When it's time to carry some cargo on a sportbike, there are the usual options such as a tankbag or backpack. Fastening a set of soft luggage bags onto the back of your bike just for a short jaunt to the store can be a hassle; and yet many feel that a tankbag with any sort of carrying capacity can be obtrusive while riding with a sportbike's ergos, while others don't like to carry any type of weight on their back.
Enter the tail bag-or rather, the Jumbo Sport Tail Bag from Roadgear. Constructed from DuPont 1000 Denier Cordura Plus, the Jumbo Sport Tail Bag features a cavernous 40-liter capacity top-loadinsg main compartment that is claimed to be big enough to fit a full-face helmet. Four outer expandable pockets (one in the top lid, one on the rear and one on each side) hold additional items, with all compartments/pockets using heavy-duty YKK zippers. A hook-and-loop-fastened pocket in the front makes space for an optional rain cover ($15). There's also a carrying handle, plus D-rings for an optional shoulder strap ($6).
Fastening to the motorcycle is handled by four integrated/retractable bungee cords with heavy-duty plastic hooks. The bungee cord and hooks can be stored underneath the bottom protective flap of the Jumbo Sport Tail Bag when carrying it, and the bottom flap has a non-slip/scratch surface.
We shied away from tail bags years ago because those early versions were made with cheap bungee straps that invariably broke, causing the tail bag to flop off the back and become lodged into the rear wheel with the expected results (former SR staffers have actually witnessed two crashes happen this way). The Roadgear Jumbo Sport Tail Bag has changed that perception, and after several months of constant use on various bikes with weighty cargo inside, we've never had it come loose or fail at any point. Each bungee strap is basically two 1/4-inch high quality nylon braided rubber lines, so they're not only strong and durable enough to fasten the bag securely, but also easy to deploy. There's enough length and adjustability to configure nearly any sort of attachment setup to a sportbike's passenger seat as long as the bike has grab handles or other solid attachment points, and the hooks are large and beefy enough to remain secure at their attachment point. We were even able to attach the bag to several bikes with underseat exhausts with no issues, provided that we were able to keep the bungee straps away from hot exhaust surfaces.
Needless to say, the huge capacity of the Jumbo Sport Tail Bag allows us to carry quite a bit of cargo (yes, we were able to fit a full-face helmet inside with no problem), and the accordion-style panels on the sides expand for even more carrying capacity. A closed-cell foam stiffener heat-laminated to the inside walls of the Roadgear bag allow it to keep its shape even when not fully packed. Attaching and detaching the bag on most sportbikes is a cinch because the bungee cords are strong enough to not require weaving them into a rat's nest in order to attach the bag securely. And all zippers have pull tabs that are easily handled with gloves on.
Roadgear is confident enough in the build quality that the bag comes with a 10-year warranty, and we're not surprised. The Jumbo Sport Tail Bag is an excellent cargo-carrying item for sportbikes, and quite frankly a steal at $99.90.
Roadgear, Inc.
800 854-4327
www.roadgear.com