RZ350’s Gen II Mods, Part 20 - Tankbag Mounting

Link to all my Gen II mods

Modularity between bikes is the key to this tank bag system. As with many of my farkles, they originated on the Tiger and when the FJR came along, I tried to adapt the accessory to the new bike.

I fabricated some very simple hooks to install on the Tiger and then attached a fixed loop in front and a bungee cord loop at the rear of the bag to reach out and catch them. The short high-domed shape of the Tiger tank lent itself well this method of mounting and taking the bag on and off was extremely easy. Magnetic tank bags were not feasible because the Tiger’s fiberglass tank. I now have two Marsee bags that attach in the same way, with one being small and the other being expandable in height.









Now enter the FJR. Although the fuel capacity is about the same as the Tiger, its tank is much longer and permanently mounted “hooks” for the bungee cord system just weren’t going to work to my satisfaction. They would have to reach halfway across the tank and would be an eyesore when the bag was not installed. Over the years, I’ve been seeing systems that utilize the bolts around the gas fill area to mount a base for a hovering tank bag. (link to SW-MOTECH) Very cool I thought, but was reluctant to try this on the Tiger’s fiberglass tank for fear of them ripping out the molded-in nuts. I decided the FJR gas fill ring would probably be adequate as a foundation for the quick-disconnect system, so I ordered a set. I then fabricated a base plate that has formed-in hooks to match the position of the Tiger bag mount hooks. So this base plate more or less becomes an adapter for the FJR to allow a complete modular bag system.









Tank Bag Installed











I carry one of the bags to work every day, but normally store it in my top case during the commute. If I pick up some supplies on the way home and need some additional luggage space, I slap the bag on the tank. No problem for the Tiger - the hooks are always in place waiting to be used. On the FJR, however, I don’t normally ride around with the adapter plate installed (would look a bit unsightly), so I decided to store it on the bike somewhere when not in use. I modified one of the side cases to hold it in such a way that it would not take up too much luggage space. A turn of a knob releases it from the holder.









When I stop for gas with the bag installed, I simply hit the latch (little red tab in close-up picture) and pop the adapter plate off including the bag. The whole thing hovers over the tank and doesn’t scratch/scuff the paint.

JUST A FOLLOWUP TO THIS FARKLE...

For those rides when I don’t want a large bag sitting on the gas tank, I put together this little mini-bag to hold my cell phone and FRS radio. It uses the same SW-MOTECH mounting system so it snaps on fast. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work on the Tiger, but oh well - you can’t have everything.

The little case is something I picked up on clearance at the local Staples office supply store a while back. It has an amp and speakers built in and was meant to store and play an IPod/MP3 player. Quality is okay, but I’m not sure how it will hold up in the rain. At $3/case, I bought a couple for spares, just in case.

ADD YET ANOTHER TANKBAG TO THE COLLECTION...

My wife had one of the magnetic CORTECH Super Mini bags lying around and just out of curiosity, I decided to stick it to the FJR. What I found is that it really fits nicely with my pulled back handlebars and doesn’t interfere with the controls when the fork goes lock to lock. The bigger Marsee bags did, but they where floppy enough to just move out of the way (unless they were packed too full!). It fit so well, IMHO, that I couldn’t resist buying one for the FJR. I’m not a big fan of magnetic bags, not because I worry about them flying off (they really do stick well), but because they are in direct contact with the paint. And the paint on the FJR is not the most durable I have seen before. So I opted for the less desirable (and therefore cheaper) strap-mount style, since I was planning to use the SW-Motech quick-disconnect system anyway.



Rather than just cutting the buckles off, I decided to make a small aluminum base plate to help support the bag hovering over the tank, move it back some, and also let it sit at a slight angle for better map viewing. The mating half of the three buckles attach to the underside this base plate via the blue cable ties (stole that simple but effective tip from the internet) as does the female half of the Sw-Motech ring. Because there ends up being a small gap between the mount ring and the base plate, it made a perfect storage spot for one of those kickstand plate thingies most people need from time to time. If you look closely, you will see some little clear stick-on bumpers on the rear buckle that protect the tank when the bag swings down to release from its mount.



I added a little bag (actually a golf ball storage bag) to store the rain cover and help “hide” the exposed front of the Motech ring for a finished look. It lets me pull the cover out without opening the main bag and getting everything wet when it’s pouring out.





Out of the box, this mini bag has some nice features. First, it has a somewhat rigid shell, so it holds its shape pretty good full or empty. The map pocket snaps off so you can take it into the restaurant and plan the next route. It’s still big enough to hold my wallet, FRS radio, cell phone, camera, and GPS AquaBox when it’s time to stop for the day.



These pictures give a little more detail on the spot where the AquaBox stores when not in use. I made a divider system out of white vinyl house siding material (I had some scraps lying around) that holds and protects it. In the second picture, the AquaBox is sitting in the same orientation as it would be inside the cradle, just set to the side to show more detail. The stereo amp is mounted in front with the blue cable ties. This keeps it in easy reach to turn it on/off and swap batteries. Speaking of batteries, since there was some extra space down in that hole, I mounted some AA and AAA battery holders (available at Radio Shack for about $2/ea) to the dividers to hold fresh batteries for the amp, camera, and FRS radio. Cut the leads off so there is no potential to short out your batteries! I’m holding the rear divider back in the picture, but small bungee cords hold the AquaBox tight in its nook. Small pieces of black tubing on the cord keep it from closing up all the way when the AquaBox is not there. The cords also cradle the AquaBox securely to keep it from sliding side-to-side. I added a small pouch with money clip to the back divider to hold some quick accessible cash and extra SD memory cards for the GPS.





As I was making this new bag setup, I kept checking to make sure it would also fit on the Tiger. Hopefully, all I need to do is add one of my spare SW-Motech rings to the gas filler and I’m finished. I was hesitant to use this system with the larger Marsee bags, but I think this lightweight setup will be fine on that plastic tank.

I’m not ready to sell the Marsee bags yet, however, they will still be my bag of choice for back and forth to work.

Great farkles. Where did you get the top rings for the tank bags? Twisted Throttle refused to sell me a top ring when I tried to buy one for a project. They said it was a liabilty issue. I have the tank mounts on my FJR and WeeStrom and lots of tank bags I would like to adapt with the top ring.

rfulcher said:

Great farkles. Where did you get the top rings for the tank bags? Twisted Throttle refused to sell me a top ring when I tried to buy one for a project. They said it was a liabilty issue. I have the tank mounts on my FJR and WeeStrom and lots of tank bags I would like to adapt with the top ring.

Click to expand...

Thanks rfulcher.

If you are familiar with "Held" motorcycle products (from Germany and sold at BMW dealers), their tankbags used the same SW-Motech system. They offered a BMW kit under p/n 4007-705, which included both mating pieces and a price of $30. It was a great deal because they sold the bike-specific tank ring to match their bags for $25 each. So basically, you got the female bag ring for $5 extra. I bought a couple kits at local dealers but wished I would have scooped up a few more, now. This was about two years ago and it doesn't appear they are selling bags anymore. They have a US office (I believe in NC) and the guy I talked to there was very nice. Back then they were willing to sell as many kits to me as I wanted. I suggest you give them a call and see if they still have any remaining kits to sell. If yes, please post back here, as I might be interested to have a spare on the shelf. Thanks.

RZ350 said:

If you are familiar with "Held" motorcycle products (from Germany and sold at BMW dealers), their tankbags used the same SW-Motech system. They offered a BMW kit under p/n 4007-705, which included both mating pieces and a price of $30. It was a great deal because they sold the bike-specific tank ring to match their bags for $25 each. So basically, you got the female bag ring for $5 extra. I bought a couple kits at local dealers but wished I would have scooped up a few more, now. This was about two years ago and it doesn't appear they are selling bags anymore. They have a US office (I believe in NC) and the guy I talked to there was very nice. Back then they were willing to sell as many kits to me as I wanted. I suggest you give them a call and see if they still have any remaining kits to sell. If yes, please post back here, as I might be interested to have a spare on the shelf. Thanks.

Click to expand...

Just a followup... Here is the link to Held USA Tank Bags. They have a "Slide System" now and I have no idea what that is. Maybe they developed a new system to replace the SW-Motech parts (???)