Packing a Laptop for a Motorcycle Trip

[Blueraven]

Hello All,

I am taking my laptop on my Motorcycle for the first time ever traveling down to Maggie Valley. It is a 15in one. I know that you have to pack them well so they don't get damaged on the ride. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to carry it on a Nomad and packing suggestions. I have the usual side bags and the one touring pack.

Thanks

[Cajunrider]

My Toshiba Satellite 18.4" screen laptop doesn't fit anywhere on my bike in or out of the carry case. I can only bring it with me packing it in my trailer. If you have a smaller laptop, it should stand up in either of your saddlebags or in your tourpack. If you don't have a carry case for it, I would wrap it up in a towel to prevent scratches and to absorb some of the vibration. Rattling around can't be good for the hard drive.

[Blueraven]

That is what I am thinking. Does the saddle bags have less vibration?

[cactusjack]

I have a 16" Toshiba. I have carried it on extended trips on several occasions. I usually carry it in a soft briefcase style bag in my tourpack, but this year I bought a neoprene sleeve sized to fit the laptop and will use that to protect it. The HD came with soft luggage for the saddlebags and tourpak and I am just going to place the neoprene sleeve inside the soft case that goes in the tourpak.

BTW, I had my work laptop (Lenovo T410) inside the tourpak of the Nomad when I crashed it. It was in another soft briefcase style bag and it survived just fine. It has a shock sensor that reports hard shocks that could potentially damage the hard drive, the impact of the crash didn't even register on it. Not even when the Nomad flipped over from the left to right side.

[coacha]

I carry mine in a soft sided padded case. The case fits in the saddle bag, in the trailer or in another bag on the luggage rack on my trunk (location is dependent on solo, camping or two-up w/o trailer). Never had an issue with the computer yet.

[lw]

I have packed my Toshiba in a backpack strapped to the backrest as well as using the "padding it with a cloth of some sort and standing it against the back wall of the left saddlebag" method. Never had a problem yet.

[audiogooroo]

17" MacBook Pro goes with me. Like Scott, I have a padded neoprene sleeve that it goes in, then just stand it up in my right saddle bag and pack clothing or other soft goods around it. Many thousand miles like this with no issue at all.

[ballast]

Mine was in a pack strapped to the top of another bag and was just fine even after sliding with me and the bike 60 feet or so down the shoulder in Montana a couple of years ago. Padded case, waterproof and it's fine whereever it fits. I now have a Dell 10inch mini.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

I would maybe use bubble wrap to wrap it in and store it in the tour pack. Have some clothing under and over it.

[ringadingh]

Id put it in the beerbox, perhaps wrapped in an rainjacket. That should do it.

[ponch]

I've taken a 13"15" and 17" apple laptops in the Nomad saddlebags. I have had Brenthaven and STM laptop backpacks and both worked well. The 17" just fits, the 15" and 13" are no problem. The Brenthaven was first rate, but the STM is fine.