Sw-motech side racks good for off-road use??

[DesertFox]

Hi
My name's Gonçalo and I'm a Honda's XRV 750 Africa Twin owner (RD07). I use it for everyday commuting and occasional off-road trips on weekends and holidays. Me and a group of friends take our big trails off the beaten path in Portugal and Africa. (check www.nomadstrail.net)

I usually use softbags on a GIVI rack. Now i bougth a second hand Hepcko & Becker's Gobi hardcases and pretend to use them om my AT. I don't have the H&B racks and i'm looking for a alternative.
Found SW-Motech's material (Quick Lock with Gobi adapter) and saw it on the local importer. It looks like good material and well done, but i need some assurance for its use on off-road!!

Not that i'm going to do any Dakar with my RD07 but trepidation and some fallings can harm a rack a lot! Can it hold a full loaded Gobi cases on an hard environment, with bumps and same falling? i'm talking on a 230kg motorcycle, full loaded and a 80kg driver!

Sw-motech said that those racks weren't meant to do off-road and the warranty doesn't cover that kind of use! But said that know some guys did some pistes with that!

Other thing: these racks are mounted way to high....it's because of muffler and to put the bags simetric....great but doesn't it make it worst to control?

I'd aprecciate your opinion and some pics of your sw racks....and everytime you're in Portugal we can do some dirt roads....

cheers

[DesertFox]

I've just mounted the sw-motech quick lock side racks. I've fitted the H&B Gobi cases on it......i'll make a road test, and a off-road test......and then let's see if it handles allrigth!

It looks much more sturdy than the givi racks......and much better paint job.....but it looks a bit prone to loose a bit...let's see with the tests.

cheers

[Ashley]

Hi just a word of warning about your H&B Gobi cases my friend fitted these to his KTM the first trip we did off road and 10 minutes in to the ride and the catch had broken. they did replace it for him but i don't think is't built for off road.

[DesertFox]

Hi....in my KTM i would only mount Touratech panniers....with all those vibes i think it's the only thing that stands on!

What's the "Catch" anyway?

[DesertFox]

Here are some photos...i'm trying it before this weekend trip to the interior....they vibe a lot...but with the GIVI Topcase they don't.

I'm not sure if it stands a fall to the side??







off the road:

[mladen]

I want to ask some questions, because I have already ask these questions to SW-Motech twice, but they didn't replay to me.

1. How is the stability of the bike, because the cases are mounted very
high?
2. How much do your cases weight when they are fully loaded?
3. How wide is the @ with the cases and how wide is the case itself?

I was considering to buy the SW motech rack for Givi lagguage, but I was very concerned about the stability and the strenght of the rack because I have two Givi Maxia 50l. They are 11kg fully loaded each and 28cm wide.
Wath do you think?

[DesertFox]

Hi
They took me (at sw-motech) at least 1 month to answer my questions!
If they take this much time to answer someone who wants to buy their products i imagine when one have a complaint!!! (after they have the money there!)

This is day 1 with those racks....i'm still trying them!

1) The stability

I haven't notest big differences without weigth. This morning i filled the cases and you just can't curve as fast as without cases. When i'm on a trip i usually am more "cautious" and slow than in everyday commuting....

It's better thou to avoid obstacles and the cases are not so wide. The passenger goes better seated as well but it's more difficult to get in and out of the bike!

2) Weigth

Don't know...but their ligther than alu boxes. and the inner volume is not very much...you can't carry as much than in alu ones. (i fitted a rucksack that filled one box entirelly. That same rucksack filled only the "lower basket" of the GIVI top-case....i had all top basket to fill!!)

3) wide

I have to measure it....it's big....it's my car as i call it but it's not wider than with other racks for sure...it saves the muffler espace!


The cons of this racks/cases is the vibrations....it vibes a lot...it's better to lean than brake, but i believe it is going to brake somewhere......don't know where nor when......

Anyone with experience???

[mladen]

Thanks for your answers!

I bought a few days ago the Five Stars panniers for Givi lagguage. They are very strong, the cases are mounted about 3-4cm lower than with the original Givi panniers, they are almost simetrical, but my @ with Givi maxia cases is 116cm wide (my previous bike TDM850 was 96cm wide). I think this is too much. Wit the original Givi panniers and Maxia cases my @ is 110cm wide. Maybe I will try to sell the five stars panniers and buy the original Givi. I don't thing I will go for the SW-motech.

[Simon]

talking about pannier racks, the guy (Paul) i bought my @ of has a brother who also has an @. I agreed a price with him for the pannier frames and Paul was going to get them for me from his brother. The brother took them off his @ and left them out for Paul but some idiot reversed into his garage in a van and over the frames! I've been phoning Paul for weeks trying to remind him and then this happens when he eventually remembered! Makes me want to scream!

[DesertFox]

...at lunch time i went to the field...on my "SW-Motech off road testing" and reached this huge downslope. Started going down...in the middle wished that my AT had reverse! a 4X4 passed there and opened a big ditch...the bike "sunk" on the ditch. hopefully i have the Karoo fitted and the bike didn't slip. The ditch side-walls passed over the sump proteccion, and could almost hide the muffler....and didn't reach the Gobi cases!!!!

1 point to the SW-motech racks!