“How do I schlep my stuff to work?” It’s the eternal question for the luggage-less motorcycle commuter. I’d been using the hipster’s favorite accessory, a messenger bag, but after imagining the scenario of an unexpected get-off, I wondered about the physics of such an incident. Messenger bag strap, meet Stacy’s neck. Think “flying guillotine.” The image is dire.
I decided that I needed a bridge between two modes of transportation: something that would attach to my bike during the ride and something I could sling over my shoulder when it came time to hike to the office. It took a fair bit of searching, but I found my bridge in the form of a Kriega US-20 tailpack.
Product Information
Manufacturer: Kriega
Model: US-20 Tailpack
MSRP: $115.00 USD (plus $11 for accessory strap keepers)
Purchased From: Kriega US
Manufacturer’s Description
100% waterproof tailpack. 20 litre capacity. DryPack – 100% waterproof construction. Includes fitting straps. Ultra tough construction. 10 year guarantee.
First Impressions
The Kriega US-20 tailpack bears a strong resemblance to a standard dry bag, complete with roll-top closure secured by buckles. Almost all of the tailpack’s capacity is in this one open compartment, so if you’re looking for a tankbag-like system, you’ll be disappointed.
The Kriega US-20 tailpack, empty. Dollar bill for size reference.
The opening reveals a very simple, dry-bag style design.
The bottom side of the pack has a mesh pocket panel. The mesh is rubberized to help grip the passenger seat when the tailpack is secured to the bike.
The bottom side of the tailpack.
The top side of the tailpack has another smaller pocket with a water resistant YKK zipper.
The pocket on the top side of the pack.
This side of the pack also has 5 buckles, which are the attachment points for the mounting system.
Attaching the Tailpack to a Bike
The tailpack comes with two adjustable straps terminated with male buckle clips. To mount the pack to the tail of your bike, remove the passenger seat and place the two straps across the opening. Replace the passenger seat. The ends of the straps should now stick out on either side of the bike.
Mounting straps, from the side.
Mounting straps, from the front.
Mounting straps, from the rear.
These straps account for four of the buckles. The fifth point of attachment is a strap that runs under the passenger seat grab strap and up to the top of the roll closure on the tailpack.
Passenger grab strap attachment point.
Though the US-20 is clearly designed with this style of passenger grab strap in mind, you can make other configurations work as well. For example, my SV650 doesn’t have a strap across the front of the passenger seat. Instead, it has a solid bar that runs around the very back of the seat. When mounting the US-20 to the SV, I simply flip the pack around so the fifth strap can be secured around the bar.
The end result looks like this:
Those with sharp eyes will note the straps looped around the buckles. The mounting straps come extra-long from the factory so you can cut them to the correct length for your bike. I haven’t cut my straps down yet, and the pack will look a lot neater once I do.
To give you an idea of what a full pack looks like on a bike, here’s a picture from the Kriega catalog:
An Accessory That Should Come Standard
An extra $11 will get you a pair of “strap keepers” like these:
The keepers attach to the ends of the mounting straps, so you can keep the straps on the bike without having the tailpack in place:
My one gripe with the US-20 is that these keepers really ought to come with the pack instead of being an overpriced accessory.
On The Road
Two Kriega US-20 tailpacks arrived on the eve of our recent birthday trip and got thrown into an immediate trial by fire. Stacey used one tailpack as her sole luggage and I used the other tailpack along with my saddlebags. It was a little tight, but we had enough room for two people’s worth of clothing and gear on a 4 night non-camping trip. I’d say that a tailpack by itself is enough for a weekend jaunt, but y’all know that I tend to pack light.
During our stay, we took various day trips here and there, and it was incredibly handy to have a place to put extra layers without the bulk of full saddlebags. Surprisingly, the tailpacks really paid for themselves when we were off the bikes. Thanks to the included shoulder and waist straps, we could easily take the bags with us when we parked the bikes; useful when security is a concern or you just need hands-free way to carry all your goodies.
The US-20 includes a shoulder strap (top) and waist strap (bottom).
On The Way to Work
So far, the US-20 has been an ideal way to carry my stuff during my commute. The tailpack secures to my bike easily, it has plenty of room for clothes and a packed lunch, and it turns into a messenger bag with a simple click of two shoulder strap hooks. It does take a couple of minutes longer to get the tailpack mounted on the bike than it would to throw my messenger bag over my head, but there’s that whole flying guillotine thing again… To me, the extra time is worth saving my neck.
In The Elements
Kriega states that the US-20 tailpack is 100% waterproof. While the dry-bag closure and water resistant pocket zipper certainly seem up to the task, the lining of the pack is the big question mark. The lining feels slightly rubbery to the touch, indicating some kind of water resistant material in play. The US-20 has held up in some brief showers during my morning commute, but it remains to be seen if the pack can withstand an Oregon winter.
Summary
The Kriega US-20 is a versatile tailpack that’s well suited for everyday commuting and longer sport-touring trips.
- Perfect For: commuters, day rides, supplementing luggage during sport touring trips.
- Pans: “strap keepers” should be included.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
This is not the question you asked… but for years, when presented with a bike that has a 2-piece seat, I’ve bought a spare passenger seat, a universal GIVI mounting plate, and bolted the latter to the former. Then it’s a matter of a GIVI (or JC Whitney knock-off) and Robert’s my mother’s brother that people whisper about.
Once I first had locking hard luggage, I can’t imagine how I ever got by without it…
Dean, that’s a great tip for folks considering a hard case. Thanks!
Seems like a cool alternative to a backpack if you can fit what you need in there. My work shoes (size 14), laptop, and rather large lunches would never all fit in there at the same time and my backpack is about the only thing that seems to handle it all. Although this tank bag would make an awesome overnight bag.
Very nice review!
Did you entertain any other tailpacks for the Street3? US-20 looks a like a really nice solution to having something to stow necessities in. Not too wobbly, not too tall – None of that nearly kicking it off the seat when you swing a leg over.
I am totally with you on avoiding wearing a bag. I’ve thought similar scary thoughts about the strap getting hung up on something. Long ago someone instilled the idea in me that you shouldn’t have anything on your person that you don’t want to fall on. That sticks with me. No backpacks, no bags, no cameras.
In the past when I looked – Finding secure luggage that easily cleared the cans on the Triumph was a PITA. The SWMotech plate for a Givi-type box made me skeptical. I don’t know that the subframe on the street/speed 3 can really handle a packed box based on how far back the plate sits. Do you happen to know of anyone using that successfully?
@LifeOn2Whls: Sounds like you need a hard case. Paging Dr. Givi! However, if a backpack is what you need, check out Kriega’s line of rucksacks — waterproof, with a nice clean design that looks like it’ll keep you from getting snagged on something during a get off.
@Fuzzygalore: Nope, I didn’t find alternative tailpacks that looked nearly as good for the price. I don’t know anyone rocking a SWMotech plate on a S*Triple, but I’ll keep the feelers out for that and other possibilities.
I’m not a fan of hard cases on naked bikes. I think they look terrible, and it’s extremely difficult to rig up a mount that’ll hold the case firmly at speeds > 75mph. Unless you like going the speed limit. (That being said, Dean’s tip might prove me wrong.) Ever followed behind a bike with a full tail case and a sketchy mount? Leave some extra following distance, believe me!
Now, a hard case on a Goldwing, or a HD bagger… that’s reasonable to me because those bikes are designed for such luggage.
Have you tried the Cortech sport saddlebags and tailbag? They are a SV favorite. But they are not waterproof so I doubt they work for you. I wonder if they fit the striple? Thats a good bet for my next bike. I heard some people had problems fitting luggage on that bike.
just to say thanks for going to the trouble of putting this excellent page up…..a great help.
kieran
cbr 929 + the us40 kit, england