You guys know anything about big mak tank bags?

[Dave_Willet]

Any comments gratefully received.

 

 

[Les is more]

Hi Dave,

 

Big Mak is a member here who makes those tank bags. Here's his website. Lot's of people here use the Big Mak because of the convenience of being able to just flip it up at gas stops and because it floats on a platen above the gas tank and never touches the paint.

 

Some people prefer the look of the bike without the platen when they don't want to carry a tank bag, I just leave mine in place since I almost always use a tank bag when I ride. Cycle Gadgets also carries them and has a good write up

here.

[Officer_Impersonator]

I just ordered my Big Mak bag from Mark yesterday. He couldn't have been a nicer guy to work with. He made me review the brochure and figure out what custom options I wanted before he started making recommendations, which I thought was a nice sales technique.

 

If you order directly form Mark, he has a special going on right now, and you'll get to customize your bag to meet your needs.

 

I'm really looking forward to getting mine - I think it's going to be the perfect tank bag.

[Mike]

Big Mak (Mark) is a great guy with an inventive mind. I've had one of his tank bags for, gosh, probably four or five years. It's really a great convenience to be able to flip the bag up for refueling, as opposed to unsnapping and resnapping buckles. The bags are well built and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

 

I don't particularly care for the appearance of the platen, sans tank bag, but I almost invariably ride with a tank bag anyway. So, it's not a biggie.

 

Any criticisms? Very minor. My Big Mak came with a plastic platen and I ended up replacing it with an aluminum platen to hold a little more weight. After leaning on the bag for an extended period, the aluminum platen got bent a little, but it was easy to bend it back into position. Also, the mesh pockets on the sides of my bag have stretched a bit, so I need to use a bit more care about what I put into them.

 

But these are very minor nitpicks. The Big Mak's a lot cheaper than the tank bags from BMW and, from my perspective, functions much better. I'd definitely recommend the product.

[Ken H.]

Have had a set for years across two bikes. They have held up well and I'd buy another if it ever came to that. The 'flip up for fill' feature is great!

[repo]

I've got the tank rack + Stealth. love it. i don't like a big tank bag and this works perfect.

[tallman]

I use the small Diamond Space Case.

Plenty big enough for Autocom, cables, XM antenna, GPS antenna, Cell phone, garage door opener, spare glasses, gloves, rain cover, soft soil side stand support, keys, water bottle, map window, and more.

And this is a small one.

Removes quickly and easily to carry inside, or lock in saddle bag/topcase.

The FTFF* is GRReat. A real time saver.

Not a farkle, a necessity.

 

 

 

*Flip To Fill Feature.

[Fugu]

I'm really liking mine - had it about a month and a half.

 

No nits to pick yet. Buying the stuff from Mark was a pleasure and he must have made an extra effort to get my order packed and shipped because it showed up before the weekend and I didn't leave him much time. Bonus points there.

[Les is more]

Even the aluminum platen can bend if you lean into it so I did a little reinforcing. Here's a link to the pictures and description.

[Big D]

Love my bag. The flip up is very convenient and very easy to remove bag when needed. I have either the large bag or the smaller map case on all the time. Yes, no GPS. Would buy another if I wear this one out( and I bought this one used off this board!)

 

 

D

[VinnyR11]

Love the tank bags. I've had mine for many years, and it was money very well spent.

 

Regarding customer service, my wife and I just returned from a 9 day tour. Along the way I noticed that one of the flat screws holding the plate to the bag frame backed out. I couldn't find the right replacement locally, so I e-mailed Mark saying that I'd like to pay for two replacement screws (having one for a spare). His e-mail response the very next morning was "They're in the mail, no charge. Thanks for the support."

 

If you can beat that, let me know.

[RichEdwards]

I have the Big Mak platen on both the GS and the GT. It is the very best way to attach a tank bag or, in my case, the Diamond Space Case. I switch the case from one bike to the other in about 4 seconds. It holds a map and has room for my XM radio. An excellent product and extremely useful.

[Jeff in VA]

I had a Big Mak on my R1150RT, then bought the BMW bag for the R12RT. If I could have a do over, I'd go with the Big Mak again. It is a durable, well made product with a great design. Hard to beat...