Most touring riders I know have strapped a duffel to the sissy bar at least once. I did, for years, and it always ended the same way: the straps worked loose, the bag flopped in the wind, and I stopped to re-tie it on a hot shoulder. That's why I bought the Rhinowalk expandable tail bag two summers ago. It fixed the one problem that made me dread packing for a trip.
I'm Russ Kimball, 54. I live outside Twin Falls, Idaho, I've ridden for about 30 years, and my bike is a 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King with roughly 60,000 miles on it. Most days I ride into town. Weekends I run the canyon roads south of here. Every summer I take one long multi-state trip. This bag has been on all of it, and here are ten reasons it stays on the bike.
Pack the whole weekend without a second bag
The Rhinowalk expandable tail bag cinches down to 33 liters for day rides and opens to 45 liters when you need the room. It's held up through two Idaho summers and a six-day trip to Montana. Check today's price and see if it fits your bike.
Amazon Check Today's Price on Amazon →It grows from 33 to 45 liters without being unpacked
The Rhinowalk expands a full 12 liters, and the useful part is that you don't have to unpack to do it. Last July I packed it at 33 liters for a weekend loop, then Carol decided at the last minute to come along. I unzipped the expansion on both sides, the bag grew, and her clothes went on top. Total time was maybe ninety seconds. The zippers run the full length on both sides, so the bag expands evenly instead of bulging to one side. That matters when it's strapped to the sissy bar, because an uneven load will shift in a corner.
The expansion zipper works one-handed
I found that out at a gas stop in Montana, cold wind blowing, one hand holding the bag, the other pulling the zipper. It moved clean from 33 to 45 liters with the bag half loaded. Cheap zippers bind the moment there's any tension on them. This one doesn't. I've owned cheaper expandable bags that needed two hands and a lot of swearing. This is the first one that just works. Two summers in, I've expanded and collapsed the bag well over a hundred times, and the zipper still runs smooth.
It's waterproof in a real storm, not just a drizzle
Last June I rode through a thunderstorm coming out of the Sawtooths, about 40 minutes of steady rain with a few hard bursts. My clothes, my spare gloves, and a paperback were dry when I pulled into the motel in Stanley. The waterproof construction does the job on its own. I still use the included rain cover when the sky looks serious, because it's cheap insurance, but the bag itself has never let water in. I've stopped moving things to the saddlebags when it starts to rain.
The helmet rain cover pulls double duty
The bag comes with a helmet rain cover that straps over the top, and it works for exactly that. But it also fits over a full-face helmet, which I've used more times than I can count. At a diner in Jackpot I left my helmet on the seat with the cover over it, came out after a rain shower, and had a dry helmet to ride home in. The cover lives in its own pocket on the side of the bag, so it doesn't take up space inside where the real gear goes.
The sissy bar straps hold at highway speed
On a straight stretch of I-84 east of Burley I ran 75 miles an hour for about an hour with the bag expanded and full. I checked the mirror at every mile marker. No flop, no drift, no buckles working loose. The first bag I tried slid sideways on that same road and I had to pull over twice. The two main straps on this one are wide, and a third strap goes under the rack to keep the bag from sliding forward when you brake. I still check the straps at fuel stops out of habit, but I have never had to re-tighten one on the road.
It turns the passenger seat into a second cargo area
When Carol rides with me, the bag goes on the sissy bar and she gets the seat. When she stays home, I mount the bag forward on the passenger seat instead. The same straps work either way, and on the seat the weight sits lower and closer to me, which the bike likes. I ran a weekend loop that way last fall and it handled like the bag wasn't there. One bag, two mounting spots, no extra hardware to buy.
It comes off the bike in under a minute
At a motel I don't want to unpack everything in the parking lot. I loosen the two sissy bar buckles, lift the bag off by the top handle, and carry it to the room. I timed it once out of curiosity: 45 seconds from the first buckle to walking in the door. Inside, everything is still where I put it, because the main compartment holds the bulk and two smaller pockets keep the tire gauge, the wallet, and the phone charger easy to find. It's the closest thing to carrying a suitcase into a hotel that I've found on a motorcycle.
It's held up to Idaho summers and cold mornings
The bag lives in the garage, not the house, so it has seen real temperature swings: 95 degree afternoons, 20 degree mornings, wind, rain, and one hailstorm that I sat through under a gas station awning. After two years the fabric hasn't faded, the zippers haven't stiffened, and the straps haven't frayed. The buckles are the part I expected to fail first, and they're all still solid. I have no reason to think this bag won't do another couple of seasons.
It doesn't flop around on canyon roads
The canyon roads south of Twin Falls have tight switchbacks and stretches of patched pavement that will shake a loose load loose. A bag that sways can make the bike feel top-heavy in a corner. This one sits tight because the base is stiff and the straps cinch it down hard against the sissy bar. I've run those roads a dozen times with the bag expanded and full, and I have never felt it move the bike. That's the test that matters for touring.
It covers day rides and multi-state trips in one bag
At 33 liters it's a day-ride bag: rain gear, spare visor, a sandwich, a tool roll, and a bottle of water. Expanded to 45 liters, it handled a six-day trip to Montana with room to spare. The Road King has hard saddlebags, but they don't hold a helmet and they don't hold a week of clothes. The Rhinowalk fills the gap between what the bike carries and what a real trip needs. It's the one piece of luggage I'd buy again without a second thought.
What I'd Skip
Riders who need lockable storage should pass on this bag. There's no lock, and the zippers are all that stand between your gear and a curious hand. If you park overnight where theft is a real risk, carry the bag inside or stick with hard luggage. Also, at the full 45 liters it can crowd the passenger. Carol noticed it on a weekend trip until I dropped it back to 33 liters. And if you never carry more than a water bottle, the expansion is wasted on you. This is a touring bag, not a commuter box.
Forty minutes of steady rain and everything inside stayed dry. That's the test that matters for touring gear.
Ready to stop strapping duffels to the sissy bar?
The Rhinowalk expandable tail bag holds a 4.6 rating across more than 1,200 reviews on Amazon. Two summers, one Montana trip, and a hundred expansions in, I understand why. Check today's price and see if it fits your bike.
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