Looking for recommendations for bags that fit the GS well.  Don't need a ton of space; just enough to carry wallet, keys, lock etc.  

Thanks, Thad

Just about any Magnetic tank bag will fit the GS. Narrow, smaller ones seem to work best for obvious reasons.

I got a Nelson-Rigg tailbag at New Enough and its perfect for exactly what you describe.  Big enough to carry a small amount of stuff to and from work, plenty of room for keys, cell, wallet, etc.

Personally I like the tailbag as opposed to the tankbag because I'd rather not have that bulk in front of me, but that's obviously a personal choice...

If you're interested:
http://www.newenough.com/nelson_rigg_tail_pack_page.htm

i've got the Icon Urban Tank Bag. It's nice. It's got a map pocket on the front. very cool.

I have it all :mrgreen: , a tank bag, a tail pack, and saddle bags, and I have to say that 90% of the time I only use the tankbag. It's magnetic (easy on/off, but carry your wallet elsewhere), it's expandable (got milk?)   , and it gives me piece of mind (I can see it's still there).  
MHO
-Denis S.

I just bought the Joe Rocket Blaster tank bag and it fits like a glove.

I recommend Oxford.  It's a little more expensive than Joe Rocket, but more duralble IMHO.

I would also recomend to get the largest one you can, only cause you will always want to try to cram more crap into it.

Me and my Tour Master 12-liter magnetic tank bag have done most of my 30,000 miles together.  I have put a 6-qt case of oil in there with a little room to spare on the sides.  But I rarely use it in the expanded mode - especially not on long trips.  (? ?)

But it sounds like you're looking for something even smaller.  Tour Master also makes an 8-liter Cortech Mini Magnetic Tank Bag.  I wondered why it cost just as much as the larger one, but then I realized that the Cortech material is more durable, etc.  If it only holds 8 liters in the expanded mode, then the regular configuration might hold just the right amount for you.

But I hope you can find it cheaper somewhere!

Thanks you everyone for the suggestions.  This is very helpful. Thad

magnet bags are bad for flash cards, cameras and ipods :x  otherwise i would have one......strap tank bags just arent as  cool

Damn...I've never had a tank bag before (and my hunny's shop doesn't stock them), so my digital camera (smartmedia) can't be put in a tank bag that has magnets?

I've been transporting MY digital camera in the magnetic tank bag lately, after imagining how it would feel to land on the camera (in my inside jacket pocket) in a "get off".

Unless I'm badly mistaken, flash memory cards are solid state devices rather than magnetic.  Credit card info strips, on the other hand....  I don't know about iPods - do they really contain whirring magnetic discs, or are they solid state as well?

Very happy with my Oxford magnetic tank bag. There have been some exchanges before about the effect of magnets on credit cards etc, a lot of it seems to be "Urban myths" with only a very few actual examples. I carry my plastic in a zipped pocket in the jacket so have no actual experience.

Do the tank bags damage the paint after a while?  I've never owned one just yet, but for saddle bags on other bikes I've read you should put something between them and the paint, particularly on bikes where the bags will be up against plastic.  I'm wondering if that's good advice for the tank bags as well, though I guess they're atop metal on the GS.  --Mike D.

Quote from: geekonabikeDo the tank bags damage the paint after a while?

Sure, after a while.  I suppose it depends on the fabric/material used on the underside of the bag, plus how clean the bag and tank are, plus how careful you are about lifting the magnets straight up versus sliding the bag off the tank.

If I look at my yellow tank in the sunlight I can see an extensive criss-cross pattern of VERY fine scratches.  I would be surprised if they penetrate any deeper than the clearcoat though.  (Could probably be buffed out ... if I cared enough.) And don't forget - I've been using that bag almost every weekday for 3 years now.  Lately I have stopped parking in the shed at home, so the bag has been fitted and removed twice a day.

I guess at some point you have to decide where to draw your own line between utility/convenience and style/beauty.  For me the latter is nice, but not at the expense of the former.

Quote from: KerryUnless I'm badly mistaken, flash memory cards are solid state devices rather than magnetic.  Credit card info strips, on the other hand....  I don't know about iPods - do they really contain whirring magnetic discs, or are they solid state as well?

Yep, flash cards hold their info as electric charges, not susceptible to memory loss through magnetic fields.

As for the iPods: The standads iPod contains a hard drive. The iPod mini is flash memory. You have to subject a hard drive to a very strong magnetic field to cause memory loss. (As the source can't get too close to the platters.) Credit cards are a different ballgame altogether. They are finniky as hell anyway.

Kerry,

As always, thanks for the reply.  Now I know why I don't see protective materials, like rubber pads, etc., with, or discussed with, tank bags.  Good to know, because it sounds like  a real pain in the neck.

Now what are we doing up so late?

--Mike D.

Quote from: geekonabikeNow what are we doing up so late?

We?  Are you STILL up?  :mrgreen:

I'm doing the same-old, same-old.  Pontificating on fuel starvation issues, cleaning out my PMs, balancing my checkbook (Oops! I haven't gotten to that yet... )

PS - To compare apples to apples (Tour Master to Tour Master) my soft saddlebags DO have a ~3/16" layer of foam rubber-ish material between them and the side plastics on the bike.  Interesting observation....