63

Product test

MAY 2008 63

Road testing Tankbags were fitted to a 1998 Honda CBR600F. Bags were expanded to their maximum size and stuffed with jumpers to give a realistic loading weight.

Headstock straps were attached where supplied. We noted user-friendliness both on and off the bike, and build quality. Map pockets are only useful if they

are accessible and big enough, so this was noted, too. Magnetic flaps should securely fold away to stop you sticking yourself to cars and dustbins as you walk by and it also means you’ll attract less metal particles to scratch your tank.

Waterproofing Only three bags come without storm hoods – the Held Task and Pacsafe, which are claimed to be waterproof without one, and the Held Orion for which there’s a storm hood available for an extra £8.20. All bags were waterproof with their hoods fitted. We also carried out the waterproofing test on each bag without its storm hood fitted by jet-washing it for one minute, to simulate being caught in a heavy

shower with no chance to stop and fit the hood.

Capacity This was measured by seeing how many 1kg bags of sugar would fit in each bag. This part of the test is for information only and not scored. Capacity is stated in bags of sugar.

How we did it

Words Olly Crick Pictures Mark Manning

TankbagsPanniers full. Top box full. And a pillion? You need a tankbag

»In the lab«

We road tested andjet-washed 20 bags!

Product test

MAY 200864

TANKBAGS

Held Task 4212 Price £71.50

Contact 01283 820508 or

www.held-biker-fashion.de

1

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

9/10

10/10

19/20

Tester’s notesVersatile bag that can be used either as magnetic or strap-on according to which zip-on base you buy. Extra straps, which are supplied, allow use as a tailpack, too. A clever design means this bag is waterproof without a storm hood, and it didn’t leak a drop in our test. The base zips off to reveal a section that can be used on its own, with a decent-sized map pocket that allows good access for maps. The map pocket on the main bag has narrow access, which explains the only minus point. It has a capacity of 13 sugar bags and is non-expandable, but it comes with integral rucksack straps.

Cargo Endurance Price £49.99

Contact 01933 410272 or

www.frank-thomas.co.uk

2

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

9/10

7/10

16/20

Tester’s notesThere were no problems at all with road testing this magnetic bag as it was great on the bike, but there would be a problem if it was raining and the rider was following a map as you can’t see through the storm hood. The map pocket itself is a decent size with good access. Main compartment leaked four dessertspoonfuls during the waterproof test, conducted without the storm hood, the side pockets were soaked and the map pocket was damp. It comes with a shoulder strap and integral rucksack straps and is non-expandable. The capacity is eight bags of sugar.

Price £59.99

Contact 0800 165165 or

www.hein-gericke.co.uk

3

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

8/10

8/10

16/20

Tester’s notesGood waterproof test, map pocket remained dry while the main compartment and side pockets were just damp at the seams. Curved base works well on domed or unusually shaped tanks. At full expansion it holds 15 bags of sugar, but beware, overfill this bag and the magnets lift upwards, rendering them useless. Apart from that, road testing found no other faults. The map pocket itself is a reasonable size and has great access. It comes with a padded shoulder strap, integral storm hood and extra straps with metal hooks for bikes with aluminium or plastic tanks.

Tech 7 Sport Price £29.99

Contact 0871 919 2900 or

www.busters-accessories.co.uk

5

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

8/10

7/10

15/20

Tester’s notesThis tankbag road tested brilliantly as the tester hardly knew the magnetic bag was on the bike once on the move. But it does have its pitfalls – not least the limited-sized map pocket, which is particularly tricky to access. The storm hood has a clear top for easy map viewing. Waterproof testing left both the main compartment and map pocket damp, the side pockets containing two dessertspoonfuls of water each. The magnetic flaps clip shut, the bag comes with a padded shoulder strap and is non-expandable. Capacity is nine sugar bags.

Vanucci Race Price £69.95

Contact 0845 017 5007 or

www.getgeared.co.uk

6

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

8/10

7/10

15/20

Tester’s notesThis magnetic bag’s main compartment leaked two dessertspoonfuls of water in the waterproofing test while the map pocket became very wet. It performed well in the road test, causing no problems at all at any speed. The only gripe surrounded the main bag’s map pocket, which narrows towards the top. The magnetic base may be used on its own as a dedicated map holder. This map pocket doesn’t narrow and is well sized. The non-expandable bag comes with a shoulder strap and integral rucksack straps and has a capacity of nine bags of sugar.

Oxford Humpback Price £62.99 bag, £23.99 magnetic base

Contact 01993 862300 or

www.oxprod.com

7

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

7/10

7/10

14/20

Tester’s notesThis bag is magnetic or strap-on, depending on which base you buy, and it has convenient fold-down stiffeners to keep the bag sturdy when expanded. Its long map pocket has limited access. Base comes with colour-coded side flashings, which are a pain to insert. In road testing the bag completely obscured the clocks when expanded. The main compartment leaked four dessertspoonfuls of water, the side pockets two dessertspoons each and the map pocket became damp. It comes with integral shoulder and rucksack straps and capacity is 14 sugar bags.

Bags Connection EngagePrice £98.38

Contact 01256 704909 or

www.motohaus.com

8

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

7/10

7/10

14/20

Tester’s notesThis bag mounts on hard plastic brackets – one half screws to the fuel filler cap while the other has to be screwed to the bottom of the bag after you’ve drilled your own holes. It means the rider has to keep their head up in the windblast when the bag is fully expanded, but otherwise doesn’t interfere with bike control. However, it does make it tricky to refuel your bike. Its pull-cord storm hood with a clear top works well. Waterproof test saw the main compartment and the map pocket become damp. It comes with a padded shoulder strap and the capacity is 14 sugar bags.

Pacsafe Tanksafe Price £99.99

Contact 01256 704909 or

www.motohaus.com

4

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

5/10

10/10

15/20

Tester’s notesWith a stainless-steel mesh material built into its construction, this strap-on bag also comes with an integral cable and padlock so the whole thing can be locked to your bike. The base straps on and the bag zips to the base. It has to be at least partially unzipped from its base to refuel the bike and that’s an awkward affair. It survived the waterproof test without leaking despite the lack of a storm hood. The map pocket is well sized and easy to access. It comes with rucksack straps and the capacity is 17 sugar bags.

Hein Gericke Pro Sports Special

MAY 2008 65

Product test

66 MAY 2008 6766 67

TANKBAGS

MAY 2008

Honda Sport Price £41.99

Contact 01425 620580 or

www.tranam.co.uk

10

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

7/10

7/10

14/20

Tester’s notesThe rear of the bag is designed to strap to a structural member under the rider’s seat. Fine if you’re happy to leave the strap in place when not using the bag, reasonably OK if your seat clips off as it’s easy to remove the strap, but a pain if your seat is secured by screws. It was OK in the road test, but it has a small capacity at five sugar bags. The storm hood has a pull cord to secure it and has a clear top for map reading, but the map pocket itself is very narrow and has extremely limited access. Main compartment and map pocket were damp after waterproofing.

Kappa Racer bag TK713 Price £82.99

Contact 01782 569800 or

www.phoenixnw.co.uk

11

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

6/10

7/10

13/20

Tester’s notesIn the waterproof test the map pocket stayed dry but the main compartment become damp. At full expansion this magnetic bag obscures the clocks and fits right up underneath the rider’s chin, keeping the head in the windblast and making moving around the bike awkward. There is narrow access to the map pocket in the main bag, but the base zips off to become a decent sized, dedicated map holder with good access. A clear-topped storm hood has a brittle texture. The bag comes with integral rucksack straps and has a capacity of 24 sugar bags at full expansion.

Marsee 10L Teardrop Price £94.50

Contact 020 8144 3020 or

www.missionmotos.com

12

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

8/10

5/10

13/20

Tester’s notesThis has a lid made from 2mm thick clear plastic, which didn’t break on impact when dropped from waist height, but did suffer scratches. A tray underneath the cover is designed to store maps and electronic gear. The base zips off to become a small dedicated map holder. This robust little magnestic bag created no road testing problems, but leaked water (a quarter of a cupful) into the main compartment, although the tray under the clear cover was dry. The storm hood has a clear top so the rider can see the map underneath, and the bag has a capacity of three bags of sugar.

Oxford Sports ExpanderPrice £84.99

Contact 01993 862300 or

www.oxprod.com

13

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

8/10

4/10

12/20

Tester’s notesThe waterproof test left this magnetic bag with half a cupful of water in the main compartment, and four dessertspoonfuls to each side pocket, while the map pocket was just damp. When expanded the bag completely obscured the bike’s clocks. A storm hood with clear top and pull cord security worked well. The magnetic base may be used as a dedicated map pocket and is a decent size that allows reasonable access. The bag comes with a shoulder strap and integral rucksack straps and the rear pocket can be used as a bum-bag. The capacity is 18 sugar bags.

Givi T410 Price £72.05

Contact 01327 706220 or

www.givi.it

14

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

7/10

4/10

11/20

Tester’s notesEasy to fit and gets good road test results when used normally, but with the top section fully expanded it obscures clocks and keeps the rider’s head high in the windblast, making it very difficult to move around on the bike. A good map pocket and clear storm hood mean you can clearly see maps underneath. The waterproof test completely soaked the main compartment, leaving half a cupful of water sloshing around. The bottom half of the bag zips off and has its own map pocket. It comes with rucksack and shoulder straps and will accommodate up to 25 sugar bags.

Bagster No 31 Price £188.01 (£88.13 cover, £99.88 bag)

Contact 01745 823333 or

www.baglux.co.uk

15

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

6/10

4/10

10/20

Tester’s notesA tank cover straps to the bike and the main bag clips to the cover. Fitting the cover to the CBR was challenging because of the bike’s fairing. At full expansion the clocks were obscured. The decent-sized map pocket has good access and can be seen through a clear storm hood. Waterproof testing left the map pocket dry, but the middle compartment became soaked through and the main bottom compartment became damp also. It comes with rucksack carrying straps and an integral single strap. We found it hard to fill as the main zip is near the base. Capacity is 20 sugar bags.

Givi T401NG Price £61.79

Contact 01327 706220 or

www.givi.it

16

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

6/10

4/10

10/20

Tester’s notesWaterproof testing left the map pocket of this strap-on bag soaked through, the top compartment containing half a cup of water and the bottom compartment three dessertspoonfuls. It straps on using plastic-covered metal hooks. It’s doesn’t expand, but the bag consists of two main compartments zipped together, each with their own map pocket. With both compartments in use the bag obscures clocks and keeps the rider’s head up in the wind. It comes with a clear-topped storm hood, shoulder and rucksack straps. Capacity is 22 sugar bags.

Tech 7 Tour Price £34.99

Contact 0871 919 2900 or

www.busters-accessories.co.uk

9

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

7/10

7/10

14/20

Tester’s notesReasonable performance in the waterproof test, where the bag’s main compartment and map pocket became damp. It did well in the road test, but the bag keeps your head in the windblast when fully expanded, obscures the clocks and restricts movement. The well-sized map pocket is easily accessible thanks to a full-length zip. The bag comes with a shoulder strap and clear-topped storm hood. Our bag’s main zip was awkward to use on one corner. The base zips off to become a decent-sized map pocket that allows good access. Capacity is 17 sugar bags.

MAY 2008 69

Product test

The Held Task 4212 wins Best Buy for a great performance. It’s handy, doesn’t intrude while riding and it’s waterproof, even

without a storm cover. The Cargo Endurance Sports earns a

Recommended triangle following a great road test, though it requires use of the storm hood to ensure it’s completely watertight.

The Hein Gericke Pro Sports Special wins the third triangle for an excellent all-round display,

Waterproof bags are obviously the best and those supplied with storm hoods will keep out moisture so long as it is fitted as soon as it starts raining. With this in mind, any tankbag in this test that scores seven or more for road testing is worth having. And remember to always check and clean the base of the bag before you fit it to the tank.

! the Verdict

Next moNthRiDE puts back protectors to the strictest tests.

Joe Rocket Manta Price £29.99

Contact 01425 620580

or www.tranam.co.uk

17

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

5/10

4/10

9/20

Tester’s notesThis tiny tankbag relies on just one small magnet flap at the front. It’s simple to fit, but moved around on the tank and almost came off on very bumpy roads or under extreme braking. There’s no map pocket, but a mobile phone pocket has a tiny window. It comes with a pull-cord storm hood and a carry strap. The waterproofing test filled the mobile pocket with three dessertspoonfuls of water, the rear pocket was soaked and the main compartment became damp. It takes two sugar bags.

Moto-detail City Price £9.99

Contact 0845 017 5007

or www.getgeared.co.uk

18

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

5/10

3/10

8/20

Tester’s notesThis affixed to the tank of our bike with two front magnets as one central rear magnet coincided with the bike’s aluminium fuel cap and didn’t stick. This meant the bag moved around under heavy braking. Extra securing eyelets naturally fold under the front magnets, exacerbating the security problem. There’s only limited access to the map pocket. Comes with a clear storm hood. Waterproofing test completely soaked both the main compartment and the map pocket.

Bagster Handy Price £32.90

Contact 01745 823333 or

www.baglux.co.uk

19

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

6/10

2/10

8/20

Tester’s notesWaterproof testing without the storm hood saw the main compartment take on a cupful of water, while the top pocket became damp with two dessertspoonfuls. The magnets stuck to the tank well in road testing, but fitting the headstock strap for extra security is a pain as there are no quick-release fittings. The strap is long and the excess needs to be tied up for safety. It comes with integral shoulder strap that folds into its own pocket. There’s no map pocket. The capacity is three sugar bags.

Held Orion Price £35.95

Contact 01283 820508 or

www.held-biker-fashion.de

20

Road testing

Waterproof test

Total

7/10

1/10

8/20

Tester’s notesThis is essentially an expandable map pocket and it performed the worst in the waterproofing test, where the main compartment and map pocket completely flooded, leaving water to run out afterwards. The bag road tested well and the map pocket is the best on test; A4-sized and zipped on three sides for great access. The map pocket also features a mobile phone pouch. A storm hood is available at £8.20 extra and RiDE’s advice would be to invest in one.