Used: Givi WP401 80-litre waterproof roll-bag review
If it won’t fit in this, you don’t need it
HONDA’S Goldwing has a luggage capacity of about 150 litres. My SV650 has 153, with this 80-litre roll-bag bag added to my top box and tank bag.
It’s seriously capacious – big enough to accommodate my two-piece leathers, an adventure suit, off-road and on-road boots and a helmet for the recent Husqvarna 701 launch.
It’s really convenient if you’ve got a lot of luggage to take on a flight and you want to ride to the airport. It's got carry handles and a detachable shoulder strap.
Because it’s soft all over, with no hard frame or feet, there’s less potential for it to leave marks anywhere on your bike. It’s easy to fit - just put an anti-slip matt on your pillion seat, sling the bag on and bungee it in place.
Alternatively, you could put it on a rack and have more luggage space for you and a pillion than provided by any top box.
Because it’s totally waterproof, you can carry a laptop or phone in it, plus you know you’ll arrive at your destination with dry clothes to change into, even if the ones you’re wearing get wet.
You could probably use it to pack for a round-the-world trip.
I’ve used it on several launches this year and have only the following very minor negative observations:
- Because there are no internal compartments, finding things requires rummaging.
- Because it’s a roll-bag, you have to squeeze air out of it before closing. Otherwise it won’t be as compact as it could be.
- That faff has to be repeated whenever you realise you’ve left something out of the bag (or in it), which seems to be every time you close it.
- It’s got a stated maximum load of 7kg. At that rate, to use its full 80-ltre capacity, you can only fill it with stuff weighing up to 87.5g per litre. I’ve ignored it.
Nitpicking aside, it's a very useful waterproof bag at a not unreasonable price. The recommended retail price is £69.55 plus VAT, so £83.46, but a quick Google search turns up retailers offering it at about £65.
Product tested: Givi WP401 80-litre soft bag
Price: £83.46
