This week I’m going to cover luggage for your motorcycle, covering some of the features you should look for, and some of the best options available for carrying things on your bike.
There are two major types of luggage – hard and soft, however as designs change the line between the two blurs ever more. It used to be the case that all soft luggage had to be strapped or bungeed to your bike, but several manufacturers now offer innovative ways to secure it to your bike. Hard luggage has become more robust and streamlined, and is the ultimate in securing your load, but it’s inevitably more expensive.
There are a few things you should look for in a good piece of luggage, and your intended use will determine how important these things are – overall ease of use for its intended purpose is likely the most important, otherwise you’ll just get fed up with it.
Waterproofing can be done via a cover or a rolltop for soft luggage – a cover offers easier access when it’s dry, but more difficult when wet, whereas a rolltop will provide 100% waterproofing all the time, with the downside that it’s not quite as convenient as a zip. The faff of a cover when it rains can put people off this, but more complex bags use zips to create compartments, but covers can be quite effective.
The attachment method is important too, and how irritating it is to use will determine how well you get on with it! Whether you have to worry about your bags falling off your bike is also quite a significant factor – generally the more you pay, the better the design of the attachment, with hard cases providing the ultimate security.
Here are some examples of some of the best pieces of luggage you can buy, covering all types:
Kriega US-20 (£99): This is arguably the quintessential piece of soft luggage – it includes a roll-top for full waterproofing. It uses an innovative hook-strap system, so once the straps are on the bike fitment and removal is a breeze. It comes with a shoulder strap and carry handles for easy transport off the bike. This is the 20l version, however 5l, 10l and 30l versions are available, all of which can attach to one another, as well as to Kriega’s hard luggage allowing huge versatility. It can attach to panels like panniers, to your tank via a harness system or simply as a tail pack on the saddle.
Givi Tanklock (£60+): There are several versions of this extremely convenient design of tankbag, with bags ranging from something that can hold a water bottle and a phone, to something that rivals a sizeable tail pack. All the bags are of superb quality, often including transparent tops for smartphones or maps. Their party piece is the mounting system – you simply replace the tank ring on your bike with the appropriate Givi Tanklock ring to use any of their Tanklock bags, some of their rear racks are also compatible. By aligning and placing a bag on top it locks without touching the tank, and very securely. Removal is a simple matter of pulling a tab by the ring and lifting. The XS307 is probably the sweet spot for touring and commuting – it’s expandable to 15l in capacity and includes a waterproof cover and shoulder strap for complete versatility. There’s also the TanklockED range being introduced that locks the bag to the bike for a bit of security when it’s left unattended.
SW Motech Blaze (£300 inc fitment): This is one of two main options for soft panniers, one with a rack of some kind in this case, or one without. The Blaze utilises a minimal system, simply two bars coming from near the pillion footpegs which the bags slide onto, and then a simple Velcro strap across the seat to hold them onto the bike, and an arm below the subframe prevents tyre contact. Waterproof inner bags, zippered expansion and large carrying handles allow great adaptability. Their main strength over hard panniers are the range of bikes they suit, and the subtlety of the mounting mechanism.
Givi Rollbag (£40-80): The most basic of options, but very handy for supplementing other luggage. Laid across hard panniers for example it can boost your capacity by up to 80l for minimal cost. The waterproofing is 100% when sealed correctly and is made of thick, high quality plastic that will take being knocked and scraped with ease. The inclusion of a shoulder strap and large carry handle make man-handling such a large bag relatively easy. The only thing it lacks is a mounting so bungees are definitely required, and how easy it is to attach is down to your bike and any racks you may already have. I’ve personally used this laid across my pillion seat and hard panniers - it didn’t move an inch, and held a huge amount of stuff.
Givi hardcases: Arguably the go-to solution for hard luggage for a road-going motorcycle, but not the cheapest. I use a 47l top box (of which there are several versions, using a small range of rack systems, and able to adapted regardless of which box you have with plates) and its lock can be replaced to match Givi panniers. Attachment and detachment takes seconds, and it’s completely waterproof, and provides enough space (just) for two helmets. The only downside is it can be a little bit of a pain to carry around due to its size, but that’s hard to avoid. I also use the V35 panniers by Givi which carry on the theme of ease of use and complete waterproofing, however despite advertising they can hold a helmet I’ve never managed to fit my large Shoei GT-Air in. For a long tour however, these cases are truly invaluable as you can leave the bike with just your usual security and not worry about your belongings going for a walk, and even leave your helmet in the top box if you have enough space.
There are a great many solutions for carrying items on your bike, and ultimately how you do it will likely come down to how much you want to spend – a rollbag and a rucksack can cover a lot of needs, but there is a huge range of designs that make carrying things easier, safer, more convenient and more secure.
If you need help deciding, or simply want to check out the options swing by Bike Stop in Stevenage where you can ask your questions, check out gear you'll be wanting to keep safe in your future biking career, or simply enjoy a delicious Lavazza coffee and cake. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to our mailing list to keep up to date on events happening at Bike Stop throughout the year.
