Top 10 Touring Gear Essentials For Your Harley

Planning to hit the open road on your Harley-Davidson? Regardless of which motorcycle you own, don't forget these gear essentials.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of hitting the open road on your Harley-Davidson. Be it in a group or if you’re riding solo, the freedom associated with being one with the elements is second to none. Just the gentle hum of the engine beneath you, an open canvas up ahead, and the wind playing the role of an ally throughout.

As with everything, though, safety is paramount. It’s all well and good to throw caution to the wind and hope everything will go your way. In the worst case scenario, most even think that their smartphone and a credit card will bail them out.

In the long run, this isn’t the best course of action. Experienced motorcycle travelers with thousands of miles under their belt will attest to the fact that common sense and preparedness are simple hacks to help you prolong your time on your Harley-Davidson.

With that in mind, here's a list of the top 10 touring gear essentials for your Harley-Davidson that will not only keep you protected and comfortable, but will also enhance every ride you go on.

All information in this article was sourced from Matt Laidlaw's YouTube channel and Harley-Davidson's website.

To some, this may seem like a no-brainer, but the fact of the matter is that a helmet is the first thing that’s overlooked on rides.

The wind in your hair may feel like a welcome relief from the heat, but that’s a short-lived experience once insects and dust pile on to your face with equal ferocity. And we live in a golden-age of motorcycling gear, so a helmet being cumbersome to pull on and off can’t be an excuse anymore. Manufacturers like Shoei, LS2, Arai, and a lot more have a vast array of helmets to suit any and every need.

An open-face helmet like the Shoei Neotec II is a great option for an all-rounder. It acts as a great full-face helmet for the most part, but when you need access, it flips open from the front to allow you a sip of water when you’re at a rest stop. It also equips a dark-tinted drop-down visor that’s handy to have on those bright, sunny days.

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Sometimes, the unexplained happens. Despite being meticulous with preparations on your Harley-Davidson before your ride, it’s possible that your battery could give out mid-ride. If this happens when you’re in a populous city or town, then you could probably head on over to the nearest Harley-Davidson dealership and get it fixed immediately. But on the off-chance that you’re in a remote location with nothing around you for miles, then a weak battery is the last thing you need.

This is where Harley-Davidson’s Booster Portable Battery Pack comes in. As the name suggests, it’s compact enough to stow away in your backpack or saddlebag, which is a big plus. It’s also extremely easy to use. It's light-weight, and easily connects to your motorcycle battery with high-quality alligator clamps. Harley’s site also claims that the spark-proof and reverse polarity-protected connections help protect your bike’s electrical system.

It’s rated at 1000 Amperes, and can be recharged from a wall outlet using your cellphone’s charging block. While it provides up to 20 starts on a single charge, it can also power and charge USB devices like cellphones and cameras. Definitely worth the investment.

Just as important as protecting your head with a good helmet is giving your upper body some much-needed protection by way of a good riding jacket.

There are plenty of different ways to go about this. Lots of manufacturers out there sell you riding jackets that have paddings and protectors for the elbow, shoulders, and back. Depending on the kind you pick, they’re also excellent at keeping you warm on cold days, and dry on wet ones. If you’re okay with spending a little extra, you can even get a riding jacket equipped with airbags that will more than take care of even the worst falls.

Harley-Davidson themselves keep a wide array of riding jackets for men and women. A great option would be their Cycle Champ Leather Biker Jacket. Aside from looking great, you can also spec it with armor pockets for CE-certified D30 Ghost armor at the shoulders, elbows and back. This will do a good job of ensuring any spills you have aren’t serious.

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There are a lot of split opinions on using gloves while riding. But the simple truth is that riding gloves are a blessing for serious motorcyclists.

Aside from obviously protecting your hands in the event of a fall, riding gloves have evolved quite a bit over the years. You could get a one-size-fits-all pair of gloves, but it would be wiser to invest in a few different pairs depending on what you need protection from — rain, cold winds, or snow.

A quick trip to your nearest Harley-Davidson shop will open you up to a world of options. They have leather gloves, mesh gloves, full gauntlet gloves — the works.

If there’s one thing you can’t avoid on road trips, long or short, it’s the fact that eventually your luck will give out. You will end up with a flat tire at some point.

It’s one thing to rely on the convenience of being near a gas station with a working air pump when this happens. When your chips are down, though, you’ll more likely be far away from any such conveniences.

This is why it’s crucial to always keep Harley-Davison’s Compact Air Compressor handy on rides. Maintaining the correct tire pressures not only helps your ride quality, but it also prolongs the life of your tires. With the Compact Air Compressor, you don’t need to rely on gas station air pumps. All you need to do is plug it into your Harley’s battery charging harness, and you’re good to go. It features a built-in 0-160psi pressure gauge and an LED work light.

As for the tire plug kit, that will enable you to fix your tire’s puncture in a flash, without any external help from a gas station.

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Riding your Harley-Davidson in the rain can be an incredibly gratifying experience. But there’s nothing that states that you have to be uncomfortable while doing it.

As mentioned earlier, protective riding gear has come a long way. While most helmets will do a good job of protecting you from the elements, your regular jacket, gloves and riding pants won’t be able to sustain prolonged periods of rain.

Harley-Davidson has an answer to this. Their extensive collection of rain-specific pants, jackets, gauntlet gloves and even riding boots will ensure you’re bone-dry even in the nastiest of downpours.

Additionally, they also have heated gear for those cold, frigid days. This includes glove liners, jacket liners, heated bottoms and even sock liners.

While protection of the entire body is paramount while out riding your Harley-Davidson, it’s critical to ensure that your extremities are covered.

Harley-Davidson’s gear includes a great pair, the Gravel Outdry Boots, that are rugged and give you enough protection. They’re waterproof, feature an Omega leather outer shell for durability, and include a shin guard, heel cup, and toe cap.

A good tip for riding boots is to buy them in advance and break them in. They usually have a breathable interior that takes your foot’s shape the more time you spend in it.

Of this entire list, ear plugs may seem like the most frivolous item, but it’s one that can have a big impact. It’s not just the fact that Harley-Davidsons are loud motorcycles in general; it’s also that blocking out unnecessary external noises while you’re out riding can be crucial to keeping your hearing sound. Over time, the quality of your hearing can very likely deteriorate without ear plugs, so be sure to get a few pairs.

This one is crucial. Having a compact tool kit along for your ride can be the difference between reaching home relaxed and being stranded out on a highway frazzled.

Even if you’re not mechanically inclined, it always helps to have something like Harley-Davidson’s Snap-On tool kit handy. It has all the essentials, like a screwdriver, a box wrench, various hex keys, a spark plug gap tool, pliers, and a lot more. And it’s all easily accessible via a roll-up bag.

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While it is true that quite a few Harley-Davidsons come with in-built screens that display a variety of information like navigation and time, a solid smartphone mount is, arguably, a better bet.

Simply from the point of view of your smartphone being a great all-in-one device that can do everything, including taking calls (via a receiver on your helmet), it’s hard to beat its versatility.

Harley-Davidson has a range of options depending on your budget, but we’d recommend getting the anti-vibration module on top of your phone carrier mount, too. This will ensure that your phone’s internals don’t get ruined because of vibrations.

Raunak's love for putting pen to paper is legendary, even if he's the only one who says so. Loves anything to do with four wheels and is only too glad to write about it.