Invictus Touring Gears Tactical (Manas) Tailbag short term review

Manas Tailbag short term review

In last five years the motorcycling revolution has evolved in the country. A leisure pursuit by a handful of people in various pockets today is a hobby for a much larger bunch. From scooters to superbikes a lot of folks are joining the bandwagon. Not just Motorsports or endurance riding, today travelling on a motorcycle has a larger audience. That number on a scooter is gradually growing.

Initially luggage for travel was the standard bags and suitcases retro-fitted to the two wheeler. Today with the growing popularity there are a number of brands based in the country who are catering to the needs of “Travel Solution”. One such brand is Pune based Invictus Touring Gears.

Origins

Starting up in the year 1935 Sathe Gadikarkhana, today is household name in Pune city. Taking the torch forward was another brand – Manas Adventure Gears. The brand was focused on Backpacks for trekking and mountaineering and did quite well too. Fast forward to 2017, through a common friend I was introduced to a young entrepreneur. At this time he was involved in developing a saddlebag that aspired to be as tough as a pannier. Cut to present day Invictus Touring Gears has evolved.

Manas Tailbag – 1st impressions

The Manas tailbag in its current iteration is known as the Invictus Touring Gears Tactical tailbag. The variant under review is the 1st edition “Manas Tailbag”. The tailbag came with battle scars. Very few manufacturers voluntarily prompt you to conduct rugged tests

Returning a battle scarred product would aid quality control and future development!”.

I’m like asking myself is he high on something or am I? I picked up the bag and headed out after exchanging pleasantries . After the “Biryani Bag”, I wondered how I could possibly connect with this bag? One day on an errand the idea kicked in. Laxmianarayan Chiwda, a Pune based brand has been a favorite in the family for over a decade or so with kilos being purchased every so often. Taking a cue from this I dubbed it the Chiwda bag. The common connection being that both have origins in the old city area of Pune.

GEAR CHECK

  • Can this accommodate a full face helmet? Yes
  • The bag also fits in a riding jacket, full gauntlet gloves and can pack in clothes for a long weekend trip too
  • A DSLR and laptop too fit in securely
  • Also, it easily packs in groceries and makes a formidable companion to the malls too
  • Spare parts/lubes upto 5-10 kgs are held with ease

Touring friendly

Whether you are a novice traveler or a been everywhere, The Manas tailbag is for everyone. Its current version offered 6 fasteners to securely bolt on. It is also bungee cord friendly for those who want to tie it down. The bag comes with dedicated straps for use as a backpack. The current is version has a blacked out pocket. The transparent pocket has given way to the new textile pocket. Option to choose colors at select vendors. A rain cover is a standard add on.

Look and feel

The Manas Tailbag is “boxy” at first glance. The Rigid walls keep the bag from caving in. The interiors are well padded. Industry standard zippers are promising. The bag is BULGE FREE. The fasteners and buckle are of good quality. They hold the fort on long hauls. The dull looking piping is a looker at nights. It adds to the subtle factor in the day. It lights up well in the night. The inner lining has a premium feel. The stitching on the interiors are almost invisible. At first glance the inside feels like a DSLR bag. The bag has a handle as well.

Thoughts

  1. The Manas Tailbag is hyper-versatile
  2. The dedicated backpack strap is a boon
  3. The Velcro strip in between is a great idea but attaching it back needs some practice
  4. Gauntlet gloves and spare city gloves easily fit in the outer lower pocket
  5. The inner net pocket holds paperwork as well as smaller items like SD cards etc.
  6. The North pocket is  good place to store charger cable etc., since it up in the vertical position
  7. On the other hand, the South pocket is good for energy bars etc.
  8. The padding is indeed confidence inspiring
  9. Expansion / compression executable ”on the fly”
  10. It is pillion rider friendly, no more fatigue
  11. Comfortably sits on backrests, carriers and topracks in backpack mode
  12. Boardroom to resort room it goes anywhere

The current version is on sale for 3500/-. First made in India tail bag to offer a first aid kit

There were some inputs shared in discussion. As explained certain aspects are purely design elements. these elements add to the frugality of the product. Some details are in discussion for improvement. All in all it impressed me enough to order one for myself!

The current version is on sale for 3500/-

First Made In India tail bag to offer a first aid kit.

Please find below photos of the Invictus Touring Gears Tactical Tailbag for your reference:

Photos Courtesy: Nikhil Sood