Recommend me a tank bag / luggage

[dydey90]

Bought this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B076XWBTMB/

It was shit, so small that my lunch barely fit, one of the zips broke and the front pocket ripped. Have now returned it.

What does everybody else use? Not sure a magnetic bag is the way to go, it’s easy to mount but it’s left small scratches in the top of the tank.
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This post is probably not serious and shouldn't be taken literally.
Past: CBR125,ER6f NINJA 650, ZZR600 Current: VFR750

[Teflon-Mike]

I've been using an Oxford 'life-time' two-tier 'magnetic' tank bag for, well... a life-time now! I cant recall the capacity, about 25 litres a tier, I think... never 'really' been an issue. Not really a recommend, though, but 'thunx' on the topic.

As far as capacity is concerned... actually yes, has been a bit of an issue; both tiers fitted dang thing is so tall and bulky, does 'rock', does obscure clocks, and get intrusive.. makes a nice pillow if top tier stuffed with jumper and waterproofs on the m-way, and I've always had more up-righty bikes, I dont think it would work very well on a hunched over sports-bike!

I have tended only to use the bottom tier, and mostly as a day-pack, for stuff like water-proofs, camera, wallet, bottle of pop, sort of 'pocket' stuff, I want 'on the road'.

On a longer haul, top tier has been used, with things like ferry tickets in the bottom, and the top for all the odds-and-sods that wouldn't fit elsewhere, and then left with the tent when I've got where I'm going... bottom tier back to being incidental 'pockets'.

Heavier and bulkier stuff has always gone aft, into preferably panniers, either hard-cases or throw-overs, to try keep weight low down, and stuff like tents has been on the tail or pillion, where a large sports-bag has always been handy, and taken 'big' luggage.

Ie you have to be a bit strategic in what and where you load stuff.

Mag-Mounts? Variously polarizes opinion. They dont 'stick' on now more common plastic tanks, or aluminium. And regardless of the sales blurb, they DO scratch paint.... eventually.

How badly it may scratch paint is a piece of string question; a lot depends on use. Magnets have a habbit of picking up any steel flakes wherever bag is left.. so, in the work-shop where I have been stripping a rusty-frame with a wire wheel on the drill? NOT a great place to store magnetic tank bag! Similarly, dont pull the thing off the tank at the services to get at filler and dump ion the floor to pick up all the iron filings dumped by rusty tranny vans and whatever!

Keep the tabs clean, and be a bit careful to consciously 'lift' the mag-tabs off the tank before you hoik tank bag onto your shoulder, don't 'drag' it off the tank... there, even if no iron filings picked up along the way, normal grit and crud will be stuck between tab and paint and will scratch....

Do this sort of thing a couple of times a day, every day, using the tank bag for change of cloths when commuting, its going to take its toll on the paint.

How secure thee mag? Does depend a lot on tank shape. My old oxford came with hook-straps that doubled in over the mag-tabs, for where tanks were't magnetic enough, or couldn't get purchase on slope.. useful if more awkward. Ultimately, though, tank is twixt your arms, once fitted more likely you will knock it off than it will fall off or blow off, though on a couple of very awkward shaped peanutie cruisery tanks I have resorted to a cargo net over the top to hold a tank-bag in place....otherwise 'normally secure enough, on the mags alone.

And on... the answer I think, is ultimately just so circumstance dependent.. there's NO ideal 'luggage' for a bike, let alone ideal tank-bag! It aint a car, you cant just randomly throw chit 'in' you have to throw it 'on' and with care.

For every-day commuting... hinted at with mention of lunch.... old fashioned top-box has always worked well, and 'almost' like a car. Carrier bag of the stuff you want to carry, like lunch, in the top-box. Bolted down, its as secure as it can be, its as dry as you are like to get,it just works. Get to work, open box, grab carrier bag, dump in lid and maybe water-proofs, shut, lock, job-jobbed. No hassle with mag mounts, nothing twixt arms, nothing to spoil view of speedo, nothing to shift at the petrol station, no extra scratches to paint-work... and you don't have to have these 'niggles' each and every day, twice a day.... and tank-bag is then there, if needed for 'occassional' use, to take the 'pocket' stuff, like wallet and ferry tickets or MP3 player for the motorway!

It comes down I think to that strategy, of not the 'best' bag, but the best 'solution' and that depends on the job, and what you hope to do, and what may work for one, might not work for you, and vica-versa...

So the real question is not what tank-bag, but is a tank bag, ANY tank-bag the best way to be going?

Go on... moan about how a top box ruins the 'looks' of the bike....... I dare you! lol.
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[UncleFester]

Had a top box on previous bike, very practical. New bike has hard rear luggage and for a while, i did refit the Bagster tank bag and tank cover that holds it.

BUT

I hate how it obscures the view of the clocks, it gets in the way of the bars at full lock and after using decent rear luggage, i'm happier using those and having the front of the bike clear. It also needs lifting out of the way to refuel.

In short - rear luggage and / or top box but no tank bag ever again.
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Module 1 and 2 passed - October 2014. Happy owner of a 2017 Z1000SX, ex owner of a YBR125 / CB500 / VFR800.

[kgm]

I prefer a tail pack or a top box personally. Hardly use my tank bag now.

[Cadbury]

I have one of the quick-lock evo tank bags from Swmotech.
Small horseshoe shape that bolts to your fuel cap ring, that stays on the bike, then the bag clips on and off that ring. Keeps it about half a cm off the tank, so will never scratch and is made of a semi rigid material so doesn't flap around. I got the Yukon 90 model, just about big enough for your lunch, pair of sunglasses and spare gloves, but they do make bigger ones. Was expensive, but is made of that rubberised canvas stuff so it's basically waterproof.
Currently sat in the shed as the NC doesn't have a normal tank
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NC700x.

[Rogerborg]

Top box > tail bag > panniers > tank bag, in that order.

A big 2-helmet generic (e.g. Lextek) top box looks spacky but works well, especially with solid mounts - on my Nazi Tractor there are solid mount points built into the rear subframe, no need to perch it out on some flimsy rack.

A tail bag on the pillion seat can take loads of weight and no, it's not going to just fall off with any sort of reasonable strapping arrangement. Or even unreasonable, I run a couple of long cable ties down the pillion footpegs on the Ninja, it's not going anywhere.

Panniers depend on the bike. Small leather panniers on a dedicated rack work well on my Enfield. 8' wide Touratechs on a big GS, well, high chance of them containing nothing but a Touratech catalogue.

The tank bag is the last thing that goes on, and only for touring, not day-to-day. I have a Lidl special "B-Square" expandable magnetic tank bag that actually works very well, but as you say, scratchy scratchy unless you keep the fabric scrupulously clean, and/or throw something under it.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[doggone]

[Freddyfruitba...]

[Teflon-Mike]

[doggone]

[UncleFester]

[1198]

SwMototec Blaze panniers. Good for touring for a few days, maybe a week or so. Also solidly mounted and easily removable, leaves little behind. Tested at 175mph and fine.

[talkToTheHat]

I have an oxford life-time magnetic tank bag. it's quite good as far as tank bags go. Ended up wearing a frank thomas one tht wasnt as magnetic as it was supposed to be. But tank bags are a pain at petrol stations.

Roll-top drybags and rok-straps are a good solution to occaisonal trips and are not expensive. I've been using one as extra luggage or when changing bikes and proper luggage hasn't been sorted.

SW-motech quicklok racks are made of win though. Easily removable with 1/4 turn fastners if you don;t want them on all the time. Security fastners are availble. for the paranoid, although the topbox racks fixings are secured by the topbox. You can buy fitting kits to use most manufacturer's hard luggage. I'm a cheapskate and have two battered old givi E45 boxes that are nearly indestructable, a newer E46 with an LED brake repeater light and a pair of Kappa badged E21s which are nice and slim but no way near as tough as the bigger boxes. Playing mix and match I've got luggage for most occaisons. Hard boxes are waterproof and are secure enough to make thievery awkward.

It's pricey for a hard luggage setup, but if you use it a lot the time and hastle saved makes it worth it. On a newer bike I'd perhaps consider the newer style wege shaped boxes and racks that fit around the tail of the bike if you can stretch to it as the make for a much narrower bike.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[kramdra]

30 quid, 52L topbox, plus an additional 50L soft bag strapped to the box/seat when needed. Box makes no difference for filtering but does add crash protection if you drop her.

[Freddyfruitba...]

[stinkwheel]

In fairness, for a packed lunch, I most often use the plastic shopping bag I bought it in with the handles knotted together. I then bungee it to the rack/back seat.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[groovylee]

Kriega. [/thread]

best decision i ever made when it comes to luggage.

not cheap, but very worth it.
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Past - 1988 honda revere 600, 1996 kawasaki gpz500s, 1999 Yamaha R6

Current - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000R & 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R