Motorcycle Explorer November 2016 Issue 14 | Page 27
Kriega R20 Rider Pack.
If you are going to opt for a backpack, check it fits
I would normally choose not to ride with a backpack with whatever luggage you have on the pillion seat
otherwise it will be forced up behind your neck. The
for long distances. But when luggage capacity on a
Touratech duffel was the perfect size - the R20 sat
small bike is an issue, a backpack is an obvious
on top of it if I sat upright, completely unloading it
option. I opted for a Kriega are the market leaders
in moot-specific backpacks, so I opted for their R20 from my shoulders.
(20 litres).
Kriega’s backpacks come in five sizes, from 15 to 35
Mindful of the maxim that when you have extra
litres.
space you fill it, I figured anything larger would
result in too much weight being carried. I’m now a
convert to back packs - the R20 was very
comfortable, with the harness system making a big
difference to load distribution and preventing the
straps from applying pressure into the upper
shoulders.
I used the R20 for carrying bulky, lightweight items
and things I wanted close at hand which wouldn’t fit
in the tank bag - such as my waterproofs and a
lightweight tripod. Twenty litres was ample,
providing spare capacity for a packed lunch an the
like. I suspect the smaller R15 would also work
well.
Cubes and Pouches
Eaglecreek and Sea To Summit. I’m a
big fan of the ‘Russian Doll’ packing
approach - bags within bags within
bags, with as many different colours
as possible. It’s the best way to pack,
organise and find things. I use
packing cubes as much as possible in
panniers to maximise space. We
opted for a variety of cubes and other
pouches from Eaglecreek, preferring
their Pack-It Original range over the
ultra-lightweight Specter range; the
Original pouches are more rugged
and hold their shape better. We also
used Sea To Summit’s Garment Mesh
Bags.
If you’re going for cubes, choose
medium and small sizes. Several
small ones are far easier to pack than
one or two large one.
With a Wolfman Explorer Lite Tank Bag topping off the luggage, I had a total of 100 litres at my
disposal - more than enough for an extended trip. Most impressively, it was a very unobtrusive setup and
the Scrambler continued to handle as if it was still naked.