T-Bag Dakota
#1
08-24-2008, 09:14 AM
T-Bag Dakota
Just got back from a 4,000-mile trip on the Ultra, and used the Dakota as an extra piece of luggage. This trip was done with Stripperella riding on the back.
The Dakota, although advertised as being a humoungous piece of luggage, is not overly large or bulky. It has removable side bags, which can double as small backpacks. We put the side bags on.
You indeed have a small blind spot in each mirror with the full Dakota on. Basically, if someone is right on your a**, you can't see them. Otherwise, rear-view vision was fine. I have the stock handlebar-mount mirrors on my Ultra.
Strapping it down is very nice, and this is where I prefer the Dakota to my Kuryakyn roll-bag. I think someone at T-Bag actually tried mounting it to a tour trunk luggage rack. My bike has the King pack with standard chrome luggage rack on it. The Dakota fits perfectly (with the backpacks removed, it is the exact width of the rack - the backpacks hang over each side). There are six straps & plastic buckles that mount it to the rack with ease, and that baby won't budge. I found the straps to be a bit long, so some of the extra would flap against the trunk. There are pockets for the excess straps to slide into, but at highway speeds they come out. I simply pulled over, cut off some excess, and used my Zippo to keep the ends from fraying.
The bag itself is a heavy, thick textile-like material not unlike Joe Rocket riding suits, and the bag does indeed keep its' shape when empty. As for storage, each of us had all our toilettries, including shampoo, contact lense solution, sunblock, etc, easily packed into the backpacks, and the bag itself will hold two half-helmets side-by-side, taking up about half the bag's capacity. Despite any loading restrictions on the luggage rack, we had ours packed to a weight of approximately 35 pounds, and rode with ease.
When you arrive at your stop, the bag has a carrying handle in a cool zippered pocket - you pull it out, and it clips into existing metal tie-down loops. When you're finished, it zips back away and out of sight. There are several top tie-down points on the bag, and I was able to bungee my leather jacket to it during hotter temps.
There is also an enclosed rain cover in a secondary back cover. Although we didn't need it on this trip, what I liked most is that the rain cover is permanently attached to the bag via a strap - no more putting it on, and having your cover balloon out on the highway and fly away. Again, I think a seasoned rider designed this bag.
Finally, there are small external side pockets for things like change, or a lighter, or whatever you need access to quickly. There are small zippered soft holders for a water bottle on each side, which we never used. At the back of the bag is a lengthy expandable pocket that was great for holding 8 1/2" x 11" map books and such.
Stripperella had to adjust her method of climbing onto the back of the decker, however. The bag on the luggage rack makes it too difficult for her to swing her short legs up and over when mounting the passenger seat. However, she simply had to step through the bike instead of over it, and that was easily solved.
The bag is pricey, at just under $300 Canadian. However, it's almost a complete replacement for the size of the tour trunk, and it made all the difference. It mounts easily and confidently, and handles miles and miles of riding without compromising the integrity of your paint. I am definately glad we purchased this, and will be using it on every trip.
+1 T-Bag Dakota.
Cannon
The Dakota, although advertised as being a humoungous piece of luggage, is not overly large or bulky. It has removable side bags, which can double as small backpacks. We put the side bags on.
You indeed have a small blind spot in each mirror with the full Dakota on. Basically, if someone is right on your a**, you can't see them. Otherwise, rear-view vision was fine. I have the stock handlebar-mount mirrors on my Ultra.
Strapping it down is very nice, and this is where I prefer the Dakota to my Kuryakyn roll-bag. I think someone at T-Bag actually tried mounting it to a tour trunk luggage rack. My bike has the King pack with standard chrome luggage rack on it. The Dakota fits perfectly (with the backpacks removed, it is the exact width of the rack - the backpacks hang over each side). There are six straps & plastic buckles that mount it to the rack with ease, and that baby won't budge. I found the straps to be a bit long, so some of the extra would flap against the trunk. There are pockets for the excess straps to slide into, but at highway speeds they come out. I simply pulled over, cut off some excess, and used my Zippo to keep the ends from fraying.
The bag itself is a heavy, thick textile-like material not unlike Joe Rocket riding suits, and the bag does indeed keep its' shape when empty. As for storage, each of us had all our toilettries, including shampoo, contact lense solution, sunblock, etc, easily packed into the backpacks, and the bag itself will hold two half-helmets side-by-side, taking up about half the bag's capacity. Despite any loading restrictions on the luggage rack, we had ours packed to a weight of approximately 35 pounds, and rode with ease.
When you arrive at your stop, the bag has a carrying handle in a cool zippered pocket - you pull it out, and it clips into existing metal tie-down loops. When you're finished, it zips back away and out of sight. There are several top tie-down points on the bag, and I was able to bungee my leather jacket to it during hotter temps.
There is also an enclosed rain cover in a secondary back cover. Although we didn't need it on this trip, what I liked most is that the rain cover is permanently attached to the bag via a strap - no more putting it on, and having your cover balloon out on the highway and fly away. Again, I think a seasoned rider designed this bag.
Finally, there are small external side pockets for things like change, or a lighter, or whatever you need access to quickly. There are small zippered soft holders for a water bottle on each side, which we never used. At the back of the bag is a lengthy expandable pocket that was great for holding 8 1/2" x 11" map books and such.
Stripperella had to adjust her method of climbing onto the back of the decker, however. The bag on the luggage rack makes it too difficult for her to swing her short legs up and over when mounting the passenger seat. However, she simply had to step through the bike instead of over it, and that was easily solved.
The bag is pricey, at just under $300 Canadian. However, it's almost a complete replacement for the size of the tour trunk, and it made all the difference. It mounts easily and confidently, and handles miles and miles of riding without compromising the integrity of your paint. I am definately glad we purchased this, and will be using it on every trip.
+1 T-Bag Dakota.
Cannon
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