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SW-Motech Cargo Rack - KTM 690 / Husqvarna 701 Reviews

Read and compare owner reviews & ratings of SW-Motech Cargo Rack - KTM 690 / Husqvarna 701. Product specs, photos & video, pricing, and more!

Product Information

  • Retail Price ~$149.95 Shop Now
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Product Details


Bryan Bosch

   1 of 1 member found this review helpful 1 / 1 member

I picked this rack for few reasons:

1. Its powder-coated aluminum construction won't rust in the high humidity conditions that I ride much of the year.
2. I like its low profile fit and how it follows the lines of the bike. I don't need to carry a ton of stuff and I just didn't want a big, gangly rack out back.
3. The integrated grab handles are nice for moving the ass end of the bike around.


INSTALLATION

KTM 690 and Husqvarna 701 come from the factory with uninstalled plastic bolt-on grab handles and the underside of the rear fender/side panels is premarked for drilling. The first problem that I ran into is that you need to drill a 15mm hole for the rack stand-offs. Try to find a 15mm drill bit in the US... All of my bits kits stopped at 1/2", so I ended up having to buy a 9/16" bit for almost 15 bucks at the local big box store. And, with most larger bits, the shank didn't fit into my 3/8" drill motor, so I had to find a buddy with a more manly 1/2"er.

15mm = .59" and 9/16" is .5625" and while it worked, it ended up being a tight fit. I initially drilled the holes square to the plastics, but I immediately realized that the holes that I needed to thread into aren't square to the plastic. So, when you drop the stand-offs into holes, the angle was off just a tad. But, I simply re-drilled the holes at the correct angle and things lined up. Still on the tight side because the holes have pretty much no wiggle room for the stand-offs. When all was said/done, the install was clean and looks right.

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QUALITY

No complaints here. No sharp edges, welds look strong, everything bolted up correctly with good quality hardware, and the powdercoating looks well done. KTM built a nice bike w/ the 690 and the SW-Motech rack compliments it.

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FUNCTION

The rack has optional luggage-specific adapter kits for use with popular tail boxes, but I didn't want to run any of them. So, I can't comment on how this feature functions. I ended up installing a Giant Loop Klamath Tail Bag (review to come) using the 4 slotted strap holes at each corner of the rack's top plate. The rack is only rated to hold 11lbs. but this isn't the rack's limitation. The weak point is that the 690 and 701 do not have a traditional sub-frame. The rack bolts to threaded holes that are attached to the under seat & fender fuel tank.

I've been carrying a tool kit, snacks, SPOT satellite tracker, cell phone, extra water, and lite off-road gloves without issue. When riding, I don't even know its there and its low-profile design isn't a boot hooker when getting on a notoriously tall bike. The built-in grab handles do help when I need to move the bike around, but being that the rack bolts into the fuel cell, I keep that limitation in mind in how hard and aggressively I pull.  There is no question that if the rack was bolted to a metal sub-frame it would carry a lot more weight and stand up to hard pulling.

If you're looking for a simple, durable rack that compliments the lines of your 690 or 701 while adding functionality for carrying day trip essentials, this unit from SW-Motech is a good choice.
 

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