Motorcycle Philippines

by BIKELINE c/o Kaskasero

Sooner or later one is bound to need a bag during a ride. Whether it be a short ride to or from the office or a long ride to Baguio, a bag is inevitably a necessity. We put our prized possessions and pasalubong/s in these bags. They become one of those things taken for granted by most that a lot of times, we just pick up any bag, usually not made for riding, to suit our need at that moment. Or even worse, we just strap all our stuff to our bikes like what tricycle drivers do on their side cars.

After riding many rides far and near, I’d like to point out a few things I’ve learned that I feel are important to know and remember on each ride with personal effects on board. This information, I hope will be handy on your next “pack & go” adventure with your beloved 2 wheeler.

Let’s take a closer look at the bags. The bags strapped on to the bike are no different from that of a pilot to his plane. Like the pilot, his own weight will start increasing relative to the G-forces as the plane banks, loops or dives. A bag strapped on will not only need to stay on while the bike is tilted and parked but more so, it needs to survive these G-forces as you accelerate, brake bank and hop and skip over all those wonderful potholes we have. The bag will want to shift forward, backward, sideways, up and down. The way the bag is strapped on will need to cover all these directions in order to ensure a secure and safe fit. Otherwise, a bag secured firmly in all directions but one has a weak link which will possibly lead to the weakening of the others and eventually might fall off. Traveling at 100kph, that is the last thing anyone needs. So how does one go about securing a bag firmly? Check these:

1. DO NOT attach the straps to moving parts on your bike where it can get tangled or hinder that part from moving smoothly, if at all.
2. DO NOT let the strap be exposed to intense moving parts of the bike. High friction areas are the suspension and wheels.
3. DO attach the straps to the chassis if possible.
4. AVOID attaching them to body panels since these tend to soften on a hot day and will eventually lead to cracking under pressure. This will also cause scrape marks particularly if the bag bounces or rubs on the panel during rides.
5. DO keep the pockets easily accessible for the little things you will need during the ride. (Ex. Cel, tickets, coins for the toll etc)
6. DO bring an extra bungee cord, duct tape or rope just in case one of the straps break during transit.

These are the basic things I keep in mind when strapping on bags, whether it be Bikeline bags to our underbone or the Tank bag on our cruiser. Over the years, it has paid off.

Apart from these, there are yet other things to keep in mind that are of equal importance but unfortunately overlooked more often than not. Adding load to your bike means added weight. This additional weight has a few surprises if you don’t prepare for them.

1. The additional weight means the tire pressure is higher. It may be a very insignificant weight increase for the tires to trouble but it could mean the difference between taking your bike home on two working tires or having a blow out. (not the party kind).
2. The weight increase also means the bike rides nearer the ground. Again, it may be a small difference but be sure to keep that in mind when you bank hard. If you used to have 2 inches clearance, you may have only 1 with your load.
3. The handling may also change a bit because of the weight increase. Also, be sure you take note of whether your legs or arms will touch the bag when turning and banking. Anticipate less clearance for your body to move around in and adjust your ride style as needed.
4. Sometimes, a loaded bike will be parked on soft ground. If without the load the side stand held up, with the load it may just sink into the ground

Lastly, these are good ideas when you have bags on your bike.

1. Place reflector tapes at the edges of the bag (saddle type or those huge camping type bags you place at the back seat) when riding at night so that cagers and other bikers will know how wide you are even in the dark. I also have this battery powered, P100, Tutuban bought white strobe blinker that you are supposed to strap on to your head. I place that on the bags as well. It works wonders at night.
2. You ever see those big trucks carrying loads that extend further back than their rear bumper? They put flags at the end it. That’s not a bad idea even for bikes with loads that extend over the bike’s length or width.
3. When you have a stop and are too lazy to take off the bags from the bike (or maybe they’re just too tedious to unstrap) and have to park the bike in a crowded area, be sure to do 2 things – keep an eye on it and cover or lock the zippers. Anything to give a potential thief a hard time in stealing your gear.

Well, I hope these ideas help in your future rides. After all, if you’re gonna bring anything with you, might as well be safe about it without sacrificing the fun of riding.

God bless you on all your rides