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Moto-Detail 20 litre tailpack – Bob Pickett needs a tailpack on a daily basis, and finds this suits all his needs

Moto-Detail 20 litre tailpack One of the main drawbacks of the motorcycle is the lack of cargo capacity. A tailpack is the solution. Strap it onto the pillion perch and your goods and chattels are secure, out of the way and aren’t going to smack into you if something does go wrong. One problem; a lot of tailpacks are secured by bungee – which isn’t always stable and can come undone.

The Moto-Detail tailpack is the answer. It is held onto the bike via clips, which are attached to straps that slide under the saddle. Fitting is a doddle. Just remove the saddle, slide the straps underneath, put the saddle back in place, clip the tailpack onto the straps and tighten. Well, we think this is the plan, as the instructions come in German (we tried to Babelfish some of the instructions; take it from me, don’t bother). There were also some spare/leftover clips. We have no idea if they are spares, some kind of extender or a way of clipping an additional tailpack in place. So we left them off as they didn’t seem to be needed.

In unexpanded 15 litre mode, the Moto-Detail gives much more than sufficient capacity for my day-to-day needs: disc-lock, 1.5 metre chain and padlock, Kindle, sandwiches and (when on a photo-shoot) camera in camera bag. The separate lid compartment is of real value here, as it means I can keep the Kindle separate from the rest of the kit. There is much more space in the lid compartment than you would think, as the lid is curved, allowing comfortable space for the Kindle, shoulder-strap (more on that later), and a map.

But expand out to the full 20 litre capacity (simply undo the zip around the midsection) and the Moto-Detail takes on a whole new life. Switched to full capacity, I packed a pair of trainers, pair of jeans, seven sets of underwear, socks and t-shirts and a microfleece towel. This was in the main compartment, so at a squeeze the disc-lock and maybe a map (or Kindle) could go in the lid compartment.

Moto-Detail 20 litre tailpack In daily use, i.e. a low number of heavy items, they can move about inside the tailpack. This does mean the Moto-Detail slides along the length of the saddle a little. Not annoyingly so but it will slip up to your backside, though lateral movement is non-existent (perhaps a strap through the carry handle and pillion bar could cure this). But pack it to the brim and the stability is impressive. Filling the 20 litres to full capacity, it doesn’t move an inch even at motorway speeds.

The Moto-Detail has kept off the rain in standard mode, but if the weather turns rough, it has an integral waterproof cover – just unzip the panel and slide it out and over the tailpack.

Off the bike, the Moto-Detail comes with a handle to make it easy to carry, plus a shoulder strap that simply clips onto the plastic loops provided. It is also the right size to use as a carry-on luggage for an aircraft – and to ensure the contents are secure, the zips can be locked as they have loops in place to allow a small luggage lock to slide through.

This is a well-designed tailpack. It is pleasingly stable, the underseat straps and clips mean I have 100% confidence that it will stay in place and it can be used for a range of jobs.

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