The Score
The Giant Loop Saddlebag combines two side bags and a tail bag into a single biomorphic shape, requiring no sub-frame modifications, racks or braces.
I love being able to carry stuff when I ride but I hate dealing with backpacks.
Saddlebags are the logical answer for
motorcycle luggage, but I’ve got a problem with those as well. On dirt bikes, these tend to be bulky, awkward and heavy – without even filling them. So when
Giant Loop offered one of its bags that look like a neck-donut I thought it might be a unique solution.
The Scoop
Installation:
I don’t know when exactly I stopped adhering to man code and started reading directions, but this wasn’t the time to do it. The installation manual says to drape the bags in the optimal position and then clamp it down. Follow that by marking the mount holes on the fender (two) and side panels (three each) with a pen, then remove the bags and start drilling.
No.
While a Beta 525 RS Dirt Bike wasn't exactly on their application list, with a little bit of time and energy the Great Loop saddlebags can be mounted to your bike.
Just stick to the code - eyeball the bag positioning, open the zippers and drill right through the ¼-inch brass eyelets and into the side panel. Start with the one easiest to reach and then move onto the others. For the ones that are impossible to reach, like the two on the fender, just stick a bolt through them and press hard to make small indentations on the plastic, remove the bags and hog them out. I tried to be legit and do like it says, but the clamps were a pain, and my pen marks weren’t even close. I eventually just lined them up by hand, it all went smoothly, and my side panels look like swiss cheese because I tried to play by the rules.
The included stainless steel heat shield required some modification with tin snips to make fit, but the pre-drilled holes lined up perfectly. Our Beta 525 RS has its air intake located just behind the rear seat bolts, so I also had to fab up a makeshift spacer to hold the GL off the back of the bike. Some old foam worked fine and I was able to find some longer bolts to accommodate the thicker dimensions and still mount to the rear fender.
The lack of tough waterproofing is a problem considering you can't easily remove the bag.
So, now that it’s on the bike… That’s where it’s going to stay! With eight bolts holding it in place, removing the Giant Loop to pack or unpack is not possible. I didn’t have any problems with the bag moving around even during aggressive riding over rough terrain. Several of my riding companions made comments on how secure it was after following me. It’s also a non-obtrusive design for the rider. It never snags the back of your leg like hard cases do and I could only tell it was even there when standing. If the top portion is full or if there are other things strapped to the Giant Loop then it will hit the rider’s butt when crouched on the pegs.
One of the downsides to the bolt-on design is that it can’t be removed in order to bring it out of the weather while your bike gets dumped on. The 1050 Cordura ballistic nylon is extremely rugged and is supposed to have a polyurethane coating to help shed water, but an overnight rain shower on the Oregon Coast left me with soggy clothes. Considering that the GL isn’t removable and soaks up water, I will definitely spray it down with some Scotchguard or other waterproofing product. Also, depending on your bike and bag placement, it can impede access to the airbox.
Storage capacity is very good with 30 liters available inside. I was able to pack easily for a three-day trip, and with some more trial-and-error on packing techniques, I’ll find even more room. Giant Loop offers some great packing tips on their website. Keeping heavy items like tools down low in the bag is one of the strong points of the entire design because it has less effect on bike handling.
Giant Loop has made a simple but solid bag, but with a few simple modifications it could be an everyday use product.
Right away there were a couple things that I knew would cause problems and they centered around accessing the interior. The zippers are too small. Not the zippers themselves, the 10-guage YKK are gnarly and I don’t ever expect to burst one, but the length only offers openings large enough for a single size-11 basketball shoe. With one opening on each side, it can be hard to pack the upper portion of the bag, and it’s compounded by the placement at the bottom of each leg. That’s where you want to pack first and then work your way up, so it’s counterintuitive, and counterproductive.
This could be fixed easily if they were just replaced with one long version that runs all the way across the top of the bag and uses a two-way separator zipper. Giant Loop already does this with its
Great Basin Saddlebag, which is geared towards passenger-capable dual-sports and adventure-touring bikes. Looking at the Great Basin, that bag has a much better load and unload potential. Also, while the GL designers are at it, they should include at least one small pocket on the exterior – one large enough for some small, but frequently accessed items like keys, wallet, glasses, etc.
The Sentence
I really like the concept of this Giant Loop Saddlebag, but the piece of luggage is far from perfect. I beat them up with hard use, but they never got beat up by the trail because of extra-secure mounting and a good physical profile. These are definitely the strong points along with terrific storage capacity and adaptability courtesy of the quick-cinch nylon straps that hold everything tight. If GL can fine tune this bag just a bit, it will be hard to beat - waterproof the material, extend the zippers and add an additional small pouch on each side. That would be enough to make it an everyday use.
