Tourmaster Cortech Sport Tail Bag Review
Although I love my Chrome Messenger Bag, I found that sometimes I just don’t want something on my back when I am riding my motorcycle, especially if I am carrying something heavy or something that needs to be transported horizontally (like food!). I looked around for an inexpensive but good quality solution and came across the Cortech Tailbag.
Lookin’ Good
One of the things you will notice about this tail bag is that it actually looks good on sportbikes. Most luggage looks pretty bad, it’s either too bulky, too cube-ish, or just plain ugly. The Cortech tailbag is tear drop shaped so it almost looks like an extra large rear seat cowl for your motorcycle, it just looks fantastic.
It clips on by 2 bungees that interlace through the bag itself, and on the bottom there is a grippy fabric that makes sure the bag doesn’t slide around on your seat. I’ve had this bag for a few months now and although the bungies have lost a little bit of their springiness since I use the bag nearly every day, they still hold it very securely to my motorcycle.
I hook the bungees on my passenger pegs and on the underside of my fender.
It’s Huge
The bag itself is actually deceptively roomy when you open it up. I can fit books, laptop, shoes, and an assortment of smaller items very easily inside the bag. If you have a LOT of stuff to carry though, the bag also expands sideways giving you nearly double the volume. I personally haven’t run across a situation where something hasn’t fit in this bag. I remember one time I was quite worried when I ordered 50 hot wings to-go from Hooters.
I honestly didn’t think the container would fit in the bag and I would have to sacrifice some of the wings to the asphalt god. In hindsight I probably should have taken the books out of my bag before going to get the food in the first place, but it all ended up fitting thankfully. The bag comes with a rain cover but that thing lives in my closet, even when it is raining. The stuff inside doesn’t get that wet even when it is POURING rain, but I suppose it is nice to have if you are transporting sugar or something else water soluble. The bag also has a variety of pockets on the inside flap, and two pockets on each of the side expansion slots.
My only complaint is that my pens always fall out of the pen holder pockets after I close the bag, but the side pockets are really useful to put things you should always carry with you like tools, emergency supplies etc…
Complaints
My only other complain with this bag is if you leave it on your bike it is easy for thieves to get in the bag, or steal the whole bag itself in under 10 seconds. This means if you plan on leaving your bike for more than 20 minutes, or if you have something valuable in the bag, that it is best to take it off the bike and carry it with you.
The people at Cortech were thoughtful enough to include a shoulder strap with the bag that clips on so you can carry the bag like a messenger bag. This is probably the best soft tail bag out there when you factor in looks, volume, and price. Plus if you need more room the bag can attach to some Cortech saddle bags and it becomes a 3 luggage system that will serve you well if you do some long distance touring.
Quick Note
One more quick thing, they give you a warning on the bag not to put more than 10 lbs in the bag at one time, but I can say I have safely traveled with 20-30 lbs of stuff in this bag with no problems. You just have to make sure your bungies are secured tightly, and you resist the urge to pull wheelies 😉
Pros
– Looks great – Really roomy by default, and can increase space by unzipping expansion slots. – Inexpensive compared to the quality received – Comes with shoulder strap
Cons
– Thieves could easily steal the bag if you leave it on your bike – No liner in the bag so I hope you don’t spill any Chinese food inside or it might be a pain to clean.
Specifications
1680 Denier Ballistic Nylon construction for durability – Soft tricot interior lining – Built in bungee cord hooks hide away when not in use – Quick release buckles for connecting to the Cortech Sport Saddlebags to make the complete luggage system – Easy access, top loading main compartment – Internal organizer – Scotchlite 3M reflective striping and logo – Comfortable rubberized carrying handle – Tour Master Jacquard shoulder strap included – Rain cover included – Available in Black, Red, and Blue.
[infobox]Where to Buy
BestBeginnerMotorcycles has worked closely with RevZilla over the years to provide our testers with products to review. In addition to being a great site to shop from, they’re also a great partner. Both Amazon and Revzilla have a big selection of parts and accessories.
Where to Buy: Buy on Amazon / Buy on Revzilla
