Review of Via Terra Rapide Saddle bags

Review of Via Terra Rapide Saddle bags

I had recently been on a winter tour which I named as "Royal Rajasthan Ride" on my Apache RTR. I completed the solo biking tour of the state of Rajasthan in 50 days ex- Bangalore and covered a distance of around 8000 Kms.

Around July. last year I had approached the Via Terra guys for sponsorship of biking gear for my "Chasing the Monsoon" ride in Chhattisgarh. But by the time they  contacted me and agreed to sponsor my ride I was already half-way through my Chhattisgarh trip.

Hence I made sure I informed the Via Terra guys well in advance about my itinerary for the Rajasthan Ride. They shipped the gear promptly to Bangalore which included the Rapide Saddlebags, Non-magnetic DSLR tank bag and a prototype Tail bag.

This article will restrict itself to the unbiased review of the Rapide saddle bags.

First impressions:

At first glance, what strikes one the most about the saddle gear is its stylish looks and the compactness. My Rapide bags were designed specially for upswept exhausts and the design was unobtrusively done. One also notices that very good quality of materials has been used in the production of this gear. The size of the reflector stripes are adequate and adds to the overall appeal of the saddlebags.

Capacity and usage:

For a such a compact looking saddle bag the Rapide can accommodate surprising amount of personal belongings. The additional side pockets are ideal to stuff in items which you might need on the go as well as gadget accessories like cables, chargers, powerbanks etc. I also could pack my portable pump and first-aid kit in the side pockets.

The main compartments were used to pack in my jeans, T-shirts, inner wear and toiletries. I always use packing bags to reduce the volume of my luggage. I also roll my clothes instead of folding them and pack them in these bags which further decreases the over-all volume of the luggage. Using this tried and tested method I was able to stuff the Rapide bags with enough clothes for my one - and -a - half month long tour.

The side mesh-pockets of the Rapide are sufficiently spacious to carry a 1 ltr water bottles and assorted stuff like- when you are not wearing them - balaclava, gloves and scarf. I was also able to find additional space to stuff a toilet roll ( an essential item for a roadie) - in the mesh pocket.

 ( Note : The reason Via Terra guys sent me the tail- bag in addition to the Rapide bags is because I was riding to Rajasthan in the winter season and I will have additional winter gear to carry like a sleeping bag, sweaters etc, The tail - bag review will be posted later.)

All in all, I found the Rapide bags are ideal for a tour like mine.

The mounting

It  is super easy to mount the saddle bags onto your bike firmly and securely.

the Velcro straps are adequately strong to hold together the saddlebags and hitching them can be done in jiffy. There are security straps with D - rings at the bottom of the saddlebags which when tied onto the frame of the bike helps in keeping the gear firmly in place.

There is also a strap on top the bag which can be used to wrap around the rear hand- grip of the bike in order to prevent the bags from sliding forward while decelerating of breaking.

I should add that many a hotel guys and bystanders were highly impressed by the ease with which I could mount and unmount my gear.

My experience and suggestions:

It was a long tour and one can expect little things to go wrong and indeed they did.

Remember I was riding around in near-to-freezing temperatures in Rajasthan. Additionally the wind -chill factor while riding makes it feel like sub-zero temperature. Metals are known to get brittle in cold temperatures and I found it to be true when one of the metal pullers of the saddlebag cracked up.

Also one of the straps stitched at the back and which takes most of the weight of the saddle bag started tearing. Fortunately I was in Udaipur at that time and  got it fixed at a local bags store. Suggest the guys at Via Terra look into this issue.

While the bags are easily separated I they have only one single handle each and tends to lean to one side while carrying. An additional handle on each will make it easier to be carried around. Alternately each bag could be fitted with a shoulder strap. I say this because I had to carry an extra shoulder bag for local shopping.

On this tour I did not find the occasion to use the rain - covers provided for the saddlebags hence cannot comment on their usage.

 I would conclude by saying that the Rapide range of saddle bags are an ideal companion for a biker for its quality, compactness and stylish looks.

I also would like to add that the folks at Via Terra are extremely customer friendly and are encouraging a lot of adventurers to hit the road by sponsoring their gear. Kudos to them!