An All-Weather Moto Bag For All Bikes, Rides And Conditions

Our annual fall road trip was looming, and we were excited for the chance to attack the undulating curvy tarmac of the Southern Appalachians. To top it off, we were flying Ted in from his home in Washington State to share the adventure with us, a prospect all of us were looking forward to. Phil at the time still owned his Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, so we put Ted on that, yet had the dilemma of finding adequate motorcycle luggage that he could use with the bike for our week in the mountains.

REAX Poseidon Dry Duffle Bag, in 40L size. Photo by Cycle Gear.

Cycle Gear to the rescue. I visited our local store and chatted with Brent their manager, telling him what Ted needed. He fixed us up with a REAX Poseidon Dry Duffle Bag, the 40L size, and took me through its features in-store. I was impressed with the bag’s capacity, strapping versatility, and weather-proof design, having never used a “dry bag” myself before. We took the bag home and set it up on the Fat Boy for Ted, and found it an easy, sturdy mount on the rear fender of the solo seat bike.

The Harley Fat Boy outfitted with the REAX bag. Ted was ready to roll.

We encountered virtually no rain the entire trip in north Georgia, east Tennessee and North Carolina, save some light sprinkling on our final day while rolling back home. The bag stayed rock-solid in place, yet was easy to remove, reload and refasten to the Harley as needed. Made of 500D PVC tarpaulin with thermo-welded seams, the bag is impervious to rain, snow, sleet and hail. Ted liked how the bag utilized a roll-top design to further ensure moisture stayed out, similar to other snow and mountaineering gear he was familiar with using up the Cascades of the Pacific Northwest where he calls home. If the REAX bag meets with this first-responder and hard-core rider’s approval (Ted can be brutal on gear), it’s definitely a well-built, tough bag.

Good kit for the open road. Photo by Cycle Gear.

The REAX Poseidon series all employ a removable internal polyurethane support structure to retain shape even when the bag is empty, which is very convenient, but since the support can be removed, the bag will easily collapse down if you need it to. Nice feature. The YKK zippers also weather seal the contents, while multiple D-rings and attachment points make for a multitude of tethering and strapping options, even cinching other bags and luggage to it. The bag system uses latitudinal and longitudinal compression straps for added securing, including an additional pair of REAX G-buckle load straps, a removable shoulder strap, and a set of four mounting straps.

It’s a well-kitted out luggage system.

Ted rides hard, as in wielding that cruiser like a sport bike, and the bag never flinched, never shifted while on the back of the Fat Boy. Believe me, he tried, however unintentionally. With a top-loading opening of 24”L x 13”W x 10”H, there’s ample room to stuff your gear in, which Ted certainly did. I wish I’d snapped a pic of what he jammed in there, as I was certain he’d never get it closed. He proved me wrong, once again.

Stack ’em, baby. Photo by Cycle Gear.

In all, the REAX Poseidon Duffle Dry Bag proved to be an impressive, versatile, weather-proof luggage system for the toughest rides and riders. Ted gave it a “two-thumbs up”, so we do as well.