What do you do with those little bags that hang off of the trunk?

[Rdfroese]

I was wondering what people do with those little bags that hang off the trunk when you're touring? Not sure what they are called even.

 

Do you leave them on? Are you concerned/unconcerned about theft? I work with criminals and maybe I'm too untrusting of people. I know its not a huge issue but I am curious about this.

 

I guess I also wonder if you leave your GPS bracket [GPS removed] etc on the handlebar in the hotel lot?

[BratmanXj]

Not sure what you're referring to with the "bags" but my experiences with touring:

 

Ask the attended at the hotel if there is a secure place to park, ie by the front door.

My ram mount for the GPS & Phone stay on the handlebars, but any and all electronics get locked away in the saddlebag for the night.

Tank bag gets locked away for the night

Disk lock & cable lock to the other bike I'm usually touring with

Lock the saddlebags

 

Now, I live in the greater Chicago area...I take as much off the bike as I can. Once I get out into the "country" a bit I'm a lot more lax on what i keep on the bike.

[cimmer]

If you are referring to the Pouch that is on the right front of the travel trunk and the two on each side of the fairing, you can fit whatever fits in there. Stash whatever will fit but if it has any value, I wouldnt leave it there unattended overnight. I know I have passengers that stash candy or small item in the rear one so they can access it while riding. I personally removed the two front ones as I found my knees hitting them but I would but my wallet in there while riding as I didnt care to sit on it as I rode.

Hope that helps.

Rick F.

[Great White]

Tossed em in the trash. Because:

 

1. They look fugly

2. They came on my 86 parts bike and i didnt want them on my 83

3. The ones i had were pretty nasty and dirty

4. I ride with a full face/modular helmet and dont need a place to keep sunglasses.

5. Anything i would have left inthere has a high probablity of not being there when i get back

6. They look fugly.

 

but i can see where they might be useful fornthe missus to store those little bits of shrapnel they always seem to have with them.

 

This is my gps mount:

 

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r618/justonepict/19D183D6-7CDB-4C07-A3DA-C38510D1C0AE_zps9uiugiim.jpg

 

Holds my iphone 6+. I plug it into the 12v port with a usb adapter. Thats just rough at the moment. Cut it and bent it up as I was heading out on a trip the next morning. Phone slips in and out with no more trouble than putting it in a belt holster. It's on there with a couple strips of 3m trim tape and so far has survived rain, humidity and boiling sun.

 

It also functions as my phone, intercom and stereo in conjunction with my smh-10 headset.

 

the phone is in a lifeproof case so weather isnt an issue...

Edited July 16, 2015 by Great White

[Rdfroese]

pouch by Rob Froese, on Flickr

 

It's this pouch/bag thing I referring to. People really value them on ebay apparently and I'm wondering if people leave them on or just ride with out them.

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

I never took them off my 86 at any time. Took a cola or water in them when on long rides. They would get warm if parked in sun but take a drink from the fridge and it would be good to drink most of the day.

[Prairiehammer]

I've never removed them, although I have relocated the fairing bags to the handlebars, for the knee room.

The trunk bag is handy for the passenger, and most thieves wouldn't figure out what it took to remove the bag, especially in the dark.

I remove the GPS(s) from the handlebars for the night and cover the bike with a "half-cover" at night. Of course, everything is locked. (Knock on wood), I've never had an issue...even in Cleveland...or even in Canada...

[Max]

I was wondering what people do with those little bags that hang off the trunk when you're touring? Not sure what they are called even.

 

Do you leave them on? Are you concerned/unconcerned about theft? I work with criminals and maybe I'm too untrusting of people. I know its not a huge issue but I am curious about this.

 

I guess I also wonder if you leave your GPS bracket [GPS removed] etc on the handlebar in the hotel lot?

 

No question, out of eyeshot, GPS & bracket comes off. Suction cup system takes 5 secs to remove.

 

Let me tell ya RD, those little bags come in very handy when your on a 5 - 10K mile tour 4-8 weeks, with 2 up, every cubic inch counts.

We use them for on board non valuables - sunscreen,ziplocks,detergent,straps,kickstand plate,etc, basically, she crams them with anything that's easy to replace in case of theft.

I replaced the intercom module on the left side with a 4th pouch. The mounting holes align made for an easy conversion.

Not really concerned about theft, who would snipe anything (to quote the Great White) that fugly??

[ricksbike]

I have all kinds of junk in mine,gum,cell-phone,sunglasses--in the rear one I have a very small WD 40,tire gauge,spare fuses-pen pencils--like I said all kinds of junk.

[syscrusher]

I have 6 feet of parachute cord wrapped around two blocks of wood about 4"x5" or so.

One block is 5/8" plywood and the other is 2x4.

Tiny eye screws attach either end of the cord to either of the blocks.

When I park I take a look at how far the side stand is from the ground with the bike nearly upright and decide which of the two blocks needs to go under the side stand foot.

The unused wood block goes back into the pouch anchoring the paracord for easy retrieval of the in-service block. If I need both blocks sometime that's fine too.

[Great White]

I have 6 feet of parachute cord wrapped around two blocks of wood about 4"x5" or so.

One block is 5/8" plywood and the other is 2x4.

Tiny eye screws attach either end of the cord to either of the blocks.

When I park I take a look at how far the side stand is from the ground with the bike nearly upright and decide which of the two blocks needs to go under the side stand foot.

The unused wood block goes back into the pouch anchoring the paracord for easy retrieval of the in-service block. If I need both blocks sometime that's fine too.

 

That's certainly an interesting use....

[camos]

I've never had an issue...even in Cleveland...or even in Canada...

Even in Canada...eh?

I used to keep a tire gauge, LED flashlight, Yamaha screwdriver and a crescent wrench in the rear bag. That is until someone decided they deserved those things more than I did. It wasn't much of a score for the scumbag involved but I still had to replace those items so now the rear pouch only gets used while on a trip and only when necessary.

[Donvito]

Just found $47 in my rear pouch. Don't tell my wife.

[camos]

Been meaning to do this little project for a couple of months and this thread kicked my lazy ass into gear.

 

The front pouches when mounted where they were designed to go are 90% in the way of my knees. Before making the first trip on my 89 from Everett WA to home the pouches ended up in the trunk where they have been floating around for 10 months. One pouch was used to hold the headset cables and the other one held the screwdriver, LED flashlight and wrench mentioned in my previous post. It was a bit messy but did keep those items organized together and handy.

 

Today, using a length of wire cut from a clothes hanger, I bent a keeper hoop and slipped it over the vertical bracket in each corner of the trunk. It was only necessary to remove the two hinge bolts and the 2 tiny screws at the top of the vertical bracket. The original hanger strap goes through the hoop which holds the pouch in position. The hoop is free to slide about half way down the bracket which may cause a small issue. On the left side the hoop is held up by the trunk light wiring but there is nothing similar on the right side so it may require putting something behind the bracket to stop the hoop from sliding down. Time will tell.

 

 

Here is a pic of the completed installation.

 

 

Here is a pic with the pouches installed and two HJC IS-Max II modular helmets sitting in the trunk. Just in case anyone is wondering, the pouches have the items mentioned plus a pair of sunglasses and the lid does close properly.

 

[Great White]

Been meaning to do this little project for a couple of months and this thread kicked my lazy ass into gear.

 

The front pouches when mounted where they were designed to go are 90% in the way of my knees. Before making the first trip on my 89 from Everett WA to home the pouches ended up in the trunk where they have been floating around for 10 months. One pouch was used to hold the headset cables and the other one held the screwdriver, LED flashlight and wrench mentioned in my previous post. It was a bit messy but did keep those items organized together and handy.

 

Today, using a length of wire cut from a clothes hanger, I bent a keeper hoop and slipped it over the vertical bracket in each corner of the trunk. It was only necessary to remove the two hinge bolts and the 2 tiny screws at the top of the vertical bracket. The original hanger strap goes through the hoop which holds the pouch in position. The hoop is free to slide about half way down the bracket which may cause a small issue. On the left side the hoop is held up by the trunk light wiring but there is nothing similar on the right side so it may require putting something behind the bracket to stop the hoop from sliding down. Time will tell.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]100687[/ATTACH]

 

Here is a pic of the completed installation.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]100688[/ATTACH]

 

Here is a pic with the pouches installed and two HJC IS-Max II modular helmets sitting in the trunk. Just in case anyone is wondering, the pouches have the items mentioned plus a pair of sunglasses and the lid does close properly.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]100689[/ATTACH]

 

Now that's an idea I like!

 

I've got all kinds of schrapnel floating around in my trunk and that would do nicely.

 

[dna9656]

I have 6 feet of parachute cord wrapped around two blocks of wood about 4"x5" or so.

One block is 5/8" plywood and the other is 2x4.

Tiny eye screws attach either end of the cord to either of the blocks.

When I park I take a look at how far the side stand is from the ground with the bike nearly upright and decide which of the two blocks needs to go under the side stand foot.

The unused wood block goes back into the pouch anchoring the paracord for easy retrieval of the in-service block. If I need both blocks sometime that's fine too.

 

I did almost the same thing! I carried a 2 X 4 on a length of weed whacker line and a butt connector in hopes the line would UN twist in the connector (the line had a knot in it) and the other end was tied to the bar for the ugmo bag; but that didn't work out so well. Now I use a beaded chain, THAT never twists up. I also bought another side stand and cut 1.5" from the thick end and had this length added (welded) into the thick section on the stand installed on the bike to replace the hill billy look of the 2 X 4. You also have to put a 1.5" extension on the spring or get a longer spring. I use a piece of 1/8' stainless steel rod bent into an oval to gain the length I needed on the the spring. I think the reason they are there on the Royale is there's no space in the fairing because of the radios/intercom, cassette player and the CLASS. So to give the rider and passenger SOME PLACE to put SOME THINGS they went with the bags.

Edited July 20, 2015 by dna9656

[syscrusher]

I did almost the same thing! replace the hill billy look of the 2 X 4.

 

Wow, Port Orchard must be tough!

I thought my 2x4 was sort of fashionable looking.

 

The young guys are wearing plaid and growing their beards out.

What could be more hip than propping up your 22 year old motorbike on a 2x4?

 

BTW, when I put it on the 2x4 the end of the foot sticks up in the air. Do these bend easily or something?

[Karaboo]

If anyone has one of the black fairing bags they don't need, they could send it my way. Mine was one short when I found her. It throws my balance off. Getting tired of going around in circles.

[Pegasus1300]

I still have the ones that came on my 87. I never take them off when I traveled with her. I keep a tire gauge, sunburn cream, nail clippers black tape, hand cream, gloves, you get the picture. I also have a tank bag for camera,cd player,maps,guides,and a bag that fits between the handlebars for snacks gum,earplugs, rags.There is also a bag on the luggage rack for rain suits waterproof gloves,cleaner/polish and rags.

 

Although I have traveled on motorcycle for 50 years I never had anything stolen or as far as I can tell even bothered.Yes I do take normal precautions I take really valuable stuff inside and everything else is out of sight but that's about it.