darrylri
Cannonball Rider #52
I bought one of those several years ago. I loved the idea, but hated the execution.lewlei said:Interesting - - I've never had a tank bag but am shopping for one for the new GS. I think it was Sargentcycle.com that had this modular model.
All those snaps they use are a pain to put together. You have to be able to get a finger behind them to get enough pressure to make them snap.
On my RS, I could never make the tank panel stay on tightly enough so that the bag didn't flop over to one side. It's narrow and only braced at each end, and when it warms up a bit it has a fair amount of give.
The map pouch can only be flipped left to right, not top to bottom. Ok if you only ever go east/west. The bottom part of the pouch is stitched through the vinyl; this makes a great tear off for the mounting points.
If you've never had a tankbag and aren't sure what you want, you might be happier buying a used, basic one to try out and find whether you like it and what features you really need.
I love tankbags personally. I like having a big map pouch for travelling. I like to carry a lot of conveniences up there like my camera, visor cleaning stuff, water, and more. Also, I have several travelling bikes, so I like to have one tankbag I can move easily between them.
For these reasons and more, I'm really sold on the Bagster tankbag/tankbra system. Very secure mounting, very good looking, very easy to refuel, no magnets to catch some dirt and put a scratch in the paint or ruin your credit card mag stripes. Built in clear rain cover so you can still see the map in the pouch.