The last update mentioned someone tried to steal my bike. Quick follow-up: insurance came back, and it's totaled. I can't run this build without a motorcycle, so I went on Facebook Marketplace and found a 2019 Husqvarna Vitpilen 701.
What a fun bike! But.. it also broke my mounting system on day one.
I've been using a universal fit mount for demos and testing, the same one that worked on the Ducati. The Vitpilen's subframe doesn't accept it. Altho I was aware of this being the case for some bike models, I was initially kinda hoping to kick this can down the road, so..
Honestly, good. This is a problem I need solved before launch anyway. This bag has to mount to bikes I haven't ridden yet, on subframes I haven't seen. The Vitpilen just moved that problem from "eventually" to "right NOW."
So I solved it. The Hypalon I ordered for v3 had already arrived, so I pulled a small section, cut a bolt-on strap attachment on the Cricut, and sewed it to spec for the Vitpilen's mounting points. It works. The bag now mounts clean on a bike it was never designed around.
There's a real lesson buried in this, and it's one every one-off custom mount teaches you: a universal system has to accommodate variation you can't predict from a spec sheet. The Vitpilen didn't fit because it wasn't in my head when I built the demo universal mount. Whatever the production mounting system ends up being, it needs to survive bikes I'll never personally test.
This came together right before Still Splitting Lanes at TV Eye. It was a good turnout! More people voted on the bag in person than I expected, tablet voting at the booth turned out to be way more fruitful than online. Plus they get their sticker pack reward right away!
Also launched three things this past weekend: a Founder's Edition tee, a strap called TETHER, and a sticker pack for early voters. TETHER in particular is worth its own post, it's the first real manufactured product NEUTRAL has actually sold.
More on TETHER, the tee, and the sticker pack soon.
Chin L.
Founder, NEUTRAL
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