Enduristan Hailstorm 35 on CF-Moto 40MT

We’ve recently got our hands on a bunch of brand-new gear from Enduristan. Having used their original Blizzard bags extensively over the years, we’re looking forward to putting the new bags to the test on many more adventures.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the Hailstorm 35 fitted to the CFMOTO 450MT / Ibex 450. This is primarily a fitment showcase, along with our first impressions of the bags.

The Hailstorm 35 is the smaller of the two bags in Enduristan’s completely new rackless lineup. It features a composite harness that sits at the tail of the bike, which Enduristan calls the Structural Center Piece. This design keeps the bags stable in all riding conditions.

One of the great new features is the option to secure the bags to the bike using a quick-release system. Enduristan’s Anchor Point for Hailstorm makes mounting and removing the bags from the bike much quicker and easier.

It’s a two-part system, with one part bolting to the underside of the Structural Center Piece and the other bolting to our Top luggage rack.

Note that the two photos above show the Anchor Point installed on a different bike, but you get the idea.

Our rack for the 450MT offers three different pre-drilled holes suitable for installation of the Anchor point. Middle position works best with the Hailstorm 35.

The bag slides easily into place with Anchor point securely preventing any sideways movement.

For those who prefer to use the straps instead of the Anchor Point, that's certainly possible with our rack. There are several slots that work well for this, and high-quality straps with cam buckles are included with the Hailstorm bags. Personally, I prefer the convenience of the quick-mounting Anchor Point.

Lower part of the bags is still secured with the straps. On 450MT we're using the front part of passenger footrest brackets for this.

Strap length is kept to a minimum which greatly reduces potential bouncing and movement of the bags.

Looking from the side, the bags sit forward on the bike. After a couple hundred kilometers of mixed riding, everything from city, curvy mountain roads, freeway and some mild off-road, I can say that they stay completely out of my way. They don't exist while I'm seated and I can move freely when standing on the pegs.

450MT has a low exhaust and there is plenty of clearance between silencer and the RHS bag. Heat damage is not a real concern on this bike.

Structural center piece is relatively stiff and gives stability to the entire system. There are two different width positions where side bags can be bolted. I have them set up in the wider/lower position which works well on this bike.

Lower front part of the bags rests on the bike's side panels. Underside of the Structural center piece contacts the front corners of our rack. No real weight is being transferred at this place and rubberized underside of the harness will help preventing scuffing.

Looking from behind, the bags have approximately the same width as handlebars which is always nice.

Large part of the rack remains free so it's easy to strap additional tail bags if needed. Hailstorm's Structural center piece has several cutouts for straps so bags can be secured there as well. This setup provides different options for additional storage.

The bags themselves have what Enduristan calls a Standard Interface on three sides. This allows you to add small external bags or a bottle holster to the front, top, or rear of each bag. I didn't have time to play around with any of this yet, but having at least one external pocket on each bag is an appealing idea to me.

Overall, there is plenty to like about these bags. They are easy to pack, even while mounted on the bike, and the Anchor Point makes installation and removal quick and easy. Build quality seems really good.

There are some features I didn't have the time or need to test yet. Remember, this is definitely not a review of the bags, but rather a first impression. I'm yet to take them on a proper longer off-road adventure.