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greetings...i have a 2005 r1150r with what looks to be a flat rack behind the back seat. I am going on a trip to the mountains and I am not quite ready to put the money into hard side cases and a top case....I need something that I could put some water bottles and maybe a small jacket in. Any suggestions on what I should get and how to attach it to my bike? thanks so much....drj

TBH, as long as you've got a bungee net (cargo net made of bungees with 6 hooks) you could put any bag (rucksack/whatever) under it. They're pretty cheap and I'd imagine most shops will stock them. (assuming you've got them in the US?)

If you've got the tail rack then you've got the pannier rails as well, which are ideal for the bungee net.

One way is a waterproof bag-www.campmor.com or cabelas. I personally have a Givi clone (sorta) Chinese ebay topcase mounted the plate to a Pederson luggage mounting plate which you may already have one or the other-a picture will help us tell you what you've got now. I also use a Roadgear jumbo Euro hauler. Trashbags are pretty common with a walmart /cheap gym bag inside,but it makes sense to get something thats money well spent , even if low cost. Go to ADV rider flea market and ebay for bargains. If you know somebody that works in a school, I can personally attest that there are a mountain of bookbags that come on locker cleanout day-college dumpsters in the spring are similar reservoirs of goodies in the can!

Go to Wal/K/Mart and buy a cheap duffel bag in the size you need. Waterproof things by using a trash bag inside the duffel. Attach it with flat straps, like the kind used fof backpacking - also available at Wally World and their clones. Much better quality straps ones designed for bikes can be had from Helen 2 Wheels (http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/cate ... ack_Straps or other on-line vendors. It's OK to skimp on the bag but I'd use quatilty straps - and I'd strongly advise against using bungees.

Charlie

whats wrong with bungees
I traveled all over in my youth with stuff atached to the bike with bungees
they have the advantage of having some give which allows the item to settle and still stay attached

harrisphil wrote:whats wrong with bungees
I traveled all over in my youth with stuff attached to the bike with bungees
they have the advantage of having some give which allows the item to settle and still stay attached

From my experience this weekend, if you've left any give in the bungees, you'll just have stuff shifting around on you since there is quite a bit of force from the wind at highway speeds.

So... Big stiff bungees!

I find that tie-straps will work their way down into soft luggage, loosening all the while. Eventually -- assuming your luggage hasn't slipped out of the loose straps and gone bouncing into the underbrush -- you have to tighten them. Again and again.

MattPie wrote:

harrisphil wrote:whats wrong with bungees
I traveled all over in my youth with stuff attached to the bike with bungees
they have the advantage of having some give which allows the item to settle and still stay attached

From my experience this weekend, if you've left any give in the bungees, you'll just have stuff shifting around on you since there is quite a bit of force from the wind at highway speeds.

Matt 15 years ago 130mph on the Jota going to Spa with the Tent sleeping bag rucksack and case of beer bungeed on the rear no problems :-)

Tailbag: http://www.tourmaster.com/xcart/product ... ductid=148 or http://www.tourmaster.com/xcart/product ... 147&cat=31. I have the larger TriBag.

Saddlebags: http://www.tourmaster.com/xcart/product ... 149&cat=31. I have these too.

These bags are really great! They fit perfectly, look good, and work great. I've used them for several long trips including high speeds and wet weather.

While it's true that

. . . that tie-straps will work their way down into soft luggage . . .

they do so mostly by compressing the contents, not by loosening up. The straps designed for bikes have nice heavy-duty delrin buckles, slides and D-rings which, in conjuction with the fairly thick nylon strapping, doesn't loosen up much. It's a much more positive fastening system than bungees with very little chance of loosing gear or worse, having a bungee come loose and get tangled up in the wheel. And yes, both of these have happened to me with bungees.

I've been using PiggybackStraps (saw an advert for them in the back of the BMWON) for the last three years or so now and have much more confidence in them than bungees. Yes, they occasionally require tightening up a bit while in use - I usually check things at each fuel stop but have found that you only have to snug them about down about every 3rd stop or so. Unlike bungees, you only need 2 to secure a duffel and have much less chance of scratching or marring the paint. They cost more (a set - with a total of 6 straps - costs about $30) but they last much longer and for me, provide much more peace of mind. YMMV

Charlie

Yeah, those well-designed straps won't loosen up on their own. But there's no cure for the soft-pack compressibility problem. Under turbulence and vibration, a duffel bag will 'adjust' itself over time until the straps are vibrating in the wind and shaking out their delrin adjuster slides. I use two crossed heavy-duty bungees over my duffel, so that if one goes away, the other is fully sufficient to hold the load.


An available comprimise are those adjustable tie straps with an elastic section in the middle. I think Helen 2Wheels sells them.