When we talked about the test of the BMW F800 GS Adventure we commented that GIVI He had given us one of his bags so that, in addition to being able to take part of our luggage to BMWRIDERS 2013, try one of the equipment that is not the most popular. It's about the saddle bag GIVI XS301.
It is normal that we see motorcycles with side or tank bags but the saddle bags they are a little more strange and difficult to see on our roads. And the truth is that we do not know why it is because I see them more comfortable than carrying a bag in front of the body that for safety you will never access while running, for example.
Only because its upper part is usually transparent and allows you to carry a map or your mobile but now, fully immersed in the age of technology and motorcycle-specific navigators such as the TomTom Rider 2013, it is no longer an essential condition.
GIVI XS301, characteristics and curiosities
The bag on the seat GIVI XS301 It is made in Sanity 1000 with applications in printed Lorica. Its dimensions are 220x260x350 mm (heightxwidthx depth) which translated into liters is approximately 20 liters capacity.
Its structure is completely stiff, regardless of what we carry inside so that at no time will we lose our shape. It has two outer pockets and one elastic net located in the upper part in case we want to hold in it some small object that we want to have at hand. This network is very tight and its mesh is small so it will not come off. It is also possible to withdraw it if we are not going to use it.
To the main compartment It is accessed through the widest part (the bag has an aerodynamic shape, like a drop of water) and its lid is padded since at some point we may touch with our back against it, depending on the placement and the dimensions of the rear seat.
Once the lid is open, we can see that on the inside of it there is a net that allows us to have small objects at hand so that they do not go loose inside since the rest of the space is completely open.
At the bottom of the bag on the seat GIVI XS301 we found your system anchorage. This is done by two tubular elastics with hooks at their ends (the octopuses of all life). The elastics are crossed and the bag has two tabs with non-slip material at the bottom and two rings at the top.
Are tabs they have a dual role. First of all, prevent the bag from moving once placed on the seat. The second function is of protection since after passing the elastics through the rings, these will not rub against the paint of the motorcycle in the lower area of the seat (the grips, so that we understand each other) and thus it will not damage the varnish or paint..
The impermeability of the GIVI XS301 It is guaranteed with three barriers against water. The first for the zippers. All three are completely waterproof. Even so, and if by fault of ours we do not close it correctly, an inner bag that is also waterproof with a zip closure will keep our belongings safe.
In this way, if it starts to rain and until we can stop, not a drop of water will penetrate inside. And if all the above were not enough, we also have a outer sleeve Waterproof with elastic edge to guarantee complete watertightness.
For him transport of the bag when we do not carry it on the motorcycle, we have a shoulder strap with a protector that is fastened by means of carabiners to two specific rings placed next to the access cover to the main compartment. In addition we also have an ergonomic handle in case we want to carry it by hand.
GIVI XS301, test running
The first thing we could see as we had in our hands the bag on the seat GIVI XS301 is the great quality of the set. All the stitches are reinforced, the touch in our hands is very pleasant and soft, ideal to protect if we carry a delicate object against small impacts.
Several details caught our attention significantly. For example the bag raincoat interior, which has a strap so that we can handle it more comfortably. Another detail are the shooters of the zippers, pre-curved so that we can grip them more comfortably even with gloves on.
The third detail that we liked was the how to store the strap Of transport. The shoulder padding itself can be opened in the middle since its closure is by velcro. In this way and after folding the strap on itself, we can hold it and store it without having a meter and a half of material scattered around making us feel uncomfortable.
The subjection On the motorcycle it is very simple: we open the side wings, pass the elastic bands through the corresponding rings and look for suitable fixing ends: rack hooks, passenger footpegs, etc. Each motorcycle is different but rest assured that there will be no problem. The elastics are long enough to go on a trail like the BMW F800 GS Adventure to the passenger footpegs, taking into account that these are very low.
The weather during the test was not very promising, with storms, but I can assure you that after seeing the impermeability of the GIVI XS301I put the SLR digital camera inside it calmly. I knew if he got wet it would be my fault (I would have to to have gone headlong to a river and even so it would not be entirely clear if water would enter).
The waterproof inner bag It has a greater capacity than the bag and with a large opening, so we can store what we want very easily. However, the mouth through which we introduce the luggage into the GIVI XS301 It does not open at 90 degrees so if it is a bulky object (the camera with its case) it may still cost us a little more.
The outer sleeve For when it rains, it is placed in a jiffy and is very well adjusted, even at the bottom, so we guarantee that it is impossible for water to penetrate during the journey. In addition, it is relatively hidden behind our body so it will never rain directly on it.
When we do not have it on the motorcycle, both carrying it by the handle and by the shoulder strap, it can be transported in a very comfortable way since it is not too heavy and we can adjust its length so that it is at our height.
By way of abstract we can tell you how defects we found the bag on the seat GIVI XS301 is that the lid we would like it to open a little more to be able to insert somewhat bulky objects and the rubber protection stops that carry the hooks of the tie-down elastics, which flew off the first use. Although this is usually something normal that happens in octopuses. What highlights, its tightness above all, finishing details and ease of installation.
The price of the bag on the seat GIVI XS301 It is 105, 92 euros and you can find more information about it in the link that we put at the end of the test.
Final evaluation of the bag on seat GIVI XS301: Finishes: 9, 5 Ease of installation: 9, 5 Capacity: 8, 5 Waterproofing: 10 Value for money: 8, 5 Average rating: 9, 20
Note: The bag on the seat GIVI XS301 has been yielded for the test by GIVI. For more information, consult our policy of relations with companies.
