Joe Rocket Manta XL tank bag review

[cmSAE]

Just got my tank bag the other day, bc in the near future im going to be doing trips where im going to need to take some stuff. after reading other posts, i opted for a tank bag over a tail bag bc if necessary, i can always bungee a duffel bag to the tail.

Size- although it says its an XL, its more like a medium. theres a pocket for a cell phone, cd player (needs to be changed, who still uses a cd player?), and a raincover. the main portion of the bag is big enough to hold a day or two of rolled up clothes. or 5/6 water bottles. not very big, but plenty for a days worth of riding.

Attachment- this bag uses magnets to secure itself to the bike. they are very strong and held fine at 70mph. the only thing i dont like about the magnets is you have to be very careful about keeping them debris free. if you have a piece of metal attached to the magnet and place/slide it onto your tank, its gonna scratch the hell out of it.

durability- dont know yet. only had it for one day. ill update this later

miscellaneous- i like this tank bag bc when it is full and can retain its shape, i like to tuck and rest on it. i can rest my helmet on the bag and not have to strain my neck/back. and with my ST windscreen, it puts me in just the right spot to be comfortable and be out of the wind completely.

[gfloyd2002]

FWIW, I have the Joe Rocket bag and it ruined the paint on my bike. The magnetic flaps caused major scratches -- the pads beneath the magnets don't do a good job at protecting the paint even when they are kept meticulously clean. At first, it was fine, but over time (after it was too late to return it) with some wear it totally scratched up my paint. I'd never buy this product again and strongly encourage you to be very careful and/or return it before it is too late. At the very least put some aftermarket plastic tank guards under where the magnetic flaps go. As you might have guessed I'm pretty unhappy that Joe Rocket would put out a product that ruins your tank.

No such problems with my Rapid Transit Recon bag I bought to replace the Joe Rocket POS. The Rapid Transit is working like a champ, no further scratching, because of superior padding under the magnets.

[thisisbenji]

Kind of off topic here but what windscreen do you have?

[etiainen]

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showp...5&postcount=82

Got this bag. Seems pretty good for now, will update with info as I use it for everyday commuting duty. I don't think it'll scratch the paint tho.

My macbook air 11'' also fits in perfectly

[gfloyd2002]

Originally Posted by trixter

Wouldnt some of that clear plastic sheeting stuff work well for the tank to protect it from those scratches?

Yup. That would have done the trick. Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

[cmSAE]

benji, i just got the Zero Gravity Sport Touring windscreen today. thats the one that is in the pics

also, floyd, ive read a couple posts about that happening. ive been very careful when taking on/off and ive even read a couple ways to prevent that. but ill def keep what you said in mind. i do plan on finding some way to protect it even more. but i dont plan on using this bag a whole lot, so the here and there use should be fine....im hoping

[EMSRacer07]

i love my xl manta bag especially on long trips i like to lay on it but yes it has messed up my paint on my tank o well.

[Cazper]

I've had my Joe Rocket Manta XL tank bag for almost 2 years now and have never had any issues with it messing with my paint. I use it daily and take it off when I get to work and put it back on when I go home. I do wish the bag itself was slightly bigger... but I knew that going in. Also it has held up to everyday use very well... no issues what so ever.

Sorry for the others that have had issues... but I would buy it again