how tight does the tailbag have to be

[grego]

HI ALL

ok round 4. purchased a tailbag. nelsonriggs cl-200. with it expanded it will hold my fussl face helmet which is what i wanted. i want to install it on the tail rack, which is why i bought the tail rack. naturally there are no instructions on how to install it. and looking at the web site this bag is a 2005 model and doesn't exist on the website and why i got it so cheap.
tried installing it with the bunge cords rapping them around the rungs of the tail rack. my question is how tight should the bag be to stay on the bike ??? it seem pretty firm, but it moves a little side to side. and front to back. the more i tighten the bunge the more the bag collapes.

does it have to be rock tight or is some movement acceptable. what i want to do is store my helmet when its parked all day.

thanks again

safe biking

grego

[mrlmd1]

What makes you think your helmet, if put into the tailbag, will be there when you come back if parked all day?
For security, get a small cable lock and put it through the face shield and lock it onto the bike. The helmet and cable can still be inside the bag if you want to keep the helmet out of the sun or the weather.

[grego]

thanks mrlmd1 for the reply

where i intend to park is a secure parking lot owned by the company only employees can park there during the day. and yes i intend to go to home depot and get some small coated wire, crimp loops on the ends and make it long enough so i can lock it to the bike. the bike will also be covered while its parked. there are plenty of places in the lot where the bike can go and be out of harms way and in site of the receptionist, so i feel comfortable with parking it. what i still haven't figured out is how secure is secure when putting the tail bag on the tail rack.

thanks for the advise

safe biking

grego

[Water Warrior 2]

That is a nice little bag. With it's built in bungees and straps it should be fairly secure on the bike but of course we don't have an actual pic of the rack itself. How big is the rack compared to the base of the bag ? Can you give us a couple pics just to fill in the blanks ?

[mrlmd1]

Instead of going to all the trouble of making a cable, you can buy one for the same price already with a combination lock on it, They have them at Home Depot or Walmart or many other stores- it's a standard item. They come 4, 5, 6 ft. long. If you want to leave your riding jacket on the bike, just loop the cable through the arm sleeves and also lock it to the bike, maybe stuff it in the bag too.

[grego]

HI ALL
i installed the tail bag this morning. the avatar isn't very sharp but you can see it.
its a nelsonriggs cl-200 touring tail bag expandable. did manage to get it on the tail rack. i had to put half hitches in all the bungee cords to get it tight. i also clipped it under the tail rack.
pros vs cons
pros
when expanded will hold my full face helmet.
has lots of expandable pockets both inside and outside
has a rain cover
cons
where its located its difficult to unzip the expansion section
the zipper pulls lay against the fender
its difficult to latch the flaps under the tail rack
will keep you posted with my final thoughts after i use it a little
safe biking
grego

http://s4.postimage.org/1jdpft25g/TAILBAG.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/1jdpft25g/)

[Water Warrior 2]

Looks good from here. Maybe give yourself some time as you said. You have to get used to using the bag and develop a feel for it.

[grego]

hi all a little update on the tail bag

still find it a pita to unzip the expansion so the helmet fits. if i leave it unzipped it flops around too much. am going to try some stiff cardboard and see if the unzipped bag will have some rigidity. i like the bag on the tail rack because i can get the old leg over without hitting it. will let you know how the cardboard works out.

safe riding

grego

[grego]

hi all
well i solved the problem of zipping and unzipping the extension on the tail bag for storing my helmet. i used 1/8 inch stiff card board material. cut it out for the deminsions of the extension. used duct tape on opposite corners to hold them in place. the other corners are a friction fit. the bag is solid and very little movement.

safe biking

grego

[bonehead]

That bag is almost as big as the bike.

[grego]

hi all

the bag isn't as high as it appears in the picture. the 4 bungee cords hold it good and tight and the flaps are snapped under the tail rack. the tail rack is big enough to hold the bag. in fact with everything tight there is about 1 1/2 inch space between the tail bag and the end of the rack

safe biking

grego

[Rookie Rider]

Nice looking bike ya got there.

[grego]

rookie rider

thanks. i love the bag...lots of pockets and everything fits helmet,light jacket and gloves..


safe biking

grego

[Water Warrior 2]

You will like the many features more everytime you use the bag. Lynda has Nelson-Rigg on her M-50 and the 3 bag combo is just great without breaking the bank.

[jonathan180iq]

Nothing better than adding luggage to a bike :)
Nice bag.