SW-Motech PEAX Rackless and Dowatek In-Depth Test

One week of hard enduro, four countries, 1,618 kilometres from the Black Sea coast near Burgas to the Mediterranean, climbing up to 1,994 metres on the Galičica Pass. Ride that kind of distance off-road and you learn very quickly which accessories are a blessing and which only sound good as pub-talk. I had fitted two new products to my GasGas EC 350F: the PEAX Rackless luggage system from SW-Motech and protection parts from Dowatek. Let me say this up front so there's no misunderstanding: this is not a timeshare sales pitch. The truth: both won me over, one of them with a bodge job that would make any engineer blush. But let's take it one step at a time.

On a tour with stages of 250 to 380 kilometres and ten to eleven hours in the saddle, every gram that isn't hanging off your shoulders counts. That's exactly why I wanted the PEAX Rackless. It's a rackless saddlebag system for sport enduros that does without rigid pannier racks and sits directly on the tail. Everything that would otherwise be stuck to my back goes in there: water, camera, phone, all the video gear. Nothing stays on my body. The reason: an unburdened upper body works more loosely when standing, and loose arms save an enormous amount of energy over the day. On top of that, the bag is waterproof. Liberating!

I think I'm the only person who mounts this system like this. Normally there's a bag on each side, plus a tail bag on top. I only took one side. Looks a bit odd, but it fits my luggage exactly, and carting empty bags around just so the rear end looks like it does in the brochure is too daft for me. I like the access: one grab at the top and the bag is open. The inside is red rather than black, so you can find your stuff even when you're in a hurry. A small thing, but it's exactly these small things that decide between a good or bad mood on the road. The complete set with the opposite bag and tail bag will later go on my BMW R 12 G/S. I'm curious.

There are other throw-over systems, and I know their problem. On my last tour in Colorado I had bags fitted without a stabilising plate. The result: the stuff moves constantly and smacks you in the backside and the back over every little bump. The PEAX has a base plate behind the bag. On the one hand, that's an extra, bulky part. On the other hand, it makes pulling out and sliding in the inner bag much easier, and above all the plate keeps the luggage away from the tyre. Especially on a slim hard enduro, where there's nothing at the rear for a bag to lean against, it will otherwise end up dangling into the rear wheel sooner or later. For me, the advantage clearly wins out. On the first day, though, I had mounted the system wrong and it got in the way when riding standing up. Rebuilt it on day two, no trouble since.

Now for the confession. Because I only run one bag, I'm missing the opposite piece the system normally braces against. At the bottom, the two supplied straps hold it, and the rest is handled by the cable-tie solution of graduate engineer NastyNils. Once the cable tie snapped, so since then I've been running three. Holds. That's my bodge, not a fault of the manufacturer. Still, one genuine wish remains: the strap that cinches the bag down compactly at the end holds it by tension, i.e. friction-locked. I'd prefer it to run from bottom to top and wrap around the bag form-locked, so it can't slip out at all. The advantage of the current solution: it's really quick to use. And I have to be honest about the scuff marks too. Some of them come from transport, because I strapped the bike down wrong. The rest come from the system itself. I can live with that.

The second discovery of the year is called Dowatek. Behind the name are Martin Dosch and Kaspar Waldherr, two development engineers from Upper Bavaria, hardcore enduro riders themselves and title sponsor of the DOWATEK Hard Enduro Series Germany. I discovered the brand this year and I'm thrilled with the product quality and fit. Everything fits precisely, everything is sturdy. My approach to protection parts, by the way, isn't a heroic one. I don't fit them because I ride so wildly, but because I'm lazy: "Simple, I don't want to touch a spanner all week." On a tour where the caravan moves on every day, you can't skip a day. If one of the classic parts breaks in a tip-over, you're stuck. The chain guide on my GasGas also comes from Dowatek and makes the bike that bit more robust. Worry-free riding is the real luxury.

Protection for the clutch cover and ignition cover is mandatory. The engine covers are delicate, and a rock or a tip-over in which the gear lever or rear brake pedal punches into the cover is enough to make a hole. Then the oil runs out and the tour is over. Is that overkill for a guided trip? No! We rode down scree slopes, and on rocks I barely touch the throttle and just roll over everything. It's fine if things go crunch underneath now and then. That's exactly what this kit is for.

For the brake discs I run two different concepts. At the front sits a guard made of tough special plastic that shields the disc from branches and side impacts. At the rear, the Factory brake disc guard V2.2 does the work, a solid CNC-machined aluminium part that protects the disc and caliper from rocks. The real reason I chose it, though, is something else: it acts as a guide when fitting the rear wheel. Everything stays in alignment, the wheel slides right in, instead of three of you kneeling in the dirt and cursing. Anyone who has ever threaded a rear wheel back in off-road knows what I'm talking about. On this tour I saw how quickly five people end up standing in a circle around a bike at a petrol station, each one knowing better. In the end, everything fits. But every part that shortens a session like that is worth its money.

Hand on heart: both brands survived the tour, and I'd fit both again. The PEAX Rackless changed my riding, because I covered the whole distance without a backpack. The flexible base plate is the difference compared to dangling throw-over bags, the cinch strap deserves a rework, and anyone running just one side needs cable ties and a sense of humour. The Dowatek parts are the inconspicuous kind: you fit them, they fit, and after that you don't think about them anymore. If you're doing a long tour on a sport enduro and would rather drink a beer than wrench in the evening, this package serves you well. If you only play in the woods for two hours at the weekend, you can get by with less. For me, both stay on the bike. Saddle up!

• SW-Motech
• Dowatek