For my use I prefer the functionality of a hard case for a tail bag/top box vs a soft bag for the added security, ease of use & IP65 water/dust rating that allows me to carry my tools, emergency & misc gear all the time + will accommodate a drone or other goodies. Tactix makes 3 sizes of this style of case which seems to be a sturdy, quality design that comes with 3 different layers of foam & is slightly larger than the Enduristan Large 15 liter Bag Topper I was using for a tail bag. Imho, it seems right sized & proportional to the T7, being the same width as the rear & front faring panels & not too tall.
Pelican, SKB, Nanuk, Seahorse, Meijia & HF Apache are popular North America brands offering cases in numerous sizes & shapes & had narrowed my selection down to the slightly smaller Seahorse SE530 or slightly larger SE630 that offers locking latches, in addition to the usual lid lock holes, until a local tool supply (Summit Tools) had the Tactix case on sale for $45 Canadian, less than 1/2 the price of the Seahorse, which already is very well priced vs most of the competition.
I like that the Tactix 2 stage latch remains clasped to the lid, preventing it from flopping open if it comes loose at the bottom & that the lid stays open at 90 degrees. I removed the case handle & opted for MasterLock 646T combination locks adding bicycle inner tubing to the metal housing to quell noise & prevent marring the case.
Specifications & Features
Exterior: L 16.4" x W 12.8" x H 7.0" or L 38 cm x W 26.7 cm x H 15.9cm
Interior: L 15.0" x W 10.5" x H 6.25" (case 4.5" + lid 1.75") or L 41.6 cm x W 32.5 cm x H 17.8 cm (case 14.0 cm + lid 4.4 cm)
Volume: 16.0 litres
Super strong construction
Waterproof & dustproof (IP65 rated)
Automatic Pressure Relief Valve to equalize pressure for easy openings
I mounted the case to my Yowling Luggage Rack (Chinese copy of the Altrider Luggage rack) using 1/4" ABS board under the case to more evenly distribute loading because of the tapered shape of the luggage rack that dictate the mounting bolt locations to the middle & forward area of the case & the amount of side & rear overhang.
Mounting Method
I incorporated an aluminum plate on the inside bottom of the case covered by a sheet of rubber matting, with large diameter snug fitting rubber bolt washers between the aluminum plate & the interior bottom of the case, 1/4" black ABS board on the exterior bottom of the case to fill in the void, with some 1/8" arena board sandwiched between it & external ribbing of the case & a layer of rubber matting between the ABS board & the rack in the hopes of improved durability & water sealing of all components. 6 x 35 mm button head bots, fender washers & nylock nuts tied it all together.
Tactix Large Case Mounted on T7
Other considerations for case size & positioning on the rack was having enough clearance to remove the passenger seat which slides back & up when unlocked & removed, not having too much overhang beyond the rack at the back for reduced pendulum effect & not being too wide to minimize clearance issues when my Giant Loop MotoTrek soft bags are mounted & wanted it situated inboard of the rear luggage racks to minimize damage potential in tip overs.
The full passenger seat area is available for use by a rider in technical riding or a pillion or a dry bag + the case lid overhang has enough space underneath to allow bungee cords/nets to strap items on top or for the Enduristan Bag Topper clamps to mount to. I may add some form of organizer or netting to the interior lid for added functionality...the Enduristan has several convenient & useful storage options in it's lid.
I liked the 15 litre size & other features of the waterproof Enduristan Bag Topper, but security was an issue requiring a lock on the zipper & an Abus 205 Combiloop cable lock to secure the bag to the rack + the front straps required loosening to facilitate rear seat removal....all of which eroded the convenience factor. On a recent 10 day 3,800 km trip I noticed a little dust had migrated into the bag at the back right corner...the raised fabric lip of the bag that the lid fits over had collapsed inward slightly in the corner.
Motoz Tractionator Rallz Tires For Tenere 700 Many riders seeking improved off-road performance vs the oem Pirelli STRs are going with the Motoz Tractionator Rallz tires in oem 90/90-21 54 TT front & 140/80 18 TT vs the oem 150/70 18 70 TL rear size. RideAdv, a tour company with a fleet of T7s in Australia, along with many others, have been successfully running a Pirelli Scorpion Rally 140 rear size on the oem MT 4.00" safety/tubeless rear wheel. Most adopters of the 140 rear vs the 150 oem size are motivated by improved off-road performance, higher speed rating, less weight & cost. Noted trade offs are that the 140 width tire is ~ 0.55" or 14 mm taller with a diameter of 681 mm vs the 150 667 mm (check for clearance with the oem shock/swing arm plastic mud flap), noisier, less proficient on the road & may unseat the bead with low tire pressures due to it's narrower bead spacing & sometimes softer carcass when used ...
Tenere 700 Throttle Body Sync Procedure At 12k km it was time to check my 2021 Tenere 700's throttle body sync, which I suspect is out a little, as the bike is no longer quite as smooth as it once was. This requires some form of vacuum gauge & about 1 hour to remove body panels & tank to gain access to the throttle bodies, sync them & put it all back together....not a difficult job, just a little time consuming. Bike Specs 2021 Tenere 700 Canadian model (Japan Factory) 12, 218 km 7,591 miles oem original spark plugs valve clearance oem factory Guglatech Ultra 4 Air Filter + FunnellWebFilters Pre-Filter Chevron regular 87 RON unleaded fuel Required Tools #4 & #5 allen, T30 Torx, small diameter punch for push pin connectors, long needle nose pliers, small slotted screwdriver differential manometer or vacuum gauges - years ago I made an inexpensive & easy to make differential monometer that consists of about 6 meters or 20' of 5/16th" OD/3/16th" ...
An ABS on/off switch (mounted to the left of TPMS on my custom dash in-fill plate) wired inline with the oem 30 amp ABS Motor fuse located in the relay just above the battery. The speedo/dash & traction control still work vs tapping into the 7.5 amp ABS Control Unit fuse or 20 amp ABS Solenoid fuse. It allows simple deactivation of the ABS, but reactivating still requires cycling the ignition off & on to reset the system. The switch is 35 amps w/on/off plate, screw terminals & waterproof rubber boot. Wiring harness is 12 gauge & a 30 amp in-line waterproof fuse holder (connected to the hot side) + ample dialectric grease on all connections & exposed metal. The spade terminals plug into the oem fuse receptacle in the relay just above the battery. Blue lock tight used on all threads.
Comments
Post a Comment