Initial Report: RKA IN-Charge Tankbag

First thing’s first: yes, this is a $325 tankbag. If you feel you need to take a moment to recover from sticker shock, go ahead and do so. I’ll wait.

If you’re curious what kind of tankbag costs $325, and if it’s worth that kind of money, read on while I put the RKA IN-Charge tankbag through its paces.

Product Information

Manufacturer: RKA
Model: 8 Liter IN-Charge (Gen III) Supersport Tankbag
Manufactured In: Sonoma County, USA
Date Purchased: 2009
MSRP: $325 USD

Manufacturer’s Description

With the purchase of your “IN-Charge Series” Tankbag you get with the tankbag:
Attachment system … Map case … Raincover … Shoulder strap … Control Box to enclosed cables and wires …
Power lead from the bag … Fused Power lead to the battery … Portal System for your cables & wires coming in and out of the bag … RKA designed Base plate in lid … RKA designed Tracking plate … One RKA designed cradle … Seven different tankbag styles to choice from.
This tankbag is now ready for you to install you own devices.

First Impressions

The first thing that came to mind as I unpacked my newly-arrived RKA IN-Charge tankbag from its shipping box was, “That’s one utilitarian-looking piece of gear.” The RKA tankbag is downright plain compared to the fancy, curvy, and swoopy tankbag designs offered by other manufacturers. The 8 liter tankbag measures 11 in W x 13.5 in L x 5 in H, and its overall shape is completely rectangular. RKA also offers wedge-shaped versions of the tankbag for those who have bikes with accommodating gas tanks.

The fit and finish on the tankbag is excellent and features some of the best sewing I’ve ever seen on any piece of motorcycling gear. All of the hardware fittings, zippers, straps, and buckles are high-quality. The tankbag itself is made of thick 600 Denier material on the outside panels and the interior compartments are fully lined with 200 Denier material. The bottom of the tankbag is made of Slip-Not, an anti-abrasive grip fabric that’s waterproof and strong. All RKA luggage comes with a limited lifetime warranty and I’ve heard stories of RKA tankbags that have held up for over 20 years of use. 20 YEARS! RKA just celebrated its 25th year in business, so I figure they’ve been doing something right.

The primary selling point of the IN-Charge tankbag is its integration with electronic accessories. In fact, the tankbag was designed to be the centerpiece of an entire turn-key electronics package, including GPS, audio, and radio communication. The advantage of a tankbag-based system becomes apparent when its time to park your bike: securing your expensive electronic gadgets is as easy as removing the tankbag.

The GPS cradle shown in the following pictures is not included with the tankbag. However, the black, angular piece of metal that holds the cradle to the tankbag is included. If that sounds confusing, keep reading and it will make sense.

Storage Compartments

The RKA IN-Charge Tankbag has three compartments: a large rectangular main compartment, a flat compartment on top of the main one, and a small pocket near the handle.

The main compartment measures 9 in W x 11 in L x 4 in H. A semi-rigid box at the back of the compartment hides the rat’s nest of wiring that’s the inevitable result of having electrical accessories.

The floor of the main compartment has two long strips of velcro sewn to it, and the box can be opened flat if you’d prefer to have the full space of the compartment at your disposal.

A small port in the side of the bag allows the primary power wire and accessory wires to pass through. Here’s a picture of the primary power lead and the wire from my GPS. The primary power wire is the black ziptied one while the GPS wire is red and black.

The IN-Charge Tankbag comes with a Powerlet battery wiring harness and the primary power wire included. The primary power wire has an SAE connector, which makes it very easy to customize what you can connect to it. It didn’t take me long before I purchased a splitter with an SAE connector and a cigarette lighter end. This allows me to power my GPS and charge my cell phone at the same time.

I was originally worried that the main compartment wasn’t going to be large enough for my typical tankbag payload. This concern lingered until the trip I took in February when I rode my new SV back home to Oregon. Due to the fly-and-ride nature of the trip, I didn’t have my usual luggage setup at my disposal, and everything that I needed to get to quickly needed to be in my tankbag. Here’s what I managed to cram in there:

• Kriega stash wallet
• cell phone
• camera and case
• sunglasses and case
• Leatherman Skeletool
• tankbag raincover
• every ride carry keyring and pocket survival kit
• package of earplugs
• microfiber towel
• thin bike lock cable and lock
• bottle of water

I didn’t have any more worries after that trip.

The lid of the main compartment hides another compartment. This compartment is thin but ideally suited for papers and maps.

The lid of this compartment has an elastic strap sewn down the middle good for holding pens or other small objects. There’s also a clip for keys. The aluminum panel provides rigidity to the lid of the tankbag, which is important because it serves as the base for the accessory mounting system.

The outermost part of the lid has a removable map pocket that measures 8.25 inches by 9 inches.

Maps and papers in the pocket are extremely easy to read. My only gripe about the map pocket is that I wish it was a tiny bit wider so I could slide a standard 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper inside without having to trim the edge.

Finally, the IN-Charge tankbag has a small external pocket near the handle of the bag. It’s a great place to stash earplugs, spare change, and those little things that would otherwise get lost inside the main compartment.

Accessory Mounting System

RKA’s IN-Charge Tankbag features an integrated accessory mounting system. The lid of the bag has a slotted bar that forms the base of the mount. An angular piece of metal attaches to this base to form the arm that holds the accessory within the rider’s view. One angle arm bracket is included with the tankbag, though additional ones can be purchased directly from RKA if you’d like to mount more than one accessory. Three accessory mounts appear to be the physical limit.

The angle arm bracket is pre-drilled with holes in two configurations, which I believe match the Garmin Zumo series of GPSes. Unfortunately, the Touratech mount for my GPS didn’t match any of the holes, and even worse, the nuts from the GPS cradle mount stuck out far enough that a basic adaptor plate wasn’t going to work without building in some stand-offs.

So here’s the solution I came up with:

The mount holds my GPS high enough that I can look at it without needing to tilt my head down. This is a great deal safer than my cheezy “cram-the-gps-inside-the-map-pocket” trick I used on my old tankbag!

At speed, the GPS mount vibrates a little bit but it’s not nearly enough to be bothersome. I’ve found that the mount vibrates less if I cram more stuff into the main compartment.

On The Motorcycle

The IN-Charge Tankbag series uses a three-point or four-point mounting system, depending on the specific model of tankbag and motorcycle. The 8-liter tankbag featured in this review uses a three-point mount. RKA does not offer a magnetic attachment option. I used to be a fan of magnetic tankbags, and thus was slightly apprehensive at the mounting system for this one, but the IN-Charge system works so well that I’ve changed my mind completely.

The tankbag includes three straps with loops on the ends that permanently mount to three places on the bike. In the case of my SV650, two straps are looped around the frame, one on either side of the steering head, and one strap is looped around the point where the gas tank pivots open. This does mean that you’ll need to raise the gas tank in order to install the straps, but you’ll only need to do this once.

It takes some experimentation to find the optimal placement of the two forward mounting straps. If they’re too tight or too loose, the tankbag will get in the way when you turn the handlebars from full lock to full lock. It’s worth taking some time to get things right or you might find yourself hitting the starter button or horn on a tight turn! Once I found the sweet spot, I sewed each clip on to the end of the strap and trimmed the excess. The result is a very clean looking install.

To attach the tankbag, put it on the gas tank and clip it to the forward straps. Then, attach the strap that comes up from the seat and pull to tighten things down. Finally, connect the power connector from the battery harness to the one on the tankbag. Correctly installed, the IN-Charge Tankbag is seriously rock-solid and does not move.

If you’re like me and used to using a magnetic tankbag, you might have some questions about living with a permanent mounting system. Questions like:

What do you do with the tankbag when you get gas? Simply unclip the two forward straps near the steering head and lift the tankbag. This way, the power remains connected and you can rest the tankbag on the seat while you fill up. Note that I’m not a fan of fueling a bike while sitting on it, so if that’s your fancy you’ll have to figure out another method.

What do you do with the straps when you’re not using the tankbag? Take a large rubber band and hook it around the two clips at the front of the bike. Then, tuck the clips between the bottom edge of the gas tank and the frame. Next, I remove the clip from the strap nearest the seat, fold the free end of the strap in half, and slide it between the gas tank and the front edge of the seat. I stick the clip in the tankbag’s small pocket so I don’t lose it. If I know I’m not going to be using the power connector for a long time, I’ll remove the seat and tuck the connector down by the battery.

For those of you who are visual learners, the RKA website has a wealth of information and videos on how to install their products. I found this video useful after I first got my tankbag: SV650 RKA Tankbag Video Instructions

Richard — the “R” in RKA — is incredibly helpful and can answer your installation questions. After 25 years, he’s seen it all.

Real World Use

The IN-Charge Tankbag performs outstandingly out on the road. I’ve always said that the best gear is the kind you forget about. With this tankbag, I know my stuff is secure, my GPS is within easy sight, and that it’s powered up and ready to go. There’s very little fuss.

All-weather riders should be aware that the tankbag is not waterproof. A raincover is included, but it doesn’t help much if you have the accessory mounts attached. That being said, I’ve been caught in a couple of good downpours while using the tankbag and my stuff remained dry. If I were going on a ride with heavy rain in the forecast, I’d use the raincover over as much of the tankbag as possible, particularly over the main zippers, and then cut a hole in a plastic bag for the GPS mount to fit through and drape that over the exposed parts. Rainy-day riders know that sensitive electronics should be stored in drybags during inclement weather anyway.

Now that I’ve had a chance to use the IN-Charge bag over a few thousand miles, I believe that this type of accessory mounting system is ideal for riders like me who require versatility. I commute to work and take day trips far more often than I take longer trips, so I need an accessory system that won’t get in the way when I don’t need all the accessories. With the IN-Charge Tankbag, I can switch from high-mileage GPS-navigating sport-tourer mode to my daily rider in less than 30 seconds.

Summary

$325 gets you a high-quality tankbag that’s made in the USA, a lifetime warranty, a sweet accessory mounting system, unlimited ways to power those accessories, and the flexibility to go from farkle-monkey to mean-and-lean in seconds flat. The price of admission is steep, but it’s worth it.

Picks:

• Quality sewing, hardware, design
• Integrated accessory mount and power system is very slick and works great
• 3-point attachment system is rock-solid and easy to use

Pans:

• Map pocket is slightly too small for 8.5×11 sheets of paper
• Raincover won’t work when accessories are mounted
• Ok, ok, $325 is a lot (but a ticket to Disneyland’s expensive too, ya know?)

Tagged as: Motorcycling