So I was sitting out in the garage earlier next to the bike with said tank bag in hand wondering what I could do with it… Its a handy size you see so was missed… Sorry,, So I’m sitting there and bang…. Tail Pack! I unzipped the base of the bag that is normally placed on to the tank. The bag was the perfect size to go on to the rear rack that all Stelvio’s have. A couple of moments later its secured on to the bike with a bungee cord and some velcro strips that I had in stock. Sorted… Now I can travel light with a camera or drink again. No more panniers when I only need to travel light.

This week I have been using my Rex Marsee tank bag with excellent results. The weather has been good so I’ve not had the need to carry a load of waterproofs around in my ruck sack. Instead I’ve been able to ride light with the tank bag only. As I have said in previous posts, my flask holding a warm coffee just slips in to the tank bag thus saving the requirement to carry a half empty ruck sack on my back.  Once at the station I just unzip the bag off of its mount and walk off. It’s small enough to carry around without getting arm ache yet is big enough to hold the flask, phone, ear buds, snood, wallet and so on. The 10 litre size is spot on for the commuter that doesnt carry a laptop or notes around. I reckon its big enough for a weekend away too coz us men only really need a change of undies, clean T shirt, tooth brush and spray if we’re spending the weekend riding and staying in a bike friendly bed and breakfast. Traveling light is so much easier I can tell you.

Back to the bike… It’s been behaving so much better after Blackbear replaced the faulty throttle body last week. No more stiff throttle (oo er missus). It’s totally covered in crap so needs a good wash down but in a way it looks kind of cool and rugged when dirty. Maybe I’ll leave it another week before a wash down for once…

This morning I popped down to my local bike dealership Haywards of Cambridge. I know the guys there well coz they sold me my previous ride, a Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport. I’m not after another sport but I am on the look out for another bike which I hope to buy in March 2009. I’m torn as to what I want at the moment and ideally I don’t want to sell the Buell. Instead I would like a 2nd bike to go along side the Buell. They had the Moto Guzzi V7 Classic which was a real looker and a Gilera Fuoco. The V7 would be nice but I feel its just a normal bike whereas the the Fuoco is different. I could use that to commute on to the station each day and then use the Buell at the weekends only. The Fuoco is a 500cc three wheel scooter. It’s meant to ride really well and provide stability when the surface gets a bit slippery. Some bloke on the London Bikers Forum took one on a 3000 mile trip around Europe fully loaded up with his gear. I know its a scooter but its a good one for sure. Pics of both bikes below…. What do I get???

Moto Guzzi V7 Classic

Gilera Fuoco

What I know for sure is that I don’t need anything big. I’ve got a 35 litre Kriega R35 ruck sack (excellent bit of kit) for my main on bike storage. I know that I am limited on what will fit my bike because I have a plastic tank so all of the magnetic bags are obviously out of the window. I also know that I don’t want a soft bag because I will sometimes only carry a warm set of gloves, phone, wallet, ear plugs and disc lock. That means that half the time the tank bag will be half empty so I’m specifically looking for a bag that’s semi rigid so that it wont flap around when out on the open road.

I’ve set my budget to the slightly higher end bag and will pay for a product that’s right for the job. Buell make a branded soft tank bag that will fit my CityX like a glove but from my research I don’t believe its a particularly good product. Its good but there’s better available. Givi do the 440N which is technically a soft bag but due to its shape and size could be classed as semi rigid. The problem is that it looks a bit too funky for me. We’re all different but for me it’s not what I’m looking for just now. Its a good bag that’s magnetic BUT can be converted to fit the newly released TFS – tank fitting system. This converts a number of their bags into a quick release style bag for plastic tanks.

Another brand that I don’t believe is flashed around in the UK that often is Rex Marsee. RM as they will be known as for the rest of this article have been in business since 1969. They were the first company to come up with the magnetic tank bag back in 1976 although their product did not make it into production until 1979. With this kind of history I believe that they must know their stuff and therefore have put a bit of intelligence into their designs. One product that I am interested in is their 6 Liter Ciao Borsa semi rigid bag. Its obviously small and has a nice clear plastic map holder in the top. The bag zips on to a quick release base that straps around your tank. It is also available with a clever release system for bikes that have a more traditional fuel tank than my Buell. The other bag of interest in their range is the 10 Liter bag. This bag has a unique hard clear plastic lid on the top of it. A great place to store a GPS or map. It can also be powered from the bike by means of a quick release wire loom that’s wired in to the battery of the bike.

I’m currently in talks with Mission Motos to obtain an RM bag for use and review. Watch this space…