First things first. The bike is tastefully seasoned with the brand new Rolling Hobo stickers. I’d say it’s looking better and better. It did get some cool Rally Raid stickers too.

Secondly I got a round to packing up my bike for the two week ride I will start off for on Thursday morning. It was about time too as I really haven’t had time to have a proper look at the Adventure Spec Magadan panniers yet. They seem very nice and I was pretty happy I could fit all of my stuff into them. So looks like there will be no top bag which is good news.

I’m a bit of a minimalist when it comes to travelling, hiking, mountain biking of whatever, but the motorcycling thing is different. With my GSX1400 I didn’t event think about tools. I mean, riding on paved roads pretty much guarantees traffic which means someone will be able to give you a ride to the nearest garage or something if a problem arises. As for this enduro ride, I’ll be pretty much out of peoples way for most of the time. It’s not like it’s Mongolia and civilization is usually a couple of hours away. Then again it’s a couple of hours on a functioning vehicle. Walking the distance is a whole different matter.

So, what to bring? There seem to be as many setups as there are riders. Some people are happy with just a puncture kit, a pump and a few spanners. Some people ride with the capacity to do a full engine overhaul. For me both extremes are too…extreme, but I’m leaning towards the first one. My biggest issue at the moment is whether or not to bring a chain link and chain tool. It’s heavy, and I’d rather not carry it. Then again, walking is a bitch…. I guess time will tell. I’ll post my equipment up here before I leave.

In the mean time, have a look at the Magadan panniers.