Cornfish
Outdoor Enthusiast
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2015
- Location
- Central Oregon
- Moto(s)
- 2024 KTM 890 SMT - 2016 KTM 250 XC-F - 1980 HD XLH1000 Sportster
- Name
- Reed
- BARF perks
- AMA #3288739
I've used a fair number of different setups over the years, and have learned that "best" is not a useful term when gearing up a bike. Scouring BARF and the internet, the variety in setups people decide on is as diverse as the individual rider. From milk crates, to top boxes and hard cases; panniers to roll top bags, every individual has their own preference. I've purchased bags I thought would be great, only to be let down. And my needs have changed and evolved, learning on every trip what works and what doesn't.
When I first started moto-camping, I stacked Kriega roll top bags sky high on the tail of my little KTM RC 390. I had a small tarp I would tie to the bike and stake into the ground, a minimalist sleeping pad that makes my back hurt just thinking about it, a bivy sack, lightweight sleeping bag, and not much else. Most of those trips were down towards Big Sur, with one fateful night at the Ponderosa Campground on Nacimiento-Feguson Road where I forgot my sleeping bag!
I stepped up to a KTM 690 Duke, and used the same Kriega setup, adding a larger Kriega bag, and moving to hotel stays instead of sleeping on the ground.
I ended up with a Ducati Hypermotard 1100S, and while still using the Kriega bags as a day bag, I built out an enclosed trailer as a motorcycle hauler/camper. The Hypermotards personality and short fuel range made long trips from my new home in Bend, Oregon less than ideal. The trailer allowed me to setup camp in RV parks with showers and electricity, making for a great home base while I ripped around on the Ducati all day.
Last year I picked up a KTM 890 SMT, enabling me to make long trips from home with an ~200 mile fuel range, and plenty of room for luggage. The truck and trailer, while a comfortable camping setup, made exploring the vast expanse of roads between Oregon and California more tedious, and at 10 mpg towing the trailer, those trips had a high travel/fun cost ratio. I had always considered hard cases to be the ultimate for travel with the convenience of taking them on and off the bike, and larger storage capacity, and ordered the KTM cases when I purchased my 890.
The cases for the SMT are very wide, and made lane splitting impossible. The cases didn't hold nearly as much gear as I'd imagined, were heavy, and the KTM mounting and support system wasn't great. Riding with the cases was fine, but the search for my perfect setup continued. After researching options, I ordered a Mosko Moto Reckless 80 "rackless" setup, and a similar product from Kriega called the OS. The Mosko setup required some assembly, but looking at images and reading reviews I settled on that, and returned the Kriega OS. The OS is a well made, and a relatively simple and light option, but I didn't like how it setup on my bike, in particular the bag-to-exhaust interface. Most of these rackless type bags are designed to mount pretty far forward for Adventure Bikes, but I didn't need to be that cramped, and the Kriega OS had very limited options to move the bags from their intended location.
Nomad ADV makes a "rack" which is basically just standoffs, for the Mosko Reckless 80, which I picked up, along with their rear rack, and the Mosko Gnobblin. The Gnobblin is a small mushroom-like metal button (you can see it on the rear part of my rear rack, with the Kriega mounts on either side) that mounts to the rear rack that interfaces with a horshoe on the Reckless 80 base harness. This setup makes taking the luggage on and off very simple, and the stand-offs eliminated the need for an exhause shield, keeping the luggage a safe distance from the hot parts. Mosko luggage is modular, and I added an auxuilary pocket to one leg of the bags, and some molle-mounted auxilary bags for organization.
The Mosko bags consist of an outer shell that attches to the base harness with compression straps, and inner dry bags that can be removed without detaching the base harness from the bike. Since this iteration of my moto touring relies on AirBnB's and Hotels, I can just grab the dry bags from the bike, and head into my lodging for the night. I now have smaller modular pockets on top of each leg, and an auxillary pocket that attaches to the lower part of the left leg. Those pockets will be used for oil, tools, a tire patch kit, inflator, and other items that can just live on the bike, giving me more room for my daily essentials in the dry bags that will come off the bike at night. The tail bag included in this kit is a 22L dry bag that would work great for lighter, smaller gear kits, but I have a 30L roll top Mosko Apline 30L that will replace it. The Alpine Duffle will be a handy place for my casual moto riding sneakers, kevlar jeans, and kevlar riding shirt. Those items are bulky, but after riding all day in Alpinestars track leather, I don't want to wear that crap when I ride from my AirBnB to dinner! This set up is narower than my handlebars by a good margin, bringing lane splitting back into the equation. Last year I was leaving Half Moon Bay heading into Marin on 19th, and with the hard cases I was forced to que up in traffic and work the clutch. Being able to lane split 19th, or even the roads over to Mt. Hamilton from the coast will be a huge upgrade.
The next phase of my motorcycle journey will be an Adventure Bike, and the bonus to the Mosko gear is that is really the intended purpose. With appropriate racks on the Adventure bikes, and a Mosko Gnobblin, I will easily be able to move this setup from bike to bike. Now if KTM would hurry up and build a 690 Adventure R Rally I would be all set! I also picked up a Mosko Reckless 40 luggage setup, which is nearly identical to the Reckless 80, just smaller. For my 890, the R80 set up is perfect, and I can always remove the beavertail and center bag for a lighter, overnight setup. The R40 would be great for a smaller Adventure bike, or an ultralight camping setup for a night or two. The modularity, and mix and match capability of the Mosko gear, combined with the bullet proof materials and quality should make this last a long, long time. I have the loops on my rear rack for a Kriega bag, which still works great for a day trip when I only need a tool kit, and a place to stash a pair of sunglasses. I feel like I may have finally reached my luggage Nirvana!
When I first started moto-camping, I stacked Kriega roll top bags sky high on the tail of my little KTM RC 390. I had a small tarp I would tie to the bike and stake into the ground, a minimalist sleeping pad that makes my back hurt just thinking about it, a bivy sack, lightweight sleeping bag, and not much else. Most of those trips were down towards Big Sur, with one fateful night at the Ponderosa Campground on Nacimiento-Feguson Road where I forgot my sleeping bag!
I stepped up to a KTM 690 Duke, and used the same Kriega setup, adding a larger Kriega bag, and moving to hotel stays instead of sleeping on the ground.
I ended up with a Ducati Hypermotard 1100S, and while still using the Kriega bags as a day bag, I built out an enclosed trailer as a motorcycle hauler/camper. The Hypermotards personality and short fuel range made long trips from my new home in Bend, Oregon less than ideal. The trailer allowed me to setup camp in RV parks with showers and electricity, making for a great home base while I ripped around on the Ducati all day.
Last year I picked up a KTM 890 SMT, enabling me to make long trips from home with an ~200 mile fuel range, and plenty of room for luggage. The truck and trailer, while a comfortable camping setup, made exploring the vast expanse of roads between Oregon and California more tedious, and at 10 mpg towing the trailer, those trips had a high travel/fun cost ratio. I had always considered hard cases to be the ultimate for travel with the convenience of taking them on and off the bike, and larger storage capacity, and ordered the KTM cases when I purchased my 890.
The cases for the SMT are very wide, and made lane splitting impossible. The cases didn't hold nearly as much gear as I'd imagined, were heavy, and the KTM mounting and support system wasn't great. Riding with the cases was fine, but the search for my perfect setup continued. After researching options, I ordered a Mosko Moto Reckless 80 "rackless" setup, and a similar product from Kriega called the OS. The Mosko setup required some assembly, but looking at images and reading reviews I settled on that, and returned the Kriega OS. The OS is a well made, and a relatively simple and light option, but I didn't like how it setup on my bike, in particular the bag-to-exhaust interface. Most of these rackless type bags are designed to mount pretty far forward for Adventure Bikes, but I didn't need to be that cramped, and the Kriega OS had very limited options to move the bags from their intended location.
Nomad ADV makes a "rack" which is basically just standoffs, for the Mosko Reckless 80, which I picked up, along with their rear rack, and the Mosko Gnobblin. The Gnobblin is a small mushroom-like metal button (you can see it on the rear part of my rear rack, with the Kriega mounts on either side) that mounts to the rear rack that interfaces with a horshoe on the Reckless 80 base harness. This setup makes taking the luggage on and off very simple, and the stand-offs eliminated the need for an exhause shield, keeping the luggage a safe distance from the hot parts. Mosko luggage is modular, and I added an auxuilary pocket to one leg of the bags, and some molle-mounted auxilary bags for organization.
The Mosko bags consist of an outer shell that attches to the base harness with compression straps, and inner dry bags that can be removed without detaching the base harness from the bike. Since this iteration of my moto touring relies on AirBnB's and Hotels, I can just grab the dry bags from the bike, and head into my lodging for the night. I now have smaller modular pockets on top of each leg, and an auxillary pocket that attaches to the lower part of the left leg. Those pockets will be used for oil, tools, a tire patch kit, inflator, and other items that can just live on the bike, giving me more room for my daily essentials in the dry bags that will come off the bike at night. The tail bag included in this kit is a 22L dry bag that would work great for lighter, smaller gear kits, but I have a 30L roll top Mosko Apline 30L that will replace it. The Alpine Duffle will be a handy place for my casual moto riding sneakers, kevlar jeans, and kevlar riding shirt. Those items are bulky, but after riding all day in Alpinestars track leather, I don't want to wear that crap when I ride from my AirBnB to dinner! This set up is narower than my handlebars by a good margin, bringing lane splitting back into the equation. Last year I was leaving Half Moon Bay heading into Marin on 19th, and with the hard cases I was forced to que up in traffic and work the clutch. Being able to lane split 19th, or even the roads over to Mt. Hamilton from the coast will be a huge upgrade.
The next phase of my motorcycle journey will be an Adventure Bike, and the bonus to the Mosko gear is that is really the intended purpose. With appropriate racks on the Adventure bikes, and a Mosko Gnobblin, I will easily be able to move this setup from bike to bike. Now if KTM would hurry up and build a 690 Adventure R Rally I would be all set! I also picked up a Mosko Reckless 40 luggage setup, which is nearly identical to the Reckless 80, just smaller. For my 890, the R80 set up is perfect, and I can always remove the beavertail and center bag for a lighter, overnight setup. The R40 would be great for a smaller Adventure bike, or an ultralight camping setup for a night or two. The modularity, and mix and match capability of the Mosko gear, combined with the bullet proof materials and quality should make this last a long, long time. I have the loops on my rear rack for a Kriega bag, which still works great for a day trip when I only need a tool kit, and a place to stash a pair of sunglasses. I feel like I may have finally reached my luggage Nirvana!
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