"I love this bag, and fully intend to use it again and again for all of my longer bike trips"

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Wanting to get out a bit further afield on my bike this year, I was on the lookout for a nice big tail bag to fit on my Suzuki SV650S. I spotted the SW-Motech Legend and thought I would give it ago, it claimed to be a universal fit and really hardwearing. So, does it do the job?

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How practical is the SW-MOTECH Legend LR2?

I found it really easy to fit to the bike, with four simple crocodile teeth style clips, that you simply feed the strap through once and it’s secure. I’m not sure it could be any easier without being a clip on. I simply anchored mine down by wrapping the front straps around the frame of the bike by the seat and then to secure the rear, I looped the two straps through one another to lash it around the rear registration plate mount. As long as you make sure that the straps are nice and tight, it doesn’t budge.

It was a similar story when I mounted it to the Royal Enfield Classic 650 that I rode to Wales and back for an event. Even easier in fact thanks to the frame at the back of this bike.

The bag has a 48L capacity, which I found to be plenty for a weekend away, with everything you could possibly need to pack. I had a change of clothes, shoes, laptop, wash kit, waterproofs and more packed into it and has some space to spare. I’ve even managed to cram a full set of textiles into it on one occasion. The opening is plenty wide enough to get things in and out easily.

The two side pockets are also convenient for keeping the items that you might need access to more urgently, like the rain cover or your snacks. Handy not needing to have everything crammed into the one space, usually meaning that you have to dig around looking for things when you need them.

My only small issue with the practicality of this bag is that like with many, it is only showerproof without the rain cover. So if you are caught in a heavy downpour, you will have to pull over and quickly race the rain to get the cover on before your poor laptop drowns, or worse, your dry change of pants.

How durable has it been?

I have found that so far the bag has shown no sign of wear and tear. It’s still black and not faded to grey yet, and all of the straps and zips are as good as new. The chunky handles remain well attached and show no hint that they might come away at some point.

Is the SW-MOTECH Legend LR2 a good looking bit if kit?

I personally really like the classic simple look of this bit of luggage. It’s got a sort of military look to it with the canvas material choice and the utility straps and loops across it. The plain black is very much my taste also, with no bright colours or garish flashes of reflective tape. I really like the way that they have sculpted the bag around the pillion seat to maximise the space that the bag can offer too.

Is it good value for the money?

Let’s face it, it’s not exactly a budget bit of luggage at more than £250, but so far it has proven itself to be worth the outlay. I intend to use it for many more miles and don’t see it letting me down anytime soon, however with options like Qbag and Oxford coming in at less money, I do think you would need to think hard about how much money you are willing to spend.

So what’s the overall verdict?

I love this bag, and fully intend to use it again and again for all of my longer bike trips. It’s been handy for collecting things from the office on the bike too. It looks great, offers a good amount of storage and is simple to fit and remove from the bike. For me it fits the bill and will remain in my kit collection for quite some time.

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