Motorcycle packed for cross country trip

Ultimate Cross Country Motorcycle Trip Packing List [2024]

ByCourtney Newton Updated
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Looking for the best cross country motorcycle trip packing list?

You have come to the right place.

When we started planning our first motorcycle adventure down the Pan-American Highway, I had no idea what to pack.

I read many guides, heard some advice, listened to none of it, and made some hilarious overpacking mistakes.

Luckily, now, after completing a cross country motorcycle trip and traveling over 10,000 miles through 9 countries, I have learned from my mistakes.

And gained some solid experience to put together the ultimate cross country motorcycle trip packing list for you.

Let’s dive in.

Cross Country Motorcycle Trip Packing List

If you want to have the most fun possible on a long trip, it is important to be mindful of your and your bike’s safety while keeping your belongings to a minimum.

That way you can avoid overloading your motorcycle.

So before you get too far down that freedom road and find yourself miles away with a flat tire, no extra underwear, and wondering why you packed that hair dryer…

Here is a comprehensive Cross Country Motorcycle Trip Packing List for everything you need, from the essential items to the optional ones:

Safety Gear

The first thing I will go over is your safety riding gear. Safety gear is non-negotiable for your road trip packing list. 

Your helmet is the most important protective gear you will bring on your trip. Make sure that it fits appropriately and is in good condition before hitting the road.

Whether you wear a full-face helmet or a modular helmet is completely up to your personal preferences. If you have had your helmet for a long time, it may be time to replace it. Motorcycle helmets only last so long.

I wore my trusty Shark EVO on our longest motorcycle road trip. And it saved me from a handful of head injuries and countless bug splatters across the face.

Cross country motorcycle trip packing list safety

Earplugs are the best way to protect your hearing while riding. The constant roar of the wind and your bike can damage your hearing over time. Especially on longer trips.

Good quality riding gear is the most important part of any road trip checklist for all motorcycle riders. If you are a beginner rider, get your safety gear and riding gear all in one place to make things easier on yourself.

Experienced riders going on a long road trip should double-check their motorcycle gear to make sure it is in good shape before leaving.

🏆 Shop ➪ Motorcycle Riding Gear

Pants

Motorcycle riding pants should be comfortable and made from a breathable material. Protective, good-quality motorcycle pants protect you from burns and road rash.

Get a pair that has built-in impact protection or grab yourself some knee pads to protect your knees from potential falls.

I did not have protective motorcycle pants when riding from North Dakota to Panama, but there were so many days I wish I would have had them.

I did make sure to wear protective knee guards over my pants. However, that was after I had a fall on my adventure bike and got some impressive road rash on my knees. Oops.

Learn from my mistakes.

🏆 Shop ➪ Riding Pants

Don’t forget to protect your ankles. Riding boots are the best footwear option when riding because they will protect your feet and ankles if you have an accident.

They should be comfortable and I strongly recommend breaking them in before hitting the open road.

Moto Jacket

Wear motorcycle gear parked on the side of the road on a Honda Monkey motorcycle in Baja California.

Jackets, rain or cold-weather gear, and gloves are also essential to pack whether you go out for weekend trips or are planning a long motorcycle tour.

The jacket should be made of breathable and abrasion-resistant material.

I have shoulder and elbow padding in my moto jacket to protect me from falls. I wear an Alpinestars motorcycle jacket and pack a simple, cheap rain jacket to wear over the top of my jacket when the clouds roll in.

You can get winter or summer weather motorcycle jackets depending on the average temperature where you are traveling.

I found it most comfortable to wear a summer weather moto jacket while riding through the tropical, warm countries on our journey because it breathes more. Get a winter jacket if you know you’ll be riding in cold weather.

Leather is another good option because it offers excellent protection against the elements and scrapes if you fall, however it can get very hot if it does not breathe well.

🏆 Shop ➪ Motorcycle Jackets

First Aid Kit

  • Bandages
  • Antiseptic wipes or spray
  • Gauze and tape
  • Pain relievers
  • Allergy medication
  • Tweezers
  • Scissors

A first aid kit should be on every cross country motorcycle trip packing list. The very first day we left on our first long-distance ride, I took a turn a little too fast and scraped up my knee.

(Should have had my knee pads on!)

Cross country motorcycle trip packing list First Aid

Accidents can happen to anyone. And sometimes it happens in the middle of nowhere, especially on a cross country motorcycle trip.

I am so grateful to have our first aid kit, packed and ready to go.

We have had more than a few wipe-outs on our bikes. Luckily, none of them were too serious.

When riding cross country you will come across all sorts of weather and different road conditions. Dirt roads turn to slippery mud in the rain and surprise turns can come out of nowhere on unfamiliar roads.

Better to be prepared!

Motorcycle Maintenance

Taking the time to pack everything you need to maintain your motorcycle on the road saves you from a lot of headaches so you can have a blast on your cross country ride.

A tire repair kit is one of the most important maintenance items you can bring, having one readily available if you get a flat on the road helps so much. And it is way easier to carry than a spare tire.

You should also use a tire gauge to check your tire pressure before each ride.

Chain lube helps keep your chain in good condition and helps prevent it from rusting. Our group has gone through countless bottles of chain lube on our journey.

Luckily, you can easily find chain lube at any hardware stores, gas stations and motorcycle shops. No need to carry more than one at a time.

A multi-tool is also a good idea because it is helpful for various tasks, from tightening bolts to cutting wire. You can also use duct tape for multiple things, including temporary repairs.

Camping Gear

You are going to need to find a place to sleep. Camping may be a large part of your cross country road trip, especially if you want to travel on a budget.

We have motorcycle camped in many different types of areas. Including parks in the U.S., beaches in Mexico (check out our post about Coyote Beach), and small villages in Central America.

You will need to pack a tent and a sleeping bag. Get a tent that is light enough to pack on your bike and good enough quality through wear and tear.

👉 This tent is my top pick for motorcycle camping.

Pack an air-up pillow if you have the room so that it can be easily deflated and packed to take up less space. I did not have an air-up pillow right away so I used a sweatshirt as a pillow.

A camping stove is also a good idea because it will allow you to cook while on the road. We have an MSR gasoline stove that comes in very handy when we can’t start a campfire.

This also worked great because we were able to store extra fuel in the MSR fuel containers for our cooking needs and our bikes on long stretches.

Our back bike racks are custom-made to suit our needs and they rock. We use a simple folding campfire grill flipped upside down and bolted onto our bike rack to strap our bags to during the day.

At night, we unpack our gear, unscrew our campfire grill doubling as a bike rack, and cook our food on it over the campfire. It works like a charm.

Cross country motorcycle trip packing list camping items

Clothing and Personal Items

  • Underwear and socks
  • Sweatshirt or jacket
  • Rain gear
  • Sunscreen
  • Bug spray
  • Toiletries

Dress in layers so that you can add or remove clothing as the temperature changes throughout the day.

Do not bring full-size toiletries; transfer your liquids into smaller containers to save space and weight. (You can always get more!)

Rain gear will prevent some miserable situations, as you never know when you might get caught in a storm. A hat and sunscreen are great to have to help protect you from the sun once you take off your helmet and gear.

Toiletries such as toothpaste and soap are also great to pack for a long trip. Unless you are trying to encourage your riding buddies to keep a much larger distance for your personal space.

Pack Light!

Personal items will make your trip more comfortable, but you don’t have to pack an outfit for every day of your trip.

One of the mistakes I made when I made my first Cross Country Motorcycle Trip Packing List, was to try to include enough underwear and socks to last me a year.

Try to keep in mind that you can find clothing, underwear, and socks to buy everywhere in the world.

It is most important to keep your packs and gear light, especially for very long trips. Once you wear out your socks or clothing items, you can always throw them away and replace them.

Pack only enough clothes for a few days so that you can do laundry at campsites or hotels along the way. Roll up your clothing instead of folding it to save space in your bag.

Other Items

We generally do not ride at night for safety reasons, especially in new countries. But if you do, be sure that you have reflective gear for night riding.

A headlamp comes in handy for finding your way around your campsite at night.

Wear appropriate clothing for the climate you’ll be riding in, and bring enough food and water to last between stops.

I brought along a camelback hydration pack to wear while riding and I have been so thankful to have that extra water along for long rides.

Using Google Maps on our cell phones works really well to get us where we need to go along our route. You can get a good quality magnetic tank back like this one that has a touchscreen top pocket so you can easily use your phone or GPS right in front of you.

We use a Quad Lock cell phone case and motorcycle mount to mount our phones on our bikes right on the handlebars and it works SO great.

A GPS is an important optional item to add to your cross country motorcycle trip packing list for the areas you may not have cell phone service or if you prefer not to use your phone.

If you are traveling in a group, I strongly recommend getting Bluetooth headsets so you can easily communicate with each other.

Travel Hacks: To pack, or Not to pack? 

  • Invest in a good towel: Make it microfiber! They absorb more than traditional towels, dry quickly, and won’t weigh down your bag. 
  • Charge your electronic devices with a solar charger: No wall plug for your charging cord? A solar charger strapped to your motorcycle luggage works while you ride.
  • Use foreign ATMs instead of the local currency exchange stand: They usually charge additional fees and higher exchange rates. Often, your bank will charge you less for using the ATM than the currency exchange.
  • Pack a few dryer sheets: Seriously, it’s the little things. Place a dryer sheet on your shirts and pants before rolling them up to put in your bag. This will keep you from smelling like a hot rainforest on an even hotter day.
  • Need a light? Pack a small box of crayons in place of emergency candles. One crayon will last about thirty minutes. 
  • Email yourself a scan of your passport: you never know when this might come in handy. Better to be prepared than to be stuck in a foreign country without your ID.
  • Stay in touch: Download WhatsApp to instant message and Viber to make free phone calls over wifi/internet.
  • Duck it up: Seriously, you never know when duct tape will come in handy. Especially when it’s used to hold together a monkey bike until you can get to a repair shop.  It can be used to patch almost anything and cover shoe blisters in a pinch.
  • Plastic bags: A good quality dry bag works wonders. However, if you find yourself without one, line your luggage with a plastic bag or garbage bag.
  • Baby wipes: You may find yourself camping in an area with no water. After sweating all day these will feel like a five-star spa treatment.

Summing It Up

You should always include all your road trip essentials, but as light as possible to avoid overloading your bike or throwing off your balance.

But, you should also pack everything you need for a safe and fun journey.

Be mindful of the weight and size of the items that you pack so your motorcycle can handle the extra load.

Add the motorcycle gear you need to your wishlist, and check out the best gifts for motorcycle riders for more inspiration.

An overloaded bike can be dangerous to ride. Pack your heavier things low and towards the bike’s center to maintain balance.

  • Bring comfortable, breathable safety gear that you can wear every day
  • Pack the essentials into your first aid kid
  • Be sure to pack motorcycle maintenance items. Especially a tire repair kit and chain lube!
  • Camping gear is much needed for the budget-friendly travel rider.
  • Bring a few changes of comfortable, durable clothing and a mix of warm/cold weather clothes for changing climates.
  • Pack along any other necessary items for your trip (cell phone and charger, cameras, wallet, etc.)

A cross country motorcycle trip is one of the best ways to travel and discover new places. Before you hit the open road, it is essential to pack everything you need.

We went on our insane journey to Central America on tiny 125cc motorcycles. These trusty steeds were Honda Monkeys, and it was the most outrageously fun journey I have ever been on.

But no matter what size or type of bike you choose for your long-distance adventure, it is best to be prepared with the right gear.

With this packing checklist, you can be sure you have enough for an unforgettable, fun trip while maintaining a light load!

Happy travels my friend. ✌️

And keep the rubber side down. 🏍️💨