Having done some great tours on both the Africa Twin and CRF 250 Rally, where I camped off the bike in various countries, I knew if I wanted to keep up that tradition I would need a good luggage option for the 690 Enduro R.
So, lets be 100% clear up front, unlike the 250 Rally and the Africa Twin the 690 is a big Enduro bike – it is not specifically designed for carrying luggage, so luggage options will be more limited when compared to the other machines.
So, first decision was whether to go for rack mounted luggage or rack-less luggage.
Rack mounted setup
If I wanted rack mounted luggage, I would have gone with the Outback Motortek X frame panier rack. This has good reviews, is relatively light and based on the upper engine bars I had from them, the quality would be right. It can also be fitted with Perun rear rack (more on that later), to give upper and sideward luggage mounting options, whilst still maintaining access to the rear mounted filler cap.
The only thing I didnt like about this setup was that 99% of the time (local green lanes, commute to work etc.) I would not need any luggage. Sure, I could bolt on and off the panier racks when I needed them, but with a big single thumper vibrating away, I tend to use Loctite when mounting anything to ensure bolts do not work lose – which would be more of a faf. Similarly, at its heart this bike is an enduro machine as opposed to an out and out ADV bike, and to me it does feel like a rack-less setup would be more in keeping with the bikes DNA.
Having said all that, if I were starting from scratch with zero existing investment in luggage, I would have been tempted with this approach. The reality is, I had already invested in rack-less luggage when I had the CRF250 Rally, so I was keen to see if I could make this work. So for now at least, rack based luggage was off the menu for me.
Rack-less setup
There are lots of options out there for this kind of setup. Before looking at them, be clear about the capacity you will need; is the setup just for weekends away in hotels? Or do you want to camp off the bike for a week or more? Weight location and distribution also comes into it, going off-road you don’t really want lots of weight up high (think top box setup bad), and also you don’t want all of the weight pushed all the way back on the bike, especially on the 690 Enduro where all the fuel weight is also at the back.
So, here were some of my favourites.
The Kriega os-base setup
Lots of lower capacity enduro machines seem to pick this one, they straddle the back of your bike like so.
To secure at the back, you drill the rear fender and insert those metallic attachments, those stay put constantly, and the throw over paniers attach to them, coming on and off easily. You can also then lash a duffle bag / rolltop bag on top of this for extra capacity. Many rear racks also have attachments for this Kriega luggage, allowing you to mount without the need to drill the rear fairing for their fixings.
I really liked this setup, nice and easy, in-keeping with the bikes style and no disadvantage for the 99% of the time you dont need it. The setup in the pic above comes in at £275, which based on motorcycle luggage in the main being expensive, aint too bad.
Reckless 80L (V3.0) Revolver
For me, this looked the pick of the bunch. A built in system which has side and top loading space, and is cleverly built to open to allow access to the rear filling fuel cap.
The real clever bit is the way it undoes (like a clam) to allow easy access for refuelling. No messing about unstrapping the harness etc. just unfold it as shown below.
Loads of space, a very clever design, light weight and in-keeping with the bike. The only issue for me was the cost. At over £500, it is twice the price of the Kriega setup, it comes with more, but each of us have to make a decision if the extra you get is worth twice the price (which in part will depend on how often you intend to use it).
The Altrider Hemisphere
An ingenious bit of kit, shaped like a horseshoe it consists of a holster style harness which straps to the bike, and a horseshoe shaped drybag that pushed into the holster.
It holds around 45 litres, so if you are camping, you will also need to strap a rollback of some description behind it.
I have run one of these on the CRF250 Rally for a couple of years, and its been on many camping trips in England, Wales, Spain and Andorra and worked really well on the Rally. Instead of strapping directly to the bike, I ran it with a rear mounted luggage rack, just to give me more confidence it was secure, and to allow me safely mount the tent and so forth.
The only issue with this for the KTM 690 Enduro, is the position of the filler cap in relation to the mounting of the holster. The holster unfortunately mounts right over the filler cap, meaning to refuel you would need to loosen the holster straps and slide it back. This will no doubt be a pain in the crapper, and if starting from scratch this would not be my first choice on the KTM 690 Enduro.
Which rack-less soft luggage?
If I were starting from scratch with the 690 Enduro R, I would get the Kriega OS setup. I think it provides the best combination of space, quality and affordability. I think the Reckless is the best overall, but I would not pay (based on my usage) twice the cost of the Kriega setup for it.
The worst of the three on the KTM 690 Enduro R, is the AltRider setup. Not because it is a bad product, it is not, its a quality product – it is just it in combination with the fuel filler on the bike, its not great Unfortunately, this is the soft luggage I already have from the days on the 250 Rally. Ironically, I did look at the Kriega OS setup originally when I bought the 250 Rally, but unfortunately, due to the weird rear end of the 250 Rally it would not fit, hence I went for the AltRider.
So, decision made, I would try and re-use my AltRider Hemisphere and put up with the refuel inconvenience.
I tried throwing it over the bike and its sits nice, but similar to the 250 Rally, I did not like how it secured without having a rear rack. So, that became the next mission, getting a rear rack. Not the end of the world, as I commute 60 miles a day, so having a rack to secure my laptop bag to would be something I would get constant benefit from.
Here is a sneak peak of the AltRider setup on my 690.
Small Bike Adventures 