A universal tail bag is my go-to method to mount luggage on a motorcycle and my SW-Motech Drybag 350 has served me well over the past two and a half years. The mounting process is fairly straightforward and involves four straps with quick release buckles. Once you tighten the straps enough, it stays in place and doesn’t move around.
I’ve mounted it on a variety of two-wheelers, including my KTM 390 Duke, Aprilia Tuono V4, as well as our long-term Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 and Bajaj Pulsar N250 – and on one occasion even on my Suzuki Access 125.
The Drybag 350 is constructed using PVC coated 500D polyester and the company claims it is 100 percent waterproof. I’ve ridden through a heavy downpour with this bag strapped to the back of the bike and I’m happy to report that the contents inside were as dry as when I had packed them.
Since the tail bag, by virtue of where you mount it, inevitably hangs off the sides of the bike’s seat, you have to be careful how you pack it. The first few occasions where I hadn’t done that mindfully, the Drybag would lean over to one side, but it wasn’t such a serious concern that you had to stop riding.
SW-Motech has also given the Drybag 350 some reflective strips on each side so no matter which way you mount it, you’ll make yourself visible when riding in the dark. Not that my bag in this very bright neon yellow colour really needs it but if you choose to go for it in a more muted colour option this would come in handy. The only niggle I have is that the neon yellow colour is very hard to keep clean but again this shouldn’t be an issue if you go for a darker colour.
This bag is pretty sturdy too and in one low-speed crash when a distracted truck driver ran me into the divider, it even protected the rear of my 390 Duke. It came out of all this relatively unscathed, with a broken prong on one of the buckles and a few minor scuffs. While this can’t be used as the standard to which the Drybag will hold up to in other potential crashes, it does prove that this is a pretty sturdy thing.
Overseas the SW-Motech Drybag 350 costs about the same as a comparable one from Viaterra or Rynox but after accounting for our import duties it costs Rs 6,900. As always, what you are paying for is the badge and the promise of quality and engineering that it brings. Whether you choose to pay more for all that over the commendable Indian ones is a choice that’s entirely up to you.
Where: bigbadbikes.com, speedmerchant.in
Price: Rs 6,900
