Traveling on a motorcycle is great fun, but it does have a few inconveniences compared to traveling in a car. By far one of the biggest issues is storage space.
If you are riding your motorcycle for a few hours, or to the local grocery shop, you don't really need to worry. But if you are planning to go on holidays, or long distances, or you need to carry stuff on your motorcycle, then there's a slight hiccup! Motorcycles just do not have much storage space unless you've got a Honda Gold Wing. At its best there's a place you store spare change, and maybe if you're lucky you can store your helmet below your seat, but that's about it.
In order to be able to accommodate your gear, computer, cameras, you'll need to get motorcycle luggage.
There are several areas on your bike that can receive luggage; it's not restricted to one area alone. Depending on your needs, you can use several areas on your motorcycle to store your stuff. The only thing you need to watch out for is weight. You'll not want to exceed the maximum weight authorized by the manufacturer.
Saddle bags sit alongside your pillion seat. Most of them are fixed to the bike using special brackets (check if your motorcycle model has the required bracket option).
There are also several models that do not require brackets to fix to the motorcycle, you'll just need to tie it down.
Saddle bags or panniers, can be made out of leather, PVC or metal (usually aluminum). If you buy leather bags, remember that, like all leather products, they do need some maintenance. Get a
cream to nourish the leather.
Things to watch out for:
- Rain proof. You do not want your stuff to get wet. If they are just water resistant, buy a water proofing
cream or spray.
- Volume. Will all your stuff fit? The more volume you have, the bigger the luggage gets, so you'll have to
watch it on the road.
- Quick release. You don't want to be spending 10 minutes after a day long ride un-attaching your luggage.
- Locks. It's a good idea to have a saddlebag or pannier that can be locked. If there's no lock, look for
attachments on the bag that can be
used to secure a lock.
- Carry Handles. You'll want bags that have handles or straps to carry your gear from your motorcycle to
wherever you are going.
If you motorcycle has a sissy
bar you can attach bags to the back of it. Weight distribution is far better
in the back, towards your rear wheel, and it will give less wind drag.
Not all motorcycles have sissy bars, and even when they do, many are not
tall enough. The sissy bar that can accommodate these kind of bags are
usually found on cruisers.
Most
sissy bar bags are made out of leather, some are made out of nylon.
Things to watch out for:
- Rain proof (as above, you'll not want
your gear to get wet)
- Volume. You can take a lot with you if your sissy bar is long, but
do watch out with too much weight.
Tank bags
are fitted onto your fuel tank, and have as an added advantage that the
storage space can easily be reached while sitting on your motorcycle (like
reaching for toll tokens).
Attaching a tank bag is either down using straps, or they are magnetic. The
materials used are mostly nylon or other synthetic materials. If the bag is
attached using straps, some will have a mounting base to which the bag is
attached. This allows for a quick removal of the bag.
Things to watch out for:
- Rain proof (as above, you'll not want your gear to get wet). If it's
not rainproof, make sure there's a
rain cover.
- Volume. You will not want one that is too tall so you can't see your
dashboard.
- Magnetic. If you are taking one that is magnetic, make sure your
fuel tank is metal, if not, it'll not
hold you bag.
- Map Holder. Having a clear plastic top pocket for maps is handy,
since it'll allow you to place a map and
look at it while riding. Obviously,
if you are using a GPS, you'll not need it. If you do use a GPS, you
might
want to think getting a bag with a GPS pocket.
- Pockets. Having at least one, preferably multiple pockets is a good
thing. You can store loose things in
these pockets and access them without
getting off your bike.
Tool
bags are small pouches used to carry tools for your motorcycle. They are
usually found on cruisers, and allow you to get to your tools to make quick
repairs whenever needed.
The bags are closed with straps or Velcro, and are made mostly out of
leather. You can get them in sets of 2, one for each side of the motorcycle,
and you can get tool bags that are designed to go onto your sissy bar.
Wind shield bags are smaller bags that are mounted behind your
windscreen on top of your dashboard. Cruisers are the type of motorcycle
that usually have them, and they have the advantage, like fuel tank bags, to
be reachable from the biker's seat.
Wind shield bags are usually made out of leather, and sometimes PVC.
They don't offer much volume, but are handy to store small bits & pieces, or
papers.
The final piece of luggage
that comes in handy when riding a motorcycle is the
backpack.
Backpacks come in all sorts of materials and sizes, but obviously can only
be used when riding solo.
Backpacks have as added advantage that they can be used when not on your
motorcycle.
Things to watch out for:
- Rain proof (as above, you'll not want your gear to get wet). If they
are not rainproof, make sure
there is a rainproof cover with it.
- Volume. Don't get them too big, since you'll be wearing it for the
ride. If it is big, you'll just fit in
more stuff, and it will get heavy and
start dragging you down.
- Make sure it can carry the gear you need. Typically, if you want to
carry your computer laptop, make
sure there is a compartment for it. The
same if you require the backpack to store your helmet.
