Major Honors for Kriega Motorcycle Bags

Kriega is a British company based in Chester, comprising just five members of full-time staff. They started back in 1999 when two designers, Dom Longman and Michael Cottam, both with a background in outdoor kit, drew upon their collective love of motorcycling to set up a company that would focus on making carrying equipment for bikes.

Everything would be designed in-house, with an emphasis on quality and a determination to make life easier for the motorcyclist.

If there's one company who have consistently impressed us over the years, that's Kriega. Speaking to design director Dom Longman it's easy to see why. "We invest a lot of time in design and testing because we're not a fashion brand. We build things to last and don't release anything until it's right."

Dom compares this to other manufactuers who see luggage as a simple accessory, buying their range from China, rebranding it as their own and selling it as motorcycle product.

Talking specifically about the backpack range, Dom attributes its popularity to the way in which the weight seems to disappear when wearing it. "We worked hard to design a strap system that took all the strain out of the shoulders and neck so that it was comfortable to wear over long distances."

One area in which Kriega are beginning to expand is adventure luggage. Due to arrive soon (Jan 2012) is a range of soft panniers that can fit to popular enduro and adventure bikes, such as the BMW GS. "They're super tough - tougher than anything we've made before," says Dom. They will be much lighter and cheaper than the currently popular heavy metal boxes that can cost up to £1000. "Our system has four minibags rather than two big bags. The principle is based on the way the military packs its kit. We think this offers more flexibility and is more effective in the real world." 

Clearly Kriega spends a lot of time contemplating the problem before delivering the solution. Its intention is to be invisible, with Dom keen to point out that the heart of any new product design is compatibility with the old range. "We never design a new product that doesn't work with the old. We always try to design kit that's interchangeable."

Dom belives that product is king, which is refreshing to hear. "We think that if we build a good product then it well sell itself." Dom says the company has hardly any returns. "We test things to destruction, and if we think anything is going to fail then it'll be reinforced to make sure it doesn't happen."

But what perhaps makes the biggest difference is the way in which the product is conceived. " We don't build to a price point. What we do instead is set out to create the best product we can and when it's done, then we set the price. Of course this sometimes means we're a little pricier than the competition. But by doing it this way we guarantee that you're getting the best possible product. We don't compromise in any way."