RapidTransit19TankBag
My Rapid Transit Recon 19 Tank Bag by Author (Toogoofy317) Mary.
I bought this bag at the Polaris Dealership on John Young Parkway near the loop and Osceola Parkway. This was in March 2008. The price was 70.99 plus tax. I’m sure one can probably be had for a little cheaper online but it is well worth the money.
My first impressions are: this is a good size bag the dimensions are 15.8”X 10.2”X 7.1” or according to the site 1144 cubic inches. The top of the pack has a clear map holder pocket that you can lift the top up and slide in either a map or what I normally do a post-it note with directions on it. It is a very practical piece for directions or if you want to look at pictures of the kids. Attached to the map holder panel is the “cell phone” holder. My old Nokia E62 would not fit in there but yesterday I tried my LG Vu and looked pretty good. The cell holder has a clear area so you can see it too. I personally use this pocket to hold my Ipod 30g video. I will go into why later on.
The next, area is the other flap that zips up so the map flap can sit on it. They are held together by a combo of Velcro and zippers. This area is the bottom flap and on top of it there are two little pockets for change. When I use tolls I put the exact amount in the top one and the spare change sits in the bottom pocket. Below this are two ports that hold the Mp3 player cord and the other is the port for the hydration bladder which will be explained in more detail. When you lift the back of this panel up it has a pouch to hold a MP3 player and you can run your earphone line through the port so there is no entanglement. Myself I put my phone in this slot and the Ipod in the top area because you cannot see the MP3 player and I think that is something I’d look at more than my phone. But, you may find it the other way around especially if your phone has GPS.
One of my favorite parts of this piece of equipment is the hydration bladder. Now, the bag did not come with the bladder but one can be had at Wal-Mart for $10. There is a special pouch that holds the bladder inside and keeps the water very cool and your stuff inside the bag dry. I like to fill the bag halfway and throw it in the freezer then I fill it the rest of the way with water and is cold all day with multiple refills. This works just as well in the middle of August in the Florida heat. I run the tube though the hydration port and on the outside of the bag it has two clips that will hold the tube quite securely but easy to pull off to have a nice cold drink of water at a stop light or whenever you choose! As I said earlier this is one of my favorite aspects being that I dehydrate easily.
On the back of the bag is a “sunglass” holder. This was about the only disappointment I could find in the bag. It is small as in will not even hold a pair of Oakley Half Jackets. I did find a similar use for it. The pocket is great for my Oakley sunglass maintenance kit which is a small bottle of cleaner, cloth, and eyeglass tool. It will also hold a pair of ear plugs and it’s case.
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On the outside of the bag there are two pockets you can put slim things in like an envelope, tire gauge, or like I do the straps for the bag. Now, the straps I was referring too are a great feature of the Recon 19. Both straps attach at one point on the bag which is the narrowest point of the bag and then clip on to either side of the bag. They also form a chest strap which holds it to your back very well. I use this feature on my walk from the parking lot to work and when shopping.
Inside the bag also has too pockets that hold quite a bit. Personally on one side I have my PSP and check book and on the other side hold my charging cables. One for the phone, the PSP, and the Ipod. Inside of the bag holds a lot too. On a typical day it holds my half jacket case and two sets of lenses, disc lock, a few papers, baseball hat, and rain liner. Even with that there is still a ton of room! Also, inside of the bag is a small clip that will hold a set of keys
The Recon 19 is held onto the bike by a lot of magnets that are very strong. It has two wings that come out on the side to hold to the tank. There is also a flap that comes out for extra sticking power. Then on the bottom of the pack itself is four more magnets to make it that much more stable. I’ve had my bike up to 90mph and it holds great. It holds so well in fact I laid it on a metal shelf once and had to use both hands to get it off.. Here are pics of it on the bike!
This unit also has a pull out rain cover which is attached to the pack so it does not fly off and it stows away in a very small pouch below the sunglass holder. I have used this in some of our torrential downpours in Florida and have yet to deal with wet electronics which is a very good thing.
I have now had this bag right at a year and it still looks the way it did when I bought it. This bag goes with me anytime I get on the bike so it has seen a lot of sun and it has not faded one bit! It also has reflective piping along the edges for just a little bit more visibility. Another plus is the zippers for the top of the pack they are dual and held together with a strip of very strong fabric. Even though it is a year after I bought this bag I can carry it by this fabric and it makes zipping up very quick and efficient.
All in all this is certainly a terrific product and one that will continue to give many more years of service. My favorite part is the hydration bladder but there are tons of other things that remind me I got the right bag at the right price. The only downside if you can call it that is that it doesn’t have a huge sunglass case. With all of the space I never even notice that part!
