Kriega Urban Messenger Bag
- Paul
- Jul 17
- 4 min read
As I get more ‘experienced’ with this motorcycling shenanigans the more I find that I develop a certain comfort with some of my kit. This then leads to it becoming indispensable. One of these indispensable pieces is my Kriega Urban Messenger Bag.
In terms of size, they’re a little bit smaller than a traditional courier bag and can carry a laptop, charging cables, a pair of jeans, a pair of trainers and the rest of a basic overnight kit. All in all, it has 16 litres of capacity.
It completely negates the need for a topbox and has a side pocket with a waterproof YKK zip and inside the outer ‘flap’ there’s a see through document pocket that’s big enough to hold a small stack of A4 pages.
There’s a number of different ways to set the strap. I prefer to use the bottom right and the top left anchor points. This allows me to carry it close to my back where it feels ‘weightless’. There’s an anchor point on each corner of the bag so it can be set up whatever way I need it to be. One of the things this does is allow me to do is to pivot the bag around my torso and wear it on my chest. This, in turn, allows me to adjust the weight as well as free up my back to carry an additional bag if absolutely necessary.
The strap has a clever little feature in the adjustor. It can be pulled loose or tight via a glove friendly tag. This allows me to take it off or put it on over my head, even when I’m wearing a helmet. It’s also very handy for getting in and out of the bag without having to take it off. A removable waist strap is included. This can be used to keep the bag from moving at high speeds. I’ve taken mine off and put it away for safe keeping. Very safe keeping. So safe, in fact, that I don’t know where it is…
There’s a highly effective fabric on the back of it that helps it ‘hold on to’ the fabric of my jacket and prevents it from moving around. There’s even a little fabric handle for carrying it with.
It’s closing and opening system is so simple that it has continued to remain unbreakable. And where I’m concerned that’s no small achievement! The body of the bag is closed via a really simple roll top. Either end of the roll can then be drawn and clipped together via a pair of quick release buckles. The flap, which has an abrasion proofed outer, simply drapes over the roll top and is fastened with the same type of buckles.
The body is made of 1000D Cordura. This is the same type of fabric used in all-weather motorcycle suits and wears incredibly well. Both the pocket zips are YKK pieces and the whole thing is waterproof. There’s an inner lining that can be taken out for cleaning.
I’ve been using this as my ‘go to’ luggage for over a decade.
Then there a series of profoundly unfortunate events occurred in rapid succession.
Facing a long journey on my trusty T7 I made the decision to fasten the bag to the pillion seat. This was error number one. I then opted to use a bungee net from a well-known distributor /manufacturer who are very well known for their ‘keen pricing’. This was error number two. Then for some bizarre reason I allowed a third party to tie it to the bike for me. An unforgivable error number three.
Around 200 kilometres later I could feel something unpleasant happening to the bikes rear wheel, so I pulled over to investigate.
You can imagine my displeasure when I found it hanging from one side of the bike by the remains of the bungee cord with the body of the bag having been worn through by the rear wheel. While nothing fell out of it, the bag was destroyed as were a pair of new trainers. My laptop was, miraculously, undamaged.
I had the bag for over a decade and used it a lot more than I didn’t when out on a bike. It never leaked, it never broke a zip, the strap never failed, and it always fitted perfectly. And now, through my own incompetence I’d destroyed it.
So you can imagine my joy when I was gifted a new one earlier this week. Rather interestingly the one from 10 years ago and the one from today are exactly the same. It’s so good that it hasn’t been revised since.
At €189 the thing cost me less than twenty euro a year. If I didn’t wreck it, I’m quite sure that it would have easily done the same again. It’s available from brilliant motorcycle shops all across Europe. And remember kids, always pack your own parachute.
