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Tankbag That Wont Scratch Tank?


Guest barbwire44

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couple companies out there make gas cap mounted systems, Givi I think is one and I use Bags Connection that I get from Twisted Throttle (they are town the road from me)

TT prices on Bags Connection (SW Motech) went up in last few years, nearly doubles, but it's a good product and I got it before price hike

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Givi Tanklock Tankbag works great on my wife's bike no scratches. You order it with the appropriate lock ring for VFR1200. You can see it mounted in this photo.

Rest Stop Hwy 3 BC

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I went with the GIVI Tanklock system for both my VFRs. This is the small 4L bag, but I also have a larger "expandable" 22L bag that uses the same mounting system. The top photo shows the mounting ring kit (on the right) and the locking mechanism on the bottom of the bag (on the left). Middle photo shows the mounting ring secured to the gas tank.

post-23057-0-24027100-1394640083.jpg

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magnetic tanksbags WILL at some point in time scratch.............

Took me 13 years, but then it happened.....

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I went with the GIVI Tanklock system for both my VFRs. This is the small 4L bag, but I also have a larger "expandable" 22L bag that uses the same mounting system. The top photo shows the mounting ring kit (on the right) and the locking mechanism on the bottom of the bag (on the left). Middle photo shows the mounting ring secured to the gas tank.

attachicon.gifGivi TH02 with Mounting Ring.JPG

attachicon.gifVFR800 Givi Mount Installed.JPG

attachicon.gifVFR800 Givi Bag Installed Right Profile.JPG

This ^^. I have one on my1200 and it works great as long as I remember to close the stupid thing.

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Trick to avoid/minimize scratching with magnetic bags is to make sure you keep the surface of the tank and the botom pad of the bag really clean. The grit from the road is one of the biggest causes tank paint scratching. If it's not there, you should not have the problem. On long rides I usually take the bag off at midpoint to clean between the tank and the bag, and I have never had any tank paint scuffing problems.

Another thing one should do is to make sure that the tank magnets are pulled away from each other as much as possible to make sure that the bottom pad of the bag is stretched tightly enough against the tank so the bag will not move around. If the bag moves around enough, it will have the effect of the bottom pad of the bag acting like a sander against the paint, eventually causing scuffing....

I thought of moving over to these mechanically fastened tank bag systems, but I thought they always look kinda weird with the bag visually hovering over the tank instead of being sitting tight against it........ but it is definitely the easiest way to avoid tank paint scratching and scuffing with tank bags.

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Some research lead me to the Kappa RA308. It uses the sister Companys' ( Givi ) Tanklock mount (part no. BF03 for most Hondas). It is expandable (17 - 24 litres) and includes a shoulder strap and rain cover. The bottom is a molded material that will keep it from touching the tank. I have the mounting plate (adjustable about 2 inches fore and aft) set all the way back to put the bag fully forward. At full capacity the dash view is unobsructed.

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The only way to avoid ANY/ALL scratches is to avoid ANY/ALL contact with paint and that requires a Tank Lock. I love mine and it is so quick to snap on and one quick pull of the red lever and it's off.

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BTW, I've got this SW-Motech tank ring mount on 2 bikes and probably 10,000 mies, no complaints, other than when the bag is overloaded it tends to lean a bit.

mine is a cheap model but they also have one with electric hook up so you can have a cell prone or GPS connected to the bag

Also they sell the bracket that snaps right to the bag for GPS mount

phpniVmoH.jpg

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+1 for SW-Motech. Pricey… but great quality. My last tank bag lasted about 15 years, so I wasn't too upset about paying more for a high quality system. I really like the quick release tank ring (a newer design than the one pictured in the previous post, it's a little more compact) and would recommend it over a magnetic system. If you do decide to get a magnetic bag be aware that some have much better magnets than others. My previous bag had very strong magnets which helped prevent scratches that would result from the bag moving on the tank.

post-20150-0-59765800-1394687802.jpg

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If you opt for a magnetic tankbag, choose one that leaves enough room between your thumbs and tank at full lock.

My tankbag was ok in this respect on my LeMans, but on my redslut, my thumb would get "stuck". So I surgically removed 2 magnets... :-)

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I think at this point I am gonna go with one of the locking style bags. Thanks for the advice its appreciated.

Let us know what you go with. I've been looking at the GIVI and SW-Motech myself, but not sure which one is better. The SW-Motech seems a little nicer from the reviews, but just not sure if it is worth the extra cost.

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I've had a Bagster cover and bag on my VFR8 for years without any scratching. I occasionally polish under the cover is about it.

In Touring mode again

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I think at this point I am gonna go with one of the locking style bags. Thanks for the advice its appreciated.

Let us know what you go with. I've been looking at the GIVI and SW-Motech myself, but not sure which one is better. The SW-Motech seems a little nicer from the reviews, but just not sure if it is worth the extra cost.

Although I have the GIVI and I like it, the SW-Motech seems to have a "beefier" mounting setup and also has a "built-in" power option i.e. The mount carries the power through to the bag via the mating surfaces, which is nice. However from the pictures I've seen, the GIVI mount seems to have a much lower profile when no bag is attached than the SW-Motech, for whatever taht's worth. If you plan on using the power option, I think that would be the one item that sets the two apart. I actually added a Powerlet outlet in the steering stem and plan on using that to connect/disconnect the bag, one additional step and cable that is not needed with the SW-Motech.

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Some research lead me to the Kappa RA308. It uses the sister Companys' ( Givi ) Tanklock mount (part no. BF03 for most Hondas). It is expandable (17 - 24 litres) and includes a shoulder strap and rain cover. The bottom is a molded material that will keep it from touching the tank. I have the mounting plate (adjustable about 2 inches fore and aft) set all the way back to put the bag fully forward. At full capacity the dash view is unobsructed.

I like that bag... I picked up a GIVI 3D603 bag and tank lock ring off eBay for $50 a while back and while the system works GREAT, 4L is a little small when on a long trip. Now I just need to find a US distributor for the Kappa RA308.

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