Luggage recommendation - CBR250

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mimico_polak

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Hey all,
I'm currently looking at expanding my storage capacity so I can take longer trips on the bike and am a a loss. At first I was considering soft bags (Oxford) but then saw my buddy's hard case and really liked the givi set...
can anyone recommend a good set of hard luggage that'll fit the cbr250?? Givi has only a top box mounting kit but no side bags and I can't seem to find anything.
alternatively any recommendations beyond Oxford and Cortech? I'd like a set I can move to another bike once/if I upgrade.
75% being used for commuting and the rest would be for day trips and weekend trips possibly w a passenger.
thanks!
 
My cortech sport bike soft bags are just starting to disintegrate after 3 seasons of all weather riding. For the price they have held up pretty well.
 
Thanks for the quick responses guys! I checked the Hepco & Becker site and they have 'pending' items so nothing currently available.

As for the Cortech, are they easy to get on/off? I presume 99% of the time nothing would happen to them if they stayed on the bike while I'm at work/out and about but hard luggage just seems more secure? Do you take them off typically when you go to the store/work/school/etc? Also how are the soft luggage with a passenger? I think the hard luggage may be better for passenger comfort but I'm not sure.
 
The Coretech stuff is pretty easy to use but you'll actually want to test fit some luggage, to make sure that it will fit properly. That means going to a place with a good selection, and staff who know what they're about. Bikes like the CBR250 have very narrow tails and some bags may not be able to be made narrow enough, to properly fit. Better safe than sorry.
 
Thanks Rob, I'll try and make my way out to GP in the next few weeks. I would prefer the hard luggage but if it's not suitable for the bike then I'll make do with the soft bags.

The only hard luggage I've found is the Givi/Kapa top case which mounts in place of the passenger grab handles. Might be an option but not fully convinced about it yet.
 
mimico_polak said:
Thanks Rob, I'll try and make my way out to GP in the next few weeks. I would prefer the hard luggage but if it's not suitable for the bike then I'll make do with the soft bags.

The only hard luggage I've found is the Givi/Kapa top case which mounts in place of the passenger grab handles. Might be an option but not fully convinced about it yet.
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Well it's nice to have somewhere, out of sight, to leave your helmet when you really don't have another choice. That's one reason why I prefer hard cases. Weather resistance is another. Unfortunately, like you said, there doesn't seem to be an option for your bike. Not even SW-Mototech or Coocase seem to have anything.
 
The Cortech stuff is easy to put on and take off but I think you'd probably just leave them on as carrying two saddlebags plus the additional tailbag (if you opt for that) is a bit of a chore. Rob's right, but the fit can be tuned and the Cortech stuff comes with some heavy duty neoprene like material under the bags to make sure you don't get scratches or scuffs. Attachment is via buckle clips to small looped buckles you attach around your bike (4 of them), you make sure that everything is cinched nice and tight and away you go. In my opinion the Cortech sport tailbag that integrates with the saddle bags is a great bit of kit. It fits a small laptop just fine and has a handle so you can use it as a briefcase when off the bike. The problems I had with the bags are just a couple of lost raincovers (my fault, not cinched tight enough) and a ripped raincover (same problem, too much flapping in wind) plus overfilling the tailbag and so I now have a frayed section near a zipper. Basically...all my fault. I now have hard side bags on my new bike but if I didn't I'd still be using the Cortechs.
 
jc100 said:
The Cortech stuff is easy to put on and take off but I think you'd probably just leave them on as carrying two saddlebags plus the additional tailbag (if you opt for that) is a bit of a chore. Rob's right, but the fit can be tuned and the Cortech stuff comes with some heavy duty neoprene like material under the bags to make sure you don't get scratches or scuffs. Attachment is via buckle clips to small looped buckles you attach around your bike (4 of them), you make sure that everything is cinched nice and tight and away you go. In my opinion the Cortech sport tailbag that integrates with the saddle bags is a great bit of kit. It fits a small laptop just fine and has a handle so you can use it as a briefcase when off the bike. The problems I had with the bags are just a couple of lost raincovers (my fault, not cinched tight enough) and a ripped raincover (same problem, too much flapping in wind) plus overfilling the tailbag and so I now have a frayed section near a zipper. Basically...all my fault. I now have hard side bags on my new bike but if I didn't I'd still be using the Cortechs.
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Of the Coretech stuff that I've owned, all that I have left is the sport tailbag that you describe. It's a handy little thing and, despite now having Givi V35 saddlebags and a E340 topcase, I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of it.
 
Thanks for the recommendations guys! I've been eyeing that 3 piece luggage set from Cortech for a while now but your experience is definitely leaning me towards it. I guess the only way to prevent something from being stolen is luck, and not keeping anything expensive in there! LoL

I may have to wait for the hard cases when I have a bike that they actually fit on!
 
The cortech sport bags are great. Did tons of traveling with them previously. I would still siriously consider getting the mount and topcase for the bike though. At least that way you have someplace you can lock stuff up and that is completly waterproof on the bike.
 
The only thing that I would add to this that hasn't been mentioned already is that givi is really expensive and the cortech stuff isn't as much, AND can be transferred to another bike. How long are you planning on keeping the 250? You mentioned above that there will eventually be an upgrade. I wouldn't spend givi money on something that I was trading in next spring.
 
pyro_ said:
The cortech sport bags are great. Did tons of traveling with them previously. I would still siriously consider getting the mount and topcase for the bike though. At least that way you have someplace you can lock stuff up and that is completly waterproof on the bike.
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Can a passenger still sit on the bike if the saddle bags are on? I know with the hard top box that's possible especially since I can buy one with a back rest. I'd like to take my gf with me and her comfort is important to me as if she's not comfortable...there won't be many trips together!
 
Wasted said:
The only thing that I would add to this that hasn't been mentioned already is that givi is really expensive and the cortech stuff isn't as much, AND can be transferred to another bike. How long are you planning on keeping the 250? You mentioned above that there will eventually be an upgrade. I wouldn't spend givi money on something that I was trading in next spring.
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I love the 250 and can definitely see myself upgrading it...but most likely will not be within 2 seasons as I'm in no rush. The bike does almost everything I want it to do very well...gets tossed around a bit on the highway with wind but besides that no issues with it. I have resolved to start taking it on longer and longer day trips as my end goal is a ride down to Jersey to visit my sister. Ideally this year but I'm not sure how ready I will be for that kind of ride.
 
If you decide to go with the cortech sport saddle bags let me know i have a set of blue ones which i will let go fairly cheap since i am upgrading to hepco hardbags. The cortechs will need new straps for the bike but that should not be hard to get/make.
 
mimico_polak said:
Can a passenger still sit on the bike if the saddle bags are on? I know with the hard top box that's possible especially since I can buy one with a back rest. I'd like to take my gf with me and her comfort is important to me as if she's not comfortable...there won't be many trips together!
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Tough one this as I always had the bags draped over the passenger seat. Rob might correct me but I believe there may be a way of putting straps under the seat however this is seriously going to depend on your particular bike's seat locking mechanism. If you have it over the seat then the passenger isn't going to be too comfy as there's the neoprene pad there plus some heavy duty velcro. If you have a seat cushion of some kind it may be OK. The other method is to get your passenger to wear a backpack but then you're adding some more weight up high where you don't really want it. Givi make some soft saddlebag racks which go cheap that might mount sidebags to for your bike. Have you looked at "what fits my bike" on the twisted throttle site? A Vicious Cycle has all the Twisted Throttle stuff too and they are Canadian.
 
Yes I checked the 'what fits my bike' and basically...not much for that bike! LoL Might be due to size of the rear seat or what not.

I like the looks of the Kriega bags and seem very functional but they are a very costly system. I like the 3 bag combo which goes for about $350 or so.

pyro - PM sent
 
jc100 said:
Tough one this as I always had the bags draped over the passenger seat. Rob might correct me but I believe there may be a way of putting straps under the seat however this is seriously going to depend on your particular bike's seat locking mechanism. If you have it over the seat then the passenger isn't going to be too comfy as there's the neoprene pad there plus some heavy duty velcro. If you have a seat cushion of some kind it may be OK. The other method is to get your passenger to wear a backpack but then you're adding some more weight up high where you don't really want it. Givi make some soft saddlebag racks which go cheap that might mount sidebags to for your bike. Have you looked at "what fits my bike" on the twisted throttle site? A Vicious Cycle has all the Twisted Throttle stuff too and they are Canadian.
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I found that the it was a near thing, fitting a passenger, on a larger bike. They'll very likely be in the way, on a smaller bike. The straps can be run under the seat, or at least they could on my VFR800, but that dropped one pretty damned close to the pipe. Realistically it isn't much of an issue if the straps go over the seat, if the passenger is wearing riding pants.

A reasonable alternative might be a smallish tank bag. I always found the wind buffeting from a passenger's backpack to be rather unnerving, at highway speed.

The list of stuff available at Twisted Throttle, for the CBR250, isn't very long.
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