Tank Bags

Any tank bag recommendations for a faux (non-metallic) tank? Online
vendor recommendations? Thanks.

Khaled

 

I've been using an RKA 16L expandable; would buy another one if it ever
wears out. Can be ordered online, but much more fun to ride up to their
shop, buy it, put it on there, and explore some of the great roads
surrounding the area.

The bag attaches with 3 adjustable nylon straps with quick-release
buckles. Very easy to pop one loose & roll the bag out of the way to fill
the tank. Normally, I keep it in the small position, only about 4" tall,
enough to keep maps, first aid kit, flashlight, cell phone, water and
food. Expanded, I can put in a spare faceshield, a jacket and extra gloves
too. Hasn't scratched my gas tank, either--has some kind of faux sheepskin
lining that works well.

Not cheap, but they seem to last forever, are well designed and the people
at RKA are good supporters of all things two-wheeled. To me, a good value.

 

Forgot the link:

http://www.rka-luggage.com/pages/08tnkbag/2004newpics/ss3 window/ss3.html

 

I couldn't agree more. The prices are appalling. The bag I have now
cost me about $80. It's a very basic Marsee bag, but it's only a
9-liter, which is too small for a laptop and daily commute use. In
particular, although liter-wise the volume is fine, the bag is too small
to completely encase the laptop, which fits widthwise but not
lengthwise. That means I can zip the tank bag around three sides of the
laptop, but about 2 inches of it stick out the unzippable fourth side.
Ideally I'd find a bag that will zip all the way around. Since I
already have the fittings, I thought I'd simply get a bigger Marsee, but
the prices got me questioning my decision, and the dimensions weren't
right anyway. By the way, I have hard side cases, but they make the
bike too wide and rule out "safe" lane-splitting.

Khaled

 

I really like my RKA 16L. For normal daily use, its very low profile, and
its 3-strap system is very secure... when you need the room, a quick zip
and it triples in size to the 16L rated size... the map pocket on top
holds a 8.5x11 map nicely

made in healdsburg, btw.

http://www.rka-luggage.com/pages/08tnkbag/2004newpics/ss3 window/ss3.html

here it is in its low profile mode...
http://www.rka-luggage.com/pages/08tnkbag/2004newpics/ss3 window/ss3closed.html

here's one on a Duc...
http://www.rka-luggage.com/pages/14gallry/03duc/page1/pics/7483clbi.jpg
(in folded mode)

 

Ditto.

I have an RKA 16 liter tankbag that I bought in 1996, and
couldn't be happier with it. It's got about 150 thousand miles
on it and it still looks new thanks to a yearly treatment with a
UV protectant spray.

They are the first company I would consider when buying a new
tankbag, but I don't know that I'll ever *have* to.

~Stef

 

What do you use?

 

RKA. They are the best. Richard is a nice guy.

their stuff is the best.

www.rka-luggage.com

--
Assuring you of my best intentions at all times,

Charles Statman
Rocket Scientist/Wonderboy/Women's Legs Shaven

DoD the Un-Numbered One

 

I suppose that the "worth of a tankbag" is in the eye of the beholder,
but I wanted to go cheapo for my R1100GS and use a day pack. The
daypack cost about $30 for the features I wanted (I got it at REI - my
experience with < $30 packs from Wal-Mart is that they fail at
inopportune moments). I used an old T-shirt for a pad and after a long
(2000 mile) trip I discovered that it still scuffed up my tank AND it
was never very convenient during that trip.

So I checked out a number of bags and finally bought a Marsee bag which
is wedge-shaped and fits nicely on my GS, has a map case, a sunglass
pouch, expandable section - AND it cost ~$100. Sure it was three times
as much as the day pack but it is much more than three times as
utitlitarian.

Additionally, it has a handle and some D-rings on it, so I can use one
of those luggage combo-locks to lock the tank-bag to my bike.

I say, look around until you find a tankbag which will *really* work
with your situation and just buy it. The time + $ of mickey mousing it
likely will exceed the cost of a proper tank bag.

JGB

 

http://www.303products.com/main.php?infopage=fabricguard

~S

 

Cool.

 

I find a map window is *very* handy in my travels through unfamiliar
areas... While I agree, looking at it while riding is kinda dangerous,
I generally take looks at the map when I'm stopped at intersections and
the like. Its MUCH easier to be able to just look down then it is to park
the bike, take off your gloves, open your tankbag-err-Bugs Bunny[tm]
knapsack, find the correct map, unfold it, etc. then put it all back away.

I might snag occasional glances at it while riding in open untrafficed
countryside, too... confirming the names of crossroads and such... My
last road trip took me to Santa Barbara County, on many roads I'd never
traveled before by car OR bike... Once south of Coalinga, it was all new.

Using AAA regional maps ("Coast and Valley", or "Bay Area to Tahoe", or
"Northern California"), I can usually fold the map so many hours of riding
back roads is visible at a time in the 8x11" map window on my RKA bag.
At a gas or food stop, or perhaps a nice scenic vista where I'm taking a
stretch, I'll refold it. At the end of a trip, that AAA map is usually
trashed, so I get a new one. My 'Home Page' is usually the part of "Coast
and Valley" which shows from Carmel to Marin and the whole Bay Area,
including all the Santa Cruz mountains, etc.

 

*snort* My arms aren't long enough anymore.

At REI I saw some 'stick-on' lenses for reading. I think they are
intended for sunglasses. I wondered if they would work on the inside of
a visor, but I've been too cheap to try the experiment.

That's one of the fun bits, innit?

 

I quite agree. Even in the cage, we are always wondering, oh what's over
there or look at that. It takes us forever to get anywhere.

--
muddy

Testing the limits of gravity since 1947.

icq - 219328929

 

bifocals.

 

my route to Cuyama weekend-before-last (heading to Song Dog Ranch) took me
down Peachtree Valley, some back roads around San Miguel and Paso Robles,
and the Carrizo Plains.. My day loop took me over Tepusquet Rd, Figueroa
Mtn, Happy Canyon, then back to Song Dog via Ojai and 33. My return trip
included Bittersweet Valley and Parkfield Grade. Somehow I doubt I would
have found all these through roads without a map.

 

Somehow I doubt I would have found all these through roads without a map.

I find the AAA California maps to be genereally excellent, both CSAA and
AC of SC. MUCH better quality than most of my computerized maps.

Foxen wasn't as bumpy as Figueroa Mtn. A lot of it was fairly new
pavement, they might have recently fixed it.

Very. I kept meaning to stop and take pictures, but was just having too
much fun riding.

My R1100RS (fat pig of a bmw 'sport-touring' bike) had no trouble going
down this, admittedly at rather careful and slow speeds. Yeah, a dual
sport woulda been a blast. were no locked gates.

 

Well, I suppose not everyone's time is worth the same amount ... I find
the $ savings of DIY projects are often wiped out by the 'time-cost'.
Even so, I am a notorious do-it-yourselfer but my motivation is the lure
of making a 'better mousetrap' ... after many, many hours of trial and
error I gave up on strapping a daypack onto my GS's sloping tank.

OTOH: I am dissatisfied with the fit of travel bike covers (eg. Giza
covers), so I purchased some spandex from a fabric store and am in the
process of conning a friend into sewing it to custom fit my bike. It
will cost 1/4 as many dollars as a Giza cover but if I were to pay my
friend (and myself) at minimum wage it would be a $300 cover.

Depends on how it is folded... also: I use an ENLARGED maps with text
instructions how to navigate the trickier parts of the ride so I can
glance down and remind myself.

That is why I have a cable and combo-locks on my tank bag. Whereas it
is true someone could pick the lock or cut the cable - it is also true
that a thief with a tow truck could steal the whole damn bike!

 

Hear, Hear!!