This is why I ALWAYS use more straps and tie-downs then necessary.  And I check every single one of them everytime I stop.

It just doesn't take all that much to cause a major problem on a motorcycle...

A New Jersey motorcyclist was critically hurt Saturday on Interstate 78 after a strapped sleeping bag came loose and fell into his rear wheel, Pennsylvania State Police said.

Kyle M. Capabianca, 23, of Lodi was thrown onto the westbound highway about 4:40 p.m. in Upper Macungie Township, sliding 10 yards before coming to rest where the road merges with Route 22, police said.

Capabianca, was listed in critical condition at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest on Sunday afternoon.

Police said the sleeping bag was strapped to the back of Capabianca's motorcycle. After it fell, the wheel locked up and Capabianca was unable to keep the bike upright, police said.

Shit mate thats a bit of bad luck aye..What I do is put a;ll my shit in my old duffle bad and strap it on that way you only have to secure one bloody bag not a whole heap of shit..Easier to tie on that way and can stack a slab of beer to the top without scratchin your fender..CHEERS BOOF

No kidding, Lucky! That's not too far from me - haven't seen it in the local news

That's why if I'm going to be carrying that much "Stuff"..... I pull my trailer !!!!

And Boof...... It will carry a BUNCH of beer !!!!!! 

Man that really bites. I hope he makes it.

I hope the young man makes it!! The lidsaks with the straps take care of my gear when I'm fully loaded.

Hope he pulls thru ok !!!
I use the same method as Boof,one big duffle bag for the crap that wont fit in the bags,or use my bike cover as a bag n roll everything up,tent,sleep bag,tarp,a/mattress.etc.

Get a book on knots, get two books on knots, get two books on knots & a copy of the "Boy Scout Manual"

Learn at least 7 knots & their names. - Keep a piece of line in your pocket & practice knots (great way to pass time)

When purchasing line go for quality, parachute chord is great but sear or whip the ends to keep it from fraying

The "Teamsters Hitch" (a.k.a. "truckers hitch") is especially handy for securing loads & quick to untie..
Check your load in every direction before starting & every time you stop.

Bungees are great for small, unimportant stuff that you don't mind losing but do not trust them when a loose load could present a problem of any kind.

...and if the BIG trailer's a'rockin' don't come a'knockin'!!

Duffel works for me.

I always carry my sleeping bag in a luggage bag with a pillow at each end. The D-rings on the bag make good tie down points in addition to the pulled over bungees.

Riding two-up means I carry the camping gear and clothes for two as well as all the CycleFish stuff, so my bike can get pretty full.  But I load it very meticulously ensurung that everything is secure and well balanced.  I also check EVERY strap and bungy EVERY stop.

Seems like a $5 motorcycle cargo net would have a cheap investment for this person. I have 2 with me usually.

Lucky....... Thought you were gonna get a trailer !!!!

Still on my to do list Rob...

I carry lots of bungy chords, straps and zip ties every time I load up and hit the road! Yeah, I'm THAT guy! I've even road with some fellers and along the way I let them know when their load is looking a little uneven, flapping, wobbly and offer them options from my saddle bag of the items listed above. I was on my way to Spokane WA once with a friend, we were traveling out of Seattle and noticed a quick stream of items had blown past me, my good friend was leading the ride, I pulled up along side him and got him to stop as he had not noticed the sudden barrage of toiletry items so I assumed it was his.
Upon stopping and inspecting his bags (he rides a 94 Softail Nostalgia) that he did not have saddlebag supports... turns out that the right side had shift and the brake rotor had been grinding against it... the fix was to pull the bags up higher so there was no chance of that re-occurring for the trip. Funny thing to note (and only HE has the pictures to prove it) his tooth brush had melted on his muffler and we removed it he said "wow, ok, next stop Walmart!" and my advice to him that his next stop should be Harley Davidson so he could pick up a set of saddlebag supports! $125.00 later after following my advice and doing a road stitch job to his saddlebag (involving a pocket knife to pock holes big enough to put zip ties on to use as the stitching) we were back in business. Though it wasn't life threatening, it could have been had that bag shifted a lot harder and made contact with the rear wheel and gotten in those spokes!
I try to remain vigilant when it comes to my load plan (retired military), I pack the same way EVERY time, if I add or subtract anything I make sure to keep an eye on it til it does in fact work correctly or I go another direction and try something else.

Needless to say I have mysteriously lost some items that I know I had packed and I know it was probably me being in a hurry! But I write it off as something I probably shouldn't have with me anyway! LOL

Also something to point out... make sure you have the right part for the right equipment! I see it a lot, people improvising when they shouldn't or don't have to. Be safe out there brothers!

 Heading to Centralia MO from Phoenix AZ then onto Sturgis SD and then Seattle WA!

A lot of really good tips, and thank you. I had saddlebags, but no supports. This time around, I'm gonna make sure, EVERYTHING is where it should be, and no long, or loose straps, ties, bungee's, or zipz!
Wow, I gotta shiver reading some of them stories.....Ride Free
Tweek

Bungee cords fatigue with heat and age. I only use straps and carry spares. Compression bags for all the stuff before it's loaded to reduce any movement at all. I also check everything at each stop.

That they do, I got through plenty of em that's for sure!

Constrictor Knots keep the sleeping bag tightly bound.

Teamsters Hitch w/ Larks Head Hitch securing it to the rack & Butterfly Knots to form the loops (tho Slip Knots would have done about as well) secure the sleeping bag & the tent to the rack. - Sheet Bend keeps the ends from flapping about

Sinnet Knot takes keeps the draw string on the bag covering the sleeping bag from getting tangled.

Straps are back-up security for everything. - Ditto bungees

Don't care about the sleeping pad - Can't hurt anything, including me

That is why I pull a trailer every thing is away from my back tire.

Thanks to all for the info, stories and advice. I have never had something come loose and get in my spokes... However, I was riding back from a run & when I was packing, I had neglected to put the rain fly for my small dome tent into the tent bag. So I just casually slapped a bungee on it to hold it down. I carried my dome tent on the front forks (extended springer front end) and somehow that rain fly came loose... and wrapped itself around my head! Oh yeah, that was a 'Pucker Time'! The bros I was riding with at the time gave me sh*t for months after that. Funny now, not so much then.