New.. any luggage advice?
 

I just bought a new 09 Ninja 500R, and am quite new to riding. Did the local government safety course before getting on the street, and now the bug is totally set in..

I'm planning on using the bike to commute a fair bit, and want to figure out a way to carry a few things between home and work -- pesky things like dress shoes, and a suit jacket.

Does anyone have any suggestion on types of luggage to use? My main concern is getting enough size, without making the ride either uncomfortable or unstable. Being a newer rider, obviously I don't want to have anything that's going to catch some air and put me off balance at all.

Thanks!

welcome to KF

Welcome to KF!
I have never packed up a 500, but people use them for tourers all the time, you should be able to find some nice luggage for it. you can get saddlebags, a tank bag, and a trunk that will fit on it, you should have no problems with the weight/wind issue with any of them as long as your not hauling bricks around. Good luck, and get some pics up!

I have a '08 500r. I'm also a new rider. There wasn't much available for hard saddlebags (my preference for all the reasons you mentioned). After much though I got a tail rack and a 46 liter hard case. I also purchased a mini tank bag for short trips & a soft tail case. I may get the nylon saddle bags that coordinated with my soft tailcase if I plan on touring. I'm a massage therapist & wanted to be able to carry 2 or 3 sets of sheets on the bike to& from the office. The sheets fit into the hard case great! But there is a noticable difference in the way the bike handles. I only rode it once so far loaded (I just installed everything this past weekend). The hard case is cool 'cause I can lock up my helmet in there if I'm going to the tea room for a snack.

Soft bags....>>>>>> LINK

;)

The saddlebags hold a lot of stuff at a low CG, they dont have to be hardbags, the softies do just fine. Let us know what you decide on, still waiting for those pics.... :p

Where is CCC when you need him. lol He was sporting some bags on his 500. Check out the 500 thread

Welcome to KF

ha, havn't seen him in a year or more, kinda miss the cutting sarcasm and self righteous preaching. Man, where did he go? :(

A top box is good for light use - it'll take a fair bit of weight, but it does affect the handling as it's hanging off the tail of the bike, so heavy stuff only for short trips. It's reasonably secure and totally waterproof and if you get a Givi it can be removed in seconds leaving the rack on the bike. You can also install an extra high level brake light which is good in city traffic.

I use mine to park my riding gear when I get off the bike, and it's fine for carrying some office friendly bits of clothing like shoes. Use one as the basis of your luggage system. It's all I use for my normal commute. I don't like jackets getting creased in a top box, so I wear mine underneath my riding jacket - easy if your riding jacket is a textile one with armour and a winter liner. Take out the winter liner and there's plenty of room.

Heavy stuff is best carried in a tank bag. Expandable ones are best, with map pockets on top. Fully expanded they feel awkward until you get used to them. Once you do they're great. Unexpanded they're great anyway.

I don't personally like to use hard sidecases. They're expensive and inconvenient. Buy a pair of soft or semi soft (hard leather) ones that just throw over the seat and they're good for carrying lots of soft stuff.

The top box will take a laptop in its bag for short trips without any problems. For longer journeys I prefer the weight out of the box, so the laptop bag bungees to the pillion seat, standing upright against the front of the box.

I use my bike a lot for business trips and most of the time the top box and unexpanded tank bag are all that I need. One 'off the wall' idea, which I use a lot, is a large scooter tunnel bag. With it's own elasticated fixing straps it just sits on the pillion seat, holds vast amounts, and (like any soft luggage) is totally waterproof when its rain cover is used. It's better than sidecases because it doesn't make the bike bulky.

Rob