Kriega USA Luggage Q&A

[byways]

[KaceCoyote]

I got a kriega R-30 last year, and have worn it just about everyday since. Not a stitch out of place, not a thread loose, still waterproof as a motherfucker. I'm sort of a pack/bag nerd, and I have to say its been the most effective, practical bag I've owned thusfar. I'm a huge fan of your gear, and -will- buy- more stuff from you guys in the future.


That said, I wish you guys made a sling bag,or a messenger bag or at least a side loading bag of some fashion. The one complaint I do have, is that its somewhat difficult to doff the bag, load and resling it in a hurry like if I'm snagging chow or whatever.A way to access an intermediate storage area, like behind the waterproof membrane in aswift matter would be appreciated.

[traveltoad]

I'll post a report this week.

[amanlikemike]

Originally Posted by traveltoad

I'll post a report this week.

Looking GOOD, my friend! Looking good.

[amanlikemike]

Originally Posted by bc_seattle

My review of the Kriega Overlander 60 Softbag system.

I also have hard bags, the TourTech Zega Pro's, which are of course great bags, sort of the gold-standard for hard bags. However for a trip that I was taking on the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route, I was pretty sure there would be some carnage (and I was right). I wanted to run soft bags in order to prevent damage to a) my bags b) my legs c) anything else that I happened to hit. I was also hoping for a setup that provided a narrower footprint than my 38L Zega's.

And yes, owning both a set of hard and soft bags is not the cheapest way to fly. You can undoubtably buy a good used motorcycle for the cost of owning both a hard and soft set of bags. However, my thought process was that different adventures require different tools. And that owning the soft bags and using them for the tougher, off-road rides would sort of protect my investment in my hard bags. Previously I owned a beat up set of rehabed Jesse bags on my last bike but they were always sort of ghetto and never quite fit or latched perfectly.

I've also previously fussed with soft bags that mounted without a rack, over the saddle style. It can be done and there are a bunch of options, but the softbag saddle style setup didn't work great for me and I burned a hole in the bags on the muffler and melted some choice stuff inside.

So I decided that I wanted to find a softbag system that mounted to the same frame that my Zega's used.

I narrowed it down to the Wolfman bags and the Kriega System. Both are great options. Ultimately I went with the Kriega system because I liked how they mount to the TT rack and I like the option to replace one of the four bags (each side consists of two 15L bags) with either one or two Rotopax one gallon cells even though in the end I didn't do this for the WABDR trip.

My setup:









I ended up opting to carry only a fuel rotopax which mounts nicely to the top rack of the Sertao. I accomplished this by using a free white bmw packing cam strap (dealer gave it to me to carry tires home) and putting a piece of rubber between the Rotopax and the rack.

Here's a picture from the Kriega website showing two Rotopax's in place of one of the bags.



There are two 15 liter bags on each side. Each are waterproof and load from the top. They connect (2 per side) to a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) frame which is super tough and flexible that connects to a TT or equiv rack.

When the bags arrive, you attach the 4 bags to the 2 LPDE frames. There are five bolts / grommets per bag, 10 per side, 20 total. Each bag also has two horizontal straps and one top strap. The grommet and strap system seem to back each other up and provide great strength to the system. You use a drop of Loctite (provided) on each bolt / grommet. My only gripe is that the bolt / grommets can be a bit trickier than they should to tighten. You use a hex tool (provided) but the other side is rounded and there is not tool that works well. You just sort of hand tighten it and it can be a pain, especially to remove after using Loctite if you want to reconfigure one of your bags with say the Rotopax setup. Not a big issue, just a nit.

Installation tip: Run the straps loosely through the LPDE frame BEFORE you attach the bolt / grommet.

Picture of LPDE frame:

Before the trip, close up:


After the trip:


Picture of levers that secure the LPDE frame to the motorcycle rack:



Picture of bolt / grommet:



Picture of bag from top, with inner waterproof white liner. These velcro to the outer bag and can easily be removed or replaced.



Each side (2x bags and the LPDE frame) weighs just a hair over 6 lbs (weighted dirty after trip, may be lighter in reality). So total weight of the system, excluding my TT stainless shell frame is 12 lbs.

Here's the TT frame and one side removed and on the ground.




I my WABDR trip, I confess that I put the Sertao on the ground 4 times, 3 on the right side. I rode through an overgrown section called "the jungle" and whacked the bags on every sort of plant/tree/shrub/branch possible. The bags got a dirty but otherwise look perfect, not even a noticeable scratch. They are tough and stayed snug on the bike.







POSITIVE
Tough as nails.
Waterproof.
Simple to use.
Liked having stuff compartmentalized in four bags.
Rotopax option
Easy on-off rack (meaning LPDE frame to bike rack)

NEGATIVE
Bolt / grommets a bit of a pain, would like a solution to use a tool on both sides.
When both bags on one side are really full, the top roll fasteners can be a bit difficult to snap where the bags meet. This improved when I shed some stuff and my snapping technique improved (aggressively push bags to side a big when snapping it in).
These are very minor niggles in my opinion.


My overall rating:

AWESOME! The bags, for me, were crash proof despite four attempts during my WABDR ride to prove otherwise. I really grew to like having my things compartmentalized. I'd wholeheartedly recommend this system.

bc_seattle's really thorough review of the Overlander 60.

So informative and well put-together that I felt compelled to lift it from the 'Gear' area of the 'Equipment' section (http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=831089), where it was originally posted.

Great job, b_c!

[amanlikemike]

Originally Posted by modeselector

Anyone with the Overland 60 set-up that would like to share some pics?

There is now, mate! See above.

[modeselector]

Originally Posted by amanlikemike

There is now, mate! See above.

Good review bc_seattle - thanks for sharing your insight.

[Mav]

Love this bag set up

Would be great if there was a plate that fitted to BMW GSA pannier rails

[mcskeeto]

I'm trying to decide between the R20 and R15 backpacks. I'm going to use it for off road riding and want it to hold a basic tool kit and maybe a spare warm jacket. I like the hydration component to this pack. Any suggestions which one would be better? Can you fit a fleece jacket in the R15 as well as the hydration bladder?

[amanlikemike]

Originally Posted by mcskeeto

I'm trying to decide between the R20 and R15 backpacks. I'm going to use it for off road riding and want it to hold a basic tool kit and maybe a spare warm jacket. I like the hydration component to this pack. Any suggestions which one would be better? Can you fit a fleece jacket in the R15 as well as the hydration bladder?

Hi mcskeeto,

I always tend to recommend traveling as light as possible - especially off road. Depending on what you consider a basic tool kit (maybe something along the lines of what would fit in our Tool Roll, shown below), I'd say you'd have no problem whatsoever fitting the gear you describe into the R15, even with a full 3-liter hydration reservoir (which still leaves 12 liters of storage space free - plenty of room for base layers and other essentials).

And - if for some reason - you do find you need more space at some point, you could always expand the R15 by a further 5 liters by strapping on a US-5.

Hope that helps, but do let me know if you need any more detail.


Cheers,



Michael

[amanlikemike]

Not sure if you chaps have picked up on this little chunk of awesomeness yet:

Our mate and Kriega rider, Jason Adam (better known as stagehand around these here parts) on the run to the flag at the Australasian Safari.

Jason finished a superb 25th astride his '93 BMW R65. Quite an achievement considering that the second oldest bike in the race was made in 2008 (and that one happened to belong to another Kriega rider, Craig Bounds, who ranked 13th overall). And the entire field was made up of lightweight Enduro machines.

Makes me tired just watching it!

Mind you, there was some wet sand too...

[amanlikemike]

P.S. Anyone know how to make images display smaller?

[amanlikemike]

Originally Posted by KaceCoyote

I got a kriega R-30 last year, and have worn it just about everyday since. Not a stitch out of place, not a thread loose, still waterproof as a motherfucker. I'm sort of a pack/bag nerd, and I have to say its been the most effective, practical bag I've owned thusfar. I'm a huge fan of your gear, and -will- buy- more stuff from you guys in the future.


That said, I wish you guys made a sling bag,or a messenger bag or at least a side loading bag of some fashion. The one complaint I do have, is that its somewhat difficult to doff the bag, load and resling it in a hurry like if I'm snagging chow or whatever.A way to access an intermediate storage area, like behind the waterproof membrane in aswift matter would be appreciated.

Hi Kace,

Thanks for the feedback - glad to hear that the R30 is doing its job.

With regard to the messenger bag thing, the lads at Kriega focus on backpacks because they believe they are the best means of carrying a reasonable amount of gear on your person on a bike. Messenger bags have a habit of slewing around and affecting comfort and riding efficiency. That said, our other packs with zippers are easier to load but the slightly less convenient roll-top opening and single main compartment on the R30 is the trade-off for guaranteed 100% waterproofing, because that Drypack is the only way to ensure this.

The R30 has many uses, but it is ultimately designed to deal with loooong journeys through whatever the weather can throw at you, where it is more important that your gear stays dry and you remain comfortable, than reducing the time it takes for frequent loading and unloading. However, the outer compartments on the R30 are pretty easy to access in a hurry.


Cheers,



Michael

[Stagehand]

Thanks for the kind words, Mike. I really liked the gear- it works really well. From the R15 to the small packs, and the stash on my right shoulder... the water bladder was invaluable.


(photocredit to Safari media guys)

It carried 3L of water, an extra 21" tube, spare goggles and gloves, a wide brimmed hat, and CO2/tire spoons/extra tools, as well as the extra scroll, the emergency tracking radio, and several power bars.

I had one off that tore out the right hand shoulder strap at the bottom, but three zip ties later and I'm back in business for the remaining 1500K's


I have a little feeling I'm carrying it a little low on the back, I think I need to tighten up the upper shoulder adjustment straps. Would that make sense?

[amanlikemike]

Originally Posted by Stagehand

Thanks for the kind words, Mike. I really liked the gear- it works really well. From the R15 to the small packs, and the stash on my right shoulder... the water bladder was invaluable.


(photocredit to Safari media guys)

It carried 3L of water, an extra 21" tube, spare goggles and gloves, a wide brimmed hat, and CO2/tire spoons/extra tools, as well as the extra scroll, the emergency tracking radio, and several power bars.

I had one off that tore out the right hand shoulder strap at the bottom, but three zip ties later and I'm back in business for the remaining 1500K's


I have a little feeling I'm carrying it a little low on the back, I think I need to tighten up the upper shoulder adjustment straps. Would that make sense?

Hi mate,

Glad to have played our small part in your epic experience! It musta been a good old off to dislodge the lower strap though! Ping me an email and we'll get that sorted out for you.

And - yeah, it does look like you could do with moving the upper harness adjusters to somewhere between the 1 and 2-dot markers, so that the weight sits firmly on your chest and lower back. Having it a little too loose might have contributed to the damage incurred when your bike took its little nap out in Oz. Glad you're OK though.


Keep 'er lit!



Michael