I thought this might be of interest since there aren't too many posts about tank bag alternatives for the FTR. Someone else posted images of installing an SW-Motech Ion tank bag and ring and I thought I'd share my similar solution. I use Evo and Pro tank bags on most of my bikes so I already had a few of the tank bags and happened to have an extra Pro tank ring I got as an extra with a tank bag I purchased on Ebay so this was a pretty cheap way to go for me.
For those who may not be familiar SW-Motech has 3 generations of tank rings/bags including the 1st Gen Ion, 2nd Gen Evo, and 3rd and current generation Pro. Each is an incremental improvement with the Pro having the benefit of having a slick magnetic ring and the ability to adjust the location of the ring on the bottom of the bags. The rings run anywhere from about $30-$60 depending on the bike and the bags come in multiple sizes running about $200 - $300 new. I pick them up used on Ebay usually but obviously this isn't going to be the cheapest option but it does have the benefit of being able to use them on multiple bikes. Of my 6 bikes 4 of them have tank rings available, and now with this project the FTR has one.
All I had to buy for this was the Airbox Bezel, Top, Textured, Part 5455797 which runs $35. I didn't want to drill holes in my stock 2022 Carbon R bezel since it would ruin the nice plate on top. The one I purchased was the one that comes on the more standard FTR I guess but it looks fine. I only use the tank bag on longer trips so I'll just swap out the bezels as needed.
The tank ring is a TRT.00.787.18000/B but there may be a better ring to use. They all differ as to where the screws are located that attach the base ring to the bike but this one seemed to work ok, but just barely.
I also had to use 4 nuts, otherwise all of the hardware needed was included with the ring.
The pics are pretty self explanatory but basically I figured out the best position based on where there's room under the bezel for the nuts and bolts to reside, drilled the holes, attached the steel base ring to the bezel, checked for fitment with the airbox under the bezel, attached and tightened the nuts, cut the excess bolts off with a Dremel cutting wheel, attached the tank ring to the base ring with provided set screws and that's pretty much it.
Overall I think it will work great. The bezel is pretty sturdy so I think it will hold up in the limited use it will get. As you can see the included shims elevate the ring about 1/3 of an inch above the bezel so the bag does not come in contact with the tank at all.
The bag shown is the Pro Daypack which is 6 - 9 liters and I find it suitable for most uses. I have some of the larger bags for the Evo rings and I never use them. The Engage, Daypack, and Micro are the ones I use the most. Note that I've got the bag ring moved up to about an inch from the front and it fits the bike fine with full steering lock
without rubbing anything so larger bags should fit fine as well.
Possible improvements would be better bolt hole placement with other tank rings. The white scratches show where the top bolts come in contact with the airbox cover before I cut them short. If you had a ring where the top bolts are further up they would fall nicely into the void shown about an inch up. Also some sort of washers or other metal reinforcement might help with durability. If you used a larger bag with more weight in it the downward force could be a problem but for what I use it for it should be fine. At most I may carry stuff I want quick access to like a bottle of water, gloves, a rag etc. I suppose if you like to lean forward and rest your torso on tank bags this might not be for you. Based on how all of the others attach to my other bikes this one seems pretty sturdy.
I hope this all makes sense and is of use. I think it will work fine for me.
For those who may not be familiar SW-Motech has 3 generations of tank rings/bags including the 1st Gen Ion, 2nd Gen Evo, and 3rd and current generation Pro. Each is an incremental improvement with the Pro having the benefit of having a slick magnetic ring and the ability to adjust the location of the ring on the bottom of the bags. The rings run anywhere from about $30-$60 depending on the bike and the bags come in multiple sizes running about $200 - $300 new. I pick them up used on Ebay usually but obviously this isn't going to be the cheapest option but it does have the benefit of being able to use them on multiple bikes. Of my 6 bikes 4 of them have tank rings available, and now with this project the FTR has one.
All I had to buy for this was the Airbox Bezel, Top, Textured, Part 5455797 which runs $35. I didn't want to drill holes in my stock 2022 Carbon R bezel since it would ruin the nice plate on top. The one I purchased was the one that comes on the more standard FTR I guess but it looks fine. I only use the tank bag on longer trips so I'll just swap out the bezels as needed.
The tank ring is a TRT.00.787.18000/B but there may be a better ring to use. They all differ as to where the screws are located that attach the base ring to the bike but this one seemed to work ok, but just barely.
I also had to use 4 nuts, otherwise all of the hardware needed was included with the ring.
The pics are pretty self explanatory but basically I figured out the best position based on where there's room under the bezel for the nuts and bolts to reside, drilled the holes, attached the steel base ring to the bezel, checked for fitment with the airbox under the bezel, attached and tightened the nuts, cut the excess bolts off with a Dremel cutting wheel, attached the tank ring to the base ring with provided set screws and that's pretty much it.
Overall I think it will work great. The bezel is pretty sturdy so I think it will hold up in the limited use it will get. As you can see the included shims elevate the ring about 1/3 of an inch above the bezel so the bag does not come in contact with the tank at all.
The bag shown is the Pro Daypack which is 6 - 9 liters and I find it suitable for most uses. I have some of the larger bags for the Evo rings and I never use them. The Engage, Daypack, and Micro are the ones I use the most. Note that I've got the bag ring moved up to about an inch from the front and it fits the bike fine with full steering lock
without rubbing anything so larger bags should fit fine as well.
Possible improvements would be better bolt hole placement with other tank rings. The white scratches show where the top bolts come in contact with the airbox cover before I cut them short. If you had a ring where the top bolts are further up they would fall nicely into the void shown about an inch up. Also some sort of washers or other metal reinforcement might help with durability. If you used a larger bag with more weight in it the downward force could be a problem but for what I use it for it should be fine. At most I may carry stuff I want quick access to like a bottle of water, gloves, a rag etc. I suppose if you like to lean forward and rest your torso on tank bags this might not be for you. Based on how all of the others attach to my other bikes this one seems pretty sturdy.
I hope this all makes sense and is of use. I think it will work fine for me.
