The 3 Most Popular Motorbike Luggage Solutions
Traveling by motorcycle can be a ton of fun. It's economical and fast, but there's one big drawback that's preventing a lot of bike enthusiasts from hopping onto their bikes and venturing off in the vast Australian outback - the limited storage space. Now granted, you can pack a backpack and place a couple of essential items that will suffice you for a two-day trip, but if your journey is long, and if you have a partner with you, you're going to need a lot more than what a backpack can handle.
What many people don't realise, however, is that there are a lot of different motorbike luggage solutions that can fit the needs of most travelers by bike, as long as they know what to look for. The most popular motorbike luggage solutions include saddlebags, tail bags and tank bags.
Saddlebags are the most commonly used form of motorcycle luggage. Many bike manufacturers even offer them as OEM equipment, but you'll also come across a broad range of aftermarket saddlebags. This luggage solution has a large carrying capacity, and you'll come across soft and hard saddlebags. Soft bags feature a semi-rigid construction are are usually made of leather, synthetic leather or textile. Hard bags, on the other hand, are made of fiberglass, aluminium or molded plastic.
Tail bags are a great addition to have on top of saddlebags. In them, you can store smaller items that you need quick and easy access to. Furthermore, you can keep the tail bag on and remove the saddlebag if you're going on a short trip. With that said, tail bags add a lot of versatility to your bike in terms of storage, and they're specifically designed to not overlap with saddlebags in attempt to create a complete luggage solution. Similarly to saddlebags, tail bags come in soft and hard models, and they have the same advantages and disadvantages as their saddlebag counterparts.
Tank bags are inexpensive and very convenient, and they're typically used for taking short trips or even commuting, as it provides you with just enough space to store your everyday-carry items like a wallet, phone, snacks, drinks, GPS or a map. They're designed to be easily installable and removable, and most of them feature strong magnets inside textile flaps that help hold the bag in place. In other words, placing them and removing them on your bike is just a "snap", and you can take it with you when you arrive at your destination.
