Set my T7 up for Touring

[Jayzonk]

Hey T7 owners, 

I've had aluminum boxes on previous bikes wanted to try something lighter on the T7.  I'm trying to be conscious about how much weight I'm adding to the rear of the bike, as I want to preserve good overall balance and front end feel.  I really didn't do anything to ground-breaking but it did take some trial and error to find the gear that I think offers a significant amount of storage volume for the least amount of weight.  

I ended up using the Yamaha OEM tail rack, which weighs about 14 pounds.  I thought this was going to be a mistake,  but it's working out pretty good.  Because it's got a Givi Monokey plate, I could easily attach a Givi Canyon tail bag, which holds 40 litres and weighs a touch over 4 pounds.  

I also added an Enduristan waterproof roll bag (40 litres), and two large Enduristan soft side panniers (12 litres each).  

This gives me 40+40+12+12=104 litres of storage.   All four bags together weigh 12.3 pounds.   Combined with a 13 pound rear carrier, the entire setup weighs about 25 pounds.   

I've had to do some strap trimming to get everything set up, amd there's a little more to do yet,  but it's coming.  

[Toymaster]

Pics or it didn't happen.

[Jayzonk]

Stage 1: added the Techspec rubber pads for the rear to give the sides some grip for the soft panniers.  I wasn't crazy about covering up the original panels but I didn't see any alternatives if I wanted the soft bags to stay in place.  

[Jayzonk]

I should back up and tell you that I had already added the OEM rear carrier and the OEM rear seat carrier (mono seat) for holding extra bags on a firm surface.  

Edited March 13 by Jayzonk
Spelling

[Jayzonk]

This is the OEM rack made by Givi.   It has the posts and the tab to accept any Givi Monokey rack.  I will later attach a Givi Canyon 40 litre bag to this rack. It's a soft pack with a rigid plate for solidly attaching it to the rack, which saves having to strap the bag down.  It's lightweight too, approximately 4.5 pounds in total.  

 Notice the extra loops with holes that slip underneath these screws under the seat.  I don't currently use the loops but I may in the future.  Came from Kriega.

Edited March 12 by Jayzonk

[Jayzonk]

Here is the Givi Canyon soft tail pack, with a picture of the rigid Monokey base underneath.  The rigidity extends beyond the plate and includes the entire rectangular portion of the underside.  You can see the mounting slots and the latch for connecting to the Monokey plate, plus you can see the corresponding connections on the carrier.

 

Edited March 12 by Jayzonk

[Jayzonk]

The next stage:  adding the Enduristan Blizzard soft panniers.  

I've added a stock photo of the Blizzards so you can see the rubberized inside surface, which will mate against the rubber surface of the Techspec pads.  

I took the two-inch cross straps and pulled them out of the port side bag.  I bought some extra two-inch poly webbing and ram it through the buckles on that side and added plastic clips on that end and the end of the straps on the starboard side.   I tightened them up and trimmed the excess webbing.  Hang loaded panniers across your bike to determine how long you should leave your straps.  

I also sewed extra elastic ribbons and slipped them around the straps to keep the ends lying flat while riding, instead of flailing around in the wind.  

I also trimmed the one inch rear connection straps and added additional elastic ribbons to hold those straps in place. 

[Jayzonk]

Here is the rear of the bike, showing the connection strap.  The two metal buckles fit conveniently into the underside of the tail light bracket. It's a perfect fit.   You have to look hard to see the rear strap, but it's there.  I can always take some more pictures.  

Edited March 13 by Jayzonk

[Jayzonk]

Here are all the bags for the set-up: the two Blizzard panniers (12 litres each),  the Blizzard Tornado roll top bag (I think it's 30 litres, not 40), and the Givi Canyon Monokey tail bag (40 litres).  Total weight is 5.6kg, or 12.3 pounds.  

Edited March 13 by Jayzonk

[Jayzonk]

For comparison purposes, you could consider an aluminum pannier set , an accessory bag, and a top box by SW Motech.  I really like the quality of their stuff and I've always had good luck with the fitment.  This set weighs 76.2 pounds and offers 150 litres of storage (120 litres with the panniers and an additional 30 litres with the accessory bag that lashes to a pannier top).  This is 59 litres more than my soft bag setup but it also weighs three times the amount.   I guess which one is right would depend on what needs to be taken on any given trip.  

Edited March 13 by Jayzonk

[Jayzonk]

Here's the final setup.   There's still a few straps here and there that need to be trimmed and tucked/tied-off.  

I used some Rokstraps to secure the seat bag - two fore and aft on either side, and two cross-corner ones.   I'll likely take the setup for a test spin and make some adjustments.