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-   -   The Saddle & Tail Bag Review Thread (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/131891-saddle-tail-bag-review-thread-27.html)

You're such a mind reader lol:
I have already thought on these lines and procured a cheap older phone which I would specifically use for this purpose.

I am still considering the tank bag for the waterproofing abilities and the added benefit of storing miscellaneous items. Have ordered Viaterra Oxus magnetic tank bag already.

Thanks for the inputs Shyam28. The handlebar mount I have is quite sturdy and the phone has been as steady as a rock mounted on it on all my long rides. Downside, it cant absorb the vibrations. Hence the thought of tank bag.

Amazon Basics stuff are quite good. This phone holder is no different. And great value at Rs 499

Purchased Viaterra’s Falcon Sport saddle bag for CB350

I need a bag for an upcoming ride on my Bullet Electra. Pretty confused between Claw tail bag and Leh saddle bag from ViaTerra.

Is there a benefit for picking a Tail bag vs Saddle bag? Tail bags seem to rest higher, so would it induce instability?
Over the past five years, I have burnt through two saddle bags and feel comfortable with the concept.Just wondering if it is worth trying out tail bags for once.

Burnt because they made contact with the silencer. This can be prevented by using Saddle Stays.

I prefer saddle bags over a tail bag. Actually what I like is saddle bags and a duffel bag kept on top of it.
So you get more storage.

My Saddle Stays: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post4673510

I use saddle bags only because they allow for riding with a pillion.
The biggest negative of saddle bags is that they increase the width of your bike so you've got to be more vigilant traversing through tight spaces.
Also as mentioned above, saddle bags come in contact with the silencer, unless protected by saddle stays.

If a pillion isn't involved, a tail bag would make more sense. And no, they will not induce instability, at least not noticeable enough even when riding at speeds upto 120kph.
The other benefit is that some tail bags come with a clip on design such that you can buy smaller bags and clip them together in place to add more luggage.

Sebring can you measure and tell me the dimensions of the central base/platform please?

A cyclist friend of mine is looking for a stopgap solution for his Garmin Etrex, which is pretty small and stubby.

Cheers, Doc

Someone stole that off me. But it measures 4.1 X 4.3 X 2.4 inches (LWH), as per seller. Compatible for smartphones up to 3.5 inches wide

Thank you. I've sent him the link. I'm assuming he can always return it if it does not fit.

On topic: Saddlebags.

First of all, you need to be careful about the construct and the dimensions of the saddlebags. The boxy contoured ones I see all over this thread are a massive no-no.

I'm guessing they've come about as a response for riders today wanting hard cases or something that looks like side boxes.

They are way too wide for safety. Period.

Soft luggage should be exactly that. Soft and shapeless.

Secondly: Stays.

The above issue (calamity waiting to happen) is further compounded by after market manufacturers in every nook and alley making custom fitted saddlebag stays. These make the aforementioned jutting out hard box contoured bags jut out even more. As if they were not jutting out enough earlier to snag a truck moving alongside at 80 and spinning the bike and biker like a dime.

And easy solution that is tried and tested, and works, and is not as dangerous as these fancy stays:

Take a long thick single bungee rope. Preferable one with a thick covering sheath for relative stiffness and girth (!).

Snag one hook to the pillion footrest on one side. Loop the bungee upward and backward over the mudguard just behind the seat, and snag the second hook on the pillion footrest on the opposite side. The hook anchor points can be modified depending on the bike and its geometry and where exactly you want support for your particular bags.

Voila. You have an easily detachable (every night, along with your bags) stay that is FLUSH with the bike, and which has enough give to compress with the bag if it does snag (rather than providing an immovable strut), and yet is stiff enough to keep your bags away from the chain and wheel (you should not be buying bags shaped such that they foul with your silencer anyways, so that's not really an issue for me) as you swing the bike side to side in the mountains aggressively and at speed.

Cheers, Doc

By burnt, I actually meant consumed. Totally understand how that can be confusing in context of saddlebags, my bad!
Looking back, both my saddle-bags have been really cheap ones. The first one was bought for Rs 650 from Karol Bagh in 2015 and stayed with me till 2018. The second one bought online from amazon (for 1000 odd rupees) gave away in the first trip itself. But it was the stitching that gave away and not the heat from silencer. Since these were so cheap, I never bothered to get it repaired.

Thanks for sharing this bblost.
ViaTerra has addons called POD12 and POD22 that can give more storage to a conventional saddle-bag. Maybe you already know, but I have been out of the biking scene for last two years so was something very new to me.

This has not been a challenge for me till now. But maybe because I have hardly seen such cramped places during my trips.

I assure you my Electra does not cross 100 :)
Thanks for the advise on tail bags, I ride without pillion so now my choice becomes even more difficult.

Thanks for sharing doc. I have been using this solution for a different reason all together from my very first ride. And it seems this is what has kept my saddle bags unaffected from the hot silencer. I don't have stays on my bike.

Not sure that there is a separate thread for Top boxes, hence, asking here.

I have a top box, SHAD SH39. It usually contains a couple of clutch cables, a tyre inflator and a bungee cord.
When riding, it moves around quite a bit when going over bumpy patches.
I'm worried that the insides of the box are getting scratched/damaged quite a bit.

Has anyone faced similar issues and come up with a solution (jugaad maybe)?

Old Clothes.

Pack them in and they will act like buffers and prevent this excessive movement. :D

Pack everything into a small little tote bag or pouch and keep that in the top box. Something like a shower bag kit from decathlon works well.

Here's how i carry my tools. https://youtu.be/EW08H3cvby4

I did consider this but then where do I keep my jacket once I park my bike, which was one of the reasons I bought the top box lol:
I have gone ahead and added a few nothings to it for now anyway.

Very helpful video! Seeing which I realized, my wife was gifted a tool kit from RE some time back for which we never found the use. Now that you mentioned shower bag kit, I brought it out and hopefully, have put it to good use.









Off topic - was on the lookout for a good toolkit, the one you have seems to be quite comprehensive and at a decent rate too.

Hi everyone! Can anyone help me find a small tank or tail bag that I can use for short intracity rides on my Honda CB350? My budget's ₹2000, and I need it to fit the following items:

- A 500ml water bottle
- Tool kit
- A 20000mAh power bank
- Keys and papers
- A small towel
- Spare masks and hand sanitizer

I currently use a Decathlon backpack, but the weight on my shoulders feels quite annoying after a while. I also have a Viaterra Fly that I use as a tailbag for one-day rides, but it's too big for what I need to carry. I did find a few small 5L tank bags by Givi, Shad, and Hepco & Becker, but they were all really expensive, not to mention they could only be fitted to bikes with an aviation-style fuel filler lid. I'd really appreciate some suggestions here.

Cheers!