BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2021
Page 32
PRODUCT REVIEW
YOU CAN TAKE IT WITH YOU - BUNGEES AND BAGS Pamela Collins
Though as much as we two-wheeled travelers enjoy long, wandering excursions, when our meanderings lead us merely cross-town as opposed to cross-country, we can appreciate the opportunity to pack lightly. Cortech, the sportier sibling of Tourmaster motorcycle luggage, makes a Super 2.0 L 12-Liter Magnetic Tank Bag and Super 2.0 Tail Bag hit that Goldilocks sweet spot, providing enough, but not too much, motorcycle stowage.
CORTECH TANK BAG The tank bag, constructed from tough 1680D ballistic polyester and 1800D triple-layered twill Jacquard fabric on the outside, holds a fairly spacious 12-liters. It features an internal organizer in its top flap with slots for two pens, has one larger and two smaller pockets that secure with hoop and loop closure, and a key clip. The inside is lined in a soft, fleecy, red material that prevents scratches on your cargo and makes it easy to see what’s inside the bag.
What do 12-liters mean in real-world items? Well, I have had at various times a small water bottle, a small purse, an extra pair of gloves, and occasionally my Sony smaller-sized mirrorless camera, along with a small tablet, pens, lip balm, and hair ties. With all that I find the tank bank suits the bill for my daylong or even multi-day rides. The bag also features a removable, exterior map pocket. Now, most road maps have to be folded pretty small to fit in it, but at least we old-fashioned paper map types have something to which we can easily refer. However, I have found that when I need to use modern-day portable navigation, I can slip my cellphone into the map pocket and see the directions pretty well. Also, the map pocket exterior does allow a certain degree of touch sensitivity to operate the phone’s screen. Not to worry in wet weather, either. The Cortech 2.0 tank bag has an integrated stowaway rain cover that quickly appears when the weather turns foul, and it has a clear window so the map remains visible. Another external pocket holds various other small sundries you might need to carry, and the tank bag also offers exit ports for headphones and sip tubes. Phoslite® reflective piping maintains visibility when the ride gets dark. Underneath the bag uses a protective non-slip, non-scratch mounting base with a rubbery diamond pattern to protect a motorcycle’s paint from damage, and its one-way zipper neatly tucks into a “zipper garage” to keep it from rattling. A sturdy carrying handle and hideaway backpack straps assist carrying duties when taking the bag off the bike. I used the magnetic model, which holds securely and looks great on my Yamaha FZ6R motorcycle. Cortech also offers a strap-mounted version, as well as 18-liter, 10-liter, and micro 2.0-liter options. The 12-liter variant runs about $110.00.
