Carbonado Modpac luggage series review

A modular luggage system for motorcycles is something that I’ve been planning to get for quite some time. The kind of usability that such bags offer is unparalleled and after hearing my colleagues sing praises of the Kriega US series bags, I desired to purchase one as well, but they cost a bomb. Enter the Carbonado Modpac series.

Ok, let’s just get straight down to it, shall we? The Carbonado Modpac’s design is heavily inspired by the Kriega US range of modular drybag luggage. In fact, heavily inspired is putting it as politely as possible, but the result is that these Kriega clones are significantly cheaper. After having tested other Carbonado products in the past, I was confident that the Modpacs should be well built. That should explain why I threw these bags at the proverbial deep end of the pool upon receiving them. A 10-day, near-3,000km round trip to Kerala on the TVS Apache RR310. But first, some details about the bags.

The set consists of waterproof, roll top bags in 5-, 10-, 20- and 30-litre capacities. Each bag can be attached to the other, in various capacity combinations, hence the name Modpac denoting the modular design of the system. 

All bags are made of what Carbonado calls 900D reverse fabric, which is said to be a waterproof material, plus there is a ‘Durable Water Repellent (DWR)’ coating on top. A removable and washable waterproof inner liner is present inside each bag as well. 

The mounting process is pretty simple. Each bag has two pairs of length-adjustable straps. One end of each strap is connected to the top of the bag by a plastic buckle, while the other end has a metal G-hook. 

If the bag is attached to the bike, the G-hook goes into the adjustable web loops (supplied with the bags) that have to be secured to the subframe. These web loops can also be modified to sit under the passenger seat if your bike doesn’t have an exposed subframe. 

In the case of the Apache RR310, the space under the small pillion seat is tight, but I managed to attach the loops to the subframe. 

With the G-hooks inside the four loops on each corner under the seat, all I had to do was pull the straps to securely fit a 20-litre bag. This bag acted as a base to which I attached two 10-litre bags on either side.

In all, the 40 litres of luggage attached to the RR310 carried clothes for a wedding, shoes, a chain maintenance kit and much more. While the bags were stuffed to the seams, there were no signs of loose threads or tears over the course of the trip.

On the move, the bags sat securely, with barely any movement over Maharashtra’s bumpy roads. Even sustained, high-speed rides did nothing to affect the mounting. However, one has to bear in mind that the straps must be tightened properly for a secure fit. 

I was impressed that the bags remained in place despite being seated on a tiny base all the time – the Apache’s seat. So, mounting them on adventure bikes or street bikes shouldn’t be a problem at all.

As for the waterproofing, I’ve only had the chance to test the bag under low to moderate rain, and thankfully, the contents inside the bag were dry.

So far, there has been almost nothing to fault with the Carbonado Modpac series. These bags are well-built and work as advertised. Whether they remain the same over the years is something only time will tell, but if you’re okay with the, err, inspired design, the price certainly makes them a tempting option.

Where: thecarbonado.com  and ahhelmets.in

Price:  Rs 1,790 to Rs 3,490