Viking Bags contacted me to give me the opportunity to put some of their bags to the test. So, I strapped them onto my Z900RS, and took ’em for a spin.
Let me start with this: saddlebags are a tough sell for me. I’ve been universally unimpressed by so-called “universal fit” saddlebags over the years. Not only unimpressed, but in most cases, disappointed. They’re usually more of a pain in the ass to mount than they should be, don’t fit well, don’t look good, are flimsy, and generally don’t hold much. It’s such a bummer, that I’ve pretty much given up on saddlebags. Currently, I only roll with Kriega tailbags and backpacks to satisfy my motorcycle luggage needs, and Kriega’s stuff is so good, that I feel spoiled using it.
On the one hand, I know that it’s not always the bags fault, and that my expectations are exceedingly high. On the other hand, I think that if you’re going to make a go at it, you should bring your best. Kriega does exactly that, and their gear consistently impresses.
So, how do the Viking Mini Street/Sportkbike Saddlebags stack up to my expectations?
Well, I’m going to gauge their merits across several self-determined categories: installation and fit, aesthetics, build quality/durability, and capacity.
Don’t think that just because I got the bags for free that I’m going to give them a pass and not apply a critical eye to them. If anything, I’m going to hold them to a higher standard. Viking, I respect y’all having the cojones to send your product out to be scrutinized.
Installation and fit
Installation of the Viking saddlebags is easy enough, at least on the surface. Throw them over the tail of your bike, attach the included straps to some rigid points (passenger peg brackets, rear subframe, or any cargo tie-down spots you might have), clip the side-release buckles on the straps to the bags, and tighten them down.
Seems super easy, but there were some snags. Despite my Z900RS having multiple built-in luggage tie-downs (posts below the mid-point of the rear seat and loops near the rear taillights), I couldn’t get a secure fit.
No amount of strap tightening and saying “that’s not going anywhere” worked; the bags remained loose. Once tightened down, there was an excessive amount of strap left flapping about. There’s no strap retention system built into things here, so you’re left just tying off straps willy-nilly.
I tried the alternate mounting suggestion (per the included instructions) of attaching the straps to each other and looping them under the tail of the bike to no avail. It wasn’t any more secure, so I just had to cut my losses.
The problem with loose bags
Loose bags when empty are an annoyance, but when loaded, that weight is going to shift and flop around when you lean the bike. It’s like having a rambunctious squirming puppy as a passenger. It can cause unpredictable handling at best, or even be dangerous as the bags shift and move around.
For actual riding to test the bags, I replaced the included mounting straps with the short ROK Straps I have, which gave a much more secure fit. It wasn’t perfect, but it was an improvement.
Quick release buckles
You can use the buckles to quickly remove the bags from the bike when you’re at your destination or don’t need the bags, which is great. However, there’s a downside; if you need to ride the bike with the bags removed, you’re left having to deal with the mounting straps that’ll just be flapping around now. Shorter mounting straps and/or a built-in strap retention system of some sort is really a must-have.
Details matter
I’d love to see a bit more attention to detail paid to Viking’s mounting system design. The fundamentals are there, but there are definitely some issues, especially if you’re like me and are a bit picky and want the installation to be super clean and tight.
On the Z400
I also mounted the bags on my wife’s Z400. Despite being the “mini” bags in Viking’s line, they’re a bit too big for the little Z. They didn’t mount well over the tail, hung a bit low and nearly made contact with the exhaust, and the front of the bags protruded above the rider seat quite a bit. Serviceable to an extent, but far from ideal.
Aesthetics and Appearance
The bags look good. They’re made of thick black polyester, heavy YKK zippers, and minimal branding. The shape is a sleek teardrop, with appealing contours and tapers. They’re not flashy, overly designed, or encumbered with an overabundance of material variations and accoutrements. They’ll look good on virtually any motorcycle, regardless of make or model. Big win, and the design teams at other luggage brands should definitely take notice here.
Build Quality and Durability
I haven’t owned them long enough or put in enough miles with them to say for certain how they’re going to hold up one, two, or even five or ten years down the road from now. That being said, there’s some clear indicators that these should last a fairly long time:
- Heavy woven polyester chassis
- YKK zippers across the board
- Thick plastic heat-resistant under panels
- Included rain covers
Based on my experience with materials like these, I’d expect the bags to last through 2-3 years of daily use before showing any significant wear or failure. You’re probably looking at 5+ years of more infrequent use, like a handful of long road trips a few times a year. They sport a one year warranty, so you should at least expect that much out of them, regardless of your particular use case scenario.
There’s also a set of rain covers included with the bags. I didn’t test them, but they’re straightforward black plastic covers that should provide a good degree of rain protection.
Capacity
Viking lists capacities of both 793 cu in and 805 cu in on their site, so there’s a bit of confusion there. Converted to metric those measurements are in the neighborhood of 13L, so we’re looking at about 6.5L per bag. Not sure if that’s the fully expanded capacity or not, but it at least gives a ballpark of where things land.
To test the capacity of the bags, I chose to load them up with the camera gear I normally pack in my Kriega US-20 bag when working. Since I normally travel and shoot on my bike, my standard kit is divided across several smaller cases for each piece of equipment. This makes it easier to fit into motorcycle luggage, and is modular, to easily add or remove components as needed. My essential kit includes my Olympus E-M5 camera, DJI Osmo gimbal, GoPro Hero 10, and GoPro Hero 5.
The bags did quite well with holding my standard kit. With them expanded, I was able to fit my essentials in them, with a bit of room to spare that would allow me to pack a few extra odds and ends.
The bags will do great for the daily commute; hauling your lunch and maybe a change of clothes so you’re not stuck wearing your riding gear at the office all day. They’re also ideal for a quick grocery run, or carrying those extra base layers, rain gear, spare jacket or hoodie (not an armored motorcycle jacket, though), shoes, and clothes on a road trip.
They also sport side pockets for small flat items. Good for things like sunglasses, keys, a wallet or passport, a pack of gum, a kickstand puck, small multi-tool, or (maybe) an extra pair of gloves (if you have small hands).
As the smallest saddlebags in Viking’s street line, the Mini Street Saddlebags sport solid capacity and functionality.
The Bottom Line
The Viking Mini Street Saddlebags are solid. They stack up well to other small street saddlebags from the likes of Nelson Rigg, Oxford, Sedici, Tour Master, and Fly Racing. If you’re looking at bags from those brands, I’d certainly recommend considering the Viking bags.
That being said, they won’t be replacing my trusty Kriega US-20. The problem is that using throw-over saddlebags covers the Kriega mounting loops, and if I’m forced to choose one over the other, I’m going to pick Kriega every time. A US-20 is more versatile, durable (10 year warranty), and spacious. It also offers better bang for the buck, at $9.45/L (20L for $189) compared to $13/L (13L for $169).
Final Rating
Buy the Viking Mini Expandable Black Street/Sportbike Saddlebags on the Viking Bags website.
