Product Review: Andy Strapz Flat Strapz

How does it perform?

The Flat Strapz are two inch wide elastic straps with industrial-grade Velcro strips at their ends. These surprisingly strong straps are easy to use and given their elasticity, can accommodate bags of different shapes and sizes. The absence of hooks at the end of the strap means that you avoid scratching or damaging your bike’s bodywork.  This also reduces the risk of injury caused by the sharp point of a hook.The elasticity ensures that the luggage stays secure even on bumpy and pothole-infested Indian roads.

There are several ways in which you can secure your luggage using Flat Strapz, though I found these two ways convenient for my TVS Apache RTR 200 4V long termer (You can read the LT reports over here). In case of smaller bags, you can stretch the strap from under the tail section bringing it on top of the luggage mounted on the rear seat. For larger bags, I preferred passing the strap from under the rear seat of the Apache. This way, I had a few extra inches of belt to accommodate the bag.

The manual shipped with the package shows many different combinations to secure your luggage, though these are largely dependent on the availability of hooking points on your motorcycle.

What is against it?

You have to frequently clean out the debris and dust that collects in the Velcro strip, as these might interfere with its ability to offer a good grip. Sometimes, it so happens that the strap either becomes too short or too long(when you make use of two straps end-to-end) for your luggage. Bungee cords are more versatile in this aspect, though a bit of planning while packing your bag takes care of this problem.

Also, it took me a while to convince myself that the Flat Strapz were safe enough to be used for bigger luggage. I had to get over the mental block that just a strip of Velcro can secure my luggage, especially when the strap was stretched to its maximum. However, the Flat Strapz have never failed me over the past two months that I have been using them.

All of these conveniences come at a price. At Rs 1,850, the Flat Strapz is an expensive proposition. You do get two straps in a pack, but that is one more than what I have found necessary so far. It would have been a decent deal if the company could have given the option to opt for a single strap for half the price.No doubt they are tough, weather-proof and very smartly engineered. But for those on a budget, the cheaper bungee cords will perform equally well.

 

Can be bought at motousher.com 

Photography by Kapil Angane