EdOnS10
2014 Super Tenere ES (Matte Grey)
;D Start Multi post 1/3 ;D
So I have been riding with the Bumot system for a few months and trips now, and felt I finally had enough miles to provide some practical commentary on my experience with the system. There are many positive things said about this system and great pictures around - so I am going to try and answer some direct questions I had going in with more practical pictures - and spoiler alert - largely agree with most of the positive reviews you have seen.
I do have a few caveats - so if you're interested, play along and act surprised
As a final disclaimer, this is my first adventure bike with cases. I spent a few years on a Yamaha enduro without luggage and some fun roads, then many years on various cruisers ending in the last few on a Triumph Legend with soft luggage and a strap plate. So much of what I say may hold true for other brands of adventure case, I just figure they are worth mentioning for those who don't know..
First - the logistics for the US of A
As Bumot is Bulgarian, there is one seller in the US - Jason at AdvMottorad (https://www.advmotorrad.com/)- and be happy about that. I am going to say that hands down, Jason is one of the most stand-up sellers of any motorcycle gear I have bought, ever! He is responsive - even proactive (more later), courteous and maintains a high level of integrity in my mind. Regardless of Bumot - I would rate him and his shop 5stars and encourage additional business his way. I have seen complaints of shipping cost for this system - but when you see what comes, it is completely understandable and I felt it was reasonable. My simple advice if you want a set, is accept you can't get anything like this local and it certainly competes with other mail order solutions (it comes out a little less than the globscout set with similar extras).. Order early, so you have reserved a unit on the next available shipment...
:lamp:Warning for all / One more, totally worth it cost (high-end bolts)...
And some will argue this is less acceptable - and for all I know, it may be resolved or a non-issue for you. But do yourself a favor and buy upgraded bolts for the side-case rails. In hind-sight, I think the problem is as much a Yamaha one as Bumot. But the aluminum threads in the rear sub-frame are about as soft as they come. You will notice when taking out the OEM bolts that the they have very high quality tooling and match well. The original bolts that came with the Bumot system were rough. Even though I am a very careful mechanic and woodworker, this caused me major issues during install. They would feel okay to thread, make it about 1/2 way in - then start to bind up. One of the 4 actually became stuck and required the subframe be removed for repair. This is how I know Jason is such a standup guy. While I was having troubles, he actively stayed in touch and provided support until a resolution was reached - even contacting Bumot on my behalf to secure some "assistance" with the repair. In the end, I would have recommended upgrading the bolts first - either to the Fastenal which are still a little rough, but have better ends. Or once my lesson was learned - I would say it is worth it to get Pro-Bolt - Stainless Steel SocketCap M10x(1.25)x80mm - which are absolutely fantastic (like the OEM quality). - You can see them sticking out in the toolbox pic or at the ProBolt Site: (http://www.probolt-usa.com/stainless-steel/stainless-steel-bolts-tapered-socket-cap/stainless-steel-socket-cap-bolt-m10-x-1-25mm-x-80mm.html#.VPunu_nF8xN)
Installation
Other than the bolt issue mentioned above - the installation was relatively easy and very straight forward. I think the fit of the hardware on the bike is about perfect. Bumot seems to have iterated a few times to dial in the fit for the 2014 with ES - and it shows. The system fits very tight to the body - does not seem to get in the way of anything and the new toolbox fits the ES cowl without touching. (see pic in post 3).
The only other issue I had was that the top case hole is ever so slightly off when trying to screw it down into the mounting plate. It is actually close enough it goes in flush with a little care - so it's not an issue as much as a comment on what could be better in a perfect world. I have taken it on and off a few times now, I think it has finally conformed to my will or I got better at lining it up
For me the side cases snap in and out very smoothly - with just enough pressure that I feel they are secure. I had seen one video where a guy was having trouble snapping them into the mounts - I did not see that at all, so maybe it is better on the latest versions. The pics in post 3 for the mounting system.
Looks / Practical Use / 2Up
Others really hit on looks and that is subjective anyway, so I'll only say that I like the look and feel of the cases which I think compliment the bike well. Because more miles than I would like are commuting to work (where traffic filtering is an option), I tend to run with the top box on, side cases off. I think in this configuration it still looks good - though I may find a decorration for the tool box at some point haha. I confess to removing the Bumot logos - I am not a big fan of decals.
The important part is that the top case feels like NOTHING. You don't notice it. It's not in the way, it's not in the wind - it just rides along silently behind you and happily holding my laptop or camera bag until work where it trades for my helmet and gloves (more on space later). However, the top case will NOT be comfortable for your passenger (if that is an issue). It seems to cut up a little close into the back. (maybe you could try the stealth Bumot hack http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=12443.0) - but I think if you are going to do a distance with a passenger, swapping for the side cases is best.. (the plate itself is no problem). As for the side cases, they are far enough back so as not to interfere too much with a passengers legs - though the bar mounting to the foot peg is noticeable, it should not be a significant problem. You still have access to the grab rails for "grabbing" or as a tiedown.
With the 40L side cases installed, you will notice a little extra cross-wind. (I think this is typical of hard side cases of most sizes). On the plus side, they are not really much wider than your handle bars (come out 36" across) and feel about the right size for balance etc. At least on my first couple trips - they do not seem to significantly affect gas mileage. But I like to cruise in 70s - not 80s like some of you ;-) I suspect when you push the range where gas mileage goes down anyway, it might drop a little faster with the side cases.
So I have been riding with the Bumot system for a few months and trips now, and felt I finally had enough miles to provide some practical commentary on my experience with the system. There are many positive things said about this system and great pictures around - so I am going to try and answer some direct questions I had going in with more practical pictures - and spoiler alert - largely agree with most of the positive reviews you have seen.
I do have a few caveats - so if you're interested, play along and act surprised
As a final disclaimer, this is my first adventure bike with cases. I spent a few years on a Yamaha enduro without luggage and some fun roads, then many years on various cruisers ending in the last few on a Triumph Legend with soft luggage and a strap plate. So much of what I say may hold true for other brands of adventure case, I just figure they are worth mentioning for those who don't know..First - the logistics for the US of A
As Bumot is Bulgarian, there is one seller in the US - Jason at AdvMottorad (https://www.advmotorrad.com/)- and be happy about that. I am going to say that hands down, Jason is one of the most stand-up sellers of any motorcycle gear I have bought, ever! He is responsive - even proactive (more later), courteous and maintains a high level of integrity in my mind. Regardless of Bumot - I would rate him and his shop 5stars and encourage additional business his way. I have seen complaints of shipping cost for this system - but when you see what comes, it is completely understandable and I felt it was reasonable. My simple advice if you want a set, is accept you can't get anything like this local and it certainly competes with other mail order solutions (it comes out a little less than the globscout set with similar extras).. Order early, so you have reserved a unit on the next available shipment...
:lamp:Warning for all / One more, totally worth it cost (high-end bolts)...
And some will argue this is less acceptable - and for all I know, it may be resolved or a non-issue for you. But do yourself a favor and buy upgraded bolts for the side-case rails. In hind-sight, I think the problem is as much a Yamaha one as Bumot. But the aluminum threads in the rear sub-frame are about as soft as they come. You will notice when taking out the OEM bolts that the they have very high quality tooling and match well. The original bolts that came with the Bumot system were rough. Even though I am a very careful mechanic and woodworker, this caused me major issues during install. They would feel okay to thread, make it about 1/2 way in - then start to bind up. One of the 4 actually became stuck and required the subframe be removed for repair. This is how I know Jason is such a standup guy. While I was having troubles, he actively stayed in touch and provided support until a resolution was reached - even contacting Bumot on my behalf to secure some "assistance" with the repair. In the end, I would have recommended upgrading the bolts first - either to the Fastenal which are still a little rough, but have better ends. Or once my lesson was learned - I would say it is worth it to get Pro-Bolt - Stainless Steel SocketCap M10x(1.25)x80mm - which are absolutely fantastic (like the OEM quality). - You can see them sticking out in the toolbox pic or at the ProBolt Site: (http://www.probolt-usa.com/stainless-steel/stainless-steel-bolts-tapered-socket-cap/stainless-steel-socket-cap-bolt-m10-x-1-25mm-x-80mm.html#.VPunu_nF8xN)
Installation
Other than the bolt issue mentioned above - the installation was relatively easy and very straight forward. I think the fit of the hardware on the bike is about perfect. Bumot seems to have iterated a few times to dial in the fit for the 2014 with ES - and it shows. The system fits very tight to the body - does not seem to get in the way of anything and the new toolbox fits the ES cowl without touching. (see pic in post 3).
The only other issue I had was that the top case hole is ever so slightly off when trying to screw it down into the mounting plate. It is actually close enough it goes in flush with a little care - so it's not an issue as much as a comment on what could be better in a perfect world. I have taken it on and off a few times now, I think it has finally conformed to my will or I got better at lining it up
For me the side cases snap in and out very smoothly - with just enough pressure that I feel they are secure. I had seen one video where a guy was having trouble snapping them into the mounts - I did not see that at all, so maybe it is better on the latest versions. The pics in post 3 for the mounting system.
Looks / Practical Use / 2Up
Others really hit on looks and that is subjective anyway, so I'll only say that I like the look and feel of the cases which I think compliment the bike well. Because more miles than I would like are commuting to work (where traffic filtering is an option), I tend to run with the top box on, side cases off. I think in this configuration it still looks good - though I may find a decorration for the tool box at some point haha. I confess to removing the Bumot logos - I am not a big fan of decals.
The important part is that the top case feels like NOTHING. You don't notice it. It's not in the way, it's not in the wind - it just rides along silently behind you and happily holding my laptop or camera bag until work where it trades for my helmet and gloves (more on space later). However, the top case will NOT be comfortable for your passenger (if that is an issue). It seems to cut up a little close into the back. (maybe you could try the stealth Bumot hack http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=12443.0) - but I think if you are going to do a distance with a passenger, swapping for the side cases is best.. (the plate itself is no problem). As for the side cases, they are far enough back so as not to interfere too much with a passengers legs - though the bar mounting to the foot peg is noticeable, it should not be a significant problem. You still have access to the grab rails for "grabbing" or as a tiedown.
With the 40L side cases installed, you will notice a little extra cross-wind. (I think this is typical of hard side cases of most sizes). On the plus side, they are not really much wider than your handle bars (come out 36" across) and feel about the right size for balance etc. At least on my first couple trips - they do not seem to significantly affect gas mileage. But I like to cruise in 70s - not 80s like some of you ;-) I suspect when you push the range where gas mileage goes down anyway, it might drop a little faster with the side cases.
