Motorcycle saddlebags

Motorcycle saddlebags, or soft panniers, sit either side of the rear wheel, held by the seat or by a side frame, and are the lightest way to carry luggage without fitting hard cases. Here you will find soft, hard-shell and lockable rigid saddlebags from SW-MOTECH, Customacces, Givi and SHAD, from 10-litre-per-side sets up to 35-litre touring bags. To get it right, think about the style of your bike, whether you want a fixed frame and how many litres you need.

Which saddlebag suits which bike

Custom and bobber

Customacces makes soft saddlebags in leather, hide or waxed fabric, such as the Detroit, Vintage or Sant Louis, and lockable rigid ones such as the American, Silver or Voyager, of up to 33 litres; they are all under Customacces saddlebags. SW-MOTECH rounds things off with its LH1 and LH2 for the Harley-Davidson Sportster S and Fat Bob, and Legend Gear kits for the Rebel 500 and Rebel 1100.

Neo-retro and classic nakeds

For an R nineT, R 12, Speed Twin 900, Z650RS, Scrambler, CL500 or Interceptor 650, the SW-MOTECH kits pair classic-style Legend Gear bags, or waterproof WP ones, with a V-LOC frame made for each bike. The 10-litre SHAD SR38 Cafe Racer is the most discreet option.

Sporty nakeds and sports bikes

SW-MOTECH's 20-litre PRO BLAZE H comes in versions for the Trident 660 and 800, Speed Triple 1200 or RS 660. The SHAD E48SR, with its hard shell, keeps its shape even half empty.

Adventure and touring

For serious loads, waterproof bags of around 25 to 35 litres: the Terra TR30 and TR40 among the SHAD saddlebags; Givi's Canyon bags, which hook onto its Monokey or Cam-Side racks or, in the case of the GRT709B, fit without them, alongside the rest of the Givi saddlebags; and SW-MOTECH's SysBag WP, with adapters for the KLE500, CFMOTO 800MT-X and 1000MT-X or MV Agusta Enduro Veloce.

Universal or frame-mounted

Universal saddlebags, such as Givi's EASY10 and EASY11, the Stealth EASY12, SW-MOTECH's LC1, LC2 and LS2 or most of the soft Customacces bags, strap over the seat and go on and off in moments; they are the way to go if your bike is not covered by any kit. On the other hand, they move about more when loaded and you need to keep an eye on the gap to the wheel and the silencer. Those that rest on a side frame stay firm and clear of both: some come with it in the same kit, like SW-MOTECH's V-LOC sets, while others need it separately, such as SHAD's SR and SE frames, Givi's Monokey and Cam-Side racks or the SL, SN, SV and KF mounts for Customacces rigid bags.

Reading the capacity

• "25+25 L" or "16/11 L": the capacity of each side. When they differ, the smaller bag usually goes on the exhaust side.
• "27-35 L each" or "23/29 L": expanding saddlebags that gain volume when you open a zip.
• A single figure, such as "20 L" or "1x 25.5 L", may refer to one bag only: check on the product page whether the set includes two.

Saddlebags or side cases?

Saddlebags weigh less, add little width and suit a custom or retro better; rigid side cases win on capacity, locking and resistance to rain and knocks. To complete your luggage with tank or seat bags, head back to motorcycle backpacks and bags.