Regardless of whether you’re riding up the coast for a weekend trip, or just headed to the local track for a few hours of off-road enjoyment, it’s good to have a way to safely carry some gear with you. After all, space commands a premium when you’re on two wheels; but a sturdy, waterproof top box or tank bag lets you hit the road with space to spare.
Compact cargo boxes and bags provide perfect storage for an overnight bag and a laptop, wet weather gear and gloves, or a few extra tools and a spare chain. They’re unequaled when it comes to convenient luggage solutions for bikes, together with the versatility that lets you easily carry them by hand when they’re not mounted on your bike.
Time to Make Space on Your Motorcycle with Top Boxes and Bags
Let’s be honest: while touring bike owners generally aren’t plagued by storage space woes, enduro and adventure bike owners are always on the lookout for ways to store their cargo. Fortunately, there’s a wide selection of high quality motorcycle top boxes and bags available to help them close the cargo space gap.
From their high-tech materials, to their sleek, wind-cheating styling, modern motorcycle top box cases and bags are some of the most intelligently designed articles of luggage made anywhere, and are available in a range of styles and sizes that include:
- Low profile top boxes. Carrier-mounted motorbike top boxes are sturdy, weatherproof enclosures that offer up to 58 litres/10 kg of capacity, and make for easy cargo organisation and handling, either mounted or unmounted.
- Durable tank bags. With expandable capacities up to 26 litres, these semi-rigid, heavy-duty bags are mounted atop the fuel tank, offer convenient access for refuelling, and provide easy access storage for items like heaters, or handheld items like a phone or a GPS.
- Compact side bags. Soft, compact side bags are lightweight, 8-litre alternatives to heavyweight panniers, and can handily be mounted in their place on the saddle, atop your carrier, or even along your crash bars.
Make no mistake: tough, open road luggage like motorcycle top cases and water-resistant bags are some of the best investments you can make for an adventure-style bike. And unlike ordinary hard-shell, side-mounted luggage, carrier-mounted motorbike top box cases and bags don’t pose a snagging hazard by hanging out too far, or an injurious crushing hazard if you lay the bike down at speed.
Best Results with Rugged Aluminium and Durable Denier Fabric
Ask anyone who’s done any amount of riding around Australia and they’ll tell that when it comes to luggage, materials make a difference. Between the penetrating moisture and humidity in the north, and the relentless sunshine and dust in the south, you need to be sure that when you’re looking at different types of motorcycle top case and saddle bag offerings, that you’re looking specifically for kit that’s designed to take the worst that Australia has to dish out.
Making aluminium your first choice when looking at top cases makes sense. That’s because aluminium cases possess a range of qualities that are perfectly suited to motorcycle luggage, including:
- Lightweight construction. A compact aluminium motor top box like Givi’s Trekker Outback weighs just 5 – 6 kg, and is strong enough to resist collapsing under top loading, or while serving as a back rest for a passenger.
- Weather resistance. Aluminium top boxes are corrosion, UV, and moisture resistant, low in maintenance, and highly regarded for their ability to shield your luggage from exposure to the elements at all times.
- Serious security. Aluminium top boxes offer both key and combination locking security, while also providing a temperature-stable environment for their contents.
Tank bags and compact side bags need to be just as tough as their aluminium counterparts; and a look at Givi’s bags reveals some of the features that help assure their durability.
- Tear- and water-repellent high-density polyester denier/PVC polyester outer fabrics;
- Thermo-formed, UV resistant top and bottom shells; and,
- EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) foam-coated polyurethane (PU) insulation.
And unlike the heavyweight plastic and polycarbonate moto top box and pannier choices on the market, lightweight cases and bags are highly portable. Quick-release fastening systems and plates allow these compact boxes and bags to be unmounted easily, and converted into hand luggage that you can take with you when your bike is parked.
Top Boxes and Compact Cases that Follow Good Form and Feel
While a healthy cargo capacity and superior protection are the chief qualities you want when shopping for motorcycle top boxes, you don’t want to ignore form and feel. That’s because no matter how effective the storage solution is, the last thing any bike rider wants is an aerodynamic liability that causes problems for stability. Fortunately, modern top cases and compact bags are designed and wind tunnel tested to mitigate many of the headwind headaches.
A compact footprint is the most crucial attribute when it comes to form and feel, and the finest top cases and bags feature characteristics that benefit both, including:
- A significant weight reduction over full-sized panniers;
- Thin profile aerodynamic construction that renders minimal wind resistance; and,
- Smart weight distribution that won’t affect stability, even when fully loaded.
And while top boxes are sometimes considered to be problematic for balance, especially at speed, refraining from overloading them is the key to maintaining a feel that’s as solid as a rock every time.
The Final Word
At the end of the day, no matter which type of riding you do, having a stable, secure space to transport a change of clothes, your briefcase, or a few tools makes sense. You don’t need a lot of space, but you do need cargo equipment that’s going to let you make maximum use of minimal space.
Lightweight, compact motorcycle boxes and bags let you carry your gear without saddling you with any excess burdens. These cargo carriers make sure that you never have to worry about being squeezed for space when you’re ready to ride.
