Bag it like its hot!

[Joab]

Does anyone use a tank bag, and if so, what kinds do you find work well?

[ddragon63]

Does anyone use a tank bag, and if so, what kinds do you find work well?

I hate tank bags... they take up alot of space and hold nothing. Get a tail bag for your rear seat. they make ones that are quick release so you can take it right off and carry it away with you.

I had this one on my old Ninja and loved it. Could put my thermos, coffee cup, work boots, and a sweatshirt in it.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...-Tail-Bag.aspx

[Danny Crawdad]

How well does it hang on the bike? I'm not into the saddle bag/luggage look, but I commute on my bike a lot and have been carrying a backpack, but a tail bag seems like a good solution. I'm afraid of stuff falling off though :P

[DiverRay]

I use tank bags on ALL my bikes! great way to carry what I NEED, but will NOT hold very much JUNK. The MNS has a small magnetic, and I have a large magnetic for the Standard. The BMW needed a "special mount", and the stock bag was the price of a trunk! I was able to find a used bag for it on ebay, so I'm happy.
The best part about the magnetic bags is they pull off easily, but do NOT move on the ride, even when the bike tries to exceed the legal speed limit...

[ddragon63]

How well does it hang on the bike? I'm not into the saddle bag/luggage look, but I commute on my bike a lot and have been carrying a backpack, but a tail bag seems like a good solution. I'm afraid of stuff falling off though :P

well it sat on the back of a 2001 ZX6 Ninja commuting 25 miles each way on the freeway (@ 65 to 85 mph) for 2 years... It was still on the bike when I sold it. I'd say it hung out pretty good.

[Joab]

How well does it hang on the bike? I'm not into the saddle bag/luggage look, but I commute on my bike a lot and have been carrying a backpack, but a tail bag seems like a good solution. I'm afraid of stuff falling off though :P

I have been rocking the bungie cord camo bag look on mine for my work commute since I bought the bike. Not pretty, but it gets the job done.

[dpotter58]

i have a firstgear magnetic bag. I use a microfiber cloth under it to keep from maring the paint. I use it on trips. nice to pull a water bottle out or candy bar or whatever you like. I also keep the garin in it. I can slip the garmin under the clear top and not worry about it falling off and then just pull the whole bag when i make a stop if needed.

http://www.firstgear-usa.com/Luggage...TankBagII.html

[jetmechmarty]

I have a Yamaha "STAR" tank bag, and have had it a long time. It's expandable. I like it.

[BA80]

I have a magnetic tank bag made by Bike Master I use on long trips. It's a great place to keep small stuff you might need while riding, camera,GPS,sunglasses, ect and it has a clear sheath on the top where you can slip a map of the area your in and you can check your location or route at a glance.

[Wildkat]

I use a Givi magnetic tank bag. It's a double decker style so that you can remove the top bag if it's not needed. Both compartments have a transparent top pocket for maps or GPS devices (or whatever).

If you go this route, you might want to put something under the tank bag so nothing scratches the paint. Don't recall who it was here but they use a thin rubber mesh under their bag to prevent this from happening,
I had some metal splinters get stuck due to the magnets and it did a number on my paint when I pulled it off.

The bag itself is great for pretty much anything... except the kitchen sink. I keep it on the back of the bike.

[trbig]

I also have, and love, a tank bag. As Mr. Potter stated, they aren't something to hold a significant amount of luggage, but is a great place to put things you may immediately need on a ride. Plus, I normally use a suction cup on the tank for my GPS, but when it rains, I store it and my MP3 player in the bag to stay dry. I also keep my rain pants in it for quick access.

I can't tell you the brand of mine, I just got it off of Ebay and it says Yamaha down the side. When I wrecked the bike last year and it was doing flips down the road, the tank bag actually saved the top of my tank. The clear plastic got some road rash, but the bag still works fine.

One thing to watch for with the magnetic bags... Magnets attract steel. (Duh) I know people that have screwed up the paint on their tanks by setting the bag somewhere, then picking it up and plopping it onto the tank, and riding many miles before discovering a nut/bolt/screw/washer had been stuck to the bag.

They make some pretty ginormous tank bags, so if looking for storage, they are available. It's still not going to compare with a trunk or saddle bag, even though some are even expandable with zippers, but they are extremely useful for quick access of things, and even a smaller one is handy as heck.

[Poprock]

I have an Oxford tank bag, magnetic. It's nice on a trip. Expanded it will hold a full face helmet. Has a clear cover for maps. Zips off the base and becomes a back pack. Has 3 side pockets. End one zips off, has a belt loop. Whole bag zips off the base, and the base has a map pocket on it. Rain cover stows between the bag and base. Only hassle is every 120 miles at fill up time, but it's good storage, as many have mentioned.

[Joab]

Wow, sounds like there are some pretty awesome choices out there if I decide to go this route. And good heads up on getting something between the magnet and the tank...My tank paint job isnt very good, but I would rather it not look like I got hungry and decided to start nibbling

[Poprock]

microfiber cloth was mentioned. Sticky rubber mesh mats are available too, like toolbox liner material or drawer liners for kitchens. Make sure the tank isn't dusty when you put the bag on.