Kriega’s story starts with the R35. We caught up with Tim Thompson, one of the first people in the world to use the groundbreaking backpack
Kriega recalibrated how the world thought about motorcycle luggage when the company launched their first backpack, the R35, in 2000. To spread the word about the new company, backpacks were sent to respected UK motorcycle magazines. One of the very first recipients was journalist Tim Thompson (that’s him above, riding a Phase One Yamaha R1 24-hour endurance race bike on the road through France. The photoshoot ended at a police road block).
‘I was the editor of the newish RiDE magazine when the R35 was launched. RiDE was forging a reputation for its thorough product tests and reviews,’ Tim explains. He then went on to edit Bike and Performance Bikes. ‘I was excited when I received it. Most so-called bike backpacks were hopelessly short-lived, but quality oozed from that original Krug. The thinking behind the design of the harness was all new, to motorcycling anyway. RiDE ran a sequence of pics showing how easy it was to put on and adjust.’
When we say Kriega launched with the R35, the company was actually formed as Krug, but soon changed to Kriega when the champagne producer of the same name threatened legal action. Tim had both a Krug and Kriega R35. Both names were chosen because they sounded Germanic. At the time it felt like the perception of British manufacturing was at a very low ebb, and the slogan Vorsprung durch Technik – progress through technology, was on many people’s lips. Kriega has always been based in Britain, and the headquarters remain in North Wales.
Tim on a Honda RC30 with this trusty R35. His colleague Matt Wildee is also using Kriega
‘Before Krug/Kriega I used a Berghaus backpack. Lots of people did,’ says Tim, describing the hiking rucksack he relied on at the time. ‘If you wanted a backpack that didn’t dig into your shoulders or ping its strap stitching the first time it was pulled on over a winter jacket, decent outdoor brands were the only option. The downside was loads of flappy webbing and a usually unnecessary loop for an ice pick. [The Berghaus] was also designed for a straight spine, not one curled around the tank of a ZX-7R.’
Kriega’s founders were motorcyclists who had worked as product designers in the outdoor, hiking and climbing industry. The R35’s harness was a specific design solution to address the problems motorcyclists dealt with when carrying a heavy backpack. Specifically, how to transfer the weight from the shoulders without using the heavy-duty hip belts that the outdoor world relied on. Those belts wouldn’t work on most bikes because of the ergonomics of the rider and the motorcycle’s petrol tank. Kriega’s groundbreaking harness transferred weight from the shoulders, and their pressure points, to the rider’s chest and core. That’s what gives them all-day comfort.
Tim on a 2000-mile round trip to Mugello, Italy for a trackday
‘The problem was that because it carried its load so well on the bike, I massively overstuffed my R35,’ Tim remembers, ‘I’d get off at a fuel stop and stagger about under its weight. I also got into a small lift at work wearing a too-heavy R35 (plus helmet and earplugs), and lent back against the wall to ease the load. HR [Human Resources] later explained that it wasn’t a wall but a small woman from accounts who had thankfully decided not to pursue her complaint against me.’
The way Kriega’s harnesses transfer the weight of the backpack’s contents reduces stress and fatigue on the rider. The R35 was also designed with Kriega’s patented CNC-machined pin and ring strap adjustment that meant there were no loose straps. What the designers call the ‘parachute’ style design of the harness means it’s much easier to pull a Kriega over bulky, armoured clothing.
Heading out for a fast lap of the Nürburgring, bananas in the useful netting pocket
The original R35 also set the template when it came to the materials that Kriega users would come to know and love: super heavy-duty Cordura, durable hypalon and chunky YKK zips. These are the materials our 10-year guarantee is built upon. This quality didn’t, and still doesn’t, come cheaply.
‘I think the price did [add to the allure of] the R35. Readers, though, were understandably sceptical. But nowadays every bike on the ferry has a Kriega Drypack strapped to its tail,’ says Tim, before adding his final thoughts on the company he has known for its entire 25-year history, ‘So much respect. They nailed it and have never lost their focus or quality. Kriega is still cool despite being everywhere. Whenever I daydream about inventing a product that would make motorcycling better, I think about Kriega’s story.’
The game-changing R35 has recently been retired from Kriega’s product range, and its replacement is currently in development. See the full range of Kriega backpacks.
Kriega is celebrating 25 years of innovation, design and manufacture of specialist motorcycle luggage. Formed in 2000, and still based in North Wales, our products have continually set the industry benchmark for quality and ruggedness, balancing strength and lightness to serve the most demanding, high-mileage riders.