Random thoughts on luggage
A recent question on KB has caused me to reflect on the various forms of luggage I’ve used with bikes. If you’ve got any experience or thoughts on the topic feel free to add to this.
On my Brit bikes I just used a crude back pack. It did most of what I needed. Just as well I didn’t need much. One exception was when I bought a box of six of those big beer bottles that you don’t see so much these days. I hadn’t gone very far and both arms and both hands went numb because the weight had cut off the circulation. I still had ten or so miles to do, in traffic, with no feeling in my hands. Not recommended from a safety point of view.
I tried my big pack once thinking it would be OK because the weight would rest on the seat. It did but the top of the pack interfered with my helmet. I prefer to be able to turn my head. There are back packs designed for motorcyclists, hopefully they work better.
Next came the BMW K100RS with BMW luggage. That worked well for everything I asked of it. You just needed to remember to only buy one big item at the supermarket at a time. If I bought toilet paper and dog food there’d be no room for anything much else. Did trips all over both islands with that luggage. A hard plastic tube and duct tape fastening it to the pillion footrest even permitted carriage of a 9’ trout rod.
The Hornet followed with a Ventura rack with an RJays pack. That pack was big. It could carry a full 9Kg gas bottle or a load of laundry. With a tank bag, I went all over the North Island and toured the South. I’m pretty sure I recall that the instructions for the rack said, if not carrying a pillion, the bag should sit on the pillion seat to keep the weight inboard. Most bikes have a weight limit and if it’s a small bike the rider will take up most of the permitted weight. Any other weight needs to be carefully placed.
A gravel chip got under the tank bag and damaged the paint. It polished out, but I swore off tank bags at that point.
The only downside to the RJays pack was if staying somewhere nice, like the Chateau Tongariro, it attracted odd looks from other guests as I awkwardly humped the thing in. This as much as anything influenced my choice of V35 boxes with internal bags for the VFR. No weird looks at the Chateau - or anywhere else. The V35s looked good. You left the boxes on the bike and just carried the soft luggage in.
I don’t wish to create the wrong impression of the Chateau, when I asked the guy behind the desk at check in if there was somewhere I could park the VFR out of the weather, he pointed and said to park it there, under the verandah, right by the front door. Damn decent of him, I thought.
The disadvantage of the V35s on the VFR was the width. Huge. One rainy morning I was making my way from a motel in Porirua to the ferry terminal. I had allowed what I thought was plenty of time but I was unaware that on rainy mornings motorway traffic in Wellington does 25kph. There was no way I could filter on that fat arsed beast, I just had to stay in the flow. When I finally got to the ferry I was greeted by name. Not a good sign.
There was no solid luggage option for the S4R, so I went with Givi soft panniers. You still need to buy a frame to keep the bags out of the spokes. The bags are expandable, Unexpanded they look OK but expanded they look fucking ridiculous.
When I bought the Speed Triple I kept the bags and just bought a new frame. Now those bags too have toured the south Island but they would not be my first preference in the event I was to go again.
I don’t like top boxes, I can see they have advantages but they are seriously ugly and can unbalance the bike.
If I was to buy another bike what would I get? The V35s would be OK if I could truthfully answer no to that awful question, “Does my bum look big in this?”
Those aluminium boxes look good and suit some bikes but they do tend to cost and arm and a leg.
Otherwise, a Ventura rack. They’re ugly but they work.
A small Kriega tail pack to hold sunglasses, a hat, and maybe a sandwich would be nice. Perhaps I should talk to Father Christmas?.
There is a grey blur, and a green blur. I try to stay on the grey one. - Joey Dunlop
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