Review: Klim Kodiak Gear Bag

After more than a decade of traveling to various motorcycle events in America and abroad, I had to retire my Ogio Rig gear bag. The zipper was ripe with tooth decay, bound to burst at any moment, but it was the rubber delaminating from the plastic wheels that sealed its fate. 

I regarded the Klim Kodiak gear bag’s arrival with great relief. Pulling the Ogio through an airport, as it thumped around on wheels missing half their tires, was becoming embarrassing. 

The first thing I noticed about the Kodiak bag is its size. The Kodiak is two inches taller, 1.5 inches wider, and 2.75 inches deeper than my Ogio bag, which equates to 13 gallons more interior volume (50 gal vs. 37 gal). 

That’s a significant and welcome increase, considering the very real possibility of a motorcycling event requiring both street and track gear. Leathers, boots, and gloves for the track, as well as a jacket, riding pants, and boots for the street, all fit into the Kodiak with room to spare. 

I counted four zippered internal pockets on the lid of the bag (two of which are mesh), and four zipper-less mesh pockets on the sides of the main cargo bay. All of this compartmentalization lets you organize your belongings efficiently and prevents small items, like earplugs, from getting lost. 

There’s a removable, semi-rigid liner to cordon off a section of the bag for your boots, helmet, or other preferred items. The liner attaches with Velcro, so it’ll stay in place during your travels. I always pack my helmet in a separate case and carry it on a plane, so I used the liner to separate my pedestrian clothes and toiletries from the riding gear. 

There’s also a boot-shaped interior bag with a drawstring closure to keep soiled footwear from contaminating the rest of your luggage. This also attaches with fabric fasteners to keep your boots from moving around. 

An included nicety is a square 29-inch padded mat for standing on when changing in or out of your riding gear. With the aforementioned liners, the Kodiak bag weighs 14 pounds, leaving you 36 pounds to play with before incurring a weight penalty at the airport. 

The exterior is constructed of 600D polyester and features two zippered pockets (one with fleece lining), a sturdy main zipper, and two adjustable straps with plastic side-release buckles for securing the lid and relieving pressure on the zipper. Because the bag is so tall, the telescoping pull handle isn’t very long, yet it provides the appropriate reach when trailing the bag behind you. 

The corners and underside of the bag are protected with impact-resistant plastic, while the grab handles are reinforced with webbing. One aspect I truly appreciated about the bag’s construction is its internal skeleton that, with an external stabilizing foot, allows the bag to stand independently even when empty. If you’ve ever owned a bag that needs to rest against something to keep from falling over, you’ll recognize the utility. 

The 90mm wheels roll easily and provide ample ground clearance when navigating curbs and other encumbrances.

Due to California’s Prop 65 (regulating exposure to potentially cancer-causing chemicals), I had to jump a few hurdles to get the Kodiak bag delivered to the Golden State, but it was worth the extra effort. The peril it poses will have to take a back seat behind other hazardous proclivities, such as scotch, cigars, and motorcycles. 

The Kodiak gear bag comes with a lifetime warranty. Whether that refers to its life or mine remains to be seen.

Klim Kodiak Bag
$339.99
Dimensions: 36in H x 18in W x 18in D  
Capacity: 50 gal
Color: Black