Hi All:
I wanted to add some detail about the Giant Loop Great Basin rear bag and Fandago Tank bag I was fortunate to have attached to the WR250X the past two days. I intended to write up a review on the bags while riding an R 1200 GS to compare to the OEM Boxes on a GS Adventure that my team will be taking down the East Coast and onto the Dragon for a review next month. The bags workked so darn well on the WR250X, I simply could not wait
Giant Loop Great Basin Rear BagNot only did the rear bag only add just a smidgeon of frontal area for aerodynamic concerns, it packs down so tight with the heavy duty straps that if you wanted to match your body’s profile to reduce the bags profile even further, you could! With a light load of course.
My Laptop and power cord fit into the top most zippered compartment within the bag itself like a glove. Never had I carried a laptop on a bike without worrying about something breaking or scratching it! You could possibly even insert one of the new iPad’s w/out a cover although I will have to take some measurements of the internal pouch to make sure.
Boy does this rear bag have room to spare! I had a pair of dress shoes, slacks, shirt, tie and dress jacket along with a pair of jeans, two pair of shorts, three t-shirts, undergarments, the laptop and power cord, a pair of standard tennis shoes, extra gloves, a fleece liner for the Darien Jacket and my CleanMPG hat. And there was room for even more. A lot more!
In addition, it supplied a little lower back support and being Hi-VIZ yellow, can be seen quite easily from over ½ mile behind during day light hours. There was enough strap length to attach to the WR without any undue concern and to install was less than a 5-minute job. I do not even have a rear rack on the X yet either! This bag was meant for the 650 cc and up crowd. Now that I have over 250 miles with it attached, the smaller 30L Coyote bag would be a second choice vs. the much larger 50L Great Basin even for a 250 rider that has a lot of “stuff” to bring along.
Another item was the pack was so light, I never knew it was even back there on the mighty WR250X. Some racks and gear feel a bit heavy yet the Giant Loop Great Basin was simply doing its job without a care in the world.
Fandango Tank Bag The Fandango tank bag worked its magic with enough room to carry my Cell phone and AA battery charger, my wallet, the Cell phone itself, Digital camera, the bikes Insurance and Registration information, more documents relating to my MAMA functions, some power bars, two 16 oz bottles of water, a scan gauge and its cabling, two sets of printed directions in the top, see-through exterior map pocket.
The real cool thing is at my first top off fill; I unzipped the Fandango top bag from its lower base attachment and removed it completely hanging it off the back of the bike while the base was still attached to the bike. The fuel fill cover was easily accessible and not in the way at all! After the top off, I zipped the bag back onto its base and away I went. The bag itself has a small carrying strap so when you remove it; you carry it like a lunch box. This was designed by actual riders who themselves are thinking outside the box.
More thoughts and impressions…When I arrived at the hotel. I pulled the Open Loop bags off the bike including the Fandango Tank bag with its base still attached to the bag itself. This took all of 2 minutes and this was my first time at removal. I hoisted the Great Basin Horseshoe over my shoulder with all of my belongings safely inside and carried the Fandango with its incorporated handle into the hotel almost as easy as pulling luggage out of the car.
I have not used any of the (2) internal removable stuff sacks, (2) removable bags or the (2) sewn in MSR fuel/water bottle holders other than top incorporated bag for the laptop so I still have some learning to do in order to employ all the features Giant Loop has provided in this fantastic Great Basin rear bag.
My hats off to both Harold and Dave of Giant Loop for making a set of aerodynamic soft luggage/bags for a bike that are not only aerodynamic but can be installed and removed so easily while carrying everything in its place. I can tell that these two guys are not only Adventure Motorcycle riders but thought of how to take along your gear with a minimal amount of intrusion while either on the slab, trail or single track/no track heading to parts yet to be experienced by anyone.
A few stories about these bags…
In one case although I cannot find the link, a rider was clipped by a 4-wheel cage at speed and the bags themselves took the impact with the rider not getting touched! Not only are they highly visible but they offer another measure of protection like an airbag that I would not have believed until I read the story.
Another was posted by HickOnACrick in the ADV forums that saved a few hundred bucks in plastic replacement:
- Quote :
- Unfortunately, today I hit some oil on a wet road today. I low-sided and slid off the road. I was probably between 30 and 40mph when this happened.
My slide took me across two lanes of traffic and my 950 SE flipped, braking both mirrors (sheared off) and my Zumo :(
I walked away smiling because I insist on wearing what amounts to an ektoskeleton every time I ride.
The GreatBasin did not budge. It did not tear. In fact, you can't even see any abrasions on it. And because it was taking the beating as my bike slid across and off the road, it likely prevented hundreds of dollars in repairs.
One of the owners of Giant Loop had a spill on his KTM 530. While some scratches appeared on the crash bars in front, the rear bag took the hit on the rear and it barely scratched it saving him a few hundred bucks in plastic replacement as well!
The only negative I have experienced so far is mounting and dismounting with luggage attached and that is the case no matter what luggage you carry. I use the Step on the left peg and then mount method and that works fantastic. I highly recommend that you begin to practice this approach if you have any sort of bike luggage as it works. Hell, practice this approach whenever mounting one of the taller bikes as it is a lot easier than the "pray you can get over and look foolish" when you do not make it… Talking from experience on an XR650L at Honda HQ last year here ;)
Enough of the Giant Loop Great Basin and Fandango Tank bag as I was really supposed to wait until we take out the 1200 GS’s later next month... I could not wait.
Good Luck
Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG
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