Hello! I’m RyanF9 and these are my favourite moto backpacks.
This is a Kriega R20 and it’s mine. That’s the highest praise I can give because each year I try hundreds of moto things without keeping any of them but I kept this – why?
Upon first inspection, the R20 is overpriced and underwhelming. It has only one outer pocket – not terribly technical. Then the main compartment is 20 liters – not terribly large. And inside there are only two dividing pouches, one of which can hold a hydration pack – theoretically – but I’d have to buy it separately.
So nothing special going on for 200 bucks, especially considering it ain’t waterproof.
But what you’re really paying for is on this side of the bag. Kriega calls the straps Quadloc – 1, 2, 3, 4, locked. What this does is transfer weight to the center of my chest and back, leaving my arms free to pilot the motorcycle.
The R20 is the only bag that I consistently forget that I’m wearing . You stop feeling it after the first few kilometers and that’s a beautiful thing.
I ride sport, touring, ADV, dual-sport, dirt bikes, cruiser … I’ve literally done it all with this bag. And so far my only complaint has been the leakiness. Nothing has gotten wet and ruined in here – yet – but I have opened the bag to find my stuff a bit damp.
Also I was worried that the super-thin shell would rip at first. But it’s never failed me and I’ve come to love how flexible the material is… you can cram anything in here and the bag will change its shape to fit.
Kriega makes other sizes of this bag– from 15 to 35-liters – and they all come with a 10-year warranty. So long as you don’t have any specific needs – if you just want a good general riding pack – this is it.
But let’s say you do have specific needs, like a bag that excels off-road .
Whether I’m dirt biking on a WR-250 or dirt destroying on a KTM 1290, I take the Klim Nac Pak . It’s technically a snowmobile bag, but that’s a good thing. For one, the snow market isn’t as inflated as the moto world so the Nak Pak only costs 120 dollars. Also because sledders carry avalanche probes and snow shovels, the bag has vertical exterior storage. That’s proved super useful for carrying tent poles, monopods… a bunch of stuff that wouldn’t otherwise fit in here.
Now I’ve reviewed this bag in the past, so might as well watch a version of me that’s a year younger and prettier. Yep there I go – showing off the hydration bladder, which is included. Such a great host. Then I’m packing in some rope for lassoing lasses. And my insurance papers go in the mesh organizer pocket.
Now this is interesting – I’m taking out the middle layer of this backpack, which is a removable tool pouch. Spots for all the wrenches that I don’t know how to use, so instead I put in helmet cleaner, a patch kit, a first aid kit and a knife… classic.
Now I’m showing the fleece-y goggle pouch in the front pocket – very useful. And my gloves get shoved into the bag’s external storage between the layers, where they won’t get my rope all dirty.
The Klim isn’t as comfortable to wear as the Kriega, but it is way more technical to pack. Because when you’re going on a gnarly off-road ride, you don’t want your screwdrivers bouncing around the same pocket as your goggles.
And while the Nac Pak has a space for everything, there’s also no wasted space. It’s small. It won’t get in my way. Even this mountain safety whistle is incorporated into an existing buckle to minimize bulk.
Speaking of bulk, this is the beastly A merican Kargo Trooper . It’s the best riding pack if you need to carry a shitload of stuff.
But what kind of stuff? Well American Kargo calls this wing a first aid pocket . Because they drew a cross on the inside and that somehow makes it more medical than the other pockets. I do appreciate the detachable key ring … just not sure how it fits with the first aid theme.
And then there’s the second wing pocket, which is cryptically named – 2 nd pocket . Because this is an ‘murican bag, I’m supposed to be able to fit my handgun in here. And of course the zippers have locking loops, because guns are totally safe when secured with two bits of plastic.
Up top I have two smaller pockets, one of which is meant for eyewear. I’m pretty sure American Kargo shaved a puppy to make that one, because the liner is soft.
After that I have a helmet sling, which works great. So long as you don’t mind the hunchback effect.
Then there’s a padded laptop compartment, which will hold a 15” macbook. Only trouble is that it opens downward, so forget to close the zipper and this backpack will instantly jettison 2000 dollars.
Going into the main compartment is like performing open heart surgery. You expose the chest by releasing the wing pockets, then the zipper makes this weird Y-incision. Inside the cavity is a heart of storage – mesh dividers, loops, pass-through ports... this is a great backpack for cramming in a lot of stuff, especially since these wings cinch pressure off the zipper.
Construction-wise, our Trooper is made from 600-denier, PVC-backed fabric. In layman’s terms, it’s built like a brick shithouse. And a shiny one at that with all the reflective silver. My main gripe is that it’s too heavy. Even with the Kriega-esque butterfly harness, I’d still use the D-rings to strap this beast to my bike on a long ride. Also it’s not waterproof so I’m forced to buy a 25-dollar rain shell separately. That feels like a cheap shot considering I’ve just spent 200 bucks.
Now I couldn’t decide on one commuter bag so I got three. Something stylish – the Burly Voyager Roll Top . Something cheap – the Ogio Clutch . And something new – the Alpinestars City Hunter . Time to thin the heard.
Our City Hunter is immediately disappointing. In the pictures online it looks subdued and classy – almost like a pastel blue. But in real life this is some kindergarten, finger paintin’, prime-colour shit.
The Burly Voyager is better. Its waxed canvas looks vintage and the leather looks classic. Although this flannel plaid is trying a smidge too hard to be hipster.
Our Ogio Clutch has a flawless first impression. It’s blue in the same way that the online pictures are blue, the amber aluminum zippers are a fine touch and the rubberized shell creates a leather-like accent . Also, holy moly is this thing light. Ogio does featherweights better than anybody… I remember buying an Ogio golf bag that also defied gravity.
When it comes to pockets, none of the backpacks excel. Ogio gives me a little one on each side, a biggie on top and a laptop sleeve down the back. If you asked a first-grader to design a backpack that’s what they’d come up with.
Burly is no better. I get one external pouch with an anti-flail zipper system , which is probably the most pretentious way to say that the pull tab snaps down . Then the main compartment is basically a sack with a piece of flannel across the middle. But look! It closes two ways. Snap and fold, or snap and roll. Wow .
Alpinestars has the most sophisticated pocketing. This electronics sleeve holds a 15” laptop, a tablet and power cords. Then the main compartment has a utility panel complete with the blessedly-included rain shell. However , these waterproof pockets are stupid. They fit my chapstick, my paper clip, but not my phone . I wonder which of those things is most important to keep dry…
Anyway , the City Hunter redeems itself when it comes to moto-centrism. Oodles of reflectivity front and back, plus a helmet sling at the bottom. The Burly Voyager is about as reflective as a pile of dirt. And the Ogio Clutch ain’t much better, although I can hardly blame it because alas, the Clutch wasn’t specifically designed for motorcycling.
And therein lies the rub. Because Alpinestars and Burly wrote “motorcycle” on their bags, they charge 150 each. But Ogio only charges sixty for the Clutch. Sixty . Plus their bag has the classiest design, it’s stupid light and I’m pretty sure it’s the most spacious, despite Alpinestars’ doubtful claim that the City Hunter is 5 liters bigger...
I think you can guess my favourite.
And finally , for sport riders it’s the poorly-named Ogio No Drag . Poorly-named because it catches a very normal amount of wind.
But the No Drag drags in a uniform way, which is special. Thanks to the hardshell design this is the only bag that won’t flap around, it won’t blow one way or the other… it’ll just cut the wind like the fairing on your motorcycle. Oddly enough, it’s also brilliant at thwarting pickpockets.
So which No Drag should I choose? There’s the Mach 1, Mach 3 and Mach 5 for 150, 175 and 200 dollars – where’s my money going?
The Mach 1 has a couple laptop sleeves and mesh dividers but other than that it’s a single empty cavity. Plus the usual niceties – offset hip buckle to avoid tank scratches, pass-through port, airflow back pad, blah blah blah.
When I jump to the Mach 3 , I get bigger foamies on the back, a more technical utility panel plus loops for holding my shoes. I also get a phone pocket above the main compartment, a thicker waist strap, a helmet leash, and a second colour option on the shell with way more reflectivity.
Go up to the Mach 5 and you get a fanny pack – useful if you need to access something without removing the bag. Then the utility panel is more technical yet, plus we’ve gained a visor sleeve and a stretch mesh cargo divider. Also I now have an expansion gusset, giving 2 extra liters of storage for a total just over 24. And the shell on the Mach 5 is slightly larger, a pound heavier and has a third colour option.
Now I never say “you get what you pay for.” It’s a moronic phrase that assumes companies aren’t trying to rip you off. But in this case, each bag is 25-dollars better than the previous one. Just buy according to your budget.
And that’s it for my favourite motorcycling backpacks. Thanks for watching.