The Goods: Chicane Motorcycle Luggage

It was like Christmas all over again. Randy Klamm, President of Chicane USA stopped by with some goodies for our trip to Mexico.

These are truly good-looking, lightweight bags with a sleek shape and 3M Scotchlite piping. We mounted the saddlebags on Lynn’s 2005 BMW F650GS. The throw-over design made it easy. The adjustable straps allowed us to slide the rear strap under the luggage rack handles for a secure fit. The large buckles made it extremely simple to get the bags on and off the bike. The Velcro ties were easy to attach to the bike and the saddlebag brackets. The bags expand 2 ½ inches by opening a zipper resulting in 10 liters of storage.

A minor issue on the F650 is the low, rearward location of the BMW’s gas filler cap. It was necessary to un-hook the front strap to access the cap. This was made easy by simply unfastening the buckle on the strap and snapping it back together when fueled.

Quality and thoughtful design are evident in every aspect of the bag. The bags are extremely light and easy to carry – Lynn appreciated this. Fit and finish is excellent. The included bag liners, also very light, let you leave the bags on the bike and just grab the liners and go. An integrated, sewn-in rain cover tucks away until needed then folds back into its pouch when the sun comes out.

Interior and exterior pockets provide handy places to stash an extra bandana, small tools or anything else you need to get to quickly.

With the saddlebags installed, we strapped a Chicane Dune Duffle on the pillion in front of the top case. Integrated straps allowed easy attachment and bungees made the bag solid on the bike. The Dune is immense. The bag holds it shape and the full-length zipper makes the bag easy to load and un-load while still on the bike. Zip-up side pouches, more Scotchlite piping, double carry grips and removable shoulder straps and its own sewn in rain cover complete the package. Imagine my surprise when Lynn asked, “What am I going to do with all this luggage space?” This is one trip where both the laptop and the hair dryer came along. The Dune became the place to hold jackets and liners along with other gear that was needed as the temperatures changed throughout the ride

Both the Dune and the X-Country saddlebags performed without problems on the ride. Attractive, solid and stable on the bike, these bags work well and look great doing it. Even without the rain covers in place, Lynn’s gear stayed dry through intermittent light rain and several river fords.

X-Country Saddle Bags CHICANE water-resistant, removable bag liners included. Expands by an additional 2 1/2” and adds 10 Liters. Universal mounting. Inside of main opening has adjustable web straps and buckles to eliminates load fallout when entering for gear. Large, zippered, mesh pocket inside...

We hope that you enjoyed reading this excerpt from "Chicane Motorcycle Luggage". If you would like to read the entire article and more, you can order a back issue of April / May 2007 where this article was originally published.

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