The Ultimate Motorcycling Yamaha Ténéré 700 Project Bike and I are starting to settle in. I have made additions, moves, and changes that I felt would make for a better ride, increased convenience, and more comfort. I have added protection pieces to keep rocks, limbs, and inevitable laydowns from spoiling my day.
One thing that I realized after taking several mixed dirt and street rides is that I don’t always want to be riding with my panniers. Although I am not doing enduro racing, some of the trails I have been riding are narrow, and I am scraping my rear end on brush and branches. And, besides, the Ténéré 700 is an awesome-looking naked bike, and I don’t always want to look like I am taking a tour or going to the market. Yet, I still want to have my essential road repair items with me.
My SW-Motech Pro Yukon Waterproof 6L tank bag is great for the open road and okay to be in front of me for light-duty off-roading. If I am doing technical single-track riding, I need to be standing farther forward than the Yukon tank bag allows. I have been leaving it at home and lightly packing my panniers for those rides. My aha moment happened when I remembered seeing alternate mounts on the SW-Motech site. The Pro Seat Ring is exactly what I wanted to occasionally repurpose the Pro Yukon tank bag into a tail bag.
The SW-Motech Pro Seat Ring is a mounting plate with straps that cinch around and under the single-piece rally seat or the pillion on the two-piece seat. It uses the same quick-release, self-aligning ring that holds the tank bag on the gas tank. For $57, my tank bag can now moonlight as a utility tail bag.
Mounting the SW-Motech Pro Seat Ring comes together quickly if you don’t drop any of the four tiny nuts on a bouncy concrete garage floor. Except for the hunting time, the kit went together in about five minutes.
Every SW-Motech product I’ve tested comes with very easy-to-follow instructions, and the Pro Seat Ring is no exception. The instructions clearly note that the Pro Seat Ring is not for off-road use, so I will put a strap over it until I find the mounting system limits.
Moving the Yukon from the tank to the tail is a 30-second transition. Pull the red cord to disengage the mount and lift it off, then float it over the tail ring, and it magically snaps into place. This is a simple solution that I feel will give me the utility of a tail bag without having to purchase more single-function luggage.
While researching the SW-Motech tail-mount system, I found the Pro Pocket Accessory Bag ($65 MSRP). It is just smaller than 9-by-6-by-2-inches, and has a one-liter carrying capacity.
The semi-rigid zippered case corrals the small and important items you want to organize, keep in one place, and be readily available. It holds my wallet, watch, Somewear Global Hotspot, reading glasses, earplugs, cash, smartphone charging cable, and more in a tight pack that can easily be detached from its host Pro Yukon bag or any other luggage that accepts SW-Motech’s quick-disconnect T-Lock or MOLLE connection. The T-Lock connection is secure for street riding and up to 80 mph, per the instruction sheet. It isn’t waterproof, so SW-Motech includes a rainfly to keep your essential bits dry.
The T-Lock mechanism securely integrates with the MOLLE straps and requires a 90-degree turn to un-fasten. However, it is a twist-on and twist-off plastic connection that doesn’t have a full lock-in-place detent. I would only use it on the tank bag when using the quick disconnect T-Lock connector, as I can keep an eye on it. For a secure, non-detachable connection, the Pro Pocket can be attached with its integrated MOLLE straps, adding a secure extra liter cargo capacity to whatever luggage you attach it to.
There are still several mods I can envision making to the Ultimate Motorcycling Yamaha Ténéré 700 Project Bike now that I can repurpose the Pro Yukon Tank Bag as a tail bag, thanks to the SW-Motech Pro Seat Ring.
SW-Motech Pro Seat Ring Review, with Pro Pocket Accessory Bag and Pro Yukon Tank Bag Photo Gallery
