Part # 20660200
Elephant Tank Bag Base

If you are content to leave the Base Plate on your motorcycle, this review may not be of interest to you. The front mounting straps while not impossible to install, are a challenge on this motorcycle. Be aware that it also has two self adhesive hook and loop fasteners that are positiond on and toward the rear of the tank. In addition to that, there is a screw fastener at the end of the base below seat level. All of this makes for difficult removal and reinstallation.

I already own an Elephant tank bag and used it on my F800GS models. The system is extremely easy to install and convenient to use. Of course, on the F800GS there is no need to remove the tank bag for refueling, but if you travel it is great to be able to quickly remove the tank bag and but it back on. If there is one item for improvement it relates to the items provided with the base plate. Back in 2011 the base plate shipped with the clear protective tape - there was enough for 2 bikes. The new unit no longer ships with the clear protective tape. So if you want to keep the paint on your bike free of abrasions from sand and dust, you'll need to experiment and find a suitable protective tape.

I gave the base a 3* rating because it hold my elephant bag to the tank well, what I don't like is that one of the features of the 2017 GSA is the little box on the top of the tank. This a cool place to put things that you might want easy access to, the base covers that box up so I have to remove or significantly loosen the base if I want to get into there. So my point is they could have easily designed something similar to the fuel tank access or just put webbing across the top so I could still have access. Also the holes punched in the base for securing to the plastic body parts ain't spaced the same distance as the holes on the bike so there is a wrinkle between the two bolts, big deal-not really an issue just a detail that someone that got paid to design or lay this out would have addressed or reviewed. The other think that I have never liked about this bag/base combination is the process for getting access to fueling. When I've used the velcro straps to secure the bag you have to undo 3/4 of the straps and snaps to get to the fuel port, then the bag hangs over the side of the bike. Again not as well thought out as I would have expected, has anybody at the factory really used these things. I paid a lot of money for the bag and now two bases and just was not impressed with the thought that the designers did on this system. I'm an engineer and I can tell you there are a number of simple improvements you could make to make this assembly a lot better working system for the rider