Motorcycles are obviously no good at carrying cargo. The only way you’d be able to bring anything with you while riding is if you install motorcycle luggage on your bike, or if you go with the easier alternative of bringing a motorcycle backpack. But just how safe is carrying a heavy load with you on a ride?
Motorcycle backpacks may be a great way to add practicality and convenience to your rides, but there are a few risks involved. Backpacks are a potential hazard and riders must take caution when deciding to ride with one. A smart rider puts a lot of thought into what he or she wears when he or she rides, and a backpack shouldn’t be an exemption.
Benefits of riding with a backpack
Practicality and convenience are a backpack’s best traits. They provide a quick and easy way for riders to carry their things on their bike. They can always opt to have panniers, saddlebags, or top boxes, but those types of luggage systems are big, bulky, and can be difficult to install. Backpacks also provide security and peace of mind as you always have them on you at all times and you wouldn’t constantly worry if it had fallen off.
A lot of motorcycle backpacks are also waterproof, making them an ideal tool for commuter riders. Most backpacks are also relatively cheap and accessible so any rider can get one almost instantly. Motorcycle backpacks are also built with cinches and strategically placed straps to provide an overall articulated and comfortable fit to prevent fatigue during longer riders.
Risks of carrying a backpack
Some of the risks concerning riding with backpacks are how they’d fair in a crash. Unfortunately, some motorcycle backpacks have done more harm than good in an accident. There are instances where the rider lands on their back and the backpack is the first thing that hits the ground. This can cause the rider’s spine to arch backwards as he hits the ground and can cause greater injury compared to a rider landing flat on his back.
A rider’s neck and head can also get more injury from backpacks. Some backpacks have hard shells and if a rider crashes and lands on the hard shell, his neck and head could snap back from the whiplash. This whiplash effect wouldn’t have the same effect if the rider were to land on his back wearing just a jacket with a back protector.
However, both these scenarios would only deal great damage if a backpack is overstuffed or if the contents of the pack are bulky and stiff. If a rider were to load a backpack with a manageable load, or with softer and smaller materials, the risk could be lessened.
Another risk backpacks could pose has something to do with what a rider puts in it. Some riders like to carry their tools in their backpacks. This is a huge risk concern. If you need to carry any type of hard or sharp instrument in a ride, it’s best to place it in a tank bag or a tail bag. In one instance I know of, a rider carried a utility knife in his backpack while riding off-road. He crashed and paramedics found the knife’s handle inside the backpack. Guess where the blade was?
Motorcycle backpacks are safer than regular backpacks
A motorcycle backpack can be distinguished from a regular backpack in several ways, namely, construction, fit, and capacity.
• Construction – A lot of motorcycle backpacks and bags, in general, are built with tough materials like Cordura fabric or even Kevlar. These backpacks are made to withstand abuse from the road and the rider and are built to be reliable and last longer than regular backpacks.
• Fit – A motorcycle backpack fits differently from a regular backpack as most regular packs only have two shoulder straps. Most motorcycle backpacks come with chest and waist support straps to relieve stress from a rider’s shoulder and to centralize the backpack’s weight on the rider’s chest.
• Capacity – Though there are some motorcycle backpacks that were made to carry larger volumes, a large majority of motorcycle backpacks are constructed light and small. Motorcycle backpacks are made under the assumption that they only function as a simple and easy way for riders to add a small or medium-sized storage pack. These are not made to carry camping equipment or a couple days’ worth of clothing, but rather for everyday items like textbooks, laptops, water bottles, wallets, and other light objects.
The best motorcycle backpacks on the market
Nelson Rigg 40L Hurricane Waterproof Backpack / Tail Pack
The Nelson Rigg Hurricane Waterproof Backpack is enormous at 40 liters of storage capacity and is as waterproof as a submarine and comes with a lot of technicality and versatility.
The Hurricane comes with a proper backpack harness with a chest and a waist strap, it comes with two big side pouches, a reflective and removable ladder attachment system to latch on additional equipment, bungee straps, and a see-through external pocket for maps.
As you would expect, waterproof tarp material is heavy, nearly two kilos empty. Fully loaded, and this would feel more like carrying a passenger than a bag. Riders would be thankful for the extra bike attachment straps. Yes, bike straps! This backpack doubles as a tail bag to save your spine.
One nifty feature of the Nelson Rigg Hurricane Waterproof Backpack has is its purge valve system. Roll-top waterproof bags always trap a lot of air. This purge valve system simply allows for trapped air to escape so your bag won’t look like a balloon.
Ogio Dakar 3-Litre Hydration Pack
The Ogio Dakar Hydration Pack is the perfect mixture of fashion and function for hitting the back roads on your sport bike. The pack includes a 3-litre hydration bladder with a hard conduit that prevents its hose from folding or kinking. This conduit also acts as a great backbone for the bladder itself, keeping it upright so it doesn’t sag or drop down to the puncture-prone bottom of the bag and also saves your back from improper weight distribution.
The entire hydration pocket is also lined with thermal reflectors, keeping your water cooler for longer. The hard shell at the back also helps mitigate drag across the pack, no flapping or wandering around at speed. But the Ogio Dakar Hydration Pack’s best feature has got to be the shoulder straps. It comes with a fully-adjustable chest harness system. Four points and a swivel system makes the Ogio Dakar Hydration Pack almost immovable even during aggressive sport riding.
The backpack also comes with 150D TPE-backed mini honeycomb rip stop for maximum durability and external mounting straps for your helmet and gloves. It also has a roomy hi-viz interior so you can easily find whatever you’re looking for.
Kriega Urban WP Messenger Bag
The Ogio backpack to technical for your taste? If you’re looking for a functional bag that also looks great around the office or for every day commuting, check out the Kriega Urban WP Messenger Bag. This messenger shoulder bag is a roll-top dry bag in disguise and will ensure that your gadgets and electronics get from point A to point B dry as a cactus.
The Kriega Urban WP Messenger Bag comes with a roll-top closure under the messenger flap and YKK zippers for 100% guaranteed waterproofing. It also comes with a 1000D Cordura fabric on the base and the straps, which basically means the thing won’t tear.
If you’re concerned about riding with a shoulder bag, don’t be. The Kriega Urban Messenger Bag comes with an innovative cinch strap that tightens with a single tug. The sturdy and sticky shoulder strap refuses to move around even without the optional waist belt. This bag is perfect for the daily commuter that doesn’t want an unexpected rainstorm to jeopardize any electronic cargo.
One small issue with the Kriega Messenger bag is that it only has three pockets for storage; the main compartment, one see-through pocket on the flap cover, and an additional storage pocket on the outside. If you need more storage, Kriega made this bag compatible with two Kriega US-5 Drypacks.
The bag can fit a 17-inch laptop easy, comes with a dedicated pocket for paperwork, also waterproof, and an interchangeable padded shoulder strap.