Giant Loop Great Basin Saddlebag

The Giant Loop Great Basin Saddlebag was one of the first pieces of gear we had to understand in Oregon. Before the backcountry tracks, before the gravel, before the long stretches east of Bend, there was the simple question every rider knows well: how do we carry everything securely without turning the motorcycle into a truck?

The Great Basin is Giant Loop’s largest rackless saddlebag, with 68 liters of packable volume and a dry weight of 6 lbs (3 kg) with all included components. Its horseshoe shape sits across the passenger area and drops down both sides of the motorcycle, creating a single soft-luggage system that carries the load low and close without requiring side racks. Giant Loop builds it around its Bomb Shell construction, with waterproof inner bags to help keep gear protected inside.

In Oregon, we used it on two very different motorcycles, and that became part of the review. On the Kawasaki KLE500, we did not have a rear rack, so the installation required some adaptation. The Great Basin uses three rear webbing straps, and a rack would have made that part easier. Without one, we joined two of the rear straps together and worked the system until the bag sat firm. The side anchors went forward and down, giving the saddlebag the tension it needed to stay in place.

On the BMW F450 GS, the challenge was different. The bike has a narrow tail, so the Great Basin sat more on the passenger seat than on a broad rear platform. We fixed two straps toward the sides of the license plate bracket and looped the third around the tail section. The side anchors went to the passenger peg area. Once tightened, the bag felt secure and stable.

That is where the Great Basin started to make sense. It asks for a careful first installation, especially on motorcycles without an ideal rack or with a narrow rear section. After that, the system becomes simple. Load the dry bags, close them, compress the main saddlebag, check the straps, and ride.

The included dry bags were one of the details we appreciated most. Each one uses a roll-top closure with side clips and an air purge valve, making it easier to compress clothing, layers, and soft items before packing them into the main bag. That helped keep the shape controlled and avoided the loose, overstuffed feeling that can make soft luggage unstable.

On the trail, the Great Basin stayed quiet. We rode gravel, ranch tracks, cattle guards, broken sections, mud, and faster open roads. The bag did not swing, slap, or ask for constant attention. The weight stayed close to the bike, and the absence of hard side cases helped keep the motorcycles narrow and manageable through rougher sections.

The material also gave confidence. The outer shell, stitching, straps, buckles, and compression points all felt ready for real use. This is the kind of luggage that expects dust, movement, weather, and repeated tightening. It looks built for motorcycles that get used beyond pavement.

For multi-day adventure riding, the Great Basin offers a strong balance between capacity and simplicity. It carries enough for a serious trip, avoids the complexity of metal racks, and adapts well across different motorcycles when the rider takes the time to mount it correctly.

In Oregon, it earned trust before the first mile was over. Then it kept earning it every time we checked the straps and found everything still where it belonged.