tank bags

[Jeremy Dunn]

any good tips on tank bags?

love this site by the way.

[AlfBoy]

try http://www.motorcyclegearreview.com/

I have found that to be a good source of information for bike gear.

[Ceri JC]

I prefer magnetic ones to 'strap down' ones, purely for conveniance. Good to 100mph+ (at trackdays, officer :wink:) and the speed at which you can attach/remove them makes them good for refuling. Also, if you put your valuables in it, you can easily remove it when you stop for lunch/go into service stations, etc. An expandable one with a map cover on the top is ideal. Don't worry too much about getting really high quality waterproof ones unless you ride all year round and are going to do a lot of miles with it, the position of it it (effectively tucked in behind the screen and away from wheel fling) means it won't get as wet as panniers do.

I tend to put non-valuable stuff (clothes, sleeping bag, etc) in the tailpack/panniers and leave that on the back of the bike. I don't even bother locking them (so long as I'm not leaving the bike for more than an hour or so). I'd rather someone unzipped it, saw my dirty socks and thought better of nicking it, rather than saw it padlocked, assumed there was something valuable in it and cut the straps to get it off the bike.

I also use a tankbag for the first bagload of stuff, adding tailpack and finally panniers as the volume needed increases.

[fizzwheel]

Just bought an Oxford one, its really good, has magnets to hold it to the tank plus some straps for extra piece of mind, it is a tad on the large side and does obscure the speedo. Seems well made and well put together and is easy to use and to take on and off the bike, has lots of pockets for stuff like mobile phone and wallet and a waterproof cover

Top bit of kit IMHO, wish I had bought one earlier much better than lugging stuff about in a rucksack

[gordski]

Like FizzWheel,

I bought an oxford tank bag. Reduced at my local Infinety from £56 to £20. Chap in the shop said it was a little dusty but brand new. After a quick wash (sorry Ride home after MotoGP) looks like a new bag.

Pocket in the top is very good for map, phone and MP3.

Good value, dry kit, what more do you want. That said, when I had it extended it was difficult to see the clocks (officer :wink: )

[muddycoffee]

Hey guys,
that sounds really good, I think I'll get one of those.
Has anybody ever had problems with scratching the paint?
What with magnets crashing in to the metal etc..

[Sid Squid]

Bagster.

Dear, but worth it. The tank cover is bike specific, but the bag isn't, and as they last well you can take that on to your next bike.

[Cronos]

I use the Oxford Sport Expander tank bag. Had one for almost a year now (see my original review (http://forums.sv650.org/viewtopic.php?t=15862) in the Ancillaries (http://forums.sv650.org/viewforum.php?f=27) section).

Still delighted with it, it does everthing I need it too and more. 8)