Pelliscase

'Surprisingly useful, in the right circumstances’

Like many T7 owners, I first became of the Pelliscase through a targeted advert on reddit. Initial reactions from the T7 community were fairly scathing. In this day and age, a new company and product springing up out of nowhere tends to invoke a witch hunt mentality of people instantly claiming manufacturing from China or India and this is 'just another poorly made product with no practical function’. People are quick to forget many components and often engines for their ‘Japanese’ and ‘European’ motorcycles are made in China and India these days, and if 2024 is anything to go by, they are set make ever increasing inroads into the motorcycle industry in the years to come. 

Whilst it doesn’t matter, it’s worth mentioning that Pelliscase is actually a European brand and manufactured in Portugal, and I was curious. Living in Nairobi, Kenya where the threat of both punctures and opportunistic theft are very real and since learning my lesson enough times with a friendly pickup ride back home after a untimely puncture, I have always carried a bag with me with spare tubes and small compressor. It’s an annoying bit of extra weight in my rucksack and it feels silly carrying them to meetings all the time. I’ve tried a small tail bag in the past but had the misfortune of bits been stolen. My fault, it was an easy target. 

Outside of commutes in Nairobi, I spend a vast amount of my time out in the bush of East Africa, guiding safaris, exploring new trails and generally taking a T7 wherever I can. Consequently, my bike gets subjected to all the varying degrees of harsh environment and abuse Kenya has to offer. Deep sand, scorching heat, monsoon rain and the type of volcanic mud that once it’s got its grips on you, doesn’t want to let go. 

So, despite the knee jerk reaction reviews on reddit, I got in touch with Ricardo from Pelliscase and one turned up in Kenya within a couple of weeks. The plan was to test it around town and then give it a bit of a torture test out in the sticks. Luckily I had a safari coming up and we were in the middle of the short rains, so the timing was perfect. 

Initial reactions were positive, the packaging was well thought out and the care taken at manufacturing was noticeable. It even came in a drawstring bag, much like when you buy a new helmet. A good start for sure, though for a retail price of $200 for what is essentially moulded plastic, you would expect as much. 

I fitted the case to my bike with no issues it all, simply pop the pillion seat off and replace it with the Pelliscase. Immediately I was impressed with how the case fits the lines of the bike. The profile is relatively low and much better than I expected. Nothing beats the stripped back look of a T7 without all the paraphernalia of the usual crash bars and tail rack plus whatever else we’ve been convinced is required. As someone that tries to balance practicality with looks, it was a decent compromise and certainly better than a tail bag. 

Around town: 

Put simply, it works. I can store a first aid kit, a spare inner tube, a small compressor and a puncture repair kit easily enough and that’s all I need or wanted. The tyre irons and rest of the tool kit have forever been kept under my seat and there’s no need to change that now. It’s waterproof enough to keep the rain off for as long as I would want to ride in the rain and if it can survive Kenyan monsoon rain, that’s an instant win from me. It’s subtle enough that it’s not going to catch the eye of a passing thief without a bit of closer inspection and it’s secure enough that it’ll at least slow them down long enough for someone to notice and hopefully do something about it. We all know that if someone really wants to steal something, the only thing we can do as bike owners is to slow them down. 

Consequently, it now sits on my bike permanently when I’m in town and it’s reassuring to know I have all the basics with me when I’m out and about, without needing to carry them around on my back or into the office. 

In the bush: 

I knew the real test would come when I was outside the urban areas and on a multi-day camping trip in rural Kenya. Here my needs are slightly different. I still need access to puncture repair kits, tubes and the compressor but I’ve also got panniers with me and quick access is less of a requirement. Instead, I want easy and quick access to snacks, drone batteries and a first aid kit. Right now, I’m using the Turkana Hippo Hips as panniers and as much as possible, I try to keep the weight low and to the side of the bike. As a result, the Pelliscase doesn’t get in the way… yet. If I was on a trip for any longer and needed to carry more stuff, it’d be strapped across the pillion seat and I think the case would quickly get in the way of making that possible. Additionally, if I were to upgrade my luggage to a soft, rackless set like the Mosko Moto Reckless or Tusk Highlanders, which I plan on doing in the future, the Pellicase would make the mounting impossible. Likely not a worry as both these options come with plenty of storage already. Different horses for different courses. For now though, it served as an easy to reach storage spot for the bare essentials.

It wasn’t without its issues though. Kenya is dusty. Very dusty and unless you’re leading the group or you’ve dropped far enough back from the lead rider, it’s almost impossible to remain dust free for long. In the raining seasons, it can also be very wet. This lethal combination means dust and mud manage to work their way into everything and unfortunately the Pelliscase wasn’t spared. After only a day on the road, the lock mechanism became super difficult to open. Most annoying was having to get the lock in the perfect perpendicular position to be able to withdraw the key after you’re done with the case. I spent more time than I would like doing the lock equivalent of trying to find neutral on a highly strung sports bike and then pulling the key out was a pain. 

Unfortunately this bugged me for the rest of the trip, though on returning to Nairobi, some WD-40 and wiggling seemed to sort the issue. Perhaps a small dust cover or seal for the lock in future models, could sort the issue. 

Parting thoughts

The Pelliscase certainly doesn’t deserve the reaction the reddit community gave it when it was released and flooded our feeds. It’s practical, well made and serves a useful purpose around town and for the short day trip where carrying needs are minimal. Between the space under the seat and the case, I have what I need permanently on the bike without needing to think about it and as a relatively new parent, the less things to think about, the better! Out in the bush however, there’s still a lot to prove. The stiff lock is not enough to stop me using it but its incompatibility with soft luggage systems might be, and that’s ok. It’ll still be a practical solution to a legitimate problem for urban riding.