When one starts riding motorcycles, carrying any baggage or items with you quickly becomes a creative endeavour. There are many options out there, from regular backpacks to panniers attached to your bike. One very attractive and exciting option that has broken into the motorcycle world comes from Velomacchi – The Speedway Roll-Top.
Coming from the Italian words Velocità Macchina, or roughly “Velocity Machine”, Velomacchi is a creating some exciting and innovative gear for the moto-minded buyer. Founder and Director of Design, Kevin Murray, is an award winning industrial designer who has worked for the likes of The North Face as its Design Director of Equipment and Product Director of Europe, along with being the Global Director of Design for Colombia Sportswear. It’s with these years of experience in countless avenues of design and the need for quality that has resulted in this intriguing backpack to come to light.
The backpack is the workhorse for a rider’s day-to-day storage and transportation of goods – from work documents and a laptop, to beer and groceries. Velomacchi have created a high-tech, incredibly thought out piece that is the Roll Royce of backpackery. At a slight glance you might not think much of it, but the more you look the more you’ll hear “what the hell is that for?” in your head, and soon you’ll be headfirst down the rabbit hole of this incredibly useful item.
The Speedway Roll Top is a watertight, versatile pack that was specially designed for the rider in mind. Created to stay close to your centre of gravity, the bag distributes weight off of the rider’s shoulders so that more aggressive riding can be achieved with maximum comfort. You can load this bag up and not be facing sore shoulders on those hours of riding.
Designed to carry with it a laptop or tablet, this bag caters to the mobile professional in mind. For those that require a more adventurous trip, the tech can be traded out for a water hydration system for weekend bush-bash trips.
The 3-point rotating harness system is incredibly handy. The bag can be worn comfortably and tightly, hugging your chest while the adjustment straps meaning this suites any size rider. Simply twisting the silver magnetic dial at the chest piece will unhook the front of the back system allowing you to remove the bag or access your goods. This is particularly handy, as it can be done with remarkable ease whilst still wearing your motorcycle gloves. This front harness-like system also boasts a flat plastic base for Go-Pro’s or any suction gear to be mounted onto, along with a labelled medical pouch for any emergencies should the rider be in need. There is also a quick access tool side pocket.
You’ll find this bag boasts a remarkably sturdy 1000D competition fabric, which is water proof, abrasion resistant and stable at all speeds. The 20 litre main compartment is 100% waterproof with a roll up magnetic top with clip. The front pockets are similar, with easy access elastic steel bars keeping them safe, which provides 5 litres of storage capacity. Tie down anchor points are also located across the bag if the rider decides to strap it to the motorcycles instead of wearing it. A steel clip is situated at the centre of the rear of the backpack which is intended for helmets to be clipped to – another very handy feature.
Wearing this bag is profoundly comfortable. There is simply no other backpack that will provide you with the same comfort and support that the Speedway Roll-Top does with it’s excellent sternum and rotating harness system. It’s like being hugged by a small, textile koala wherever you go.
Conclusion: This is a very thought out, very high quality bag. Any sceptics will be silenced once the bag is adjusted and worn for a ride we believe. Such quality of course comes at a price, at around $400 AUD it’s at the higher end spectrum for any such motorcycle accessories – but is a purchase that would not be made in vain. If you’re after a very high quality, durable and handy piece of equipment to be used daily, this is definitely for you. A wider or larger main compartment could be handy – but this is coming from a photographer’s perspective and someone who tries to jam as much camera gear into a bag as possible.
