Most people who own a motorcycle dream of one day taking off on the trip of a lifetime which would include eating up thousands of miles across strange continents where we would encounter unknown people and see the world’s greatest wonders. If you are like me then you have probably already imagined how you would load up with some great motorcycle luggage full of all the essentials you need to make the journey and thought about how you could reduce to a minimum the amount of “stuff” you would be able to get by on.

I’m pretty sure Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman have got plenty to answer for, after all their documentaries series “Long Way Round” and “Long Way Down” have inspired many a biker to push ideas of world touring to the front of more minds than anybody else. I even have friends who have never been on a bike in their lives who now aspire to creating their own two wheeled adventures and others who have passed their motorcycle test driven by their love of these documentaries.

Regardless of your motivation or the length of your planned adventure, kitting up with motorcycle luggage and heading off into the distance is one of the things that makes the pastime great. Planning the trip is of course part of the fun and you’ll do well to spend plenty of time ensure that you’ve got the required extra motorcycle gear to get the most from any long distance travel that you do.

Picking bike luggage is an adventure in itself with so many choices available these days you can spend days searching the Internet for the perfect bags to sit atop your pride and joy. Choosing between soft and hard luggage is the first choice you need to make. For serious hard-core long term motorcycle trips you’ll want to opt for hard luggage for its added security, protection from the elements and the often bigger carrying capacity that it allows.

Soft luggage is cheaper and easier to fit so its great for shorter expeditions. Soft luggage also has the advantage of being easier to fit and most of the pieces available can be used on any bike so if you are moving up to a different model you can keep your bags and use them on your new machine. If you have a sports bike which you use at the weekends but occasionally like to undertake longer excursions then the soft option is ideal.

How Big Should A Motorcycle Bag Be?

This is something only you can decide but in my experience traveling light makes for a more enjoyable journey every time. With too much extra weight having an adverse effect on the handling of your bike taking the least amount possible is your best bet. Of course, everyone’s idea of “least amount possible” varies tremendously from spare pants and a tooth brush, to everything but the kitchen sink. Its really only through experience that you will find the level of packing that you are comfortable with.

The age old advice to pack layers of clothing instead of think individual items holds true when going touring. Keep in mind that if this is your first trip you will need less clothing than you imagine so pack accordingly. Obviously you’ll need to make room for emergency items such as puncture repair kits, mobile phone equipment and the ever important toilet roll.

What Motorcycle Touring Luggage To Choose

With tank bags, panniers, tail packs and back packs all taking your fancy you’ll want to think carefully about what you buy to ensure you spend the least amount of money possible. If you’re loaded then it won’t matter and you can really go to town and get the top of the range gear without giving it a second thought but for the rest of us less is usually more.

Sticking to the rule of packing as light as possible you might find that a couple of pieces of luggage is all that you need. I can go on a motorcycle journey for a few weeks with about 60 litres of capacity so a tail pack and tank bag do me just fine in most cases. If you are packing for two then you’ll obviously need to get fully loaded up and if your pillion passenger happens to be a female hasn’t quite grasped the concept of packing light then you’ll need to get your hands on the maximum amount of capacity your bike can handle.

I personally like to stay away from motorcycle backpacks as much as possible, I find they distract me from my riding and I’m always worried about the possibility of increased risk of back injury in the event of an accident.

For times when I need a little extra storage space I usually call my tail pack into action. Tail packs surprisingly enough sit on the tail of the bike behind the rider where the pillion passenger would usually sit. I never carry a pillion so having a bag that goes in their place is perfect for me.

When to use a tail pack? Everyone is different when considering how much motorcycle luggage space is enough for certain situation. For most people a tank bag is going to do just fine for most purposes throughout the year but having a tail bag can come in handy when your looking to make a trip of a few days and don’t have to think about accommodating a passenger. They can also great if you use your bike for doing something like a large food shop. No point getting the car out of the garage when you can do these things on a bike if you ask me and with at least 30 liters capacity you can fit plenty in there.

Motorcycle Tail Pack

Advantages of a motorcycle tail bag

1. Increase the carrying capacity of your motorcycle by 40 liters quickly and easily.

2. Easily straps onto the pillion seat with making any modifications to your bike.

3. Cheap – You can pick up a quality item for £40

4. Less obstruction caused to the rider compared to a tank bag when out on the road.

5. Many with Backpack straps so you can easily carry them when you are off the bike.

Disadvantages of the motorcycle tail pack

There’s not much that I don’t like about tail packs, certainly not enough that it would put me off ever using one but the disadvantages may be enough to make you consider a different luggage option.

1. As already mentioned you’ll have to leave the pillion passenger at home if you choose a tail bag so if you like to ride 2 up much of the time you might want to give them a miss.

2. Some people don’t like the way they look. Not a problem to me but if you are that way inclined you might want to consider the appearance of a potential purchase before handing over the cash. If you are willing to splash out a little you should be able to find a pack these days that looks good on the back of your bike.

3. Can make it a struggle to get on your bike. The obstruction caused by having a big bag sticking out the rear of a motorbike can cause those of us who are rapidly advancing in years to have a bit of nightmare trying to get on our seat. Check you are capable of the necessary gymnastics before you buy a tail pack.

4. Unfortunately these bags aren’t usually water proof but they usually come with a cover that will keep most of the rain out. I always stick sensitive belongings in plastic before packing as I would with a tank bag, just to be on the safe side.

5. There’s a possibility that it may affect the handling characteristics of your motorbike.

The bottom line is that if you need some extra, affordable luggage space for your motorcycle and don’t often carry a pillion passenger you should seriously consider getting a tail pack to strap on to your rear.

Many of us use a motorcycle primarily for the enjoyment we get out of traveling on it rather than as everyday transport, so its a vehicle that doesn’t have to fulfill as many roles as a car. At the same time having a little space to carry some shopping, extra clothing or a map when venturing off onto new roads can be a real bonus.

Tank bags are one of those things that so many of us fail to purchase but when you get used to using one you wonder how you ever managed without it.

Reasons for not getting a tank bag

There are three reasons often cited for giving this handy motorcycle luggage a miss:

1. Some argue that having a bag on your tank is going to have a detrimental effect on the handling of your bike – If you are bothered by having a bag slightly impeding your steering then it possible you won’t get used to using one of these. If that’s the case you might be better getting a tail pack.

2. If you fit one you won’t be able to see your dials – True, some high capacity bags can give problems when filled with all your stuff, you can either get used to it or buy a smaller model.

3. People who haven’t used them fear that a magnetic tank bag will be in danger of sliding off your motorbike when traveling at speed, especially round corners – No matter how hard you ride I can assure you from personal experience, these bags won’t budge.

4. The Bag will scratch the tank – This is not usually a big enough problem to put me off especially these days when most have enough padding to protect against scratching. It has been known to happen on occasions when dust and dirt find their way under the bag but the easy solution is to keep things as clean as possible. On this point, make sure you magnet hasn’t picked up any rogue metal material before you attach it to your bike or you could end up with a nightmare on your hands.

Strap Vs Magnetic Tank Bag

They come in two flavors, magnetic or strap and whichever you choose is really down to personal preference, although magnetic tank bags seem to be more popular you’ll obviously need a metal fuel tank to use one. Magnetic numbers are great for ease of putting on/taking off the bike although they are more susceptible to thieves so you probably won’t want to leave it unattended on your bike. Strap bags tend to move about on the tank more when your moving for if you want a secure fit better go for a magnetic tank bag.

What to look for when looking to purchase

1. Straps to make it easy to carry around when off the bike
2. A clear plastic map pouch on the top so you can tell where you are going
3. A waterproof cover for the rare occurrence when it rains in the UK
4. Lots of extra little pockets for holding keys, money, odds and ends
5. Look for one with a big enough capacity to hold what you want without being too bulky on the bike

In conclusion, tank bags are awesome and if you want to carry a small but reasonable amount of stuff when you’re out on your bike you really can go wrong picking one up.