Packing

Today I started packing my most important pieces of luggage: the topcase and the tank bag. In the middle of my packing, my friend Omar called, still reeling from a Corona infection, but in good spirits again. "Just pack some cable ties and duct tape! That's the universal stuff for emergencies." And that's what I did. I went straight to the DIY store and bought two sizes of cable ties and a roll of duct tape and packed them. Thanks Omar! I hope that I won't need that stuff though.

In both the tank bag and the top case I tucked in a plug for the 12V socket and a cable for the phones. IMPORTANT: never leave the plug in the socket, these things still draw power even when the bike is switched off. The next morning you will find the battery empty. The steering lock won't respond, and even if it does, the starter won't even "click". I just had it. I was lucky: the battery was probably so old that it was completely dead after this carelessness. Now I've installed a brand new battery, which I hope is a bit more robust.

Another tip from Omar: take the spare key with you (the grey plastic emergency key). Thanks for that too, Omar, I did. But where to put the car licence, the passport and the spare key, so that they can't get stolen or lost? I found a kind of pouch in my inventory that you can tie around your waist with a click fastener. I' ll put an FFP2 mask in it, and some cash, just in case. Maybe I'll put my Samsung mobile phone in there too. 

In the tank bag is my toilet bag, medication, my blood pressure monitor (unfortunately, as a high-risk patient, I need three measurements a day), spare batteries for the blood pressure monitor and the BMW key and the LED emergency lights, a pair of light sweatpants for the stay on the car train, and cables and a power supply unit for my mobile phones and my Apple Watch, for the hotel and the train.

There is one thing you should not forget: some noise protection earplugs. The Sonic Shop has some very good ones, especially for motorbike noise, and I've made very positive experiences with them. The earplugs are very soft and comfortable to wear. By default, they come with a medium sound attenuation (green inner part), but there are different inserts (white and red inner part), which you can easily change for medium and heavy noise, depending on the bike you ride. Despite the plugs, you can still hear the helmet radio well, and the ambient noise can still come through well, for example the siren of an ambulance that is still far away. All sounds are only muffled in the dB value. 

I also packed an original BMW charger in the top case, in case the battery should run out against all expectations. The charger is simply plugged into the BMW's 12V socket, so you don't have to uncover the battery in the bike first to connect the terminals to the poles. However, you can also do this if you really want to. Then I packed two LED headlamps for emergencies at night and a charger for AA and AAA accus. My headlamps have different modes: bright focused light, bright wide-beam light, continuous red light, flashing red light. I then have another, not a stand-alone LED lamp with a white continuous light and a white flashing light, for example for securing an accident site. In case of an accident, I also packed two emergency first-aid kits. Also a multifunctional tool, spare halogen bulbs for the headlight, a bit set and a small bit screwdriver. The top case also holds my rain suit, a dry bonnet for changing, special spray for cleaning the visor and a soft cleaning cloth. And then there's my laptop and a laptop power supply.