Vetter Denim Sport Bag
VETTER DENIM SPORT BAG
EVALUATION
Something old, blue and borrowed
IN THE 1860s, AN IMMIGRANT TAILOR put the pants on the California Gold Rush. He was Levi Strauss, and his trousers of serge de Nimes (a twilled cotton fabric Americans know as denim), dyed with the same indigo blue that ancient Druids slathered on themselves, became part of the standard work uniform for nearly every wanna-be sourdough who tried to strike it rich.
So, old Levi would instantly recognize the fabric in the Denim Sport Bag from Vetter Products (15301 Shoemaker Avenue, Norwalk, CA 90650) as his. The designer, Bruce Vetter, wrapped the sturdy material into a useful piece of soft luggage for motorcyclists, and he chose denim because of the friendly, faded look it takes on over time.
Unlike Strauss’ denim, though, the Vetter bag’s features a urethane coating for water resistance, as does the oxford nylon lining of the frontloading, 13-liter main compartment. Vetter also includes a rain bonnet, and, for off-bike lugging, both a padded grab handle and a shoulder strap. To keep the bag from going as limp as a pair of old jeans, ^-inch-thick foam stiffeners live in the top and sides of the main storage hold.
Measuring 121/4-by-95/s-by-71Á inches, the main compartment is a bit on the small side, but roomy enough to hold a change of clothes for an overnight trip into town. Moreover, an 8'/2-by-l 1 notebook will fit flat on its side in there, and the bag almost swallows a full-face helmet—although you’ll have to tie the twin zippers’ lanyards together, because the zippers won’t quite close.
For riders who like to pack-rat away small stuff, the bag offers a bonanza of pockets to supplement the main storage. There’s a zippered pouch in the lid, big enough to hold a two-piece rainsuit, as well as four flap-covered pockets around the back and sides. The pockets are bigger than the ones in your own Levi’s, although, similarly, narrow and deep enough that you’ll have to do some prospecting when you go hunting for that one item that invariably sinks to the bottom. And before you ride off into the sunset, be sure the pocket’s Velcro-secured flaps are tightly closed; one tester didn’t, and his sunglasses, case and all, made an expensive getaway.
There’s no need to worry your head about the Sport Bag itself making an escape. One of Vetter’s Snap Straps (see March, 1988 issue for an evaluation) lashes the bag onto a bike’s saddle; and although it might rock like a miner’s shaker box, the bag does stay put. Plus, the hooks won’t gouge your motorcycle’s bodywork the way regular bungee-cord hooks can. Off the bike, the straps tuck into their own zippered pouches, and they’re easily replaced.
In fact, you’ll probably want to keep your Denim Sport Bag ($66.99) long enough to wear out several straps. Although its usefulness comes from sensible design rather than from the material, you have to admit Vetter has struck paydirt with its version of this timeless fabric. It’s a handy piece of soft luggage, with a mother lode of function that pans out nicely on every ride. S
