SW-MOTECH LEGEND GEAR

Not all Backroads scribes call the northeast home. Being Backroads’ semi-staff and living out in Joshua Tree, CA gives my husband and me a great opportunity to do some testing of products and attending events that the honchos at Backroads Central tend to miss on this time of year.

I recently lusted and landed a Ducati Scrambler, and with its lightweight (430 lbs.) and low seat height, it was the perfect combination of power and size I was looking for to match my big wanderlust, but small stature.

Although the Ducati seemed to do everything I needed it to do it was lacking any sort of luggage. Its cool retro looks cried for motorcycle luggage that would add to the Scrambler’s avor – not take away from it.

Last year we attended the AIMExpo, in Las Vegas, and saw SW-Motech’s Legend Gear. Since 1999 this German-based company has quickly grown into one of the largest suppliers and innovators in the motorcycle market.

Later, at Austin’s MotoGP, we were able to spend some time with Sarah Schilke from SW-Motech, where she gave us an in-depth look at their Legend Gear Luggage.

The Legend line combines modern technology with a wonderful retro look that would compliment the Ducati, and the ample capacity of nearly 14 liters allows me to carry all the gear I need while on the road on longer tours. Well, everything but my drums. The luggage – both saddle bags and the tail bag - are made with a combination of black coated canvas sailing material and a tough, yet attractive, brown Napalon synthetic leather. This was exactly the look I was in search of. Installation, which can sometimes be tricky, was incredibly easy by using SW-Motech’s Saddle Strap SLS. Although we had the tail bag as well, it also doubles as a backpack – which worked for me as the Scrambler has a solo seat and no real place to attach the bag; but it easily attached to my husband’s Yamaha XSR900 – and looked great on this Japanese retro machine as well. To round out the ensemble, I added the Legend Gear tank strap set, also with a retro design. The MOLLE system of loops on these tank straps allow for exible but secure attachment of other accessory bags or for fast access to sunglasses or such. Let me tell you, whatever the song says… it does rain in southern California. But that is not an issue as the Legend Gear has roll closures and waterproof inner bags, so those sneaky and hard storms were ridden through without a worry that my gear would be soaked. The combination of well-thought-out design combined with the durable materials and attractive look make the Legend Line of motorcycle luggage from SW-Motech the perfect choice for riders who want modern stowage and carry-all capacity while keeping that retro look. The Saddle Bags list for $425 and the Tail Bag for $166 and all come with a two-year warranty. For a bit more stability, I also added a side stand foot. This durable extension has a large contact surface for enhanced stability, even on uneven ground and soft soil. I never hurts to have a little extra balance when parking the bike. Made of anodized aluminum alloy with a stainless steel mounting bracket, the side stand foot is simply mounted onto the original side stand using three screws.

The Legend Gear and accessories from SWMotech can be found @ sw-motech.us. , ~ Ya’el Rallis