Hondaline Magnetic Tankbag
HONDALINE MAGNETIC TANKBAG
EVALUATION
LOW-CAL BAG FOR LEAN LOADS
WHEN MOST RIDERS BUY A TANKBAG, they bite off more than they can chew. That’s because most bags are intended to satisfy the voracious appetites of touring riders, those people who like to take it all with them. What's more, tankbags usually are often accompanied by a monkey-puzzle mounting system designed more for security than for convenient installation and removal. Consequently, for riders whose longest tour consists of a ride to work or to school, and whose need is only to stow some books or paperwork, such bags make as much sense as ordering a 12-course meal when all they really wanted was a snack.
Hondaline, though, realizes that not every ride is a coast-to-coast tour, and to that end has cooked up its magnetic tankbag. The urethanecoated nylon bag’s bite-size dimensions reflect that realization, too. At 1 3 by 9 by 3 inches, the main compartment won't hold nearly as much as most other tankbags will, but it can comfortably swallow' a day’s worth of gear (including a standard 8'/2-by-l 1 inch tablet), and the bag’s compact overall dimensions take up little .tank-top space. Two-way YKK nylon zippers with large, easily grasped rings provide access to the main compartment, and to a 51/2-by-9-inch flat pouch on the lid. In addition, there’s a small, flat pouch with a Velcro-secured flap on the rear, and the bag comes with a rain bonnet and a shoulder strap.
Overall, then, Hondaline’s tankbag recipe seems to have the right combination of ingredients for utility and convenience. The mounting system, consisting of eight, 1 Vs-inch-diameter magnets under the vinyl base, makes a sizable contribution to the bag’s convenience, too; it provides a tenacious grip on a variety of tanktop shapes, allowing installation and removal to be ridiculously easy. A literbike’s full-throttle, first-gear acceleration couldn’t budge the bag, even if it was overloaded past the recommended 4-pound weight limit, or if it was stuffed full enough to keep the base from conforming to the tank top. Hondaline includes a Velcro-secured elastic band that loops under the steering head and hooks to the bag, to keep it from falling off the bike (the shoulder strap also can be used), but the magnets worked so well that we rarely used the strap. Unfortunately, though, the magnets preclude the use of the bag on aluminum or plastic gas tanks, and they also can scramble magnetically coded credit cards, as well as cassette tapes and computer discs; as a result, those items shouldn't be packed in the bag. Other tankbags don't have those shortcomings, and most of them include a map pouch, an item sorely missed on Hondaline’s bag. Plus, some riders will find it hard to stomach the $56.95 price, which puts this little bag squarely in the territory of larger-capacity models.
Still, the Hondaline magnetic tankbag (available in black or blue, at Honda dealers) offers an attractive bill of fare. Its lean dimensions reflect the smaller cargo-appetites of many riders, while still providing enough room to pack the bare essentials for an overnight trip; and the magnetic mounting offers an ease of use other tankbags just can't match. Those virtues make it an irresistably tasty alternative to fat-boy tankbags. After all, why go whole-hog when just a snack will do? ®
