Via Terra is no stranger when it comes to the field of extreme sporting gear especially for bikers. So we decided to put their two products (ViaTerra Fly and ViaTerra Velox) to extreme test a biker faces – LADAKH. And mightily we were impressed, read on to know how.
We initially planned the trip to Ladakh from Mumbai and back on the KTM Duke 200 and so the ViaTerra Fly and Velox were procured. But just two days before the trip could commence, I decided that I would be taking my Kawasaki Ninja 300 on the trip instead of the Duke. And so the quest to suitably mount these bags on the Ninja began and to my surprise ViaTerra Fly and Velox were an easy mount on the Ninja 300 as well (check pictures for reference). They were intact on their place itself for the entire journey as they were mounted.
I was apprehensive about the quality initially and thought that they might get torn en route, but to my surprise not even a single glitch was faced.
Space – Technically speaking the ViaTerra Velox has a space of 36 litres. while the ViaTerra Fly has a space of 16 litres.
I used the ViaTerra Velox for packing clothes for a week and a fortnight, some of the bike spares and medicines and other miscellaneous stuff. And I didn’t need to squeeze for packing all the stuff. I am sure some of you can pack in more.
The ViaTerra Fly was used to carry my camera gear and other electronics, still there was space left so I thought of carrying more stuff. It comes with five extra pockets apart from the main storage compartment to carry miscellaneous stuff. Fly has ample padding to keep camera and other equipment safe from any jerks or vibrations.
I created a partition in the bag using a small hand towel to carry two lenses with the DSLR camera. Padded partitions are something we would suggest ViaTerra to come up with in their future production of Fly as it would create a well defined space for camera and gear as in other camera specific bags.
Design – Design wise I would rate the ViaTerra Velox and Fly quiet high. They are neither too big so as to hinder with the ergonomics of the bike or make the biker uncomfortable nor too small to not able to carry enough stuff. Velox merges with the design of the bike and isn’t a botheration while cornering or negotiating city traffic.
I used ViaTerra Fly as a tail bag instead of tank bag and was impressed by its ease of mount and ability to remain intact the whole day. They were looking cool and did the job well.
FAQs –
1. Will you recommend the ViaTerra Velox and Fly.
Of course yes. If you are willing to go on a ride and ready to pack less. Go for it.
2. Would you want a bigger Via Terra Velox?
NO, I am impressed by Velox due to their small size that doesn’t hinder with the ergonomics of the bike. A bigger velox will put it in the category of Leh saddle bags. I personally believe bigger bags don’t look as cool on a sportsbike.
2. Any suggestions for improvements?
Partition Padding for ViaTerra Fly and a place to hold or mount the tripod stand as found in most DSLR bags.
– Ankit Mishra
