Viking Explorer 22L Adventure Touring Motorcycle Backpack Review
By Panhead Jim | Published June 22, 2026
I am putting together a full review of the Viking Explorer 22L Adventure Touring Motorcycle Backpack from Viking Bags. This is just the first look, so I am not going to pretend I have a road verdict yet.
Motorcycle backpacks are one of those pieces of gear that either work quietly in the background or annoy you all day. The size can be right, the pockets can look useful, and the marketing photos can be great, but none of that matters much if the pack pulls on your shoulders, fights your jacket, or turns into a sail at speed.
What Viking lists for the Explorer 22L
Viking lists the Explorer as a 22-liter adventure touring backpack made from TPU tarpaulin with a weather-resistant finish. The listed size is 15 inches by 5.7 inches by 27 inches, with adjustable shoulder straps, an adjustable chest strap, a removable hip belt, padded back and strap sections, front compression straps, a top carry handle, and a MOLLE panel on the front.
On paper, that puts it in the day-ride and light-travel range. It is not big enough to replace real luggage, and I would not want heavy tools hanging off my shoulders anyway. What it may be good for is the stuff I want with me when I walk away from the motorcycle: camera gear, rain layer, gloves, water, small first-aid kit, or anything I would rather not leave strapped to the bike.
What I want to know on the bike
The useful part of this review will be the riding part. I want to see how the straps sit over a jacket, whether the chest strap and hip belt keep the pack stable, how easy the bag is to live with when it is not packed full, and whether the weather-resistant shell is enough for normal riding conditions.
I am also interested in how it fits into old-bike travel. On a vintage motorcycle, luggage usually needs to be simple, secure, and easy to remove. A backpack can be handy on a ride like the Riding Vintage cross-country ride, but only if it carries the right things without becoming one more problem to manage.
Full review coming
I will update this page once I have used the Viking Explorer 22L backpack in real riding conditions. The full review will cover fit over riding gear, packed comfort, access, useful capacity, weather behavior, and whether it earns a regular place in the Riding Vintage travel setup.