SW-Motech Trip Tankbag - mini-review and questions

I just installed the Bags Connection Trip tankbag for the SW-Motech gascap conection. I got the bag from Wunderlich at the last Int'l Motorcycle Show, but its the same as the one sold by twistedthrottle.com.

Installation is no big deal once you can see what to do. The German/English instructions do leave a bit to be desired. I made use of a tutorial in PDF the link for which is on twistedthrottle.

One problem was the drill bit. While SW Motech used to send the correct sized drill bit (5.5mm, in this case), they don't anymore. Not to worry, as a trusty 7/32" drill bit works just fine (5.5mm=0.2165", and 7/32"=0.2188"). The screw is 5mm (or 0.1969"), and the washer is 5.3mm (or 0.2087"), so what you need is a drill bit that'll let the screw through, but not swallow the washer, and 7/32 is just 3/1000 bigger than 5.5mm, so it worked like a charm.

One of the cool things about the product is that you can decide how close or far you want it from you. I have mine so that its as far back, or close to me, as possible. I marked my spots to drill by putting a thin nail in each hole of the attachment piece and whacking it with a small hammer to leave enough indentation so I could see it. The directions say to put a piece of wood in the bag as you drill, but a power drill goes through the plastic so quickly that its not necessary. After the holes are drilled it installs easily.

The fit and finish are very clean. At 3.5 ltrs its small (it'll expand to 6 ltrs), but I think I'll like it as I prefer a smaller tankbag. Nothing fancy inside: no pockets or dividers, etc... If I want a larger tank bag for whatever reason, any of the SW Motech bags will fit on the gas cap connector. And, true to the term "Quick-Lock", it snaps on and off with ease. Nothing touches the bike, and unlike the Marsee Corona there's no magnets flying around everytime its removed. It ought to be a good product. Here's a pic that I stole from another website:



See that rectangular "window" in the top of the case? Its for a cell phone so you can look down and "see who is calling." IMHO is a ridiculous idea as my cell phone will be in my pocket so if I'm thrown from the bike I can get to it. In any event, the window doesn't otherwise detract from what seems to be a well made product.

Here're my questions for those of you who know more about this product than I do:

• I notice that on twistedthrottle.com there's a mapholder designed to fit on the bag, but the only pictures I can find don't show how it attaches. I can see on the front of the bag it attaches to two D rings on the bag. But how about the back of the mapholder?
• Why are there two extra snaps on the front of the tank bag? The middle snap is for the loop that releases the tank bag, but why the othes?
• Why the softer "loop" side of a velcro fastener on the back of the tank bag? I'm assuming it has something to do with the mapholder. Anybody know for sure?

mistercindy said:

I just installed the Bags Connection Trip tankbag for the SW-Motech gascap conection. I got the bag from Wunderlich at the last Int'l Motorcycle Show, but its the same as the one sold by twistedthrottle.com.

Installation is no big deal once you can see what to do. The German/English instructions do leave a bit to be desired. I made use of a tutorial in PDF the link for which is on twistedthrottle.

One problem was the drill bit. While SW Motech used to send the correct sized drill bit (5.5mm, in this case), they don't anymore. Not to worry, as a trusty 7/32" drill bit works just fine (5.5mm=0.2165", and 7/32"=0.2188"). The screw is 5mm (or 0.1969"), and the washer is 5.3mm (or 0.2087"), so what you need is a drill bit that'll let the screw through, but not swallow the washer, and 7/32 is just 3/1000 bigger than 5.5mm, so it worked like a charm.

One of the cool things about the product is that you can decide how close or far you want it from you. I have mine so that its as far back, or close to me, as possible. I marked my spots to drill by putting a thin nail in each hole of the attachment piece and whacking it with a small hammer to leave enough indentation so I could see it. The directions say to put a piece of wood in the bag as you drill, but a power drill goes through the plastic so quickly that its not necessary. After the holes are drilled it installs easily.

The fit and finish are very clean. At 3.5 ltrs its small (it'll expand to 6 ltrs), but I think I'll like it as I prefer a smaller tankbag. Nothing fancy inside: no pockets or dividers, etc... If I want a larger tank bag for whatever reason, any of the SW Motech bags will fit on the gas cap connector. And, true to the term "Quick-Lock", it snaps on and off with ease. Nothing touches the bike, and unlike the Marsee Corona there's no magnets flying around everytime its removed. It ought to be a good product. Here's a pic that I stole from another website:

See that rectangular "window" in the top of the case? Its for a cell phone so you can look down and "see who is calling." IMHO is a ridiculous idea as my cell phone will be in my pocket so if I'm thrown from the bike I can get to it. In any event, the window doesn't otherwise detract from what seems to be a well made product.

Here're my questions for those of you who know more about this product than I do:

• I notice that on twistedthrottle.com there's a mapholder designed to fit on the bag, but the only pictures I can find don't show how it attaches. I can see on the front of the bag it attaches to two D rings on the bag. But how about the back of the mapholder?
• Why are there two extra snaps on the front of the tank bag? The middle snap is for the loop that releases the tank bag, but why the othes?
• Why the softer "loop" side of a velcro fastener on the back of the tank bag? I'm assuming it has something to do with the mapholder. Anybody know for sure?

Click to expand...

Congrats! I have been using this very bag for several years now - an essential part of my touring inventory.

As for the map case, it attaches to the top (wider) part of the bag at the two D-rings. The holder comes with two plastic clips, and they just snap onto the rings. The bottom of the map case has a velcro flap. This is what connects to the "loop" side fastener on the bottom (narrower) side of the bag.

That way, you can undo the velcro and flip the map case out of the way to get into the bag, without loosing possession of the map holder.

You might consider mounting the bag 'upsidedown,' so to speak, with the narrow end closest to the handlebars. That way, when you turn the handlebars full to the left or full to the right, you do not make contact with the bag itself (and blast your horn in an embarrassing fashion) when doing tight parking maneuvers at rest stops, gas stations, motels, etc.

Enjoy the bag - I love it!

Greenwald said:

Congrats! I have been using this very bag for several years now - an essential part of my touring inventory.

As for the map case, it attaches to the top (wider) part of the bag at the two D-rings. The holder comes with two plastic clips, and they just snap onto the rings. The bottom of the map case has a velcro flap. This is what connects to the "loop" side fastener on the bottom (narrower) side of the bag.

That way, you can undo the velcro and flip the map case out of the way to get into the bag, without loosing possession of the map holder.

You might consider mounting the bag 'upsidedown,' so to speak, with the narrow end closest to the handlebars. That way, when you turn the handlebars full to the left or full to the right, you do not make contact with the bag itself (and blast your horn in an embarrassing fashion) when doing tight parking maneuvers at rest stops, gas stations, motels, etc.

Enjoy the bag - I love it!

Click to expand...

Thank you! That answers my mapholder and velcro question! I'll be ordering the mapholder before the day is out!

I considered installing it "upside down." Before installing I slid the bag forward and back on my connector which I'd already attached to the gas cap. On my 12GS, when the bag was as forward as it can be there was minimal contact (not enough to depress the horn), and when the bag was back as far as it can be there is no contact at all. Its one of the reasons I drilled my holes to be far back. I see that you ride a 12RT. I read on the twistedthrottle site that a 12RT owner mounted his bag "upside down" just for that very reason (maybe the pic is of your bike?!?). But it seems like that issue isn't there with the 12GS, particularly if the bag is pulled back toward the rider.

Any thought about those two extra snaps in front?

mistercindy said:

Thank you! That answers my mapholder and velcro question! I'll be ordering the mapholder before the day is out!

I considered installing it "upside down." Before installing I slid the bag forward and back on my connector which I'd already attached to the gas cap. On my 12GS, when the bag was as forward as it can be there was minimal contact (not enough to depress the horn), and when the bag was back as far as it can be there is no contact at all. Its one of the reasons I drilled my holes to be far back. I see that you ride a 12RT. I read on the twistedthrottle site that a 12RT owner mounted his bag "upside down" just for that very reason (maybe the pic is of your bike?!?). But it seems like that issue isn't there with the 12GS, particularly if the bag is pulled back toward the rider.

Any thought about those two extra snaps in front?

Click to expand...

Oops! I forgot to answer that question. Sorry.

The SW-Motech system offers a GPS/PDA bracket that snaps onto those mounted on the front of your bag. It would be item # BCK.GPS.00.010.100 in the Twisted Throttle inventory. You then mount your GPS to this bracket.

It's rarely used, however, as most riders (myself included) use a RAM mount to hold our GPS, rather than marry it to the bag.