Scot's Bike Setup
I am not really sure what number post this is but it dawned on me that neither of us has actually ever posted the details about our bikes. So without further ado, here is what I use on my bike AND what I typically wear while driving my bike.
My Bike
As we stated in the The 2 Guys section, we both ride 2022 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pros. Out the door, these bikes were loaded. I have added a few things.
The first item added was Givi racks for the hard sided Monokey Dolomiti side and top boxes. I already owned the luggage and wanted to use it again. Yes, there are pros and cons for hard vs. soft but I wanted to use what I already had (not getting into that argument anyway).
Another add-on was the tank guard. I like the little bit of extra protection and how they look but one nice feature is the ability to hang two tank bags by Hepco and Becker. A little extra space and easy access.
One more add-on was the GPS and mount. I use the Tom Tom Rider 550 with a handlebar mount. I do not like the u-bolt mount that comes with most GPS units and opted for a better one. I also hard wired it directly the battery. I did not splice into an existing wire that works off a key. Why? It was much easier to just hook to the battery and why mess up the nice wiring harness. The only catch is that you need to remember to remove the GPS unit.
The last change was the tires. I am now running Mitas eo7+ 60/40 tires. The stock tires on the bike were 90/10 and what a difference this change made (read more about that here). Why the bike comes with a 90/10 tire has always confused me. Its an adventure bike - why not some adventure tires. I noticed that the 1200 DOES have more aggressive tires.
Those are all the changes to the actual bike. What else do I need? Hopefull nohting but I have been eyeing a clear headlight protector but we will see.
My Gear
Now about the gear I actually wear every time I ride (a few exceptions due to weather). My boots are Forma Adventure Boots. I have a large foot and really had a difficult time finding boots that would fit AND were comfortable to walk in. These fit the bill. They may not be as stiff in the ankle as I would like but they feel great.
My outer wear is Klim gear. I have both the Carlbad jacket and pants. These are heavy but have a ton of protection. Yes, they can get a bit warm in the summer but as someone once told me, if it bothers you that much, drive a car.
I own two types of gloves. One pair is for warmer weather AND not raining while the other is for cold weather and/or raining. The warmer weather pair is the Induction model by Klim. These fit great and feel great. My second pair is an off brand I found at Cycle Gear. I have tried two different types of Klim gloves for cold weather and rain and both have not fit correctly. I hope at some point to find a pair but we will see.
My helmet is a Shoe GT II Air. Again, I tried on so many helmets and none would fit properly. Unfortunately I have an long oval head shape and there just are not a lot of helmets that fit without putting a lot of pressure on my forehead. This helmet did not give me a headache and fits quite well. It is still a bit loose but given the choice of a headache or a bit loose, I took the latter. I also added the Sena SRL2 system to the helmet. This incorporates into the helmet so there is no external device. Overall I am happy with it.
Most of the under gear I wear is weather dependent. I usually have on a t-shirt and shorts. I am really surprised how well the outer gear keeps you warm. On one ride, it was 38 degrees. Yes, we bundled up but also kept very warm (the heated grips and seat are very nice). The only part of me that started to get cold after 90 minutes were the tops of my toes and my thumbs. Not bad for going 70 mph in that cool of weather.
Summary
So that's it. That is why I drive and what I wear. I am sure I will do another write up what I take with me when I go camping/riding but until then, keep it vertical.