Along with a Suzuki DR650 (that’s currently blown up—anyone got a top end for sale?) and a Yamaha WR250R, I also have a couple of street bikes. Years ago, a reader gave me a Suzuki RF900R, an oddball sport tourer from the 1990s. In 2022, I added a 2003 Suzuki Bandit 1200S to the barn, and then I had a problem: I wanted to tour on it, even do some adventure touring, but it was set up for around-town hoonery, without even so much as a luggage rack.
I hit the usual marketplaces—Euro websites that carry sport touring accessories (across the pond, naked bikes are much more popular as tourers). I tried eBay and other second-hand sources. Anything I came up with was expensive and clunky. And then, I checked outADVrider’s Flea Market.
The side view, sans tailbag. Again, you can place the bag facing to the front or rear of that sissybar-style hoop. You get a much better c-of-g if you run it in a front-facing position, with the base resting on the seat. Photo: Zac Kurylyk
That should have been my first stop, because it didn’t take long to find a Ventura rack and tailbag for about $120… shipped. For that price, I got the basic luggage rack, plus the hoop-style sissybar rack that holds the bag, plus the bag and a raincover. Sold! It took a little longer than I expected to bolt up, but it wasn’t too bad, and I’ve been using it ever since. And, it’s proved to be one of the best moto-deals I’ve ever bought.
Ventura bags and racks are made in New Zealand (websitehere). I first saw them in ads at the back of print moto magazines about 20 years ago. I believe their design has changed a bit over the years, and they have different configurations for different bikes, but most of them work the same way. There is a basic set of tubular bars (the “L-bracket”) that bolts to existing bolt-holes on your bike’s tailsection.
Then, a second part (either a standard flat rack as seen on the left below, or the sissybar-style rack on the right) fits into the first piece, allowing Ventura to efficiently manufacture these second parts as universal-fit. This also means you could install the lower bars on multiple bikes and just switch racks between them, if you wanted to tour on a different machine,
Note the two different configurations for the Ventura rack. The one on the left is great if you just want to strap a duffel bag to the rack. The one on the right is designed to hold the tailbag. There’s a pocket on the back of the tailbag that slides directly over the sissybar-style hoop. Photo: Zac Kurylyk
The standard rack is nothing special, but the sissybar rack comes with some big trade-offs. On the negative side, it’s unattractive, and if you were on an serious ADV ride (Ventura does sell this setup for adventure bikes), most riders don’t want a big piece of tubing sticking out behind them. It could get in the way while off-roading, or even create a dangerous situation. Also, some riders don’t want their luggage centered high on the seat behind them, believing this makes for poor handling due to a sub-optimal center of gravity—although if I had it in the forward-facing position, with bottom of the bag resting on the seat as recommended by Ventura, I felt the bike handled just fine.
On the positive side: After a year of using this system, I must say that it’s a very K-I-S-S street touring system. There’s a pocket sewn into the back of the tailbag which fits directly over the sissybar. Slide the bag onto the sissybar, clip two buckles to the bottom of the rack, and you’re secure in seconds. It’s fast to install and remove, and if you want to drag it up to your motel room, the bag is well-balanced and easy to carry with a handle on the top. These are small details, but after many years of touring, I’ve come to appreciate the companies that do the little things well. It’s slick and non-complicated to use.
很明显,这是一个古老而non-current product, although Ventura does still sell similar today—I’m not writing this piece to shill for anyone. I’m writing it to tell you that whether you’ve got a new bike or old, you can find very well-thought-out, well-built equipment for fair prices right here at ADVrider. If nobody’s selling exactly what you want, put a WTB ad up inthe Flea Market forum.
At this point, the Bandit has toured all over Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Maine and Quebec with this luggage rack. It’s simple and it works, and the Flea Market saved me a bunch of money when I shopped there. It’s not my first time I’ve got good equipment at a great price there, and it won’t be the last. Photo: Zac Kurylyk
You can find more than accessories and bikes there, too; it’s a great place to find a deal on used high-quality gear like an Aerostich suit, or even a camera. Many of the sellers are long-time forum members with years of history, so you know you can trust them.
As our North American cost-of-living increases, it’s getting harder for many riders to find the money to set up a bike properly—and if that describes you, the Flea Market might be your best friend.
