For past stories on Kate’s BMW G310 GS build, see here, here, here.
The BMW G310 GS build continues. This time I’m testing out some soft bags for the bike. The SHAD TERRA TR40 Adventure Saddlebags that SHAD sent me for review are, in short, pretty impressive.
Soft-Luggage Problems
The hard vs soft luggage debate is one for the ages. My admittedly-dated experience with soft luggage left me with a somewhat sour taste about it. True, it’s more forgiving to your body parts when you drop your bike. And it’s useful when you don’t have any other option, and is generally inexpensive. It’s often strap-based and easy to mount to a bike, but can rub in all the wrong ways and wreck the finish on your bike. Soft bags are rarely fully waterproof, so if you find yourself in a deluge you better have made use of the old gallon-size zip-top bag packing trick. Also, they often only secure to the bike with hook-and-loop fasteners and zippers, so theft can be a real issue.
Photo: Kate Murphy
The Advantages Of Both
SHAD’s TR40 bags, though, blur the lines between soft bags and hard luggage. Their locking plate and 32L capacity combine a soft-bag form-factor with some real hard-luggage advantages.
First, note that they have a hard molded plastic mounting plate on the back. They must mount on a rack, on the bike. Despite the lack of information on the SHAD website, the TR40 bags are compatible with both the SHAD 3P and 4P rack systems. If the only SHAD rack available for your bike is a 3P rack (which is the case for the G 310 GS), that’s OK. The TR40 bags definitely mount to the 3P rack.
Turns out, they are not the cheap strap-on soft luggage of old.
Photo: Kate Murphy
Locking Soft Luggage
The bags have an ingenious key-based locking mechanism which both locks the bags to the bike, and also locks the bags shut. Turn the key to roll down a pair of hard plastic nubs that secure the beefy aluminum buckles, to then open the Velcro closures on the top of the bags. Leave the key turned and pull out the locking tab, to pull the bag entirely off the rack. Once you understand how it works, securing or removing the bags happens in seconds, just like hard luggage.
Photo: Kate Murphy
Even locking soft bags like these won’t stop a determined thief with a sharp knife, to be sure. But the locks on these TR40s will prevent a random curious idiot from making off with your stuff.
Waterproof
The roll-top closure keeps a casual rainshower out, but a frog-strangler might find its way in. Happily, the bags have a drain hole at the bottom and ship with inner waterproof liner bags included. That combination ensures your stuff stays dry. Note: the waterproof bag liners are just that: liners. They are not heavy, beefy RF-welded drybags. They’re small, and easy to pack, and they are not meant to be used alone.
This is the inside of the bag liners, with tape-sealed sewn seams for light weight and waterproofing. Photo: Kate Murphy
There’s also a small bag that can hold those liners (or other odds and ends), as well as a fuel bottle harness. Those two strap to the outside of the TR40 cases so you don’t have to find space for them inside. It’s nice knowing your camp stove fuel is secure, but has no chance of leaking into the rest of the stuff in your luggage. Alternately, you can pop a water bottle in there for easy access.
Even the lettering on the bottle harness is reflective. Reference: That’s a 20 oz (591ml) MSR bottle. Photo: Kate Murphy
Deets
Construction is 600-1200D polyester with the heavier “extra resistance” fabric in predicted “impact zones.” The bottoms of the bags are reinforced. They feel very beefy, and I don’t doubt they’d survive a decent slide down the road (or two). They certainly won’t be torn open by an errant sapling or tree branch while you’re exploring the woods.
Here’s a quick explainer video on how the bags and locks work.
A MOLLE-compatible system of loops on the front and back of each bag means you can strap down all kinds of stuff to the outsides. Each bag is expandable through a system of six cam-buckles. Also, all of the grey lettering and details on the bags are reflective, to aid in visibility.
All the grey you see on the bag is reflective. Photo: Kate Murphy
Small On the Outside
Mounted on the bike, they’re much less noticeable than hard luggage. Empty and with the cam-buckles pulled tight, they take up very little space, and add very little weight to the bike. The top opening is extremely convenient, and the bags are deep.
Photo: Kate Murphy
I noted that throwing a leg over this bike with the TERRA hard aluminum luggage is a bit of a reach. The TR40 Adventure set is smaller front to back. That means mounting and dismounting the bike is much easier, even in my winter gear, than with the hard cases on. Empty, they’re much thinner, too; I don’t have to take them off in order to park the 310 in my tiny garage with its two big sisters. Hard luggage sits stacked in a corner; this soft luggage stays on the bike.
Big On the Inside
Expanded, these bags swallow a lot of stuff. On my next ADV camping trip, these will come in super handy. Not only will I be able to fill them with stuff, but I’ll be able to strap stuff down using them as tie-down points. Sure, soft luggage isn’t sticker-friendly, and they’re slightly fiddlier to access than hard luggage is, but these bags are a great example of the breed. Secure, small, waterproof, and lightweight, there’s no reason to take them off.
Photo: Kate Murphy
Buy the Shad Terra saddlebags here at Revzilla.
