Not-So-Basic Bags
NOT-SO-BASIC Bags
A place for everybody's stuff
Chase Harper Speedpack
The bag that ate New York (and parts of Jersey, too)
AREN’T WE ALL HUMAN? DON’T WE ALL HAVE OUR BASIC needs? You know, dark beer, cool duds (or warm), a nice harmonica, garlic, a tent, Chinese take-out, raingear...
Of course we do. But motorcycle riders typically are faced with a great challenge when trying to take it all with them.
Despair no longer, for we’re here to show you some answers.
Big or small, sporty, stylish or strictly utilitarian, our selection runs the range of taste and need. From bags for the
wannabe Buddhist who’s successfully shed most of his worldly possessions to the full-on materialist who keeps the Capitalist Machine properly lubed with the fevered acquisition of lifestuffs.
In this First case, we’re showing you a great big answer to the question of how to take it with you.
It’s Chase Harper’s Speedpack (manufactured by Germany’s B-Bags), an immense, teflon-coated cordura structure that secures to the back of your motorcycle with metal-buckle tie-down straps. This plastic-reinforced piece is the steamer trunk of strap-on luggage, except it’s designed to be aero-friendly and doesn’t stick out in the breeze too much, despite its impressive dimensions.
The arched “top case” compartment looks like it could fit about 1.3 Jimmy Hoffas (it’s 30 x 15 x 12 inches), while the saddlebags (about 12x12 inches) could each easily eat a bowling ball. Although this, depending on your taste in bowling balls, might exceed the recommended weight capacity of 11 pounds per sidebag. You might be able to get them in the main bag with a portion of Hoffa on the side, though, as the top case is rated for 22 pounds, and features straps both inside and out to keep the load steady. Waterproof inner bags attach neatly with that hookand-loop stuff that resembles the trademarked Velcro product.
A nice feature of the Speedpack is the modularity. That is,
there’s the option of using all three bags, or just the top case, or just the saddlebags. Used in triplicate, they’ll swallow a week’s worth of goods with ease. And you'd still have space for packing souvenirs bought along the way.
First-time installation was mildly challenging as our Speedpack was delivered without instructions. Not that it’s overly complicated, but there are lots of parts and fasteners and straps and buckles and such, so that the First time you engage the creature, it’s sort of like trying to tie the Gordian knot. Simple Simon, now, though, and so far the monster has strapped right onto everything we’ve tried in our fleet, from serious sportbike (Chase Harper’s marketing focus) to standard, without tumsignal or tailpipe interference. Plus, with the way the tie-down loops are situated, it’s easy to route the straps so there’s little or no paint contact. And once this thing’s in place, it’s so secure it might as well be welded on. Except it doesn’t take a chisel to remove it once you’ve gotten where you’re going.
A shoulder strap is included to ease transport off the bike, and there are also duffel-like handles zippered onto both ends. For safety, reflective piping (available in Five colors) accents the otherwise all-black styling. One particular nicety is the inclusion of paint-protecting clear adhesive tape, which you cut to fit your application.
All told, a welldesigned package worth the $340 asking price. The only trouble, then, is having enough cash left over to fill it up.
DETAILS
Chase Harper
P.0. Box 4098
Santa Barbara, CA 93140
877/965-7977
www.chaseharper.com
Price..........$340
^Ips
A Contoured to hug modern bikes’ curved tailsections A Makes neat, cave-like echoing sound when empty
owns
▼ The only way to make it so big on the inside is to make it so big on the outside
▼ Forces you to buy more than you need, just to fill the new void in your life
Harley-Davidson Ultra Bag
Next stop, Sturgis
Behold the better duffel bag. Produced for Harley by American luggage-maker SAC, the Ultra Bag measures a healthy 24 x IO x 13 inches, big enough for a week’s tour, as long as you’re going solo and not camping out. Two-up weekenders, no problem, Emelda Marcos excepted.
The Ultra comes in a variety of' versions, each tailored to work with a speciflc model of harley back rest and luggage rack. The front of the ba'i has a pocket shaped to fit the backrest pad. it's further secured to the bike ia two adjustable cincIi-dov~ ii straps. Worrywarts might want to loop a couple of bungees over the bag for added peace of'
mind. We did.
This bag’s biggest claim to fame is that it’s damn-near waterproof. Rain beads up on the treated leather exterior, and all-day frog-stranglers are kept at bay by the main compartment’s polyethylene liner. Particularly impregnable is the zippered, U-shaped opening, backstopped by three layers of plastic folds. Hey, nothin’ worse than wet stuff.
DETAILS
Harley-Davidson
3700 W. Juneau Ave.
Milwaukee, Wl 53208
800/588-2743
www.harley-davidson.com
Price..........$325
"*%lps
A Inside smells like PVC (if you're into that kind of thing)
A Main compartment virtually waterproof
15 owns
▼ Inside smells like PVC (if you aren’t)
▼ Side compartments definitely not
▼ Priced like a Harley
Iron Horseman Pack Horse Backpack
Holds more than a mule could carry
First things first: The only way to properly read this is out loud, and in a Supercross announcer’s booming voice: “The Iron Horseman Pack Horse Backpack is a sixcompartment bag with nearly 30 subcompartments to store, stuff, stash and pack all that stuff you call stuff! Load it up with tools, parts, food and drink, and head on out into the wild equipped for bear! All this, for
149 bucks!!!” Okay. Now, back to the real world. Realistically speaking, when you break down the many features of the Pack Horse, what stands out most is the shoulder-strap setup, allowing for easy on and off. This is due to quickrelease fasteners at the bottom of each strap. No more straining your anus or asking your buddy to “help me put this on.”
There is also a cool little pouch up front in between the shoulder straps, which is a convenient place to stash a small point-n-shoot camera, keys or granola bars. Three rear compartments house plenty of slots and pockcts-both plain, zippered and mesh-lined versions-as well as a water bladder holder and tube exit. Also, button-down side slots are great for carrying drinks or extra gas, while leaving enough room to pack a toy or two (even guns, for those who arc into that sort ofthing...). In other words, internal organization is a cinch.
The Pack Horse comes in black, blue, camouflage and brown. When full, it distributes its weight comfortably and the whole thing fastens securely to your body and stays in place. All in all, more than you bargained for, really.
DETAILS
Iron Horseman 1821 Boston Ave. Longmont, CO 80501 303/684-9682 www.ironhorseman.com Price $149
UPS
Easy access Stays put while riding
Downs
Bag is so large and feature-filled you need a map to navigate it
RS Taichi RSB218
Trippin’ travel trunk
Remember the universal tail-trunk? This is it, only bigger. And better.
Japan’s RS Taichi is recognized around the world for its leather roadracing suits. The company’s Long Distance Equipment soft-luggage line is not as well known (until now), but offers comparable attention to detail and quality.
Measuring 13 inches tall, 12 inches deep and 17 inches wide, the cordura-nylon RSB 218 will sit atop the passenger portion of most any motorcycle seat. It has three storage compartments, each with its own zippered opening and rain flap, separated by removable plastic partitions. On the pack’s back is an easily accessible mesh map pocket, and for night runs, there’s reflective tape on three of the four sides.
RKA SuperSport Bags
Cute, quick and easy
A one-night stand, really, is what we’re talking about here. Because RKA’s SuperSport Saddlebags and Tankbag are as compact a set of soft luggage as you’ll find, they’re perfect for overnight jaunts.
First up, the 7.5-liter tankbag. It's a water-resistant, 1000-denier cordura bag that has a zip-up, expandable pouch with two storage compartments, an inside mesh pocket, and a removable map holder and shoulder strap. A fleece underside prevents scratches when the bag is mounted to the tank. Which it does via three straps that attach to the frame and under the saddle with quick-release fasteners.
Then there are the 33-liter saddlebags. Made from the same material as the tankbag, the zippered, amoeba-shaped sacks are equipped with a wind flap that velcroes over the zipper. They can be slung over or under the passenger seat (your choice), thanks to a set of wide velcro strips.
Sargent Super Bag
A place for everything
There are dilemmas when it comes to soft luggage. To wit. a tankbag works great on the bike, but you look like a complete Mary carrying it off the bike, and you’re forever digging through the contents to find small items that worked their way to the bottom.
Fortunately, there's a better way. The Super Bag from Sargent Cycle Products is a tankbag, backpack and fannypack, all in one.
Foundation of the Super Bag is the Launch Pad mounting system, the underside of which is covered with an Ultra Grip liner that maximizes traction while minimizing damage to painted surfaces. The Launch Pad attaches to your bike’s fuel tank in traditional fashion, with straps and/or magnets, and it’s compatible with Sargent’s bike-specific Metro Tank Panel system as well.
The Super Bag zips onto the Launch Pad, and can be doubled in size by unzipping a circumferential zipper. Atop the tankbag is a small flap, beneath which lurks a mini-Maglite flashlight that’s held in place by a quarter-turn fastener. There also are two different-sized clear-plastic map pockets that snap to the tankbag or to the included raincover. Hidden shoulder straps allow you to wear the tankbag like a backpack off the bike, thus avoiding the Dreaded Handbag Syndrome.
Inside, light padding and a velvety liner coddle clothes and other travel essentials. Careful packers will find room for a weekend’s worth of stuff, but little more. Off the bike, a grab handle (or removable shoulder strap) provides easy transport.
Four adjustable nylon straps secure bag to bike. For added security, we knotted the strap ends so they couldn’t pull through the buckles at speed. When foul weather strikes, there’s a drawstring-equipped raincover. An adjustable bungee strap is also part of the package.
Simple and effective. Neat.
DETAILS
RS Taichi, Inc.
3-1-25 Nakagaito Daito
Osaka, Japan
011-81-72-874-3268
Ups
www.rs-taichi.co.jp
$160
Larger than most tailpacks Taichi quality
Downs
Universal mounting system not always universal Not yet sold stateside
An additional strap secures below the license-plate bracket.
The SuperSports come in black or red, and fit numerous applications. We put the trio on our long-term Suzuki SV650, and they remained firmly in place on a sojourn to this year’s World Superbike event at Laguna Seca. Neither freeway windblast nor twistyroads nor potholes caused them to shift about. Good, then, for any type of trip. As long as it’s short.
They allow for a change of clothes-maybe two nights’ worth if you’re a parsimonious packer-toiletries and road-going accoutrements. But not much more. Like we said, perfect for a very short-term relationship.
DETAILS
RKA
2175-B Bluebell Dr.
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
800/349-1752
www.rka-luggage.com
$275
Ups
A Easy to install A Can be overstuffed in a pinch
Downs
▼ A tad tough to zip up when overstuffed
▼ Will need other luggage for lengthy journeys
But that’s just the beginning. There also are two side pouches that accommodate small items such as sunglasses or a cell phone, which attach to the sides or the front of the tankbag with quarter-turn fasteners and snaps. And then there’s a Micro Bag that snaps to the top of the tankbag, which pulls double duty as a raincover stash and, with the addition of the included waist belt, a fannypack. Just in front of the pouch is a bungee net, which is useful for securing small, oddly shaped items. If that’s not enough, there’s a zipper pull with a built-in clock and a compass.
If you buy a Sargent Super Bag and still can’t carry all your stuff, then clearly you’ve got too much stuff.
DETAILS
Sargent Cycle Products
44 E. First St.
Jacksonville, FL 32206
800/749-7328
www.sargentcycle.com
$140-180
ps
A More bells and whistles than a railroad yard
owns
▼ More black vinyl, buckles, snaps and zippers than a fetishists’ convention
Tour Master Nylon Sissy Bar Bag
For the easiest of rid in1
What diehard fan of the cult-classic film Easy Rider hasn’t fancied the thought of an extended cross-country cruise? Well, Tour Master’s Sissy Bar Bag certainly makes for easy ridin' when a few days’ worth of supplies are to be toted along.
Constructed of heavy-duty waterresistant corduranylon, the bag easily mounts to any bike
equipped with a sissybar.
Simply slip the bag’s universal-fit, expandable sleeve over your bike’s sissybar, snap together the quick-release buckle and cinch down the safety straps. Removal is even easier, and there’s an adjustable, padded backpack strap and handle for schlepping your load when detached from the bike.
Measuring a spacious 15 x 22 x 11 inches, the main compartment features a large velcro closure flap. Removable rigid base and sidepanels line the interior, so the bag keeps its shape when empty for easier loading. Additional stowage includes exterior side pockets that velcro shut as well as zipper-closure front pockets. An included raincover keeps your socks and undies from getting soaked.
So quit your daydreaming and start saddling up the iron horse for your own easy ridin’. Œ
DETAILS
Helmet House
26855 Malibu Hills Rd.
Calabasas Hills, CA 91301
818/880-0000
$100
Ups
Mounts securely on most bikes Doubles as a backpack
Downs
Bit wobbly on very short sissybars Pack-in-black is only color choice
