How to attach tank bag to NCX

[drseth]

I purchased a used Chase Harper tank bag with the magnetic wings and a loop in the front. I attached the loop to a RAM Mount which kept it from falling off, but at 60 mph, the bag started going airborne, floating up off of the not-a-tank. Any suggestions to better secure this tank bag to the bike?

 

[Bubba Satori]

Duct tape?


:ducks

 

[showkey]

Choices from what others have done so far:

suction cups to the lid

drill a hole or two through the lid

straps or ties around the lid

straps or ties around the whole frunk

 

[Spaceteach]

As you have discovered, magnets don't play we'll with plastics, but any strap mounted bag should work. Typically, you would attach a rear strap under the front of the seat and front straps at locations to the left and right of the steering head. Most strap mounts use quick release buckles that you can unsnap to gain access to the frunk. I'll confess, I haven't looked into tank bags for our bike, but I've used strap mounted bags on other bikes I've had with plastic tanks and they worked well. I installed a 46 liter top trunk and two 45 liter side cases, so I already have all the cargo volume I need.

Bob

 

[dduelin]

I have been cogitating on this for a while. The trunk has largely removed the need for a tank bag but on tour I do miss having a map pocket on top of the tank and have been exploring solutions. I don't want to mar the smooth lines of the lid with an external sheet metal mount and in the past the straps and buckles of strap-on bags have marred the finish of a gas tank. Road grit got in the straps and took the gloss finish off the tank under the straps. My favorite tank bag is a strapless magnetic Cortec Mini and it would fit nicely within the area of the trunk lid. To experiment I removed the lid and placed a small business card-sized refrigerator magnet under one of the black trim pieces to see if the magnets in the bottom of the bag would stick. I found that those flexible refrigerator magnets don't stick to the magnets sewn in the tankbag unless there is absolutely no material separating them. That didn't work. Second experiment - the Cortec sticks really well to a metal cookie sheet so I am going to try and line the underside of the lid and trim pieces with thin sheet metal cut to fit exactly under the magnets in the bag. If this works I'll post the results.

 

[Bug Dr.]

Dave, wouldn't rare earth magnets epoxied in strategic locations work? Would these magnets interfere with electronic devices stored in the frunk? Magnets sounds easier than covering the inside with a sheet of metal. That is, as long as you get the polarity correct. Otherwise, your tank bag would levitate.
Mike

 

[dduelin]

Your question is a good one and I considered them but didn't try them yet. The existing magnets in the bag are rather small - 6 of them about the size of a quarter - so the sheet metal cut exactly to fit would be small in area, like six bottle cap-sized circles. These would be glued strategically in place as you say but for an experiment I could tape them in place. I said "lining the underside of the lid" but that's not what I meant. Because the allowable space is limited and is a three dimensional convex curve rather than flat I think I could form thin sheet metal to fit into the three dimensional limited space but couldn't fit anything thicker. Gas tanks are made from thin sheet metal.

 

[showkey]

100% committed.......bolts through the lid.






Change my mind down the road............buy a new lid cover (silver part).

 

[Bug Dr.]

100% committed.......bolts through the lid.

Change my mind down the road............buy a new lid cover (silver part).

Yep, that's going all in!
Mike

 

[dduelin]

Still, at $85 for a new lid that is probably cheaper than a new tank bag. I like. Does it have a optional map pocket?

 

[drseth]

Bob, what manufacturer of cases did you buy? I have gotten spoiled having hard cases on my ST1100, which along with pannier cases, also has a Givi Maxia top case. My only complaint is that since I bought Cardo G9 intercoms, I can't close the top case with the bracket attached to the helmet.

I found a deal on some used Chase Harper saddlebags, a tool case, and the tank bag. I have a Hepco and Becker rear rack and have a duffel bag bungeed to it. The saddlebags tend to lean towards the rear wheel, so I have fabricates a metal flange that hooks to the attachment bars to the rear rack, that keeps the bags out from the rear wheel.I put felt pads where it touches the bars to help protect it and the way I made it, I can remove it when the bags are not in use.

Funny how sometimes a solution to a problem creates other problems.

 

[Spaceteach]

Bob, what manufacturer of cases did you buy? I have gotten spoiled having hard cases on my ST1100, which along with pannier cases, also has a Givi Maxia top case. My only complaint is that since I bought Cardo G9 intercoms, I can't close the top case with the bracket attached to the helmet.

I found a deal on some used Chase Harper saddlebags, a tool case, and the tank bag. I have a Hepco and Becker rear rack and have a duffel bag bungeed to it. The saddlebags tend to lean towards the rear wheel, so I have fabricates a metal flange that hooks to the attachment bars to the rear rack, that keeps the bags out from the rear wheel.I put felt pads where it touches the bars to help protect it and the way I made it, I can remove it when the bags are not in use.

Funny how sometimes a solution to a problem creates other problems.

I have a Givi V46 top case and Givi E45 cases mounted on the sides. Mounts are SW-Motech Alu-Rack with quick release mounting adapter for the top case and Evo quick release mounts for the side cases. I was originally looking at the Givi 33 liter Trekker cases, but when I talked to the Givi representative at Daytona BikeWeek he suggested the E45 instead. They are about half the weight, cost half as much, and have more capacity. They do stick out about one and a half inches further than the Trekkers on each side, but with the quick release mounts I only have them on the bike when needed.

Bob

 

[drseth]

Do you have any photos of your bike with the cases installed?

 

[Spaceteach]

Do you have any photos of your bike with the cases installed?

No pics have been taken so far, but I may be able to take some this weekend. If so I'll try to post some in the gallery section.

Bob

 

[Nortwestrider]

I got a strap on bag for $19 from Cycle Gear and it works great !!.




I turned the bag around tonight so that it is now flat and easier to see a map.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[guzziboi]

Interesting timing on this thread. I have a magnetic attach bag I really like and have used on my steel tank bikes for several years. This weekend when I looked at the bags I've accumulated , this was the one I wanted on the NC. Found my jar of quarter sized washers, a roll of "Gorilla" brand duct tape, scissors and went about the mod. So far all is doing well. I doubled up on the front washers since the bag had double magnets there. The tape holds the washers, the magnets hold tight through the tape. Some may object to most Gorilla tape being black. Doesn't bother me. And I do believe it's available in traditional grey now which would probably blend well with the silver most of us have where the washers are placed. You only see the tape strips when you don't have the bag in place, and it's much easier on and off than messing w/ taut snap link connectors. Anyway, new to the forum and don't know how to post pic's. Make sure to clean/prep area where tape is going to go, and of course, there could be superficial damage to the finish over time. Since I plan on keeping my NC for quite a while,
I'm not concerned about how it affects the finish. It seems that all bags leave some signature of wear. I don't always use the tank bag, but when I do, I really do like the convenience of the magnetic on and off. Mine has held at significant lean with a modest load, with no indication of wanting to shift or slide. Time will tell...

 

[yticolev]

Dave, wouldn't rare earth magnets epoxied in strategic locations work? Would these magnets interfere with electronic devices stored in the frunk? Magnets sounds easier than covering the inside with a sheet of metal. That is, as long as you get the polarity correct. Otherwise, your tank bag would levitate.
Mike

Magnets are a great idea! Another easy idea is thin straps on the tank bag that simply slip over the open frunk lid that hold tight when you close the lid on them. Make them elastic straps in the middle and you retain the headroom in the frunk for oversized items.

 

[Nortwestrider]

I bought some sheet metal after I bought the X.My plan was to take off the frunk lid liner and glue the sheet metal in there and put the liner back on.Then use my mag tank bag,but the liner was being a butt head and wouldn't come off easy so I just decided to use the my other bag.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bug Dr.]

Interesting timing on this thread. I have a magnetic attach bag I really like and have used on my steel tank bikes for several years. This weekend when I looked at the bags I've accumulated , this was the one I wanted on the NC. Found my jar of quarter sized washers, a roll of "Gorilla" brand duct tape, scissors and went about the mod. So far all is doing well. I doubled up on the front washers since the bag had double magnets there. The tape holds the washers, the magnets hold tight through the tape. Some may object to most Gorilla tape being black. Doesn't bother me. And I do believe it's available in traditional grey now which would probably blend well with the silver most of us have where the washers are placed. You only see the tape strips when you don't have the bag in place, and it's much easier on and off than messing w/ taut snap link connectors. Anyway, new to the forum and don't know how to post pic's. Make sure to clean/prep area where tape is going to go, and of course, there could be superficial damage to the finish over time. Since I plan on keeping my NC for quite a while,
I'm not concerned about how it affects the finish. It seems that all bags leave some signature of wear. I don't always use the tank bag, but when I do, I really do like the convenience of the magnetic on and off. Mine has held at significant lean with a modest load, with no indication of wanting to shift or slide. Time will tell...

Did you try the washers on the inside of the lid? I wonder if you could stack a few and then tape them to the under side of the lid?
Mike

 

[Mike Cash]

Has anyone who is strapping their bag around the lid ridden that way through enough rain to see if it causes leaks into the frunk or not?