Yesterday I stopped in at the local Honda dealer to look at motorcycle accessories.  I stumbled upon a rack of tank bags.  I have been considering purchasing a tank bag so I took the opportunity to check the bags out.  It was very nice of the shop to have a sport bike and a table next to the rack of bags.

These tank bags were all made by First gear and all appeared to be well built.  The bag that first got my attention was the Monza Tank Bag/Backpack.  It is a medium sized magnetic or suction cupped tank bag.  The Monza features a removable base that could be used as a stand-alone map bag.  With the base removed the main portion of the bag doubles as a backpack.  Inside there is not a whole lot of organizational features.  It was mostly an open space.

The second bag of interest was the Silverstone Tank Bag II.  This bag was a little smaller than the Monza.  The mounting base was also removable leaving a backpack behind.  The base itself seemed to be less secure than the Monza’s when I placed it on a bike.  Being a smaller bag it may not matter.  The inside of the bag there is some organization for pens and such but it was not exceptionally great.

I think my problem with both of these bags is in what I would use a tank bag for.  I would want something that could replace my briefcase/computer bag.  It needs to have a place for a computer file folders and other accessories that a common commuter would take back and forth to work.  All of these tank bags seemed to be made for short overnight trips or to pack a lunch on a day ride.  I hope as motorcycles become more popular in mainstream commuting that accessory manufactures will make business friendly riding accessories.

If I were to purchase one of these bags I would probably pick the Monza.  It has more useable room and the ability to pull it apart and use the mounting piece as a stand alone map pocket was cool.  For now I will keep looking to see if I can find the bag that is right for me.