When I go away on my Honda CB750 Hornet I end up taking more layers than I probably need and a bunch of gadgets and camera gear, but I don’t like loading myself up with a heavy rucksack. I hoped strapping a Kriega Rollpack 20 to my bike would make for more pleasurable trips.
I chose it because I knew it would hold the same amount of stuff as my Kriega R22 rucksack, would keep my stuff dry and would be simple to attach to my bike.
As well as Kriega mainstays like waterproof construction, a durable outer, and a 10-year warranty, I also liked the range of colours they had available, rather than just plain black. I went for the Coyote Rollpack 20.
So why a Rollpack over something like Kriega’s long-running US-20 tailbag? One reason might be because they are just that little bit more affordable - a Rollpack is £129 in most colours at the time of writing, while a US-20 is £145.
For me it was the simplicity, both in terms of looks and fitting to my bike. My Hornet has no additional mountings for panniers or a luggage rack, but it does have a few places I can loop a strap around.
The Rollpack’s four mounting straps are permanently attached to the bag and run through a cam buckle. Each strap measures 78cm and has a loop on one end and an alloy hook on the other end.
On the body of the bag itself there are four loops, two facing forward and two facing backwards. The idea is to feed the straps through something on your bike then secure the metal hook to the loops on the bag. Then you tension the strap by pulling it through the cam buckle.
This is the first mounting option. The second uses four separate subframe loops, supplied with the Rollpack, that can be attached to the bike. You then slot the metal hooks into these loops and pull the straps tight through the cam buckle.
I attached two of these subframe loops to my bike’s subframe and they poked out from under the front of my pillion seat, giving me solid attachment points for the front of the Rollpack.
With the front secure, I then fed one of the straps on the back of the Rollpack through the Hornet’s numberplate hanger and up to one of the loops on the bag. I repeated this with the other strap, but going in the opposite direction.
Once all the hooks were ‘hooked’, I could pull all four straps tight, roll up any excess and away I went.
When preparing for a couple of days riding around the Lake District I loaded the Rollpack 20 with my overnight essentials, including a few extra layers, spare gloves and my camera clobber.
Kriega’s system of hooks and loops made it easy to attach the Rollpack, speeding up the time it took me to get on the road. And once I was on the move it didn’t budge, even on the windy and steep roads I took over some of the Lake District’s famous passes.
In terms of storage, the Rollpack 20 held all the things I needed for my trip and I think it’s a good go-to bag for weekend trips.
Since returning from my trip I have also used it for commuting so the weight of my laptop, trainers, change of clothes and lunch are taken by my bike, not my back.
Photography: Helen Meeds
The Rollpack 20 has a rolltop closure at each end. Roll each opening over two or three times, clip them shut and that stops water getting into the bag. With a waterproof liner on the inside, there’s now no chance of your stuff getting wet.
I found the practicalities of this double-ended closure to be interesting, though. It feels like you should load it from the middle, otherwise things aren’t balanced across the length of the bag, and therefore my bike. Loading a bag in this way feels weird.
To get around this I worked out an optimum length to suit the contents then rolled up and clipped one end shut. I found it easier to load into the bag once it had an end ‘stopper’, like loading a rucksack. Then I could put in everything I needed, roll up the open end and secure it with the clips.
I also found that air would often become trapped in the bag when rolling up the open end, causing the bag to puff up and making it hard to roll it closed any further. I found it helped to push down near the end of the bag to get any air out before rolling the top over.
The double-ended closure means you need to consider whether you need to access anything in the bag during the day. If you do, put those bits at one end of the bag. When you mount the bag to your bike, put that end on the opposite side to your sidestand. That way, gravity is on your side with the lean of the bike stopping your belongings just tipping all over the floor when you open it.
Photography: Helen Meeds
Another thing to think about if you plan on removing and putting things back during the day. The Rollpack has no firm structure and is strapped down tightly based on its contents. If you take anything out it loses shape and it’s fiddly to stuff anything back in without loosening the straps a little.
A positive about the double-ended closure is that you don’t have to completely fill the bag for it to remain perfectly usable. You can roll each end over a few extra times so it is quite small and the fasteners can be adjusted to accommodate this.
The Rollpack 20’s waterproof nature means you don’t have to worry about things getting wet inside the inner liner, because that is the waterproof part. On my wet rides the outer did get wet, but drain holes on the underside let excess water out so it doesn’t pool between the bag's outer and inner layers. As with a lot of Kriega’s range, this inner liner bag is replaceable should it wear out. My luggage stayed dry within the inner lining on all occasions, even in very heavy rain.
The main thing that I feel lets this bag down is the lack of any kind of carrying handle. You can hold it by one of the closure straps once it’s clipped shut, or get a bit imaginative. I created a makeshift shoulder strap using two of the fastening straps and that worked for me!
Kriega’s Rollpack 20 offers a good quality, cheaper alternative for people who want something that looks simple and stylish and is easy to attach to any bike, while retaining the key benefits of a Kriega bag.
Personally I am not 100% sold on double-ended closures, but I can make it work for me. I think this is a good quality bag that does everything I need it to. If you like this style of bag then I think you will really like the Rollpack 20.
