Types of Motorcycle Luggage

 

Long rides on a motorcycle can often be stressful if you’re new to the whole process especially in the whole luggage department of things but it need not be that way. I’ve already written an article about some essentials you should take along on long bike rides and how you should systematically pack your bags which you can read here and in this article I’ll be covering some different types of bike luggage which can be used on a motorcycle to make your travels much easier. Backpacks are great but I think you’ll find that on a bike 9/10 times you’ll be better off with designated motorcycle luggage. Hopefully by the end of this you’ll know which one of these best suits your requirements.

 

 

Tail bags are bags which are mounted either on the pillion seat or the luggage rack of a motorcycle and have a number of straps which fasten the bag to the bike at various mounting points to hold the luggage firmly in place. Tail bags are often large high capacity units which are designed such that part of the bag sits on the seat / luggage rack and part of it falls on either side of the seat for a secure fit. As long as your bike has a pillion seat and / or luggage rack pretty much all tail bags will fit any bike. They’re very easy to use and also relatively affordable.

 

A top box is basically a hard, solid and upgraded version of a tail bag. These are either made of hard and strong plastics or metal. These are much more sturdy units and require a motorcycle specific rear rack to lock onto so they fit securely onto the bike. These are much more expensive than tail bags but also much more secure since you need not remove the top box and take it with you every time you park your bike; you can just lock it and be assured nobody will be able to open or detach it without the correct specialised tool set. Various bike manufacturers offer these as first party accessories at the time of bike purchase itself.

 

 

 

Saddle bags are bags which sit on either side of the pillion seat. They’re usually made of semi rigid and soft materials which are often abrasion resistant. These bags come in pairs and are best used with saddle stays which are frames which sit on either side of the pillion seat to secure the tail bags better in place. Some bikes are better with saddle stays, some bikes like cruisers can sometimes do without them. Saddle bags leave the pillion seat vacant where you can either accommodate a pillion or even a tail bag for additional storage capacity.

 

 

Panniers are a solid, hard and upgraded version of saddle bags. Like top boxes, these also need bike specific fittings and are also more expensive and secure than the equivalently sized saddle bags. If chosen correctly panniers have the potential to add a huge amount of visual appeal to a motorcycle. A combination of a top box and panniers is the ultimate secure luggage carrying configuration for any long bike ride.

 

 

Perhaps the most convenient, easy to use and cost effective of all bike luggage, true to their name tank bags are bags which fit onto the tank of a motorcycle. These are great for short rides or commuting as well as boosting your total luggage capacity on a long ride. Magnetic tank bags are the ultimate convenience since they just snap on to bikes with metal tanks magnetically. For bikes without metal tanks, there are tank bags with strapping systems similar to those of a tail bag. Tank bags with such strapping systems can even be strapped onto the pillion seat / luggage rack like a small tail bag.

 

 

So these are the most popular and commonly used types of motorcycle luggage which generally fit all types of motorcycles. Everyone has a different taste and preference among these so visit a store, see what works for you and hit the road!

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