[REVIEW] A Tale of Two Tailbags – The Forte 70886 and 70025 Bags from Tex Motor

The Forte 70886 “Sentor” and 70025 (no clever name here) tail bags from Turkish manufacturer Tex Motor are an interesting combination of Italian design and reasonable price. These bags offer two different, but effective approaches to easily add storage to your ride. Ahead we’ll take a look at each bag one after the other starting with the smaller 70025 bag.

Tex Motor

Late in 2020, a representative from Turkey-based Tex Motor reached out to WebBikeWorld asking if we would take a look at a couple of their products. Always interested in checking out gear from a manufacturer I’ve never heard of, I raised my hand to offer up a review.

Doing a little research on Tex Motor, it turns out they started out under the name Zeynep Triko as a textile manufacturer and importer back in 1998 and began focusing on motorcycle accessories in 2005. Then, in 2008, they changed their name to Tex Motor and that’s how they are known today.

There are several brands under the Tex Motor umbrella including Sway, X-Tex, X Rider, Forte GT, X Lock, and Duratech. Each brand focuses on different areas such as helmets, apparel, goggles, footwear, and other accessories with some crossover throughout the range.

I have to admit it is a bit difficult to navigate their website as the English portion is not complete (lots of 404 errors) but one can view their catalog using this link. Unfortunately for us English speakers, the catalog is in Turkish, but at least one can see the range of available products which is quite extensive.

With that out of the way, let’s dig into the review. I’m going to review the two bags in sequence starting with the smaller, cube-shaped 70025 tail bag. Feel free to scroll down for the review of the larger 70886 “Sentor” bag.

The 70025 Tail / Rear Rack Bag Breakdown

4.0 Stars

 

Introduction – 70025 Tail Bag

The 70025 bag, which really could use a “name” for the sake of writing about it, is a healthy-sized, squarish bag designed to be placed on the rear seat or rear rack of a bike. Like most of the bags in this class of luggage, the 70025 is available only in black but it does have a few spots of color.  I mean this literally as there are seven round spots of hi-viz green placed on the outside of the larger external side pocket.

The exterior dimensions are 15” tall by 14” long and 17” wide (38x36x43cm) and, according to the Tex Motor representative, the bag holds 38 liters (40 liters according to the website). There is a large main compartment which measures a square-ish 14x12x10 inches (35x30x25cm). This adds up to about 27.5 liters for this compartment. The rest of the volume comes from a compartment on the lid, a pocket on either side, and pocket on the front.

Connection points are plentiful on the 70025 bag with several D-rings located around the bag. Six straps are included that connect to the D-rings to secure the bag to the bike. On the back is a two inch (5cm) wide strap for fastening to a seat backrest or rear rack “upright”.

Construction – 70025 Tail Bag

The majority of the exterior is a 2500D “Impertex” material which I’m going to assume is Tex Motor’s name for this specific type of ballistic nylon. Being a 2500 denier material that looks and feels like nylon, and is using what looks like a 2X2 basket weave, I feel comfortable with that assumption.

Covering the outside of the side pockets, the flap of the top pocket, and the sides of the top compartment is another nylon material that feels as thick as the main material but has a smoother feel with a diamond weave pattern.

The front gets a combination of ballistic nylon, a swath of synthetic suede, and a small metal badge with “TEX MOTOR” laser-etched into it. It’s a small bit of branding that is subtle, but a nice touch. While discussing branding, the bag is very non-flashy with a small, triangle-shaped rubber patch with the Forte GT logo as well as two small fabric tags with the same logo attached to the side pockets.

All the zippers are a self-branded “TEK” and they work well enough. They aren’t as smooth as the nicer YKK zips, but they aren’t rough either. There are a total of seven zips on the bag with the external pocket zippers using what looks like a waterproof style seal closure. However, the material doesn’t have the rubberized feel of a true waterproof zip so it may offer some water resistance, but I wouldn’t trust it in a downpour.

If one does encounter heavy rain, Tex Motor includes a rain cover. This showercap style cover has an elastic opening to cover the bag which makes it easy to put on and remove. The only problem I see is that wind could get up underneath and possibly pull the cover off the bag when on the road. I’ve had this happen with another tail bag I used to own.

The rain cover can be rolled up pretty small but it would still take up considerable space in the side or front pockets. I’d like to see Tex Motor take a page from some camera bag designs and provide a dedicated slip pocket for the rain cover. Go a step further and make the rain cover permanently attached to the inside of the pocket with an elastic tether so it won’t get lost.

The interior of the main compartment is lined with a 270D nylon fabric in the same hi-viz green color found in those little dots on the outside pocket. This makes the interior nice and bright so finding small, dark colored items easy to locate. The exterior pockets get the inside of the flaps covered in the same hi-viz material but it does leave half the pocket interiors black on the inside. It could be worse, but it could be better if the entire pocket interior was the same bright color.

Within three of the walls of the main compartment is a stiff sheet of ¼” inch thick foam which helps the bag keep its shape when empty. This foam also provides some impact protection to the contents inside. This foam can be removed if one prefers the bag to be more flexible. The rear facing wall has the same foam in the wall but it is not removable.

Storage Details – 70025 Tail Bag

The main compartment, as mentioned earlier, holds about 27.5 liters in a 14X12X10 inch (38x36x43cm) space. There are no dividers in the main compartment for organization but this can view as a plus or minus depending on one’s needs.

The good thing about the open space is that a full face helmet will fit nicely into this space. Even a long-ish MX helmet can fit in the main compartment but it does push the limit. In the case of the MX helmet used for testing, it was my Zero 7 Zero, size medium, and the peak needed to be lowered to easily fit.

On the underside of the lid to the main compartment is a slim, clear pocket measuring right at 8.5X11 inches (215.9 by 279.4 mm). This is the perfect size for printing a map on letter-sized paper to place in this clear pocket. Of course, I’m not sure how often printed maps are used anymore but it’s there. Obviously other small, flat items could go in this pocket as well.

On top of the main compartment lid is the second-largest compartment on the 70025. The top tapers in from the sides a bit and also slopes towards the front so getting an accurate determination of the available volume is a little tough to determine appears large enough to hold a pair of shoes, or several pairs of gloves, etc.

The opening to this top pocket uses a flap in the middle of the top measuring 8 by 9.5 inches (20X24cm) so it restricts one from placing some larger, flat items, like a small laptop, in this space. One thing I would like to see added to the bag are some straps that connect from the inside of the main compartment to the lid. While I’m writing this review there is a lot of opening and closing of the bag and the lid flopping over the back is annoying. I can imagine it would be worse with the top pocket full.

The front pocket measures out to 8.5 inches by 7 inches (22X18cm) with a narrow 1.5 inch (4cm) depth. This would make a good space for smaller items to which one needs quick access such as keys, a wallet, etc. I could see this space being a bit more useful if there were some pockets and other organizational details inside but that’s purely subjective.

Like the front pockets, the side pockets are small and relatively narrow being useful for smaller items requiring easy access. These pockets also have one side on their interior in the same hi-viz green color as the interior of the main compartment, but only one side.

This limits the ability to easily find smaller items in this space and this setup is shared with the front pocket as well. It’s a pretty minor issue in the overall scheme of things but why not go ahead and line the entire pocket while you’re at it?

 

Attachment Options – 70025 Tail Bag

The 70025 offers a good selection of mounting options which should cover a wide array of motorcycle types and setups. The large flat bottom should feel at home on the rear seat of most touring and larger adventure bikes while it may be a bit wide on sport and sport-touring bikes. That’s not to say it would be a problem on smaller seats, but it might look a bit funny aesthetically.

Alternatively, if one has a rear rack/platform on their ride, the bag could be placed there. Racks like Ventura’s would make a nice mounting point and would free up the rear seat for a passenger. If one’s bike has a backrest, the 70025 has a wide strap on the back which can be used to secure it to the backrest. The straps are pretty long so it should be able to accommodate larger seatbacks.

For other options to secure the 70025 in place there are six adjustable, clip-on straps included with the bag. First off, there are two pairs of long and short straps. Each strap has a plastic clip at one end and a loop at the other, making it easy to wrap around the bike frame, grab rails, peg mounts, etc. I like the loop concept as it makes it very easy to adjust to a variety of mounting locations as well as being easy to install and remove.

The longer set of these straps measures out to 19 inches (48cm) fully extended to 12.5 inches (32cm) at the shortest setting. The shorter straps measure 14 inches (36cm) and 9.75 inches (25cm) respectively.

The other pair of straps have clips at both ends with one adjusting from a maximum length of 24 (61cm) inches to 12.75 inches (32cm) while the other, slightly wider strap maxing out at 56 (142cm)  inches and dropping down to 29.5 (75cm) inches at the shortest setting. These would be best suited for wrapping around a portion of the frame or running under a seat where they can be attached to one of the D-rings on the bag at each end. The ones included with the bag were attached to d-rings on the bottom of the bag presumably for placement under and around a rear seat.

All these straps can be adjusted using a simple sliding buckle allowing for a snug with a pretty good range so they should cover most motorcycles and I was able to easily find solid mounting points with the proper reach on my 2013 Ninja 1000. With all the various straps included there should be “some” way for one to find secure mounting points.

Another factor that ensures one can find a solid mounting setup is the multiple D-rings on the bag. There are four on the underside of the bag plus four each on the left and right side of the bag. The included straps simply clip onto these rings quickly and easily, however, these strap clips are something that concerns me about the 70025 bag.

The clips on the included straps are plastic and don’t strike me as robust. It’s not that plastic can’t be strong, but the clips are just too small and thin to make me feel good about their durability. I think Tex Motor spending a little more on metal or more robust plastic for these clips would be a good idea.

Fortunately, the D-rings installed on the bag are made of metal and there are plenty of them. As mentioned above, there are four rings on the underside of the bag near the sides. Only a short distance away, on the sides of the bag is another pair of rings located just below the side pockets.

Above the side pockets are two more D-rings bringing the total of the rings to eight. Plus there is another much larger, chromed D-ring on the back. This large ring likely is for extra security or could be used as an attachment point for other items. All the smaller D-rings are attached to the bag by being sewn into a 1 inch (25mm) wide nylon webbing material which makes for a very strong and secure attachment point.

Other Features – 70025 Tail Bag

On the outside of the front pocket, or rear pocket depending on how one mounts the bag, are two arched strips of reflective material. Despite being relatively thin they are very reflective and should do a good job of adding some visibility in low light conditions. These strips also highlight the only flaw I’ve found in the otherwise excellent construction quality. One can see in the photos how the stitching is rather haphazard as it runs the length of the material.

Another feature that works, but has its own potential weaknesses, is a lock used to secure the main compartment zippers. The mechanism is located over the front pocket and has two slots into which the main zipper pulls can be locked. This is a nice idea but I feel the design is lacking.

For starters, the entire mechanism cover is made of plastic, as are the combination dials used to unlock the mechanism. The plastic doesn’t feel particularly durable or thick and not really ideal for a “security” feature as they could likely be defeated with simple tools and/or brute force.

In addition, I wasn’t provided with the combination and the mechanism was already in a locked position where it was locked. I found the mechanism pretty easy to unlock by feel and in a couple of minutes I was able to determine the combination and open the lock.

Having the lock mechanism in place should still act as a deterrent for the casual thief but if someone wants to steal the contents, or the entire bag itself, it wouldn’t take much effort. Of course, most soft bags are not going to offer much security so I may be making too much of this. If thieves want something bad enough, they are going to find a way to get it, right?

Conclusion – 70025 Tail Bag

The 70025 is a nice tail bag. While it doesn’t offer any revolutionary features to the motorcycle luggage space, it does what it does very well. The overall construction seems durable and well sorted and the variety (and number) of mounting straps should easily cover most users’ needs.

Use of hi-vis material for the main compartment interior is a nice touch and it is good to see it in the external side and front pockets, but it’s too bad it covers only half of the interiors. Available storage makes it useful for the weekend traveler as well as a nice supplement to side cases. The fact it can be mounted on a seat means it can be used in addition to a top case so a lone traveler can add quite a bit with this bag along for the ride.

The plastic clips concern me a little but I admit in my testing I found the bag stayed in place and the clips stayed secure. However, I didn’t take multi-day trips nor have I put thousands of miles on the bag so take that for what it’s worth.

The Forte 70886 “Sentor”

4.5 Stars

 

Introduction – Forte 70886 Sentor Bag

The 70886 bag or “Sentor”, is quite the different animal from the “cube-ish” 70025 bag. Firstly, this bag has a name, but more importantly, this is one cavernous piece of soft luggage. I’ve seen a couple of other “crescent” shaped bags like this before but I’m not seeing anything similar save for a couple of SW-Motech bags and one from Givi.

A bag like this is a good option for those who might not want to go through installing the brackets and associated hardware needed for hard panniers. This bag is designed to sit on the rear seat and it drapes over the sides a bit ( about 9 inches or 23cm). With a depth and width of 10 inches (25.4 cm) and an overall cross-wise length of about 28 inches (71cm) one can pack a lot of gear inside.

Obviously, this kind of luggage isn’t for everyone but I think there is definitely a group of riders who would prefer this type of bag to a system of hard luggage. Riders who need to pack a lot of gear, but only on occasion, will appreciate the easy install and removal. Also, some bikes might not have a good selection of luggage options.

Since this bag only needs a rear seat and rear footpegs or other hardpoints on the frame to secure, it’s very versatile. It can instantly turn a sportbike into a sport-touring bike, at least as far as storage goes.

Also, some adventure riders might prefer soft luggage like this as opposed to hard bags which can be cracked or dented. It all depends on what one is carrying inside and if the contents need impact protection. Of course, the downside is that since it takes up the rear seat space, there won’t be space for a passenger. Two-up riders need not apply here.

Construction – Forte 70886 Sentor Bag

Like the 70025 bag above, the Sentor uses a 2500D nylon for the exterior using the same 2X2 basket weave for strength and durability.  The interior uses a 420D material which is heavier than the 270D in the 70025 bag but it omits one of my favorite features of its smaller, cube-shaped cousin. The interior is all black instead of the hi-viz green of the smaller bag making the finding of small items loose in the bag a little more difficult.

Between the interior and exterior layers on the front and back of the bag is a thin sheet of foam padding (about ¼ inch / 6mm thick) which provides a bit of protection to the contents of the main compartment. The same padding is in place in the area that rests on the seat of the bike. The sides and top space forgo the padding in order to make the bag a bit more flexible. Personally, I would prefer all of it be padded but that’s just me.

The main compartment is accessed through a 12 by 10 inch (30x25cm) flap employing a double zipper. The zipper is a waterproof type which looks substantial and the pulls are large enough to easily be grasped when wearing gloves. However, when pulled together, the zips have a 2mm gap which leaves a path for rain to find its way inside. Not much water will likely make it through this small gap but if you’re going to the trouble of using a waterproof zipper, I would find a way to eliminate this potential water entry point.

Black is the only color in which the Sentor is available but it includes touches of bright orange material along some of the piping and edges of the bag. While bright in color, these orange spaces are shiny, but are not highly reflective.

Fortunately, there are reflective patches on the front, back and sides. The rear sports a 6 by 4 inch (15x10cm) “Forte GT” silver logo which uses a bright reflective material. The sides have a thin, curved 7 inch strip of more reflective material.

In the front, facing the rider, is an 11 x 1.5 inch (28x4cm) checkerboard pattern of silver and black  using the same reflective silver material for the light areas. It might not make sense to have reflectives on this side of the bag but there could be a case to turn it backwards if it fits better on your particular bike that way.

On the top, about 15 inches (38cm) apart, are two thin handles covered in flexible rubber. They are well placed for picking the bag up off the bike but they are a bit on the thin side. For something that could get pretty heavy when full more substantial handles would be nice.

Across the top of the main compartment opening is a criss-cross of orange shock cord with a small adjuster. This is a useful add-on for placing items on the top of the bag. The six loops which the cord runs through have small reflectors for just a bit of extra visibility.

Storage Details – Forte 70886 Sentor Bag

The crescent shape makes it difficult to determine the exact interior volume but Tex Motor claims it’s 65 liters and I have no doubt this is about right. The largest width of the interior measures out to 26 inches (66cm) which is pretty generous for most any motorcycle luggage. The lower spaces that hang below the seat are about 7.5 inches (19cm) at their widest providing plenty of space in the lower areas of the bag.

In addition to the cavernous main compartment there are two side pockets that are 10X10X2 inches and together add about 3.2 liters to the storage total. These pockets close with a large flap and snap buckle and are pleated to remain flat when not in use.

Speaking of flat, there are two large straps that cross over the top of the bag that can be used to cinch down the overall size of the bag. This helps keep the items inside from shifting around when the bag isn’t full. The straps are connected to large snap buckles for easy access to the interior.

 

Attachment Options – Forte 70886 Sentor Bag

Getting the Sentor installed is a pretty straightforward process. There are two straps on either side of the front that create loops up to 20 inches (51cm) long. These can be attached to the passenger footpegs or other suitable place on the frame. Using the adjusters on each strap they can be cinched down to less than an inch providing a lot of adjustability.

At the back there is another single strap that runs from one side to the other. This can be run under the rear seat or even under the subframe if that works better. This strap opens to a length of 39 inches (99cm) which should be more than enough for most any bike.

In my case, the forward straps easily reached the luggage hooks present on the Ninja 1000 rear footpeg mounts with plenty of excess to spare. I ran the rear strap under the subframe where it wrapped under the rails of the SW-Motech Alu-rack installed on my bike.

All of these mounting straps have a patch of hook and loop fastener at the end of the strap and at the base of attachment. This is handy for keeping the ends of the strap from flapping in the wind when on the road.

An additional adjustable strap is included if one needs another mounting location. This strap has plastic clips at each end which can be attached to the pairs of D-rings located on the front and rear sides of the bag. The strap adjusts from 56 inches (142cm) down to half this length. The one downside with this is it shares the same clips present with the 70025 bag straps which I feel could be more robust.

Other Features – Forte 70886 Sentor Bag

Like the smaller 70025 bag, the Sentor comes with a showercap style rain cover which can be stretched over the bag. Also, like the other bag, I would like to have seen this rain cover tethered permanently to the bag or at least some way of anchoring it so that the wind doesn’t yank it off the bag.

Since the Sentor is a soft-sided bag, it can be flattened and folded down to a relatively small size when needed. In fact I found the extra strap with the attached clips is an excellent accessory to hold the Sentor in a compact state. Maybe that’s what it was for?

Conclusion – Forte 70886 Sentor Bag

Lot’s of easy to add on space. In a nutshell, that’s the straight and simple conclusion. The 70886 Sentor offers a lot of space for a good price. Add to that the fact it is easy and quick to install on the bike just makes it that much better.

The way the attachment straps are laid out combined with their generous adjustability means the Sentor can be made to fit a wide variety of motorcycles. This also means if you one has their own fleet of bikes in the garage, this luggage option can pretty easily be passed from one bike to the next without much fuss.

I really like this bag despite my own preference for hard luggage like my current top case. However, if I needed to carry more than my 42 liter Shad case can carry, and/or I needed space for longer items like a tripod or light stands (for photography), I would be packing this gear into the Sentor and strapping it to my rear seat. I could even use this bag along with my topcase if I needed to get away for a couple of weeks!

A Note on Purchasing

While Tex Motor products are widely available throughout the EU and the Middle East, Tex Motor is currently looking for retailers and/or distribution here in North America. As such, individuals wanting to purchase one of these bags have two options.

First, these two bags are available from Czech retailer Inpreda through Amazon. Links and current pricing are below. Keep in mind that when I viewed these links, provided by Tex Motor, the two bags look a little different than what I have here on hand. They are very close, but the accents are a little different.

Secondly, the sales manager for Tex Motor let me know I can provide his email address for those wishing to make a direct purchase. You can see his email address below with the other Where to buy link. Also, if you are a retailer or distributor who might be interested in picking up the Tex Motor product line, you can reach them using that same email address.

In Full Disclosure

Tex Motor provided these bags and remuneration for our review and the opinions expressed here are our own. While this review does include information on purchasing retail and/or for the purpose of distribution for those interested, webBikeWorld and this reviewer adhere to our product review policy. The products are scored based on merit.

Important Links

• Texmotor
• Where to Buy:
  • Amazon – 70025 bag
  • Amazon – 70886 Sentor bag
  • Email to: info@texmotor.com

• Interest in retail or distribution should be directed to info@texmotor.com

Specs (70025 Bag)

• Manufacturer: Tex Motor
• Price (When Tested): $129.00 on Amazon
• Made In: Turkey
• Colors: Black
• Review Date: March 2021

Specs (70886 Sentor Bag)

• Manufacturer: Tex Motor
• Price (When Tested): $159.00 on Amazon
• Made In: Turkey
• Colors: Black
• Review Date: March 2021