Inevitably, motorcycle luggage has one of two things wrong with it: it is either on the back of the bike (and hard to get to at a quick stop), or left in the garage (and even harder to get to). Added to that, there are items you will want to carry every time you ride end up either in that luggage or forgotten entirely. My own best answer as been to use a tank bag.

What Is A Tank Bag?

I am always surprised at the number of riders who do not know what a tank bag is. Because of the nature of the business, motorcycle dealers concentrate on the most visible luggage such as hard saddle bags, tail trunks, and soft bags that are unique to each model. Since a tank bag can be transferred from one bike to the next, it does not have to be purchased new with each motorcycle. Those same dealers either figure you already have one, or do not see the need to guide you to that part of the showroom.

A tank bag usually attaches to the fuel tank with either a padded magnetic base or with straps around the steering head and frame. Mounted on the fuel tank, it is nearer the bike’s center of gravity, always within sight, and rarely forgotten as you head out of the garage. The motorcycle rider version of the proverbial woman’s purse, it becomes the catch-all for those things you want handy as you head out on most rides. What ends up in tank bags? While the contents become subject to rider taste and personality, they usually include rain suits, gloves, cell phones, scarves, pocket change, flashlights, extra tools, sun block, maps, wallets, sun glasses, and stuff like that. I do know riders who push the tank bag envelop to the point of even carrying backpacking style camping gear in their tank bag so as to negate the need for other luggage! In short, that proverbial woman’s purse for a 100 cubic inch V twin!

Back To The Tour Master

Tour Master gear is most often designed for the touring rider. Someone who rides a bit farther than to work and home, or to the local 7-11, will find that nice to have handy stuff list is a bit longer. Again like that purse, bigger is usually thought to be better. Here is where the Tour Master TB-18 comes through. The 㥾” in the name means that it has an internal capacity of 18 liters (a good measure if you are adverse to cubic inches and gallons). That should be plenty large enough for most touring riders.

Knowing how easy it is for small items to get lost in the main compartments, there are four external zipper pockets and one internal mesh pocket. That way you can more easily organize your load. There is a rubberized carrying handle for bringing it into the office, motel room, or campsite. A Clear-vu snap map pocket so that you can keep track of your route, a zippered expansion panel to expand the bag to full capacity, a Tricot interior lining to keep the inside dry when the outside is wet, an included rain cover for when it really rains, and a Scotchlite 3M reflective Tour Master logo and striping for night visibility (or to remind you who you bought it from). The bag is constructed with 1680 Denier ballistic nylon for long wear.

Mounting

The two mounting systems again run to rider personality and taste. On most bikes, you will need to remove the bag to access the fuel cap, which is an important thing to remember. Many prefer the magnetic system. In that one, magnets are sewn into a padded, non-abrasive base, so all you have to do is “slap” it on your tank. If your fuel tank is non-ferrous (aluminum or synthetic) material, the base will not stick. If you lack faith in powers you cannot see, it will be difficult to remain confident of the bag’s security. But ease of mounting is still a big plus.

Strap mounting is the most popular system. The base will have one adjustable strap that goes around the steering head, and either one or two that wrap around the frame under the front of the seat. The bag itself has quick release catches to allow you to adjust the straps once, and still remove and replace the bag quickly without having to readjust the straps. While this may sound complicated, in practice it is very easy.

Experience

The size of the TB-18 is great for the touring rider. It will hold just about all of those “want to have handy” for most rides. The ability to expand and contract overall size does make for a cleaner look, and there always seems to be just enough room for that one last item you remember as you head for the garage. I do believe I could carry both a rain suit and a backpacker’s sleeping bag in it! The map pocket is large enough to show enough “state welcome center” map for the mileage between gas and rest stops. The zippered side pockets are great for tire gauges, flash lights, extra ear plugs, of other small items you want very handy.

Uh Oh

There is a price to be paid for all that closet space. The first is that with all that room little things can become “lost or forgotten” somewhere in its dark recesses. Should you not understand that as a problem, ask most any woman if that has ever happened to her with her largest purse. But for me, I found that when mounted on my current bike (modified with handle bar risers that move the bars higher and further back) some controls contact the bag when the bars are at full steering lock. That contact caused either the horn to sound or the starter to become engaged. Neither situation is positive! To be honest, I have replaced this tank bag with a Cortech Super Mini Tank Bag for this reason.

Decision Time

The Tour Master TB-18 is a great tank bag for most all touring riders. Its capacity, organization pockets, map case visibility, and ease of mounting are superb. But I do recommend, like is pointed out in the literature included with the bag, making sure that it will not cause interference issues with the bikes handle bar controls.


Recommended: Yes