With great certainty, “They” told me, “You can’t tour on a Suzuki GSX-8TT”. Horse droppings. And to prove how wrong “they” are, SW-Motech, the Pro Blaze Saddlebags, the 60L tail bag, and yours truly are all going to argue that point.
A complete set of camping equipment, clothes for a long weekend, and the “get me out of trouble” spares and repairs kit, all fitted with ease. Six-Hundred miles along motorways, fast A roads, and the invigorating routes around the Scottish Borders, all navigated without issue.
But, as is normal, I’m getting ahead of myself … Let’s talk about the saddlebags.
SW-Motech Pro Blaze Saddlebags
SW‑Motech’s Pro Blaze Saddlebags are one of those rare bits of kit that make you wonder why every manufacturer doesn’t take the same approach. They’re a clever blend of practicality, subtle yet ingenious engineering, and that unmistakable SW‑Motech sense of “we actually ride bikes, so we won’t do the things that annoy you.”
If you have ever spent any time looking at the array of “scaffolding” that gets left behind when you remove hard panniers and wondered how long it would take you to refit it for that tour in six months’ time, then the Pro Blaze system feels like stepping into a calmer, more civilised universe.
One of the Pro Blaze’s magic tricks is the absence of scaffolding. SW‑Motech’s removable support arms are a statement in minimalism. They slot into discreet mounts on the bike, sit there doing their job without fuss, and then vanish in minutes, into a cupboard when you don’t need them.
No great steel exoskeleton bolted permanently to the rear of your bike. No industrial‑looking luggage rails ruining the lines of a machine you bought because you liked how it looked. Just two slender arms that keep the panniers from drifting into the rear wheel, that politely excuse themselves from the conversation when not needed.
Next on the list of magic tricks is the build quality. Not just that they are well-made, but how a pair of soft saddlebags holds their shape without the need for any additional framework.
Everything from the stitching to the zips, to the shaping of the panels, has that quiet confidence of a product made by people who care. The fabric – 1680D ballistic nylon – has enough structure to hold its shape even when empty, but not so much that it becomes rigid or awkward. The reflective accents are neatly integrated rather than slapped on as an afterthought.
And third comes the little touches. The carry handles, for example. Subtle and discreet, but big enough for my hands, which resemble shovel attachments. Or let’s talk about how the side panel zips tuck away into pockets, and how the Pro Blaze Saddlebags come with inner dry bags, even though the saddlebags are shower-resistant.
Blaze Saddlebags Installation
Any motorcycle task that can be completed while consuming just one mug of tea is both a blessing and a sin, as drinking tea is one of the reasons to go and twiddle spanners in the garage. The absence of swearing and questioning if I had the right parts was also wonderfully absent.
Each bike-specific mounting system follows the same theme, but on the GSX-8TT, it is especially simple.
Suzuki kindly put two bolt holes in the rear footrest hangers that the Pro Blaze mounts use for the support brackets. To the support brackets, the locking sliders are fixed.
The support arms go into the outer locks. Tighten all of the screws, many of which are preloaded with Loctite. Slip the support arms onto the support brackets. Connect the “you are not losing these” buckles, lap the Velcro over the seat, and you are good to go.
From start to finish, the initial installation took me 40 minutes. Now that it is assembled, the saddlebags are fitted in less than five minutes and removing them is just as easy.
I can go from fully loaded touring mode to a clean, uncluttered bike in less time than it takes your mate to find his keys.
And don’t worry about the bike’s paintwork. Along with SW-Motech’s traditional clear film, they also include two large self-adhesive foam pads with the saddlebags.
With the saddlebags mounted, spot any areas where the bags might rub and attach the foam pads to the bags to keep the paintwork unblemished.
Inner Bags
I found the Pro Blaze Saddlebags to be showerproof, but this isn’t the SW-Motech way; they know you are going to find proper rain somewhere on tour, and supply inner dry bags as standard.
These aren’t token liners thrown in to pad out the spec sheet. They’re proper roll‑top dry bags that slot neatly into the panniers, giving you the confidence to ride through British weather without mentally rehearsing what you are going to do with the soggy contents when you arrive.
They also make packing and unpacking far simpler. Lift out the dry bag, carry it into your tent or hotel room, and leave the saddlebags on the bike. It’s the kind of small convenience that becomes a big deal when you’re living out of your luggage for days at a time.
Capacity
In use, the Pro Blaze Saddlebags strike that sweet spot between capacity and restraint. They’re big enough for real‑world touring but compact enough that the bike still feels like a bike, not a delivery van. They sit close to the bodywork, don’t flap about, and don’t try to turn filtering into a contact sport.
In the 60L Drybag, strapped across the seat, is a full camping setup. Two-man tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, pillow, Jet Boil, and other camping paraphernalia. None of which is needed if you are staying in B&Bs.
In the Pro Blaze Saddlebags are clothes for four days, a washing kit, trainers for when the bike boots come off, a basic tool kit and the puncture kit with compressor. All of this fitted without having to expand the saddlebags from their standard 15L volume to 20L.
Bottom Line
In short, the SW-Motech Pro Blaze Saddlebags quietly improve every trip. Thoughtful, well‑made, and refreshingly unobtrusive.
They don’t have the capacity or – thankfully – the weight of a full set of three-piece metal luggage, but swap the 50L dry bag full of camping equipment for the 30-40L Rack Pack Tail Bag, and you can disappear for a couple of weeks.
And they said touring wasn’t possible on a GSX-8TT. That’s bullsh..
2 responses
Yes, the pads do the job.
I used the original Blaze saddlebags on my naked GSX-S1000 and as you write, they were simply brilliant. They only took a minute to get on or off and were never any doubt that they’d remain in place. I also see that SW Motech remedied my only complaint of the bags – no amount of clear film could prevent the constant chafing of the loaded saddlebags during multi-day tours. I think those self-adhesive foam pads that now come with the Blaze Pro would’ve helped.