The bike and the planned trip:
BIKE
2014 KTM 690 Enduro R
LUGGAGE
Giant Loop Coyote, Kriega OS 20, Perunmoto rack & heel guards (no backpack)
MODIFICATIONS
Seatconcepts seat
Wings silencer
Subframe strengthening kit
Cycra pro bend hand guards
AS sump guard
Montana 610 GPS
FRONT TYRE
Motoz Tractionator S/T
REAR TYRE
Motoz Tractionator H/T
THE TRIP
1200 miles of TET over 12 days Netherlands-Belgium-France-UK
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE COYOTE
As soon as I slung it over my saddle and started filling it with gear, the strange horse shoe shape grew on me very quickly. Compared to a set of panniers and top bag of equivalent size the extra space available in the corners of the Coyote provide a lot more storage with the ability to consume larger items such as my long (2 man) tent poles. Its big, waterproof, simple, secure & robust - perfect for the TET and exactly what I was looking for.
INSTALLING ON THE BIKE
Installation was straightforward, its 1 bag with 6 attachment points that all aligned well with my Perunmoto Rack. The 2x hooks under the top of the bag fit perfectly into rectangular slots on the rack, the 2 plastic buckle straps that go over the top of the entrance looped through 2 further rectangular slots in the rack and the 2x lower straps looped through the heel guards. I positioned the bag forwards of the fuel filler to allow room for a KRIEGA OS 20 on the rack behind the filler, allowing access to refuel between the 2 bags. The straps are strong, easy to fasten and come with elasticated bands to keep the loose ends tidy.
The left hand lower strap touches the KTM heat shield just below the silencer, this OEM heat shield is the same air gap design as the hot springs one that comes with the Coyote, so presumably contact against this wouldn’t be an issue. I didn’t have the time (or spare strap) to test if the strap would melt or not before the trip so attached a high temperature plumbing mat (£3 eBay) between the KTM heat shield and the strap just to be sure. I attached the hot springs heat shield higher up onto the Wings silencer in case the weight of the bag pushed my plastics against the hot exhaust - they didn’t and I don’t think this was required but it was attached to the bike in case and served as a spare should I have had issues with my untested brazing mat.
I found the best way to figure out what goes where in the Coyote was to fill the horse shoe 1st without the dry bags and then fit only essential and bulky items into the dry bags. The main bag tapers down to a point towards the bottom and this is where I put my tools, tubes, adventure food, tow rope and 1st aid kit. I wasn’t bothered if these items got wet but was surprised at how good the main bag is at keeping water out as everything remained bone dry. In the lower right dry bag was my sleeping bag and inner tent, left side lower contained my jacket, towel, stove, cook pot & trainers. My griddle pan full of cook stuff went on the top between the 2 smaller dry bags followed by the large dry bag containing tent poles, flysheet and Thermarest across the top.
WHAT I PUT IN THE COYOTE
Tent - MSR Hubba Hubba 2 man + footprint
Sleeping bag - Rab Ascent 500 + silk liner
Sleeping Mat - Thermarest NeoAir XTherm
Tools - Kriega tool roll full, 2x large tyre levers, tow strap
Spares - 21” tube, 18” tube, chain lube
Cooking - Primus multifuel stove, 600ml alpkit mug/pot containing gas canister, griddle pan full of cooking stuff
Food - 2x Adventure food packets, 10x Coffee sachets, ketchup, lurpack sachets
Towel - Lifeventure softfibre XL
Insulated Jacket - AS Baltic Hybrid
Toiletries - 1l dry bag (toothbrush, mini toothpaste, mini shower gel)
Shoes - Old trainers
Medical - Biker down 1st aid kit
WHAT I PUT IN THE KRIEGA US20:
Waterproofs - Army goretex overtrousers
Clothes - 3x baselaters, 3x boxers, 3x undershorts, 3x socks, 1x Light trousers, 3x gloves
Torch - Exposure equinox
Documents - Passport, driving licence, insurance
Power - Mini 12V-5V USB transformer, Anker 20Ah power bank, charging lead for phone & torch
LIVING WITH THE COYOTE ON THE TRIP:
As it’s only one bag there isn’t much that could go wrong, nothing did. When the straps are pulled tight, they stay tight. It’s really firm and doesn’t move or flap whatsoever, even over rough terrain. The 3x dry bags provide piece of mind but the main bag itself is waterproof, we road through heavy rain at motorway speeds, it rained overnight and the outer bag didn’t let any water in whatsoever.
Because of the roll top entrance, It’s pretty flexible in what can be squeezed into it. I could have packed a lot less or a bit more gear and it would have been equally as firm, adjusting the volume by number of rolls. I wasn’t wearing a back pack and found this flexibility useful for accommodating water, snacks & groceries etc.
It’s quick and easy to pack, much like a standard roll top dry bag with an additional big strap that goes over the top onto a big metal ring. The big ring makes a useful anchoring point, I looped a carabina bungee through this and over the OS20 to keep it tight against the Coyote, this worked well to stop the OS20 from wobbling but at the cost of having to remove the bungee to refuel. It took me a couple of minutes longer to refuel than the rest of the guys, I think this is the only downside to this setup but a problem that only impacts 690/701 owners with the filler being at the rear of the bike. Its also a compromise that I don’t mind living with as I value the simplicity of 1 big bag over a 2 minute delay when refuelling - much less to go wrong.
The position and orientation that the Coyote sits can look strange but it’s very practical, I didn’t find it get in the way at all. I did stretch out a few times on the longer road sections and could get my lower back to touch the Coyote, more like a comfy back rest than a hinderance. On the trails I never found I needed to be far enough back that it would restrict movement. With all the luggage on the rear I was more worried about losing the front end on loose corners, surprisingly the front end tracked beautifully with the rear end letting go 1st over all terrain, even tarmac.
The valves on the dry bags are a nice touch, once all the air is squeezed out they stay compressed like vacuum packed clothes. There is a knack to packing it and for sure you could spend time packing each dry bag to match the exact shape of the Coyote but IMO this would take more time than it’s worth considering the main bag itself is waterproof and would make the dry bags hard to fit. I only dry-baged the essentials, stuffing other bits in the empty spaces which made packing quick and and easy each morning.
For my next trip I’ll probably leave the griddle pan behind, take a smaller stove and less spare clothes. I could probably downsize the Kriega OS20 to an OS10 or OS5 if I could guarantee dry weather. I would be nit-picking to criticise this bag but if I could think of 1 negative it would be the lack of any small/zip pockets for quick access items, this wasn’t an issue for me as I had a decent zipper on the OS20 but could be annoying if the Coyote was my only bag. That said, zip pockets are rarely 100% waterproof and I was happy with the security the Coyote provided, it works really well as a main bag for essentials with a small auxiliary bag/backpack.
THOUGHTS ON THE BIKE/GEAR AFTER THE TRIP:
I was able to get everything I needed into this setup without having to carry a backpack. Making the bike do all of the work meant I wasn’t sweating or needing to drink water all day which made my riding experience more enjoyable - this bike just wanted to ride into the sunset! I bought the 690 especially for the TET thinking that this would be perfect, I also promised my wife that I would immediately sell it upon my return. After the trip and 3 months on I can confirm that the 690 is currently the best bike for the job, it’s fun on the trails, fast & comfy on the road and really good on fuel. Don’t tell Andrea but I have no plans to sell it just yet ;)
If I was going to take on the full TET or traverse the globe I would without hesitation take a 690/701 with a giant loop Cayote - This setup rips and I’m confidant it would’t let me down.
#Bestbikebestbag
THe GIANT LOOP COYOTE SADDLEBAG
The choice for hardcore off-road expeditions. Carry gear for multi-day trips — and still work the entire saddle. Rides on rear fender and/or tail rack. Straps on to dirt bikes and dual sport motorcycles, no passenger pegs required.
