left to get my left foot on the ground to keep the bike balanced vertically (hope this makes sense) with the cover on I was not able to slide enough to get my foot down soon enough so I had to let the bike go down gently this happened twice that day! Since removing the cover I am able to slide to get my left foot down this has not happened ...I loved that cover .. my butt didn't sweat on the vinyl seatcover! You have to do what works for you!...Soft luggage rules!

Great Video v informative! I wish I saw this before I bought my GSA last month - I actually bought the BMW panniers and GPS! I am going to use this as a baseline to adding equipment over time, 1st thing will be the headlight guard and tank bag (might get a smaller one) I am def excited to get out there! Keep the vids coming....

Great video. Most of all it is a honest video. And a great bike from my neighber country. Although i must say that these GS'es never interested me. Were i live i see so much of them. And always some old dude on it who has got his pension. But i have to be honest. For the last couple of years they are great bikes. BMW finally after some years made the crappy parts go away. In that time when you bought one you had to be lucky if you could ride it and not take it to a dealer for repairs. And the repairs were always the same things. But now they have that out of the way. Love your helmet. Been trying to get it for more then 6 months but without succes. They are simply out of stock. Need to wait until next year. Klim will have some new models ready by then and have to grab one otherwise i will be to late again. Then i have two helmets. The Klim for the summer and a bit more. And the Schubert C3 Pro for winter. I ride all year. Also to commute to work. But winters are not as hars as 20 years ago. Your balls would freeze in those days. Sometimes used newspapers and carbonboards under my clothing. It was fun. When i look at your video my first thought is "are there many people who can spend so much money ?" It looks like your not holding back with the wallet. Most of us , me included have to work 60 hours a week and can't be in that level. But if that is not a problem why not ? I have to be honest that i also have spend way to much money buying stuff. But i do my research first. Or due to experience with a trip in the past. I am also mainly doing large trips. Collecting my free time and then go to Hungary or Norway. This year wanted to go to Iran. Through Turkey but Iran is holding back on the visa's for tourists. Due to Corona. But Persia is on my bucketlist. Also was Afghanistan but that has become a different story sadly. With Iran one of the most beautifull countries in the world. And the little chance it had has been fucked up. So in a few days i am heading out to Sweden for 3 weeks. Doing a lot offtarmac and wildcamping. Wished i could have got my hands on the Kriega Overlander softluggage but that is also sold out completely. So need to be carefull not to get my legs under the panniers. A crash can come so suddenly sometimes. Managed to leave the 100 liter Orlieb bag at home. I also do not like the weight on top. Riding a KTM1190R and that is topheavy enough on its own. I love to watch your video's. Always am picking something usefull up. Although i ride for more then 35 years. There are still things that i have not thought about. Keep safe on your travels and ride on.💪 Greetings from the Netherlands,

Your videos are exuding honesty. You made me fall in love with the 1250! I have a Yamaha Styker 1300, but can't do any touring with it...as I want my marriage to last a bit, I'll have to decide whether I must part with my Stryker before I contemplate getting this monster. I have done zero touring. I have gotten to fulfill my passion VERY LATE (I am 58 yrs old). I am offering you to accompany me on a trip across Morocco (you'll feel like you're on the Dakar). We can train on the West coast first if you want 😉.

Thanks for the posting. Couple of interesting ideas. A surprising choice in helmet for all your highway miles. Gotta be really noisy with that visor. Also although the chin strap may be convenient, tests have overwhelming shown that the double D rings to be the safest helmet strap. Your s🤓🎉

Good information sir….thank you very much…

Awesome content....

I appreciate your post, because you describe what touring means to you. You did a very decent ride. In other videos I wonder what they mean when they say touring. To me it means an extended long ride. Our longest, my wife rides her own, was 28 days and about 9,000 miles. We hit a dozen national and state parks, had to have both bikes serviced (at different times of course). Without including all the side adventures, Dallas Tx to Astoria Wa, then down the coast to San Juan Capistrano and we included doing Calif 1, not 101. If you haven't, it is probably some of the most challenging technical roads... at points. Also boring in towns chugging along at 15 mph. In wine county her bike needed service and a rear tire, so we booked a wine tour for the day. The devils triangle and tail of the dragon are easy in comparison to CA-1. After Capo, over the Ortego Hwy and back to Utah and Colorado. Albuquerque NM for servicing my bike some Hatch chili in Hatch NM. Then to Big Bend TX and later home.

perfectly done - thanks a lot 👍🏻

Ian, great video again! You've become one of my favorite channel. Honest opinions and technical details... very informative. I am more of a road tourer but I am very interested in ADV bikes to allow some freedom to explore gravel and unpaved roads. What do you think of the Tiger 850 Sport as a mostly road focused bike? Have you had a chance to test one of the recent generation of Tigers? Looking forward to the upcoming videos

Love the video

helped me decide on getting a GSA. thx

An excellent presentation, thanks.

Looking forward to seeing you on TED Talk one day. Greetings from San Francisco bay area.

Great video! Thanks! Oh and I agree on the BMW Navigator.. I’m pretty new to all this so I bought it but boy is that thing outdated…

In 2013 I traveled from my brothers house just south of Salt Lake City back to my house just east of Cleveland Ohio 1760 miles in 27 straight hours

Good for me to learn before i get my bike

I sit on a towel. I discovered it when I was going through the desert and I got a bad rash. I put a towel on my sit to keep my backside from sweating. It worked so well I have been riding like that ever since.

I have the same bike. I’m surprised you don’t own the Ram Mount side mirrors. I once had the bike fall/lean against a wall and bent a mirror. Bought the Ram mirrors as replacements and they’re game changers. Super positionable, much better view, and they’re made to move out of the way when off-roading so they won’t snag on branches.

Many thanks for this useful and informative video! Do you have any videos on tire repair on the road?

Good tip for the Cardo on volume with ear plugs: bypass the speakers. Get decent IEMS that fit under the helmet and plug those into the 3.5mm jack. You get earplugs and music in one. I use Shure Se215s.

I ride my 650 V Strom in 30°F weather from NYC to the Pocono, Pennsylvania frequently and I can use the extra wind protection! The extra weight of the GS will also come in handy when the winter crosswinds on I80 him me at highway speeds! After I upgrade my riding skills I may get a GS 1250.

Thanks for putting together another fantastic video. I live in Long Beach hit me up for a ride sometime would love to go riding with you. I have a GSA 1250R. Keep up the great work

On the Cardo + earplugs, I agree. Getting the larger speakers is not going to solve your problem. What I ended up doing was getting custom fitted ear piece (wired), so it not only blocks the wind noise, but it pipes the audio directly into your ear. The sound is very very high quality. When talking to someone it is like they are right there. I use Inearz Sport UH-3 which is the most expensive one at $560. I had the modeling done at the IMS show and I had it delivered 3 weeks later to my doorstep. When I asked the guy how much they cost, his response was, "How much is your hearing worth?" The sound quality is on par with my Bose 35 over the ear headphones. They are that good. And they plug directly into your Cardo Pack Talk. So you would not use the speakers anymore from Cardo.

Great video, I was looking at those gloves, let me know if you want to get rid of them ;-)

Great video...I could never find a Klim glove that fit...I just made the switch from aluminun bags to Wolfman soft luggage for my 2016 R1200 GSA. I've not ridden with the panniers yet, but I've owned their other bags for years. Good gear. I also enjoy my Clearwater driving lights-stupid expensive, but they turn night into day, which is great for the Oregon deserts. Tires? I"m a believer in the Shinko 705s. Again, well done.

Nice video- thank you for doing this! I like the way you mounted tablet, could you please share exact model of the mounts? I was trying to do exact set up, but failed :(

Great!

Also the Klim stuff fits larger body types well, for slim build BMW has tighter fit jackets (like the Rallye - works well in hot weather).