Side carriers for Yamaha Tenere 700 - Gen1 vs Gen2

Side carriers Gen1

Several years ago, my riding buddy got himself T700. When he put his Giant Loop Siskiyou bags on it, we realized there is not enough side supports for the bags. So I designed simple side brackets with only one purpose - to act as a stand-off for large rack-less systems. We called them Side carriers (Gen1).

We tried them with Mosko moto Reckless 80 V3 (outdated model, one without composite base), Enduristan Blizzard XL, Giant Loop Great Basin and Siskiyou bags. In all this use cases, fit was significantly improved, as the Side carriers offered adequate side support for the bags. 

These Gen1 Side carriers were designed to work with our Gen1 Top luggage rack for Tenere 700, which is now replaced with Gen2 Top luggage rack. Also, Gen1 Side carriers could work as a standalone product, so they had additional under side bracket, to add stiffness when Side carriers were used as a standalone product, without the rack. 

Side carriers Gen2

As mentioned above, in 2025 we updated our Top luggage rack. Current model is Top luggage rack Gen2. New rack has several improvements over previous model. More info on differences between Gen1 and Gen Top luggage rack can be found HERE. 

Side supports for the Gen2 Top luggage rack are different than the side supports of Gen1 Top luggage rack. Note below how slots are different, both in position and in shape. 

Since the new Top luggage rack is different then the Gen1, we now updated the Side carriers too. Here you can see Gen2 Side carriers. 

Gen2 Side carriers serve the same purpose as the previous model. They act as very simple stand-offs for large rack-less systems. It is important to note that many rack-less systems improved over the years. New Mosko moto bags have stiff composite base. This base provides self-supporting feature, so Side carriers are absolutely not needed. Also, Kriega has highly specialized OS-base for T700. It is made to hug the bike closely so again, Side carriers are absolutely not needed. For older style bags, like previous generations of Mosko moto Reckless 80 or Giant Loop Siskiyou or Great Basin, Side carriers still work well.

Gen2 Side carriers are not designed to work as a standalone product. They are designed to work with Top luggage rack Gen2. Over the years, we noticed that almost no one used Side carriers as a standalone products. So we ditched the under side bracket. Gen2 Side carriers do not use under side bracket. This lowered the weight and the price and it allowed Side carriers to be used with majority of high mount exhausts. 

We made Gen2 Side carriers using high quality stainless steel and we bend them with specialized tooling. Manufactured like this, they are very sturdy. They have some small flex in them but it is very difficult to plastically deform them - they act as a spring. 

It is important to not that Side carriers are not designed to prevent scuffing the plastics. Due to their minimalistic design, soft luggage sill still make contact with the plastics, which can lead to some scuffs. These were designed for adventure riding and this kind of bike wear is just part of the game. We received some requests to make much larger side carriers but it is not something we will do. First off, these products already exist on the market and they are good for what they are. Next, I don't like the idea of adding lot of metal on the sides of the bike. Added weight and additional things to break or bend in case of fall. 

Side carriers Gen2 on Top luggage rack Gen1 and vice versa

Side supports for Gen1 and Gen2 Top luggage rack are a bit different. Again, more details about the difference can be found here. 

Since Gen2 Side carriers are made for Gen2 Top luggage rack, slot pattern of Gen2 Side carriers follow the slot pattern of Gen2 Top luggage rack. 

See the difference between Gen1 and Gen2 Side carriers. Gen1 is on top, Gen2 in the bottom. Note how slots are different. 

But the bolt pattern is same for all Top luggage racks and all Side carriers. That is dictated by the bolt points of the bike. This allows for limited backwards compatibility. 

Gen1 Side carriers on Gen2 Top luggage rack - it can be done. Underside bracket that comes with Gen1 Side carriers is not needed in this case. And Gen1 Side carriers are mounted on the outside of side supports for top luggage rack (Instructions for Gen1 Side carriers show different process - installation of the Side carriers under the side supports for the rack). Note how slots on Gen2 Side carriers are not aligned with slots on the side supports for Gen2 Top luggage rack. 

Angle of the Side carriers will work but it is less then ideal. 

Gen2 Side carriers on Gen1 Top luggage rack - it can be done, in the same way as if Gen2 Side carriers were installed on Gen2 Top luggage rack. Again, slots won't exactly align. Otherwise, this will work well.