Modern Vespa

Just finished "installing" new Saddlemen roll bag... satisfied with the results. Perfect amount of storage and expands when needed. Glad I purchased this instead of the prima or sx... now I'll see how well it holds up.

That is a really good looking bag! Congrats!

Nice looking bag! Let us know how well the color holds up over time with sun exposure.

I recently purchased an SX bag, and am well pleased with it. But, I really like yours. A right handsome case indeed.

Nice, can you fit a full face helmet in it? How about 2 when it's expanded?

Nice bag! Is that the Saddlemen R1300LXE? If that can hold a full face helmet, I will buy one tomorrow!

nice license plate

Where does the chair hang from?

Will this fit on the back tailpiece of a GT200, without the need for a rear rack?

Very similar to my Fieldsheer expandable bag which has held up very well to sun exposure in the 14 months I've used it.

Wow! $62.00 and glowing reviews.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/13/124/13869/ITEM/Saddlemen-R1300LXE-Delux-Roll-Bag.aspx


No, I don't work there. Just hit the search button.

Is it easy to remove and put back on again? Wouldn't want to leave it on the scoot in some situations, but if it is easy to remove then that wouldn't be a problem for me. The price is great!

First order of business... woohoo! 100th post!

Thanks for all the complements! I appreciate the input.

To answer some questions:

Yes, it is the Saddlemen R1300 LXE. Unfortunately a full-face helmet cannot fit inside. The main compartment opening in the middle isn't wide enough to support a full-face. It could probably hold an open-face, though I don't have one to test.

It could probably secure to the back tailpiece of the GT200, as most of the straps are attached to the bottom of the bag. I do have a strap going through the top of the rack for extra support, but I'm sure someone could find a creative way to mount it to a GT200.

I secured it with the intention of leaving it on most of the time, but it is fairly easy to remove when needed. All straps attach to the bag using standard luggage clips, and can be detached easily.

Saddlemen does make a leather(ish) tail bag that looks like it may fit a FF helmet, the $99 Drifter:

Dimensions: 16" L x 10.25" W x 12.5" H

Their $90 tall trunk bag is the exact same size:


With the exception of the butt-ugly badge with the name of the company ("saddlemen" is possibly a euphemism for some kind of I don't want to say what), I think the Drifter is actually better looking than the SX and Prima roll bags and certainly less likely to suffer from the fading and other quality issues that have plagued those. It also looks like it'll hold more than the Vespa OEM case and may come off the rack easier. I may invest in one for my next long-distance ride.

I really like the looks of these, Eric! They look more practical than the Saddlemen roll bag, which would also have more of a problem with grocery bags. When my SX roll bag gets too faded, I'll probably get one of these, and transfer my quick-release hardware to it.

For me, any roll bag or tail bag needs to be able to handle a tallish grocery bag by loosely securing the lid. My scooter does a lot of duty as an errand runner.

Yeah, i was looking at those, but I like how the roll bag can extend to 20", where the drifter is restricted to a length of only 16". They are both about the same width, and the height is the only thing that's really different. I don't need a tall bag, since i'm mainly transporting camera equipment with long lenses, tools, etc. I also don't like how "HD" the other bags look... think they might look a bit out of place on a vespa, but maybe not.

And ericalm... if you don't like the brand name and think it will make you feel insecure having "Saddlemen" on the back of your ride, cover it up. It's a bag.

If that sort of thing were enough to make me feel insecure, I wouldn't ride a sparkly light blue (aurora blue, to be specific) Vespa. My objections are purely aesthetic.

If anyone took offense to my suggestion that there's some ironic humor in the homoerotic connotations of the name "Saddlemen" for a line of Harley-style motorcycle accessories, I apologize.

For me, any roll bag or tail bag needs to be able to handle a tallish grocery bag by loosely securing the lid. My scooter does a lot of duty as an errand runner.[/quote]

Check out the Fieldsheer bags. The top is zippered & ovoid. By leaving it open you could easily stand a grocery bag up in it & carry it that way. It also rides nicely on the back of the seat; it has bungees attached on the bottom which I secure to my crash rails. Here is a link to it (not hyping this vendor, it was just the first link that popped up): http://www.bikebandit.com/product/9284

It is available in two sizes & you can also add saddle bags.

Not too motorbikish!

The problem with any of them is how much weight can the carrier take?

I find beer packs travel better in the footwell of a scoot. Seriously!