Tips from those of you who commute

[Epic Ed]

Just bought an '06 FZ6 last week. It is my first bike, and I'm a n00b rider. Also just completed the Basic Rider Course this weekend and passed the written and skills test to earn my motorcycle endorsement. I'm planning to use the bike as my primary commuting vehicle once I get comfortable with the bike and feel my skill level is up to the task. One of the challenges I face is how to carry gear. I'm the kind of guy who never leaves home without a "Get Home Bag", emergency gear/tools, three days worth of food and water, and a firearm. That's all easy to do with the Land Cruisers, but now I need to transition to a minimalist mindset with the bike.

What are some of the lessons learned for those of you who commute? How do you swing the balance between needing to dress for work and needing to gear up for safety? How do you handle lunch breaks where you'll need to be hopping on the bike to go out to grab something to eat? I live in Phoenix where we are now officially into the hottest and most miserable part of the year, but I'm not compromising on the safety gear I plan to wear. I will be an ATGATT kind of guy and will simply have to suffer through the extremes in heat. If you're in a similar situation, please pass along some of the tricks and tips you've learned to make life manageable. Thanks!

Ed

 

[Deleted member 2349]

My commuter setup...Textile Tourmaster Flex 2 Jacket(4 season jacket, liner/mesh/rain shell), Firstgear HT air overpants(just pull them on over work pants, also has liner thats rain proof), Finally I have a shift backpack that has more pockets than i'll ever use. I also bring a lunch bag that I bungee to the passenger seat. Pretty easy setup for my 7 minute ride to work.

PS i lived in north phoenix for 2 years, personally I like mesh gear. i think some on here might like the perforated leathers more.

 

[reiobard]

tank bags, saddle bags.. if you want them to be permanent then go for the Givi luggage setup

 

[Botch]

I've been commuting awhile now, here's some totally random thoughts:

- I haven't figured out a good way to strap on my briefcase, so I usually put the paperwork I think I'll need in a pocket in my backpack, which also contains my gym clothes and a Thermos of iced tea.

- I also have a tank bag semi-permanently attached, and put a copy of Newsweek in it while going to lunch. It can also hold a few vegetables if I stop for groceries on the way home.

- If its been "one of those days", I've found those 4-hook, elastic nets will hold a twelve pack on the pillion station perfectly, fortunately its a quick leg home so it doesn't get a chance to get warm.

- Sometimes I go without protective pants, sometimes I wear the Sliders brand of jeans or slacks, they don't look too bad in an office environment. Likewise, my boots are basic black and look fine there too.

- My Scorpion helmet crushes my short hair down except for a thin line bisecting my skull, looks like a Mohawk. My coworkers will just have to cope.

- On mornings when its been raining, I drove the truck. On afternoons when its been raining, I got wet, but I was going home.

- Wet summer gloves will freeze your hands quicker'n my ex.

- I have to show my ID to get on the AF Base; I built a small ID holder that mounts on my handlebar that holds the ID, so I don't have to put the bike in Neutral, pull out my wallet, take off a glove, remove my ID, show it to Security, reverse order everything, and have a line of cars behind me wanting to run me over.

If I think of more I'll post again. Good luck!

 

[keira]

a good pair of overpants (there are lots of mesh styles out there, since you're in AZ) will keep you protected even in nice work slacks, and won't make you sweat too bad. When I worked a business-attire job, I would wear my overpants and boots, and bring my work shoes with me. Granted it's harder riding in stilettos than in loafers, but still... Also, like reiobard said, saddlebags, tank bags, tail bags and any other combination of luggage you can find will help out with your daily wants. If your hair is an issue (i.e. it gets flat and helmet-looking), a quick rinse with H2O and some hair gel will fix it in a flash.

 

[clunk]

For my badge, I got an armband badge holder.

Raine Inc. - Tan Military ID Armband

 

[JohnTex]

I have had good luck with the Coretech sport bike tail bag. It can hold many files and my notebook. Actually, travelling lighter on the motor has driven me to leave the pc at work & just take a jumpdrive of work home.

The mesh overpants would work well for you, but given the summer oven of Phoenix, fold your work pants and put them in the bag, and just wear the mesh pants! As things are warming up here, I like my mesh jacket more every day. I would rather have perforated leather for safety, but know that it would never fly in humid Gulf Coast summers, and they aren't as bad as Phoenix summers. As someone told me when I was in Phoenix last June: sure it is 110F, but it is a DRY 110. Yeah, he was right... it didn't feel any worse to me than 105

I put my backpack/messenger bag away once it hits 90F- I can;t stand the heat trapped on my back, but I know others are fine with it.

Good luck & be safe.

 

[craig007]

I leave a pair of shoes at work and change from my riding boots at work. I try to leave my laptop at work. If I need to bring it home, wear a backpack to put it in. I wear my ID badge on my left arm with an arm band. This way, I can open the gate by pulling up close to the pad. I wear an Olympia AST jacket and Ranger 2 pants. They are waterproof. In the mornings it is cool enough to wear my normal business casual clothes under my gear. When it gets warmer, going home, I change to a tee shirt and either tights or shorts. I put my clothes in small sack and place it in my tank bag. I pack my lunch so I don't have to go out at lunchtime. I will switch to a mesh jacket for summer, but will see if my ranger 2 pants will work through the summer (with shorts under)

 

[Epic Ed]

Cool. Thanks for the replies. The only thing I have going for me in the appearance category is that I shave my already-partially-bald-head and don't have to worry about how my "do" looks. :thumbup:

I'm indecisive about working out the clothing situation, and will probably have to try a few things to see how they work. Fortunately, I work in a business-(very) casual office and or dress code for the summer heat is even more relaxed. I've already purchased a Joe Rocket Alter Ego 2.0 jacket and pants. I think I'm going to purchase a pair of protective shorts (open to suggestions, here), wear the Alter Ego pants over top, and then just pack in my work short/pants and shirt. That way I won't be sweat-soaked when I arrive. It's going to take some extra time and planning evey day but I'm hoping it won't be too much of a hassle. I also already bought a good sized tank bag and will be picking up a Givi tail bag asap.

Ed

 

[Andyjo]

Jacket, Helmet, Pants... For work junk, i have a messenger bag that i strap to the back seat w/ a bungee net, I put my badge in my tank bag, so i can flash it out going through the guard shack.

 

[CHEMIKER]

Everything gear-wise has already been said. Storage was my big issue. I used to carry a backpack but it got too hot when the weather started to get nice because the straps cover the nice perforations in my jacket.

A couple of weeks ago I bought the First Gear Monza tankbag:

First Gear Monza Tank Bag With Backpack - KneeDraggers.com

During the ride home it seemed very bulky and I thought I was going to return it. But I decided to ride with it for a week before making that decision and now I don't even notice it's there. This thing is awesome!! It has so much room inside and lots of options. It is a two-part bag; the top big compartment comes off and becomes actually a nice backpack. The bottom compartment doesn't hold anything taller than 1" but, like the top compartment, has a mapcase, which is nice for short trips. I give it this bag 10/10. I usually unzip the top and take it with me if I'm in a familiar place and take the whole thing with me if I'm unsure of it's security.

A couple of things about tank bags:

Make sure that the tank bag and your tank are very clean when you attach it. No matter how strong the magnets are you will get micromotion between the bag and the tank that will result in abrasion over time if you have trapped particles. Remove it and clean both often. I carry around a microfiber towel and clean the tank and bag whenever I get gas (you have to take the bag off anyway). On weekends I clean the tank and bag with a damp towel and mild detergent.

Don't put a computer in your tankbag if you are using the magnets. Rumor is that hard drives don't play well with magnets!

 

[Botch]

Don't put a computer in your tankbag if you are using the magnets. Rumor is that hard drives don't play well with magnets!

Whoa, I wouldn't have thought about this! Great suggestion! :thumbup:

 

[cv_rider]

I use CoreTech soft saddle and tailbags. Dress shoes in the saddle bags, little brief case in the tail bag. I've been able to wear my business clothes under the riding clothes, even when it was over 100F. Wind kept me from breaking into a sweat. Most of my commuting is from my home to customers' facilities, so I end up taking off all my riding gear and swapping boots for shoes in the parking lot. Since I can't bring all that gear in the facility with me, I have a long cable that I loop through the helmet, jacket, flourescent vest, and riding pants, and lock all that to the front wheel. Back protector just sits under all that -- no way to lock it and too big to go into CoreTech. I stuff the boots and gloves into the tailbag and lock the two zippers together. It would only take a pliers to break open the tailbag, and the whole thing can be disconnected from the bike with four quick-release connectors, so it's not secure. But at least it keeps prying eyes away. The real pain is short hops between different facilities. The time it takes to gear up and gear down often takes longer than getting there. Sometimes the headache of all the clothing changes just makes me want to cage it, but that's too mind numbing in the traffic.

 

[gomd3]

Ive been using it to go to school and Im using a messenger bag currently. I just finish modifying my mounts and Im about to paint the hard bags I bought of a Ducati to fit onto FZ. If you commute alot theres nothing better than having permanent hard bags. You can go shopping and not worry about carrying stuff back. On my DRZ (dual sport also my previous commuter bike) I had hard saddle bags and a trunk to carry tools and what nots in.
Good thing about the hard cases is that you dont have to worry about people running off with your bags since they are bolted on... Also allow for way more storage space.

 

[Doorag]

I've been commuting on a couple of different bikes for over a year now and I find that a removable, rear box to be the best bet. I can cram a backpack with an entire change of clothes into it along with a few groceries on the way home. It also works as a back-rest for a pillion passenger and helps inexperienced passengers feel safer.

Where I work, sometimes I need a suit for client meetings. I just keep a suit, shirt, tie, and dress shoes in the office in case I need them.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I use a backpack to carry my junk plus I wear full gear going to work. I have a stash of clothes hidden at my workplace just in case I need to change into some dry clothes ranging from socks, underwear, shoes, etc. in case I encounter really wet weather. My workplace is casual, so I can wear a hat to cover my helmet hair. I live in Vegas so our climate is similar to yours in Phoenix. During the summer, I wear a mesh jacket. I usually switch shirts once I get to work during the summer because of the sweat. As far as your firearm, can't help you there. Are you a cop?

 

[Zealous]

If you're worried about wearing a backpack because of the trapped heat, or your just looking to store your gear with your bike, then I found a pretty good setup. It's completely adjustable, so even though I found it on a forum for another bike (GS500E) It would be able to fit the back side of your FZ6 just as well. In the end it provides plenty of storage, it's easily removable, and all three bags have a clean look to them when on. No oversized stuff making you look like your going on an expedition instead of work. I'll post the link and hopefully it helps.

Installing Tourmaster Cortech Saddlebags & Tailbag on a (pre-'01) Suzuki GS500E

 

[Mattberkshire]

I leave as much as I can at work - shoes, laptop etc. I usually wear leathers with my work trousers folded up in a rucsac. I also leave a spare pair of trousers in by bottom drawer at work in case I forget to bring the trousers (which I did once, had to wear leathers all day - felt a right dork)

 

[Cloggy]

I have a locker at my work, I keep a full set of clothes in it, especially for the warm summer days, when I ride in my leathers. My boots I change for my regulation (anti static) safety shoes. During the days that are cold in the morning and warmer in the afternoon i generally carry a rucksack so I can put my warmer clothes in it when I ride back in the afternoon. Any bigger luggage then I take my Givi top box with me.

I put my works pass on a neck cord attatched to my jacket and put it in my pocket, generally I don't have a problem getting it out of my pocket whilst riding, but if anything happens I can simply drop it, and grab it later. TIP don't put other things in the same pocket.

 

[JohnP]

First Gear overpants, FG Mesh jacket for hot weather, FG Kilimanjaro Jacket for rain, Leather jacket for everything else. Leave pair of dress shoes at work.

Most importantly, Gerbing heated jacket. I'm not sure if it gets cold at night in AZ but in Mass in the spring and fall in Massachusetts it can be 60 degrees going to work and 40 degrees or less coming home. The Gerbing heated jacket can be worn as a windbreaker under the Mesh jacket, and of course heated under anything. It has heated high collar zip up neck which keeps your neck oh so toasty.

For storage a Givi v46 top case is going on the (one week old) bike today.

John