Donner Tech Yamaha Tenere 700 Rear Luggage Rack and GPS Mount Systems Review

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

Every now and then, a bike like Yamaha’s Tenere 700 comes along and inspires innovative products from passionate riders. Steven Donner, of Donner Tech Germany, is one such rider who applied his CNC skills to make what I’d call “functional art” for his bike.

Tenere 700 Luggage Rack

Donner Tech’s rack system is amazingly integrated and arguably more refined in detail and craftsmanship than you would expect from an OEM. The most obvious visual feature is how the rack perfectly contours to the tail plastics. While some may prefer a larger mounting surface, the low-profile makes the rack not only minimalist and clean looking but unobtrusive.

RotopaX adapter mounting holes are predrilled for carrying extra fuel or a larger plate, but the system may be best used for a small tail bag strapped behind some soft luggage. As such, we wouldn’t recommend the system for riders who include the kitchen sink on their journeys but can either live with minimal gear or carry limited equipment on short trips. Hard cases can be handy for touring, but the Tenere 700’s off-road chops are better served by keeping the weight low and centralized. Soft bag side carriers are in development for those who want to haul more.

The three-piece tail rack elegantly slides into the integrated side handles that can be purchased separately; the interlocking assembly of the system is ingenious. Once together, you begin to appreciate the thought invested in this modular system’s design and craft.

Metal art generally comes at a cost, and this holds here. Coming in at around $440 for the rack, plus $200 for the grab handles (after Euro conversion), puts the Donner Tech system well into bling territory for many riders. That said, Donner Tech is still getting off the ground as a promising new company, and they make other bits for the Tenere 700 that are more budget-friendly and equally impressive.

Cockpit Stabilizer, GPS Holder and Adapters

We love the T7 because it balances the features we want vs. don’t want at a sensible price point. Corners must be cut somewhere, and such place is the composite tower. Towers are flexible by nature and prone to various kinds of vibrations, but they’re also a great place to put stuff!

Small tower cross-tubes are notoriously tricky for mounting heavier objects. Many clamps will eventually slip after impact or vibrations. And drilling more holes is another sketchy thing to do. Donner Tech’s stabilizer and bracket not only make for solid device mounting but strengthen the upper tower assembly.

True to Donner’s form, everything fits neatly behind the dash and looks like an original part. The stabilizer secures to the gauge cluster at the bottom and the bracket at the top. The bracket clamps around the cross-bar and provides AMPS- or Garmin-ball style mount options. Optional TomTom GPS or AMPS adapter plates provide even more flexibility. Either way, the GPS isn’t moving. The best part is it adds greater stability to the upper fairing assembly, most noticeable when fiddling with adjustable windscreen brackets. Depending on your setup, both pieces will set you back about $200 after Euro conversion. With so few options available in this category, it may still very well be one of the best setups to do the job.

We hope Donner Tech gets enough community support to expand operations, reduce production costs, and increase distribution. The work we’ve seen so far represents a form of art and manufacturing we hope to see grow not only as products but as expressions of talented creators who love motorcycles.

Donner-Tech.de

Approx. MSRP: Luggage Rack—$440, Grab handles—$200 | Cockpit Stabilizer, etc.—$200

PROS:

• Top-notch conceptual design and machine work
• Creative and effective solutions to fundamental problems
• Rack is low-profile but still practical
• Rock solid stabilizer and GPS mount

CONS:

• Pricey
• Anodized black versions may show wear in some rack applications

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