Motorcycle tailbag – Grab vs. Uni vs. Claw

Motorcycle tailbag – Grab vs. Uni vs. Claw

Comparison, review and verdict on the three most popular motorcycle tail-bags in India for the year 2018 – Rynox Grab versus Dirtsack Uni versus Viaterra Claw.

A quick comparison of the Rynox Grab, Dirtsack Tailpack UNI and Viaterra Claw. These three have been chosen for comparison as they fit in similarity within the parameters of form, function and price.


Rynox Grab
  • Fabric: 900×900 D
  • Waterproof liner: Yes
  • Top pocket (in): Yes
  • Top pocket (out): No
  • Front zip pocket: Yes
  • Rear zip pocket: No
  • Side pockets (out): Yes
  • Anti-skid base: Yes
  • Molle straps: Yes
  • Shoulder strap: No
  • Side Grab handles: No
  • Zippers: YKK
  • Reflective trim: 3M
  • Raincover: Yes
  • Expandable: Yes
  • With saddle bags: Yes
  • Size (cm): 72x36x30
  • Capacity: 60 Litres
  • Weight:
  • Warranty: 6 months
  • Price: Rs.3650/-
Dirtsack Tailpack UNI
  • Fabric: 900×900 D
  • Waterproof liner: No
  • Top pocket (in): Yes
  • Top pocket (out): No
  • Front zip pocket: No
  • Rear zip pocket: Yes
  • Side pockets (out): Yes
  • Anti-skid base: Yes
  • Molle straps: No
  • Shoulder strap: Yes
  • Side Grab handles: No
  • Zippers: YKK
  • Reflective trim: 3M
  • Raincover: Yes
  • Expandable: No
  • With saddle bags: No
  • Size (cm): 72x36x30
  • Capacity: 50 Litres
  • Weight:
  • Warranty: 3 years
  • Price: Rs.3600/-
Viaterra Claw
  • Fabric: 1680×1680 D
  • Waterproof liner: Yes
  • Top pocket (in): Yes
  • Top pocket (out): Yes
  • Front zip pocket: No
  • Rear zip pocket: No
  • Side pockets (out): Yes
  • Anti-skid base: Yes
  • Molle straps: Yes
  • Shoulder strap: Yes
  • Side Grab handles: Yes
  • Zippers: YKK
  • Reflective trim: 3M
  • Raincover: Yes
  • Expandable: No
  • With saddle bags: No
  • Size (cm): 69x41x35
  • Capacity: 62 liters
  • Weight: 1.9 kg
  • Warranty: 1 year
  • Price: Rs.3999/-

Note: Warranty valid from date of purchase & it covers manufacturing defects only.


Rynox Grab

Rynox Grab tail-bag

Rynox is based out of Mumbai, Maharashtra. They have seriously good motorcycle riding apparels and luggage options. Some of the popular ones are Gloves – Shield/Delta/Apex, Pants – Advento/AirTex, Jackets – Tornado/Stealth, Saddle bags – Nomad, Waterproof tail bag – Expedition/Drystack, etc. They take positive feedback/input and incorporate them in their upgrades. Grab is one such strong contender.

The Rynox Grab is built with 900 x 900 D polyester fabric that is PU coated for water resistance. Not as tough as the Viaterra Claw but good enough. The insides of the main compartment comes with a hi-viz fluorescent inner lining fabric with a roll-top design. The lining comes with sealed seams to ensure the insides remain dry. As in the Viaterra Claw, this lining being 100% waterproof however is in question with its usage in due course of time. The base comes with a strong PVC laminated anti-skid foam fabric.

Reflective straps around the bag for night time visibility. The multi-utility molle straps on the front and back is a good thought. However, in terms of usage, these molle straps have found less purpose. Would rather have anything and everything secure inside the bag than on the outside.

The Rynox Grab comes with a new exclusive feature of having unique compressible/expandable legs which gives the flexibility to increase/decrease the capacity of the bag. By default, it has a capacity of 50 litres, much like the Dirtsack UNI. On expansion using the zippers at the either ends of the bottom expands the capacity by another 10 litres. This would work effectively if the ‘leg’ areas are filled with soft material/clothing and not hard stuff/cases which will not allow for the use of saddle bags. Also, like in the case of the Viaterra Claw, when off the motorcycle the bag (with its legs in expanded state) is unstable on the ground to use/pack/unpack.

The above mentioned exclusive feature also enables one to mount saddle bags unlike the other two – Dirtsack UNI and Viaterra Claw. Definitely a first and adds extra point to the Rynox Grab. However, on looking ahead, the concern comes in the very presence of zippers at the bottom of the tailbag. While on the motorcycle its all good but when the bag is placed down on soft/muddy ground, the zippers are bound to gather dust and in good probability get stuck rendering the ‘legs’ useless. So, make sure to keep the bag on clean surface.

The Rynox Grab comes with 2 external side pockets – 1 zippered pocket that will likely hold the raincover and anything else that might come in handy. 1 bottle holder mesh pocket that is good to hold 2 litres of fuel/water. A zip pocket on the inside of top flap for small essentials. One small zip pocket on the front but would rather not have it where it is.

For detailed specifications, click on the link below:
https://www.rynoxgears.com/products/grab


Dirtsack Uni  Tailpack

Dirtsack Uni Tailpack

Dirtsack is also based out of Mumbai, Maharashtra. They have straight forward simple yet functional motorcycle travel gear. Some of their noted ones are hard luggage – Llama, saddle bags – Longranger, tail-bag – Gypsy, waterproof luggage – Frogman. The Tailpack UNI is much like the Gypsy, only without the ‘legs’ and less by 2 side pockets.

The Tailpack UNI is made of heavy denier ballistic fabric similar to the other two. The inside of the bag is brightly colored for good visibility, however unlike the Rynox Grab and the Viaterra Claw, it doesn’t come with a roll-top design waterproof inner liner. The base comes with a strong PVC laminated anti-skid foam fabric. The outer rain cover is in Hi-Viz fluorescent green color with reflectives – practical yet not particularly appealing.

The top flap comes with a net pocket on the inside. On either sides are large external pockets with zippers. Simple and functional. The back has a small zip pocket (like in the front of Rynox Grab) to hold the rain cover but again would rather not have it where it is. The Dirtsack UNI is an underrated simple yet functional tailbag. Where it possibly lacks is a waterproof inner liner, molle straps to add additional luggage on top and a neutral colour rain cover with reflective strips. Add this and the Dirtsack UNI would be on par with the other two.

For detailed specifications, click on the link below:
https://www.dirtsack.in/products/tailpack-uni/pages/dirtsack-store/tail-bags


Viaterra Claw


Viaterra Claw

Based out of Nashik, Maharashtra, Viaterra have come a long way with their saddle bags – Velox/Rapide, tank bag – Fly, tail-bag – Claw/Raptor and other accessories that became an instant hit with motorcyclists. The Claw comes in two sizes – Claw and the Claw Mini, with the former being preferred simply for its larger carrying capacity. It had several iterations and upgrades over the years fixing minor flaws and bettering it with each release.

The Claw’s outer fabric comes with PU coating making it water resistant. That apart, on the inside it now comes with a 150D x 150D waterproof inner lining with a roll top closure. For those who already have the earlier version of the Claw, the waterproof liner can be bought separately. This liner comes in a light grey color which is good (as compared to the jarring hi-viz colors on the other two) to give a clear view of what’s inside. The liner has hot melt sealing of all stitch seams to ensure no water leakage but it being 100% waterproof however is in question with its usage in due course of time. The 68D x 68D fabric outer rain-cover provides additional safety from the rains.

There is an external zip pocket on the top and on the side pocket flaps. The top flap on the inside has a zipper pocket which should suffice. So personally wouldn’t care for the use of the one on the outside. The side pockets on the other hand are pretty large and claim to comfortably hold 5 litre cans each. That’s pretty good to hold additional fuel if travelling to remote places where fuel could be of shortage or difficult to procure. That apart, the flaps to these side pockets comes with zipper pockets. Here’s where you would keep the rain cover for the Claw and additional zip lock pouches that will come in handy.

The smooth curves and inverted U shape of the Claw makes for a good clean fit on all motorcycles. It works perfectly with additional POD Expanders on top of it. However, due to is curvy shape of an inverted U, the Claw becomes unstable when off the motorcycle and packing/unpacking is rather uncomfortable. Also, the Claw cannot work with saddle bags on the motorcycle and this is where lay the Flaw of the Claw. If the Viaterra fixes the Claw to work with saddle bags, we will have a clear winner.

For detailed specifications, click on the link below:
https://viaterragear.com/shop/luggage/viaterra-claw-2017-100-wp-motorcycle-saddletail-bag-hybrid/


Verdict

The Rynox Grab, Dirtsack UNI and the Viaterra Claw are all good with respect to quality, purpose and value for money. Where one of these three beats the other two doesn’t depend only on its features and/or price but to every individual’s choice and preferences. See what suits your need and preferences and go with the flow.

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