Topic: Ventura Luggage and luggage in general

[pchchico]

I have a 1973 CB500.     This  summer i  did some motorcycle camping,  first year i ever did any.  Went twice.    i strapped sleepingbag, tent, and pad to rear seat,  put a couple small items in a tank bag,  and carried the rest in a backpack on my back.    I  think though if i want to do anymore touring or camping i am going to have to invest in some additional storage.    I'm looking at this system by a company called Ventura.    http://www.ventura-mca.com/    they make a sort of modular system.   Does anyone have this system and what is your opinion of it ?   If  you do some motorcycle camping on a  vintage CB what kind of  luggage are you using for your bike ??   
thanks for your input . 

[simon#42]

that system does seem to put all the weight in the wrong place , i would prefer to use panniers they keep everything nice and low . i use a pair of old krauser panniers on my cb 750 that i bought of ebay and adapted the mounts to fit .

[andy750]

that system does seem to put all the weight in the wrong place , i would prefer to use panniers they keep everything nice and low . i use a pair of old krauser panniers on my cb 750 that i bought of ebay and adapted the mounts to fit .

+1 on being in the wrong place. Low down on the sides is where you want it. I have used Motopak panniers before (40L; now only have 60L ones) and these were great for camping. I am now going to use a pannier rack frame (Krauser frame) with Pelican sidecases (very waterproof) with quick-release latches. Not done yet so no pics. But soon hopefully.

Andy

[pchchico]

so let me ask this,   do you need to have somekind of frame in order to use  panniers /  saddlebags ?   I  thought of  saddlebags too,  but  i don't want to have to install  a frame that will be on the bike all  the times  i'm  not using the bags.   I'm not even sure how saddlebags  attach to a bike,  do they just hang over the seat ??   
and would  i  need to move the rear  turnsignals to be able to use panniers on  a  CB  ?

[andy750]

No frame needed for throw over saddlebags - they throw over the seat and tie around the frame to secure them - usually have a foam backing on each bag - these ones are good to use

http://www.motopakluggage.com/gts60.html

Usually cheaper on Ebay.

Here are the 40L on my bike - turn signals are in stock position (please ignore the large weight hanging off the back )



with passenger

[RAFster122s]

I have the 90L Motopak units from Canada, very good quality and are cheaper on ebay (but haven't seen them on ebay in a while...). They have a large trunk bag that my XXL helmet fits in along with some wet weather gear. Works for when commuting. They have a roll bag as well that is good for tent and ground cloth, etc. A rack along with the panniers and roll bag does nice job with plenty of space. Just balance your load in the panniers. Small tank bag works good for emptying pockets and carrying phone and gps or other things that you need access to...

The Motopak luggage has lots of Drings and the velcro is good quality and they have it so you can link the bags together with the velcro. The tail bag can be tied into the panniers and the roll bag lashed to it.
So, it is versatile and at a good price point.

[simon#42]

No frame needed for throw over saddlebags - they throw over the seat and tie around the frame to secure them - usually have a foam backing on each bag - these ones are good to use

http://www.motopakluggage.com/gts60.html

Usually cheaper on Ebay.

andy i see you like to travel light !!  ,   nice looking bike by the way

Here are the 40L on my bike - turn signals are in stock position (please ignore the large weight hanging off the back )



with passenger

[andy750]

All that stuff on the back was camping gear - tent, sleeping mat, backpack for hiking. Usually I do travel light

[Don R]

You should have seen my 750 in the late 70's on vacation. Looked like the grapes of wrath on two wheels. There's a pic somewhere.

[ofreen]

I haven't found anything that beats the Ortlieb dry bag and dry saddle bags, available from Aerostich.  I put my old Eureka tent, Woods sleeping bag, Thermarest mattress, and other odds and ends in the dry bag.  Clothes, rain gear, tools, tubes, and everything else goes into the saddle bags.  They are absolutely waterproof, do not require separate rain covers that flap around and don't keep the water out, are extremely tough, roomy, and light.  They open at the top making access to stuff inside easy.  I've had other bags over the years from Vetter, Eclipse, Chase Harper, and have hard bags on the CBR and R100GS, and I have come to prefer the Ortliebs over all of them.  The only drawback to them is the same one shared by all soft bags and that is they are easy for someone to swipe if the bike is left unattended.

[pchchico]

Original Poster -   Well  i  went with the Motopak  60 liter saddlebags.   they seemed to measure a bit shorter than some of the other options out there at  14 inches ,  which made them work better with the  rear turn signal stocks.
I don't really  like the way the straps are attached to the bag,  i guess it makes them impossible to lose,  but i little harder i think to mount.   
One thing i was a bit surprised , is that they come from Canada,  or at least that's the only place i could find them,  but they are made in China.   Not saying that's good or bad,  just wasn't really expecting it. 

Thankyou for your help guys.