RJAYS BUSINESS NOTEBOOK BACKPACK

by Al

You've probably noticed that when you decide you're going to ride to work, and you strap your notebook to your bike, it either falls off or within the month you're calling the warranty hotline about a hard disk that's mysteriously died.

Compartment 1: the Dell fitted

Compartment 2: handy pockets for batteries, condoms, pens etc; removable key-ring

Small velcro covered pocket right hand side: perfect for the spare mag

A motorcycle will always have a worse sprung/unsprung weight ratio than a car, and so any luggage that gets strapped to a motorcycle will cop more shock than the same luggage in a car.

Unless you have a really good shock absorber. And the best shock absorber is, of course, a human body.

To save you from having to kill someone, strap them to the back of your motorcycle and then strap your luggage on top, RJays have come up with the Business Notebook Backpack, and a dandy piece of equipment it is, too.

It comes with a handy piece of cardboard on which are the instructions. I read instruction number one. It was something about making sure my motorcycle was clean before fitting any luggage to it. I jumped to instruction number four, which I hoped would be the executive summary. It said that RJays recommend that I be careful when riding my motorcycle and stay within the statutory speed limits.

I threw out the handy piece of cardboard, and explored on my own.

My explorations started with finding that there is a big compartment to put your notebook in, and it fitted my Dell Latitude D510 just fine (it's 338 x 273 x 35mm). I found some loose stuff floating around in the big compartment, which turned out to be a waterproof rain cover (you get home wet, your computer gets home dry) and a shoulder strap, and a little bag of silica gel. I live with two females. I put the silica gel in the fridge next to the chocolates to see if hilarity would ensue.

Next is a compartment which has all sorts of pockets and things in it. Things like a keyring that unclips from the backpack. "That's useless", I thought, until in unloading my old notebook bag I found a memory key that you could clip on to your belt loop. Or a keyring. I clipped it on the keyring. Now I guess I won't lose it in the bottom of the bag.

There were two covered pockets in there. The spare battery fitted in one. There were some holders that looked like they would take pens, so I put a couple of pens in them. There was a weird kind of horizontal one as well. I figured that it must be to keep a spare magazine in. I put a magazine in it. It fell out.

Then I figured that RJays wouldn't want you to have to open your backpack to perform a tactical re-load, so I looked on the outside, and there was a velcro covered pocket on the right. The spare mag fitted perfectly.

There' s another compartment further rearward that took a couple of spare cables, some CDs and a notepad.

It's padded where it rests against your back, and you can stash the back straps into a built-in cover to make it all a bit tidier.

So, I took it for a ride.

You notice it when you turn to look for cars before changing lanes, but apart from that it's just there. Some people do not turn and look over their shoulder before changing lanes, because they have good mirrors and spidey senses. These people will barely notice the RJays Business/Notebook Backpack. It insulates some, and makes you feel a bit warmer in winter, which is a Good Thing.

I didn't bother with the shoulder strap when I dismounted. I just slung one of the back straps over my shoulder. They're wide, and it's comfortable to carry like that.

And I was the compleat motorcycling businessman. Have computer, will travel, and have something to travel on too.

The RJays Business/Notebook Backpack was designed and is distributed by Cassons Pty Ltd.

They only come in black. I love stuff that only comes in black.

Here at BIKE ME! we understand that some of you really want to kill someone, strap them to the back of your motorcycle, and strap your luggage on top. Hell, we've got a list. We merely wish to point out that there are alternatives. And the RJays Business/Notebook Backpack is a hell of a lot easier to carry once you've dismounted.

You can buy the RJays Business/Notebook Backpack at Motorcycle Accessories Supermarket, who have large shops in Sydney, Parramatta and Liverpool; and a web site somewhere out there on the World Wide Wait. It will cost you $79.95.

And unlike the alternative, it doesn't smell rank after a week or so.