Product Type: Luggage
Manufacturer: MotoFizz
URL: http://www.aerostich.com/product.php?pr ... 280&page=1
Product Rating: 9 (out of 10)
Price: $137.00 for the medium or $157.00 for the large bag.
This is one very capable seat bag. I will say, "I love this bag."
The MotoFizz Camping Seat Bag is available in the United States through AeroStich / RiderWearhouse. I believe they are the exclusive importer of this product to the United States from Japan. The AeroStich catalog calls this bag, "... the world's most advanced motorcycle pack." They go on to say, "It's an armed F-16 in a field of Cessna's." I will go on record as saying, "I wholeheartedly agree with their assessment." "I love this bag."
The bag comes in two sizes Medium and Large. I opted for the medium bag who's dimensions measure 12" x 12" x 14". The large bag weighs in at 14" x 14" x 25". The medium bag provided me with plenty of room to store my essentials for a three day trip and I packed quite a bit of stuff. Do those dimensions still sound too small for your needs? Are you planing a trip from Mexico City to Anchorage? Well have no fear, each of the bags feature gusseted zippers on both ends of the bag allowing expansion of 5 inches per side or 10 inches overall. Expanded the medium bag measures 12" x 12" x 24" and the large bag measures 14" x 14" x 35".
The bag can be opened a number of ways for the utmost convenience. The cylindrical shaped bag features a zippered opening on each end of the cylinder. Two zippers meet around the edge and allow you to pack or unpack the bag from either end. You will also find a retention strap on the inside of the bag allowing the end to open only 90 degrees preventing your stuff stored in the inside pockets of the end flaps from falling on the ground when you open the bag while it is still mounted to the bike. A feature I learned to appreciate the first day of my trip. Pulling back the top flap and undoing the zipper will allow access into the top of the bag. I found it best to pack the things I needed most frequently in one of the end pockets. I kept wipes for my shield, a first aid kit, granola bars and other snacks in these pockets. I also packed a rather large SLR digital camera on this trip and I kept it wrapped in a towel near the top of the bag and while access wasn't quite as easy as needed at some points during the trip, I felt like my camera was safe and secure from too much vibration and possible damage.
Straps and straps some more. This bag is loaded with straps! When I first looked at the bag, I was a little overwhelmed by the number I found. After a few short minutes packing the bag, I found that the straps were not too intrusive and offer a lot of convenience. First you'll find there are four plastic buckles that flank the four lower corners of the bag. These four buckles provide connection points for the the four provided nylon tie down straps. The straps have the receptacle part of the buckle on one end an a closed loop at the other. You simply loop the strap around a bar on your bike (I found the bar for the passenger pegs worked good for the front) and pass the buckle end of the strap through the closed loop. This secures the strap to your bike. Fasten the buckle to the one on the bag and cinch it down. The bag was very stable on the seat with the four straps cinched down and it did not shift the entire trip. You'll also find many straps designed to cinch the bag down to keep it's shape and prevent it from flapping in the wind regardless of how much or how little you have packed inside the bag. There are two small straps with buckles on the inside of the bag that help the bag keep it's shape, tighten them down and the two long sides will be pulled together around your clothing or whatever you have packed in there. There are two more large adjustable straps over opening ends of the bag. Three more secure the top flap of the bag and do the most to keep things tight and secure. Finally there are to smaller straps that will allow you to secure a bedroll along side of the MotoFizz bag. I tried to secure my sleeping bag with these straps and they were not quite long enough to wrap around the bag even after I rolled the bag tighter than Darth Vader's death grip. It's a shame too because the sleeping bag would have fit nicely parallel to the bag over the top of my tail rack.
There are a few more features that finish off this already top notch bag. The bottom of the bag features a soft but almost sticky fabric surface that helps keep the bag firmly planted on the seat. One end of the bag features an external pocket that's great for things you might need to quickly access. You sport bike hooligans will want to keep your drivers license and registration in this pocket. The other end of the bag includes a small removable bag which looks a little like a small purse. Hey were talking convenience here guys, don't worry about looking like a sissy. All of the zippers have a bright yellow heavy-duty fabric tab attached to the ends. This makes them easy to locate quickly and easy to open even with your gloves on. There is a mesh of bungee cord over the top flap on the bag. This is good to quickly store something like a sweater you have shed because the weather has changed. You even find and insulated bottle holder on the outside of the bag. I kept a bottle of water in there the entire trip for quick access at any stopping point. If all that is not enough there are several D-Ring loops outside the bag to attach bungee cords or whatever you see fit.
You even find a storage area under the top flap which according to the pictures in the instructions looks like it was designed for groceries. All of the instructions are on the cardboard poster inside the retail packaging. They are all in Japanese. AeroStich does provide a rather small english translation but the keyword here is small. It does not cover all of the instructions found on on the Japanese insert. One last little bit included in the package are these two nylon straps that are attached in the middle by a fastener that allows you to rotate the two straps about the center. Each strap is only about 4 inches long and has a buckle on both ends. So basically your looking at this little 4 inch plus sign. There is an illustration of this part on the cardboard insert but I had no idea how to use it, until I pulled the bag off the bike. With the bag removed from the bike you'll be left with the four straps that were holding it in place still attached to your bike. If your bike is setup just right, you'll be able to attach the ends of the four straps to the four buckles on the little plus sign and ride without having to take the straps off the bike frame. The little plus sign holds them tight and keeps them away from things like your tailpipe and your rear wheel.
I also want to mention that the service and pre-sales support that I received from AeroStich was excellent. I sent several emails to the company and they were all promptly answered by a member of the sales support staff at AeroStich. The individual even went out to the warehouse and made additional measurements of the bag before I placed my order at my request. I was very happy with their service. I also have to say the AeroStich / RiderWarehouse offers just about the best selection of motorcycle accessories I have found. Browse their website or order their catalog and you'll see what I mean.
Was this review helpful to you? Please post and let us know.
