Kriega USA Luggage Q&A

Here is a horrible cell phone pic. Michael, feel free to chime in with some mounting tips. I wanted to try to keep the bags forward of the rear axle. I also wanted to keep the "flaps" slightly above the seat. The mounted "buttons" are pretty close to my rear seat. I did this because the plastic is not anchored anywhere after the rear seat bolts on the WRR/X. I may regret this when I try to mount a (future purchase) US series bag. The opposite side looks weird because I tried to tuck it in to the gigantic stock exhaust. That bag sits much more angled.

Mike,
Another misc question. Since you have a Scambler you might have an idea. I currently have 1 US20 tailbag on a Bonnie. Want to add more for a touring setup. Was thinking a 30 and another 20 for 70 liters. But I have a concern that the 30 Might be to large for the back seat. The 20 just seems to fit for length.
Just wondering what your professional thoughts are.
Might also play with the straps and attaching the bag a few inches further back.
Thanks
Don

I'm a huge fan of all the Kirega products. My R35 backpack is looking forward to its tenth birthday pretty soon and going strong. Just wish there were a convenient way to attach a hydration pack to it. I've got a US20 permanently attached to the spare pillion "seat" of my Ducati 1098 and sometimes hang a pair of US10s off the side. The toolroll is one of several I bring with me on longer trips with the 640Adv. The fork seal protectors do the job. And I have a big US30 that I haven't quite decided waht to do with just yet. Actually, my favorite little bit of Kriega kit is a waterproof inner bag that came with my R35. I've been keepign all of my electronic stuff in that for ages and am genuinely amazed at how it has held up.

Hey Jeff,

Firstly congrats on receiving one of the first Overlander 30s in the US!

With regards to the fitment, I'd have been tempted to place the Rack Loops a little further back - that way you can experiment with the positioning of the bags more by simply loosening or tightening the cam straps in order to get the bags running a shade more diagonally along the side panels. Maybe even testing out the criss-cross rear straps configuration. I wouldn't worry too much about fixing them real close to the points where the plastics are anchored because the vast majority of the forces involved will be lateral, rather than vertical, so the plastics should hold up fine.

This would move the load back, but not too far back (i.e. into accidental wheelie territory). As long as the mass is spread throughout the center of the axle, there'll be no issues. And bearing in mind that you sit pretty far forward on a bike like this, loading up the rear is no big deal any way, as long as you take it into consideration with your riding style and possibly increase the rear pre-load a little, as you would for any luggage set-up.

In terms of adding a US tail bag in future, as long as the second pair of Rack Loops are at approximately the right distance from the rear pair, you shouldn't have any issues.

I'd be interested to see the other [exhaust] side. I have a feeling that moving the rear Rack Loops back might improve the fit there.

That said, if you're happy with the placement, then that's all that matters. How and where the bags are placed is entirely up to the rider. So, as long as it's securely fitted, you're good to go.

Let me know if I can be of any further assistance.


Cheers,



Michael

Hi Don,

The US-30 is actually only around 2" longer than the US-20, so it shouldn't be an issue - especially with the new Alloy Hook Straps, which enable the pack to be secured further back at the rearmost point of the subframe, where it will not shift forward. So the difference will be negligible at the most

However, if you do find that the 30 is encroaching on your seat space, you could always mount it across the saddle, as opposed to in-line with it, which will actually give you more room than you already have with the US-20. The only downside to this configuration is that you can't then mount a US-20 on either side. But this still leaves you with the option to stack your US-20 on top of it (or indeed another US-30) and possibly use a US Tank adaptor to mount a second US-20 on the tank to get your 70 liters that way.

Personally, I tend to travel as light as possible and generally just use a UScombo40 on the tail, with a 10 or 20 on the tank and any camping gear etc strapped to a rear rack (my bike is something of a workhorse and I went for a Renntec one). Alternatively, a rear rack could be used to carry more US packs.

I hope that helps, but feel free to post up any more questions you may have.


Cheers,



Michael

Hi Mifune,

The R35 is a great pack, but, as you know, it not designed to take a hydration kit. The R15 and R20 are fully hydration compatible with an integral compression pocket for the reservoir and routing ducts for the drinking tube, while the R25 can accommodate a 3L reservoir in the outer pocket and an optional Velcro tube locator secures the drinking tube to the upper harness.

Thanks for your kind words about Kriega gear though - it's always great to hear that it's doing its job.


Cheers,


Michael

Thanks Mike. I am attempting to avoid a rear rack. Which is where the Kriega's really come in. So most things will need to fit inside the bags to properly mount. I might eventually break down and buy a rack, but just think the Bonnie's look really cool without personally.
I wonder if I could do what you suggest with fitting a 30 across the saddle (90 degrees), and then attach 1 bag above and 1 bag behind. Either 30+30+20 or 30+20+20. That would give plenty of room. Have you heard of this configuration working?

Thanks Michael. I'm definitely open to suggestions. I spent about 1.5 hrs playing around with them before drilling. The hardest part was trying to find a place on the exhaust side to mount to the subframe. Yamaha doesn't make it all neat and symmetrical like the KTM model used to show mounting. Other pics attached. And yes...the bags are mounted and stuffed with towels in the last pic. I gotta run out of town for the remainder of the week, but I will play around with them some more when I get back.

Fair play. My Scrambler was all sleek and stripped down to start with, but the more I used it, the more practical stuff got bolted on. But Bonnies do look good 'au naturel', so I don't blame you for not racking it out.

Either of those configurations will work, but I'd generally try to keep the center of gravity as low as possible, so the less weight you stack the better 2 x US-30 on top of each other works fine, but less height is generally better). For this reason, I'd suggest going with the US-30 + 2 x US-20. That way you have the option to try the standard combo70 configuration in-line on the bike, or mount the 30 across the seat with a 20 on top and / or one on the back. And, for the rare chance that neither of those are quite what you want, you could always grab a $35 tank adaptor at a later date so that one of the 20s can go up front.

The choice is yours!


Michael

Thanks for these, Jeff.

I would definitely take a look at fitting the second pair of Rack Loops further back on the fender and wider apart, in a similar position to as shown in the instructions. This will give you increased adjustability via the cam straps so the bags can be more diagonally mounted (which will give more clearance from your pipe in the process) and also position the seat strap more rearwards. I'd also consider the possibility of anchoring the ladder-lock straps to the actual frame spar...

To be fair, you can probably leave the ones you've already fitted where they are, depending on what size tail pack you intend to use. Although forward and wider apart might be better.

If I was local, and you left me the keys to your garage, I'd happily come over and have it all ready to roll by the time you get back from out of town.



Michael

Holy Shit!! Those are some serious bags! You should be able to do a real cross country tour with those things. I'm really happy I stumbled upon the Kriega products.

You get a LOT of bang for the buck. I will get some pics posted here in a few days with my Rack Loops installed. Nice WR250X by the way. You have a bulletproof bike that will take you anywhere.

It's nice you got the motard model so you can swap back and forth.

hey michael,

can you advise on fitment of of the US tank system on an R1200GS? i have a couple of tail packs sitting around...
have you guys tested this on an actual bike? needs to be extra secure for off road....

thanks!
patrick

Hi Patrick,

Yup. Absolutely everything we make has been seriously tested on all kinds of bikes on and off-road.

The US Tank adapter fits to the GS in the same way as it does pretty much any other bike. The front loop straps wrap around any solid fixing point, which doesn't interfere with the controls, cables or steering, such as the frame, headstock or rad mounts. The rear straps attach to a pair of self-adhesive, industrial strength Velcro (which is very strong) pads that can be stuck onto the tank, frame or underside of the seat. Then the adapter can be positioned as preferred. When the seat is put back on, the rear straps are stuck and trapped, so it is very secure. The adapter has a non-slip base, so it stays perfectly in place.

The US packs (the US-30 is a little too large for this application, but the US-5, US-10 or US-20 work very well as a tank bag) are then attached to the web loops on the adapter (there are a number of these, so the bag can be positioned fore or aft), using the compression or Alloy Hook straps (dependent on which model of US pack you own) included with the bag.

Here's a couple of pics of the US Tank (in this case with a US-5 attached) on a GSA. The second shot shows the system lifted out of the way for fueling, using the two quick-release clips on the rear straps.

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I hope that helps, but please feel free to post if you need any more info.



Cheers,




Michael

I have already dropped my bike on both sides HARD in rocks, blazed through branches, between trees and these bags are still working great with nothing other than getting dirty on the outside.

The top US10 bag and side mounted US5 bags have not budged. I can't say the same for my MSR 6 liter fuel bladder which I lost (then found) on the trail LOL

Lost: Notice the bladder missing but the bag did not budge


Found:


Rinsed off and ready for the next ride:



I'm actually pleasantly surprised at the durability of the Kriega products. Very smart and clever engineering to say the least.

Here are a few pics of the rack loops installed:







You can't see in the pics but I have my US Alloy Loops tucked underneath the rack. I can extend the loops when the bag is fully loaded and or my fuel cell is full.

The coolest thing I REALLY REALLY like is how quickly I can access, stuff, remove, re-secure the contents of these bags. Less than 1 minute. Which gives me more time to ride!

Nice one, Chris. However, can you let me know the thinking behind the placement of the Rack Loops? The main benefit of these is that you don't require a rack to mount tail bags and the position of the rear Rack Loops on your machine is a little unconventional...


Cheers,



Michael

Maaaaaaan! I do love that bike.

My thinking is kind of strange! The placement and reason for the Rack Loops is extra tie down points to secure my auxiliary fuel bladder and other stuff (such as tent and sleeping bag). The rear mounting was so I could clear the turn signals. And the mounting point is super strong as its mounted on a "fender gusset" up against the composite subframe.

I'm using this bike as an ultimate ADV weapon!

Can't have too many tie down points I say!

Chris

Fair play, fella. That'll work. And yeah; 'strange thinking' is often the best!

Well lookie here....

What has Mr Brown brought me....