BY Christopher Gardner—If you use your motorbike for more than an afternoon’s jaunt to a diner in the next town over, you probably will want some container space for holding more gear than you can fit in a couple of pockets. The KemiMoto 30-liter Expandable Tail Bag may be just the storage solution for your next long ride.
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It’s true that a tank bag is helpful for a wallet, hydration, maybe a second pair of gloves, and perhaps a small set of tools. For anything from a day trip to a weekend away though, you’ll want at least a tail bag. The KemiMoto 30-liter Expandable Tail Bag offers a stylish, convenient, and flexible solution for any kind of motorcycle or scooter, and for a good deal less than other brands.
Expandable tail bags are not bespoke pieces of kit for most motorcycle riders. We want a tidy look, an easy way to store some gear, and the opportunity to carry it in the house or hotel room without too much hassle. From such necessities, we want durability and water resistance to protect the walking shoes, extra undies and t-shirt, toothbrush, and even an e-tablet or book. The KemiMoto 30-liter Tail Bag (SKU: F1116-01201) is made from what the website describes as “1680D leather fiber,” but the 1680D is clearly polyester nylon fabric, which is widely recognized as the gold-standard of soft luggage for its resistance to abrasions and tears, as well as its water-resistant qualities. Such a durable nylon material also should stand up to exposure to the sun and retain its rich black color for many years of summer riding on the back of your ride.
The KemiMoto bag also has a waterproof / rubber-flapped zipper for the opening lid, which should ensure that your clothes remain safe and dry. I tested my KemiMoto bag in the shower, and I saw no evidence of leaking after a 5-minute spray. Nevertheless, the tail bag come with a nice waterproof outer liner included in the mesh outer pocket. The liner takes up pretty much all the room offered by the mesh pocket, but that pocket could be a useful place to aerate some socks instead. The waterproof materials and zipper certainly seem ready to withstand a burst of rain, but you probably should drape the cover over it if you see nothing but dark clouds coming your way. The strong elastic and generous material ensure a tight cinch around the tail bag, even when fully extended.
The gusseted / expandable bag allows up to 30 liters of capacity (up from about 22 liters), which means you can easily take a weekend’s worth of casual clothes for your off-bike adventures. The interior also has an elastic luggage strap as well, and what I really like about it is that it holds clothes tightly down in the lower third or so of the extended bag as a means of sorting. I don’t see the point of an elastic strap that holds down everything in a tail bag that lies horizontally because the lid will do that anyway. The KemiMoto tail bag allows me to clip in my rain gear and a warm pair of gloves snugly at the bottom in the hopes I won’t need them, then allows the other clothes to sit sorted on top and easily accessible.
The interior also has a couple of pocket spaces behind the reinforcements that hold the shape of the bag when at its zipped-down 22-liter capacity. These can hold a wallet, glasses case, and maybe a couple of toiletries for frequent access. Under the lid, a large zippered pouch could hold another shirt or a tablet or even a smaller laptop – though I would recommend wrapping that kind of technology in the shirt if it doesn’t have a case! Such a space could be especially handy for the moto-commuter.
30L Expandable Tail Bag with Waterproof Cover, Helmet Bag
from: KEMIMOTO
On that note, I want to state that you can store your helmet in the expanded pack—at least a medium Shoei Hornet II without the visor fits easily and a larger helmet would clearly go in. But I have no idea why you’d strap up the bag for this particular reason. One could run a small luggage lock through the zippers, but if someone really wanted the helmet, a couple of clicks will get the bag off the bike to take home to figure out the rest. And if you’re going into the office for the day, what advantage is there in carrying a helmet inside a bag that won’t hold much beyond the helmet? Where’s your lunch or change of shoes? But anyway, most helmets without a visor and under 2XL will likely fit.
The exterior of KemiMoto’s bag looks sleek and sharp. The reinforced sides and top mean that when the bag is not extended (via a zipper to free up the gusseted material) it has a solid shape. Reflective piping on the lid makes for elegant design, but don’t count on such details as means to improve visibility for distracted drivers. The top also has a shock compression cord that can cinched over a few other things needed for the trip. I am wary of stuff getting blown out of such interlaced cords, but with my body as a wind block, I imagine it would not be much of a concern.
Thus far, the KemiMoto 30-liter expandable tail bag shows itself as a capable and stylish, but in no way unique, piece of motorcycle luggage. What sets it apart is its flexibility on the bike and as a piece of luggage being moved on-and-off said bike. Interlaced ties with ‘male’ clips can be wrapped around and through a tail plate to clip the bag on, which is just fine and may be needed with a pillion on board. Whether both of you can enjoy an overnight trip with the materials stuffed into one tail bag—even one this generous—I leave up to the peculiarities of your relationship’s wants and needs. But note that you’ll want to remove the bag and the interlaced ties at your overnight destination.
Those ties can be fitted under the seat as well, though. Depending on your bike’s under-seat space, this arrangement can take some fiddling, and it takes away the pillion’s space. Nevertheless, it means that one can easily unsnap the ‘female’ clips on the bag and carry it into one’s lodging without fussing with the ties again. They are locked under the seat and ready to be used when next needed. On my one-piece seat on my BMW F750GS, for example, I got the straps set and now can use the bag when I’m riding alone or pop it off but leave the straps where they are so my wife can climb on for some rides. The straps don’t dangle near anything hot or moving, nor interfere with her comfort or safety. I find this combination / option wonderfully handy when I go for a day trip and want to pass through the grocery store on my return because I carry around a durable shopping bag that weighs ounces rather than a hard-shell top case that weighs pounds, even when empty.
Once you pop it off the straps, you have the opportunity to carry it by a handle or to attach two (included) straps to turn it into a backpack. It is not the most comfortable backpack you’ll ever use because the straps have no padding to keep them from digging into your shoulders. But the feature could be extremely handy to throw the pack over your shoulders and moto jacket and keep your hands free for other needs like carrying a helmet and getting a driver’s license out for the hotel check-in.
The real marker that sets the KemiMoto 30-liter tail bag apart is the cost. All these features can be yours for just $69.99. Tail bags of similar size and features, or even without a couple of them, can run you well over $100. KemiMoto was started by off-road enthusiasts who wanted to expand the options, farkle, and bling for their ATVs, and the company quickly expanded to brand mirrors, tail and head lights, guards for various bits on various vehicles, holders and racks, bags for spaces you might not yet know exist on your ride, and lots of options for heated gear. Such a catch-all company might make one pause about quality control, but the heated gloves I tested earlier are still going strong, and the stitching and materials on this bag were top-notch (and short-term waterproof on their own). There’s plenty at the website to tempt the ATV, adventure, and cruiser rider, and the prices even for a few goodies are not going to break the bank. My experiences so far have been most reassuring about the quality as well. Reviews on their website say that responses from the storefront number are quick and helpful, but (touch wood), I’ve found no reason to find out for myself. I’m now tempted to look into KemiMoto’s detachable universal saddlebags (F1101-01601GY), to make that cross-country trip I’ve been dreaming about. And at a price of $99.99 for them, I might be able to afford the gas to do it!
