Tip To Tail Motorcycle Luggage: Installing A Tank And Tail Bag On A Sport Bike
The reasons for people's attraction to sport bikes are numerous, but the speed, performance, and sexy lines of these bikes seem to dominate most opinions. It's safe to say the majority of riders don't purchase a street bike or sport bike because they like to tour on them. That's not to say you can't take a long motorcycle trip on a street bike, it's just that these types of bikes aren't the best choice if comfort and storage are your prime concerns.
You can quickly improve the storage capacity on a street bike by installing a motorcycle tank bag and/or a sport bike tail bag. With a place to carry your lunch and other miscellaneous items, activities like commuting to work or running errands on a sport bike become much easier with the addition of these two pieces of motorcycle luggage.
Motorcycle tail bags and tank bags come in a wide range of styles, from slim and simple to the expandable type with a ton of storage capacity. When it comes to tank bags you'll find the majority of them secure to the gas tank either via heavy duty magnets or straps, or both, like the Firstgear Laguna Mini Tank Bag. The strap type typically have one strap up front that loops under the top triple clamp, around the neck of the frame, and then clips to the bag. The rear strap can usually be routed under the seat and then back to the bag. As for tail bags, most will mount on the passenger seat and secure to the bike via straps secured to/around strong attachment points on the bike.
Whether it's a tank bag or tail bag there are a couple things you should be aware of when installing them to your motorcycle. If you are using straps to secure the tank bag make sure the front strap doesn't get caught up in any of the cables and be sure to turn the motorcycle handlebars from stop to stop to make sure nothing hinders the movement of the frontend. At the rear of the bike make sure your mounting straps are clear of the exhaust and don't swing into the wheel or any other moving parts on the bike. The video below shows the installation of a tank bag and a tail bag on a Honda CBR 600.
