I’ve been into journey touring since I started work on the Final Motorcycling Yamaha Ténéré 700 Venture Bike two years in the past. My preliminary plan was to have huge panniers and fill them as wanted for every journey. I’ve discovered that day journeys don’t require such giant baggage, and weeks-long journeys require higher group than all the pieces in huge open luggage. The SW-Motech Drybag 80 and 180 tail luggage are a good way to prepare cargo for day journeys and week-long excursions, and their modular utility makes them so helpful.
The SW-Motech 8-liter Drybag 80 ($90) and 18-liter Drybag 180 ($80 MSRP) tail luggage are fabricated from 500D polyester with waterproof PVC-coated in and out. After a number of rain rides, the waterproofing declare is confirmed in our testing.
The Drybag 180 has a utility zipper entrance pocket that’s splash-resistant, however not waterproof. I’ve gone with smaller panniers, and once I want extra house, I can connect the SW-Motech Drybags. The 180 securely attaches on high of my smooth panniers, the highest of my arduous pannier, or to the seat part behind me. It can be carried as a shoulder bag or folded flat for storage.
I can match into the Drybag 180 all the garments I took on my final 8-day street journey:
- 2 pairs of Kevlar-reinforced using pants w/ knee armor
- 1 pair of light-weight cargo pants
- 2 T-shirts
- 2 underwear
- 1 pair of boot compression socks
- 1 pair of lengthy underwear
- 1 windproof, heat underlayer shirt
- Toiletries
The SW-Motech Drybag 180 comes with 4 30-inch buckle straps and one shoulder strap. The 4 buckle straps have a loop at one finish and a male buckle on the different. You make a slipknot with the loop, making a safe, common connection to virtually any tube or body member in your bike.
The SW-Motech Drybag 80 can be utilized as a tank bag, crash-bar bag, or tail bag, or they are often hooked up to the aspect or high of panniers. Its distinctive V form facilitates stuffing, although the fixed-length buckles that safe the highest to the bottom don’t enable for overstuffing vertically—the one detrimental for the Drybag 80. The highest roll buckle straps don’t have any adjustment, so you’re required to take care of a water-proof high roll.
I don’t journey in locations the place I’ll submerge the bike, so I may use the house that one much less high roll would give me. I crammed the Drybag 80 with each restore software I carry, and I may have match my rear axle wrench and my 12-volt air pump in there if I may safe the highest with one much less waterproofing roll.
The Drybag 80 makes use of a three-point strap system, and the Drybag 180 makes use of 4 straps. They keep safe with no bouncing, slipping, or strap loosening. SW-Motech has a two-year guarantee on its baggage methods in opposition to defects. Though I’ve by chance crash-tested a number of the merchandise I reviewed, that didn’t occur this time. Nonetheless, based mostly on in depth expertise with SW-Motech merchandise, I count on the Drybag 80 and 180 will present years of high quality service.
I now have my every-ride carries, my cold-weather carries, my hot-weather carries, my in a single day carries, my week carries, and my tenting carries. Utilizing a modular methodology, I effectively pack what I want for the journey and go away the remaining dwelling. The SW-Motech Drybag 80 is mounted to my entrance left crash bar with my each journey instruments, and the SW-Motech Drybag 180 tail bag is mounted behind me, the place I can simply entry or put away clothes layers. The utility of modular packing is one thing I’m studying to completely recognize.
SW-Motech Drybag Overview Photograph Gallery
