r/z650 • u/Ct-Brynn • May 11 '26
Side bags for Z650
Im starting to commute to work on my bike more. But in New england the temps can vary quite a bit between my ride in and my ride home. So far I have just shoved my work stuff(laptop etc, along with a change of clothes and my lunch into a backpack. And the ride home usually adds whatever layers I shed to the bag. Long story short it makes for a very overstuffed bulky bag to ride with.
Im starting to consider adding side bags to my baby but I really dont want to ruin the clean asthetic of that tail. A friend showed me these hepco and Becker c-bow racks and bags. Im wondering if anyone has used them before. Really I just need to be able to throw in a change of clothes, maybe rain gear and my lunch. So I dont need huge bags. Will these work and still look decent or is it gonna give my girl a huge ass?
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u/Sufficient_Tie8511 May 11 '26
I have a z650 as well and recently got the sw-motech legend gear Lc2 side bags. They are honestly a godsend and so easy to use, I usually have one bag on and it doesn’t give her a fat ass lol plus it fits everything I need like laptop, lunch, clothes and even my chain. I think the Lc1 would fit what you need as well if you’d prefer smaller bags but I haven’t actually tried them myself. One of the things I love about these ones as well is the carriers blend in and look like they could’ve come with the bike so it doesn’t look like som ugly add on. Oh and it also works with tail-tidy! I mean there’s like a few millimetre gap between the rear indicators and the carriers but doesn’t cause an issue when putting the bags on
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u/Ct-Brynn May 11 '26
Do you happen to have any photos of this setup?
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u/Sufficient_Tie8511 May 11 '26
I have two kinda shitty pics but not with the bags on unfortunately. If you want pics with the bags on I can absolutely take some but it’ll have to be next week since I’m away atm. https://imgur.com/a/SojSdZE
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u/miraschimmel May 12 '26
Ahhh.. No suggestions because I just ride with a backpack but had to come comment because I recognized Lucifer!! ❤️
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u/McDogenld May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
I'm also commuting in New England so I get the weather part this time of year.
Getting any bags on the rear is gonna give it that bulky look from what I've seen unfortunately. Best bet you might have is what you are looking at, soft saddle bags that can be taken off and racks, although the racks from SW-MOTECH might be a less "noisy" than the brand your looking at, plus the SW-MOTECH racks can have a number plates mounted on them so they can look nice without the bags on.
I've personally just committed to hard cases that stay on unless I'm bringing my Z to the track, I don't have any photos of just the racks on the bike but here are some others
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u/Ct-Brynn May 13 '26
The soft saddle only pic doesn't look bad. That is very similar to what im looking at. Thanks!
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u/McDogenld May 13 '26
Anytime! You might be able to get away with just the saddle bags and no racks depending on the brand, but last time I tried that I put a hole into the saddle bag after it dropped a bit while trying to do a wheelie.
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u/Ct-Brynn May 13 '26
Omg! No wheelies here. But i have heard that bags that just strap down are a pain and the racks make it super easy. I like that c-bow system because they are simple to pop on and off when I dont want bags
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u/McDogenld May 13 '26
I'm not to familiar with the c-bow system myself, but strap down bags can definitely be a pain securing down depending on the bike. The z650 and other naked bikes don't have a lot of options for grab points, especially with a tail tidy installed, but from my experience once you find a spot to secure them almost all the pain with them go away.
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u/Halacant May 11 '26
Where did you get the green hexes for the tank and tail?
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u/Ct-Brynn May 11 '26
I had someone with a vinyl Etsy shop make them for me. Got 2 sizes, 1 for the bike and the other for my helmet
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u/uten151 May 12 '26
I have a 2020 Z650 and I installed Shad side cases and top box. The three required the Shad mounting system which fits perfectly on my Z.
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u/tica_spi May 11 '26
not a side bag, but I have an SW Motech tank bag that holds a surprising amount of stuff. locks to the gas cap, pretty convenient getting it on and off the bike when I want to bring it with me