Givi 3D604 Tanklock Tankbag

[camthelurker]

***DISCLAIMER- camthelurker is not a professionsl mechanic/engineer/salesman. The proceeding gobs of text are opinions and statements solely the opinion of camthelurker. He is here to share info via the internet. Because sharing is caring. He is not liable for any injury or dissatisfaction resulted from anything you do, so form your own opinion. He also finds it interesting to talk in the third-person. Don't blame me!***
 
 
 
This is a review for the Givi 3D604 Tank Bag that is mounted via the Givi Tank Lock adapter (part#BF23) that is FJ09 specific.

I'm a fan of Givi luggage. I think they have pretty good luggage solutions to any storage problem. I own an ugly old E45 Monokey topcase that works wonders for functionality. Additionally, Givi products seems to be in my price wheelhouse compared to other brands(looking at you SW-MOTECH).
 
Reason for purchase:
I ended up purchasing the 3D604 mainly for the desire for a rigid tank bag that mounted onto the gas cap. I have magnetic tank bags that work well for other bikes. But I wanted something that looked relatively clean when mounted on the FJ09. I decided on the 15L model versus the 3D603 4L model because I wanted something less than my 22L magnetic bag and a little more than just a keys and sunglasses bag(Givi 3D603). Additionally, I wanted an option to have a paper map holder(detailed further). Plus, I thought the idea of a rigid tank bag seemed pretty cool.
 
Features:
You should read the features listed on the manufacture website and whatever website you choose. Do your due diligence. As I previously mentioned, this tank bag is rigid; meaning it is hard shelled but not stiff like plastic. You can still bend and smash it but it is meant to stay the same shape. I don't like that description, so just believe me, it is rigid. The 3D604 has one main zipper(other zipper is to expand capacity) and two storage areas. Opened up, the top portion has a zippered mesh separator. Inside, the bottom of the bag is oddly formed so Givi included a velcro'd soft pad to even the bottom surface. The big attraction for the GIVI xx600 series of tankbags is the super-cool-smartphone-era ability to view a phone through a window located at the top of the bag. The phone slips inside a neoprene pouch in the upper portion of the bag, the one with the zippered mesh separator. This model specifically has an attachment for a tablet. A freakin' tablet pouch you can view when, ya'know, you're scanning the road jiving your shift foot and clutch hand together!!! Finally, the dealbreaker for me, the bag features Givi's tanklock technology. Basically you lightly press the red lever action beneath the bag to dismount it. 
 
Me likey:
 
[ul type=disc][*]The rigid form; it's kind of cool having a bag that doesn't look like a deflated yoga ball if it isn't full of stuff. Also, the slim yet tall shape does not get in my way at all, in terms of hand control operations or extreme steering situations.

[*]The tanklock mounting is nice, the mechanism to mount is SOOOOO EASY. Since the connection mount is ring shaped, all you have to do is orientate the bag properly forward and slide it on(from any direction) and it just snaps right on. No need to find that correct slot and shimmy it in the one direction. You can just plop it on and slide it around until it clicks. Dismounting is just as easy, press the red lever and lift. There are NO snags when dismounting. I did not expect this tanklock feature to be so nice. When dealing with my magnetic bag, I have to worry about the flaps with the magnets not getting stuck to other metal parts or, heaven forbid, my phone in my pocket. Please note the ability to actually change the position(forward/backward) of the actual mount underneath the bag with the 4 screws.

[*]The storage capacity in the main compartment; as I alluded to before, I wanted that inbetween storage capacity of a lot and too little. I think 15L is just dandy for a day trip or as complimentary to side luggage/top case for a long trip.
 [*]The smartphone window; it fits my iPhone 6(with case) snugly. It also fits small pieces of paper with actual written directions just as well, if not better. I'm pretty good with spacial memorization, I can remember where I need to go after looking at a map. But let's face it, I'm getting older and sometimes(most times) I plainly forget things. It's nice to have a spot I can quickly reference without digging into my jacket pocket or using tape on my awesome bike. I'm not one to use GPS on a motorcycle but I imagine seeing good'ol handwriting with a direction and street name is easier than trying to figure out direction the GPS arrow is pointing and what the hell direction the GPS right turn is in real life. (no offense to you GPS using dudes) Please note the point of view angle of the above pic: I can still see the speedo perfectly and the hand controls are easily accessible and viewed.

[*]The tablet window attachment; when a dinky small phone isn't enough, you can bring your tablet(up to 7 inches). I would never use my iPad Mini2 while riding, but then again it's the plain jane wifi only model. I plan to use this attachment for regular paper maps or maps I printed myself. Basically, if it won't fit in the smartphone window(most likely won't) then I will put it in the tablet window attachment. I like me a good topographically correct map.

[*]The contouring shape; the bag flows with the back end drop of the tank. Purely aesthetic, but I thought it was neat. Please note the space between tank and bag.No interference with that plastic body piece in front of the tank. It isn't as dramatic in person than the pic states but YMMV.[*]Price and value; I like Givi luggage and I think this is a great value considering the price and quality of build.[/ul]
Me NO likey:
 
[ul type=disc][*]Mounting adapter ring does not get in the way of gas cap, kind of. I can open the cap with no clearance issue, but the magnetic cover to the gas cap ring does hitch up on the backside of the Givi ring. Solution is to slightly lift the magnetic cover up and the entire cap pulls back like normal. But not exactly normal because the cap is 90% all the open. Fitting the entire gas pump apparatus into the gas tank is difficult. Since installation, I have been manually pulling the pump hose "gasket" back and pointing the nozzle into the tank while keeping an eye on fuel level(to prevent overflow). I consider this a minor gripe and coming with the territory type thing. Not that big of a deal to me but should be noted for potential users.[*]Lack of an external pocket. Maybe this was a given with a rigid form bag but it would have been nice to have a small external zippered pocket. Something to quickly access the garage door opener. Now I can't smoothly roll into the driveway and duck into my garage. I have to come up with a solution to avoid my neighbors now. [*]Lack of internal organization. Probably asking too much for this. Basically, it is a big hole to dump stuff in. Keys get tangled up with cable lock, while hiding the garage door opener, which I'm panicking over because I'm trying to avoid my neighbors... again I know it's asking too much for such a feature.[*]The contoured shape. I know it's listed as a Me Likey but it is for the aesthetic purpose. Functionally, that downward sloping section sucks. Depending on the things inside the bag, it is usually the smaller things that travel into the, as I call it, pit. My carmex tube finds it's way in there. The garage opener and lighter usually are there. I tried to remedy this by putting my sunglasses case there(which fits nicely) but the pit still eats things.[*]Smartphone/tablet window is not compatible with touch screen ability. Didn't expect it to work at the time of purchase, but the lack of compatibility has me wondering about the whole phone/tablet thing altogether. Yeah, I plan to use maps and paper directions but if I had my heart on using phone/tablet in there then what the heck. Is there a point to using them if you can't access them? From a safety point I understand it would be way too dangerous to have me fiddling with my Spotify playlists instead of paying attention to the road. But if I was using google maps, how would I zoom in or center the map without touchscreen ability?! [/ul]
Conclusion (Finally!) and Recommendation:
After about 2 weeks of constant time mounted on the FJ09, I find the Givi 3D604 to be a solid purchase. I wanted a rigid back that mounted onto the gas cap. I was, admittedly, curious about the smartphone window. I decided I won't be using that feature with my phone but rather paper directions. I have a good amount of space to put things that isn't too big nor too small. The ability to use the same tank ring mount with other Givi bags is another cool aspect. Besides the few things I didn't like, that could be trivial, I would definitely recommend this tank bag. Whatever you decide, invest the time into researching what you want out of your tank bag. Look up the different brands, read the features, watch/read the reviews, and make an informed decision.
 
Related threads:
http://fj-09.org/thread/660/tank-bag-ideas
 
http://fj-09.org/thread/1052/givi-xs308-tank-bag-fit
 
http://fj-09.org/thread/3097/any-tank-bag-reviews
 
 
And now, some left over pics;
 

[docsimple]

nice write up. You may find this helpful:
 
http://www.aerostich.com/gascard.html

[camthelurker]

Thanks docsimple. Aerostitch.com never ceases to amaze me.

[Cruizin]

@camthelurker Thanks for the detailed review! FYI, you don't have to host pics elsewhere before postiing them here. Just click that button that says "Add image to post" and upload directly. It will automatically dump the pic code into your posts for you.

[megroovy]

I've got the 5 litre tanklock bag and I love it too. stops your tank getting scratched with a magnetised bag.
 
I've currently got a plan to replace the bag with a hard cycle tail box to have it weatherproof since I lost the cover to my bag.

[smoothbored]

First time I saw another rider use the Givi quick lock tank bag I knew I had to have one.  I use the 607 model and have different adapters  for my other bikes and use the same unit on all my bikes.  It works great but not completely water proof. it does come with a rain cover that's good for heavy downpours. Givi makes some really good gear their catalog has things you'll never see here in the states. 

[wessie]

Kappa is the sister brand to Givi - check to see if Kappa make a similar model, sometimes identical for less money.
 
I have just bought a Kappa RS308 which is very similar to the Givi XS308 - either of these bags is a good alternative to the 3D604 if you want a map pocket rather than phone window. Both use the same tanklock system.
 
In the UK, the Kappa bag is over £30 cheaper - £67 on Ebay instead of around £100 for the Givi.