SW-Motech Motorbike Baggage: Road-Rack, PRO Aspect Service, SysBag WP | Gear Evaluation

Not like taking a roadtrip in a automotive, the place you possibly can pack every thing however the kitchen sink, touring by bike requires you to be extra selective about what you convey. And no matter is in your “can’t depart dwelling with out it” checklist, you want a strategy to carry it on the bike. SW-Motech provides a bewildering array of bike baggage in varied shapes and sizes, together with carriers, racks, and adapters.

These choices enable for a customizable, modular method to kitting out your bike, all designed and manufactured with the standard and a spotlight to element so usually attributed to German engineering. SW-Motech additionally makes every kind of cool equipment for security, safety, navigation, and energy provide (beware: sitting down along with your favourite refreshing beverage and skimming their web site will result in temptation).

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Our 2022 Honda CB500X long-term check bike is an inexpensive, environment friendly, light-duty journey bike that’s good for solo touring, however in inventory type, it has neither baggage nor a baggage rack. We surfed over to SW-Motech’s U.S. web site, entered the yr, make, and mannequin into the “My Bike” filter, and clicked the “Baggage” product class.

First, we wished a strategy to carry baggage, so we ordered the Road-Rack ($252.95), a small rear rack with a number of tie-down factors that’s fabricated from black PU-coated 5mm aluminum. We solely deliberate to make use of the Road-Rack as a lashing level and provider for a tailbag, however SW-Motech additionally provides a rack extension, tank ring adapters for mounting a PRO tankbag, and a variety of adapters for varied types and types of prime instances.

Subsequent, we ordered the PRO Aspect Service ($350.95), which is fabricated from black powdercoated 2.5mm metal. Not solely is the aspect provider appropriate with SW-Motech’s personal baggage, however adapter kits are additionally obtainable to be used with Givi/Kappa, Hepco & Becker, Krauser, and Shad baggage.

For baggage, we ordered a SysBag WP M (Waterproof, Medium; $249.95) to make use of as a tailbag and two SysBag WP L (Massive; $399.95 every) saddlebags with adapter plates that enable them to be shortly mounted to or faraway from the PRO Aspect Service. The SysBag WP L has lashing straps, so for those who didn’t need the quick-release adapter plate, the bag alone is $319.95. Nevertheless, the straps have to be threaded by means of slots within the provider’s steel plates, so loaded baggage would doubtless transfer round, particularly throughout off-road using, which can put on on the straps over time. Given the comfort and added safety of the adapter plates, they’re value the additional cash.

As a result of I used to be midway around the globe testing the Royal Enfield Tremendous Meteor 650 in India (see my Royal Enfield Tremendous Meteor 650 First Trip evaluation right here), our esteemed former EIC and go-to mechanical guru Mark Tuttle was type sufficient to sort out the set up in my absence. From his set up notes: “Total a pleasant, heavy-duty system that was pretty simple to put in with a minimal of fiddling. Took me about two hours, largely as a result of every hanger on the adapter plates have to be secured with 4 @#$%& screws and nuts, or 32 pairs whole. SWM ought to preinstall these. IMHO putting in the system might be finest left to the (at the very least considerably) mechanically inclined, although the directions are clear, and it makes use of high-quality {hardware}.”

Set up of both the Road-Rack or the PRO Aspect Service requires eradicating the CB500X’s passenger seize handles, however the aspect provider arms can function safe handholds for a passenger. Though the directions name for drilling the rear fender to safe the rear horizontal help arm, Tuttle stated it wasn’t essential; it aligned simply sufficient with the license plate bracket holes.

A nifty function of the PRO Aspect Service are Fast-Lock fasteners that enable the provider to be eliminated with 1 / 4 flip, forsaking solely minimal attachment factors for a clear look. For the reason that fasteners are instantly behind the loop a part of the provider, securing them with a flathead screwdriver is hard. Nevertheless, SW-Motech sells a chrome steel Multitool Key Chain ($11.95) that features not solely a fastener instrument for PRO and EVO aspect carriers however hex keys in 5 sizes and a bottle opener. When you’re involved about theft, a Screw Set ($11.95) is accessible to exchange the Fast-Lock fasteners. 

As soon as the PRO Aspect Service and adapter plates are put in, it’s actually a snap to mount the 2 SysBag WP Ls to every aspect – simply line up the hangers on the pins, raise the discharge lever, and pop them proper on. The SysBag WP M was laid flat on the passenger seat and Road-Rack, and its straps had been used to safe it in place as a tailbag.

The SysBags are fabricated from TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) with rubber-like EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) elements and thermally welded seams, and so they have roll tops fabricated from 210 Ripstop TPU to maintain water and dirt out. They’ve strengthened handles, MOLLE patches for attaching equipment, eyelets for cable locks, Velcro fasteners for bundling extra strap lengths, and detachable internal pockets. An outer flap covers the roll tops and secures with quick-release buckles, and contained in the flap is a zippered pocket. The M bag’s quantity is expandable from 17-23 liters, and the L bag’s quantity is expandable from 27-40 liters. The L bag additionally has internal dividers and an simply accessible exterior compartment for stashing raingear, a thermal layer, or different gadgets.

Total, that is a powerful, high-quality setup that provides as much as 103 liters of storage on the Honda CB500X or different bike. One factor to bear in mind, nonetheless, is the added weight. The Road-Rack provides 6.2 lb; the SysBag WP L provides 6.4 lb per bag and three.0 lb per adapter plate, for a complete of 18.8 lb; and the SysBag WP M provides 4.2 lb. All in, that’s 29.2 lb earlier than including any gear.

The whole price of this setup is $1,677.65. Given the standard and flexibility, it’s an excellent funding in a baggage system that can final for years. The one query is, the place will you go first? A superb place to start out is the SW-Motech web site.

See all of Rider‘s baggage evaluations right here.