Even if you don't have a lot of permanently installed luggage on your bike, a drybag will hold a lot of stuff that you can then secure to the bike. It doesn't have to be dedicated motorcycle drybag either, but be sure to secure its straps.
Having tried pretty much everything else out there I now use ROK straps almost exclusively. You'd think they're giving me some kind of kickback. I wish that were the case, because I have spent a ton of money on these things over the years. Every time I meet someone who's never seen them before I end up giving them a set, and then buying more.
You may be laughing at the pink straps, too, but I have also found that it's so much easier to find things when everything isn't black. So often any motorcycle accessory is black, which is fine until they're all together in a pile or a bag, and then, especially in low light, it's impossible to find anything. So I tend toward brightly-colored accessories.
Sometimes you want to bring something like your ukulele with you on your motorcycle. Sometimes, you will have no other luggage and a bungee net is a fantastic option.
I have carried all kinds of things with this method: pizza, a bag of groceries, Be careful not to stretch the net so tight that you damage what you're tying down, but also be aware these nets have their limits. For example, never trust a bungee net to hold something heavy and smallish, like a gallon of milk.
Note that this is the smaller version of the two types of ROK straps, and they have a 42" capacity (which doesn't seem that small, except when you're talking about the circumference of a drybag, and then it is) and they're wee. They won't hold a lot of weight but they're just as handy as their beefier sibling.
These handy little loops fixed to my Givi case are called Bungee Buddies, and they are just what the little ROK straps call for. They require a little assembly (a drill and some liquid gasket to keep your case waterproof) but boy are they useful.
Make sure all your loose ends are tied up or tucked under. If you leave them loose and they're long, they can get all tangled up in your moving parts. If they're short, they have the potential to thwappity-thwappity-thwappity against you or the bike beating up on your paint or tapping you unto insanity. Tie up your loose ends, that's just good life advice.
If you are instead working with cam-buckle type 1-inch straps you may want to look into Footmen loops. They require 2 fasteners instead of the Bungee Buddy's one, but they're quite stout and are perfect for 1-inch webbing. You'll see these installed on a lot of aluminum adventure panniers.
I'm in luck here because I've installed a topcase rack on this bike, and that provides great tie-down points. You want to pick a hard part on your bike that is sturdy and has no sharp edges. Cross the straps for extra security.
Remember, these things are under tension. When you snap them together and pull the straps tight they're very secure, but the larger ones have an especially strong pull. If you release the clips without first relieving the tension on the straps you might be in for some injury. Loosen the straps first and THEN undo the clips.
No.
Just no.
Don't ever use these. Don't use the ones that are fabric-covered either. Bungee cords are a one-way ticket to pain. They are always too long or too short. Your stuff will squirm out from under them and into your rear wheel. One good bump has the potential to deposit your stuff into the road.
You always see these laying in the road because some bump has increased and very suddenly decreased its tension, giving it the opportunity to let go of its load and escape its tie-down point.
Realize that not everything that sticks out of your motorcycle is a good spot to tie something to. Turn signals are unfortunately very commonly broken off like this. I've seen people try to secure their motorcycle to a trailer by the bike's turn signal (predictably, it ended poorly).
Frame parts, luggage rack parts, passenger peg mounts? A-OK. Plastic parts, fairing edges, turn signals? Don't tie anything to those for any reason. At best you'll end up with broken plastic, at worst you'll end up with your stuff gone or a crashed bike.
We all need our motorcycles to carry stuff for us sometimes, and knowing how to do so safely and securely can sometimes mean the difference between a fun trip and being pulled over on the side of the road collecting the stuff that fell off.
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