Open Road Luggage Blog

So you’re planning to go out on a trip but you need to bring your luggage along for the ride. This is where saddlebags (or motorcycle travel bags) come in to make your journey on the bike easier. They are specially designed for use on bikes and will become an indispensable part of your journey if you travel a lot on the bike. Saddlebags have been around since traveling came on four legs, a lot of innovative products have entered the market since including the compact and lightweight sissy bar bags. But before you commit to a product, you have to first to learn about two important traits of the bags. These are i) the total capacity of the bags and ii) the method of securing the travel bag to your bike.

Hard motorcycle bags are a popular choice because they offer the luxury of both space and durability. High-end hard bags may be lockable and weather-proofed to offer further protection to your luggage. Hard bags are not easy to install (or remove) and often require additional hardware to properly mount on your bike (unless the bike already comes pre-installed with racks for luggage). Manufacturers were quick to realize the need for more portable motorcycle bags in the market and came up with the idea of soft bags or sissy bar bags. These bags are equally as versatile as hard motorcycle bags but they are easy to secure to your bike. Most sissy bar bags come with straps or tie-downs to keep them securely mounted in place. In some cases, you may have to use magnets to further bolt the bags into place during high-speed thrills on your bike.

Of course, the above two aren’t your only options to secure luggage on the bike. Enter motorcycle backpacks. These bags are often very expensive and often use durable and waterproof materials designed to withstand impact or abrasion. They also sit snugly against your back when in the ride position. If you’re not a fan of backpacks and would rather have your bike bear the burden of your luggage, consider investing in sissy bar bags instead. You can strap them to various areas of the bike such as the rear fender, seat, luggage rack, and frame for easier access. Sissy bar bags are easy to install and remove using simple Velcro and buckles. The best part is that you can cram a lot of oddly shaped things into sissy bags because of their semi-rigid or soft-shell design. For the most part, you wouldn’t notice a fully loaded sissy bar bag because of their unobtrusive design.