I’ve had around a dozen tankbags over the years, of all kinds. Small ones, that can only handle a cellphone and wallet. Big ones, that can handle all the clothes needed for a weekend. But all these tankbags had a problem: They could scratch your tank. When I bought a Suzuki Bandit 1200S a few months back, I decided I wanted to try going with a quick-release tankbag that mounted to the top of the gas tank without contacting it. And because I’m a cheapskate (remember, I was putting this on a motorcycle built in 2003!), I decided to go with the affordable GIVI Tanklock 5L Tankbag. I paid around $110 CAD for the tankbag, plus about $25 for a mounting ring. Currently, in 2024, FortNine is selling this tankbag for $85.99.
I ordered a Suzuki-pattern tank locking mechanism, with pre-drilled holes that let you bolt this mounting ring on top of the fuel fill hole. However, not all the holes matched up. I could have possibly used the tankbag with only three screws attaching the mounting ring to the gas tank, but decided to adapt the mounting ring (GIVI calls it a “flange”) with careful use of a file. A few minutes later, and I had an almost-as-good-as-factory fit.
From there, installing the tankbag was easy. Twist-and-click it into place, and it’s solidly atop the gas cap. When it’s time to fuel up, press the red release button and twist away. When you’re done gassing your bike, twist-and-click it back into place. Easy peasy.
This tankbag is low on features, aside from that. The 5-litre capacity isn’t very big, and there’s only a single big pocket here, no extra stash compartments built into the lid and sides. It isn’t even waterproof (there’s a slip-on cover included, which an elastic keeps in place). The closure to the main compartment comes via a plain zipper, not some tricky magnetic or waterproof arrangement. It’s very Keep-It-Simple-Stupid design.
But it works, for that reason. Because there are no internal dividers or other features that chew up space inside, you can use all of those five liters of storage. That’s actually quite a decent bit of volume, more than enough to swallow sunglasses, a mini toolkit, a wallet, your cellphone, maybe even a small camera. And this bag isn’t in the way, because it’s so small. Even when you’re standing on the footpegs, you don’t notice it.
If there was anything I’d change, I’d like to see some MOLLE-style webbing on top, to make it more easy to attach other accessories like a phone mount. Otherwise, I feel my money was well-spent (even though I actually spent more than the current pricing). The only question I have is about longevity; I think careful cleaning and lubrication of the zipper will help in this case. Take care of this gear, and it should provide sturdy service for years.
