Choosing the right motorcycle backpack can be a quite easy and at the same time a relatively difficult task. Easy because, all in all, the backpack is just one of the accessories you take on a motorcycle ride, thus it is way much easier to find the decent backpack than to buy a good quality bike matching all your needs. However, if you are serious about buying the backpack which will serve you a long time and fulfill all your expectations, there is a number of factors you need to take into account when choosing the right model. Let’s briefly examine some of them.
1. You
What do we exactly mean by saying ‘you’? Well, in fact your body figure and size does matter a lot. That’s because different backpacks fit different body types better or worse. One particular aspect you need to take into consideration is your hip size. Although some backpacks are equipped with adjustable hip straps, not every model available on the market offers such comfort. That’s why you should choose the backpack which will fit well around your hip bone. Choosing the backpack fitting to the size of your waist will have a great impact on the comfort of your ride, reducing the pressure on your backpack.
2. How often do you ride your motorcycle
If you are a hardcore rider and firmly believe that the day spent without riding your bike at least once is a wasted one, you might definitely need a stronger, more durable backpack. Don’t skimp on the quality – only the best backpacks will survive all these endless commutes, weekend road trips and epic motorcycle journeys. On the other hand – if you are just a casual rider, it will be definitely possible for you to find something in the budget range, without compromising on the quality too much.
3. What do you want to carry inside
This is undoubtedly another crucial issue – do you need a safe storage for all your motorcycle equipment such as the helmet and gloves? Do you ride your bike every day to the office and need a dedicated laptop compartment? How about the place to keep the spare pair of shoes? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should definitely seek a motorcycle backpack equipped with relevant specialized compartments. However, bear in mind that while some models have dedicated space to keep the laptop inside, they might not necessary accommodate the helmet and vice versa. You may need to go on a compromise here – choose the backpack which will store what you need the most. Otherwise you will have a hard time finding a model which can comfortably accommodate all of your possessions.
4. Where do you ride your bike
Do you live in an area frequented by heavy rains? Or perhaps you live in a land of the deserts and scorching heat? The durability of the backpack and the resistance to external factors such as sun and rain is an important factor, particularly if you tend to ride in a difficult terrain. You simply can’t expect a cheap ordinary backpack to handle the numerous off-road trips or sport bike drag races well enough to make it last longer in good condition for more than just a couple of months or even weeks. However, even the everyday commutes in scorching sun can have a drastic impact on the condition of your backpack. Therefore we recommend you to choose the backpack which will stand even the extreme weather conditions.
5. The design
Last but not least – the design is obviously a very important element deciding about the quality of the motorcycle backpack and your overall experience. Some backpacks are especially dedicated for sport bike riders and thus come with enhanced aerodynamic design suitable for high speed rides. Other backpacks are a bit more versatile and designed with road bikes in mind, making better companions for longer rides. Visual attractiveness is obviously an important thing too. You will be certainly much happier carrying a cool, sleek backpack on your back rather than something unappealing to the eyes.
Conclusion
Whatever bike your ride and whatever preferences you have – make sure that you will spend at least some time doing your research and choose the backpack that will truly match your expectations. If you are still unsure, you might want to have a look at our motorcycle backpack comparative review, containing our views on some of the most interesting models currently available on the market. We sincerely hope that with our help you will make the best choice! See you on the road!
