Kulkyne Biker Swag Tested
Big Comfort in One Touring Roll
I’ll put my hand up: I was a tent man.
Most motorcycle swags I had tried forced the same compromise. They were either bulky enough to affect the bike, or compact enough to leave me cramped on a mattress that made a proper night’s sleep unlikely.
Then Trev sent me the Kulkyne Premium Biker Swag to test, and I did a complete 180.
There are still trips where I would take a lightweight tent – mainly harder adventure rides where I don’t want any luggage mounted high or behind me – but those are now the exception. For tarmac, gravel roads and regular 4WD tracks, the Kulkyne has become my go-to sleep system.
It packs into a roughly 60 x 30 cm roll with light bedding inside, sets up in minutes, provides genuine room to move and, most importantly, uses a hybrid air-and-foam mattress that is far more comfortable than I expected from a motorcycle swag.
It may be the best camp bed I’ve ever slept on.
I talk about the swag quite a bit in my latest Tuareg video, which is at the end of this review, but let’s dive into some specs first.
Kulkyne Premium Biker Swag dimensions
The Kulkyne Premium Biker Swag has a packed size of approximately 60 cm long x 30 cm diameter with your sleeping bag inside – I also included an additional camping pillow and it still packed down to this size.
- Weight
- Swag + main carry bag: 7.9 kg.
- With ~1.1–1.2 kg of bedding inside as above: about 9.0 kg total.
- It comes with a handy secondary gear bag that attaches to the swag cover bag and can be useful for things like a tarp and extra ropes if you want to set up a simple lean‑to: ~230 g (empty).
- Swag footprint
- At 215 cm long x 95 cm wide, this is where it starts to stand out amongst competitors. The sleeping footprint is huge – the Kulkyne offers more than twice the quoted 45 cm sleeping width of the Darche Ranger Solo+. The trade-off is that the narrower Darche is lighter and incorporates a separate storage hutch, while the Kulkyne prioritises sleeping room and mattress comfort.
- It suits riders up to around 200 cm tall due to the sloping ends. Not only is it plenty long (which allows you to throw some gear down at your feet if you’re not a giant), but that width is crucial for a comfortable sleep, allowing you to roll over and move around a little.
Kulkyne Premium Biker Swag mattress:
Hybrid air/foam
The Hybrid Air/Foam mattress takes comfort to the next level. It has a layer of varying‑thickness foam over a 40 mm air layer: 20 mm foam under your shoulders/back and 40 mm foam under your butt.
The air layer expands to around 110 mm of air under the head area, which can be enough to double as a pillow for some sleepers. I opt to include a compact hiking pillow as well, but you could just as easily throw some clothing or a towel on there for a little extra height if you wanted.
Kulkyne recommends using a high-volume, low-pressure air-mattress pump and specifically warns against using a motorcycle tyre inflator, which is designed for high pressure rather than high volume. I inflated the mattress by mouth during testing and that worked well enough for me.
Kulkyne materials and hardware
- Canvas: High‑quality 230 gsm canvas for the swag body, which feels like a sweet spot between weight and durability.
- Floor: 280 gsm PVC floor with hot‑sealed corners for waterproofing.
- Carry bags: Heavy‑duty PVC with waterproof‑rated YKK zips. To be fair I haven’t torture‑tested it in a proper downpour on the bike, but with waterproof zips and the swag rolled with the PVC floor on the outside, I’m fairly confident your sleeping bag will be safe and dry inside.
- Attachment points: Four good‑sized D‑rings on the swag cover to attach it to the bike, plus four strap points on top to attach the additional gear bag.
I’ve tested the swag multiple times, on both solo and group trips, and it’s come up trumps every time. I’ve ridden some medium‑difficulty trails and while you definitely can feel the weight up there if you’re not used to it, it’s nothing you can’t deal with.
You just have to be more deliberate about the way you lean the bike (and what you do with your body weight) at slower speeds.
Kulkyne Swag setup process
The setup process could barely be simpler.
- Get the swag off the bike and out of the cover bag.
- Unroll it, then unclip the handy clips that help you fold the sides in to the right width when rolling it back up.
- Connect the end hoops and clip them in at each end.
- Take the central pole, unlock it, and stretch it out between the end hoops to push them apart.
There’s no need for extra tent pegs and ropes to tether the ends back – nothing to trip over. That’s it, you’re done. Peg it down if you want; it was never windy enough to warrant it on my trips.
Why I’m now a Kulkyne Swag fan
First and foremost, it’s the quality of sleep. That’s easily overlooked when hunting for the smallest, lightest possible sleeping system – but it arguably should be our number one priority. Being able to get a good night’s sleep can make or break a trip. Riding tired is a sure way to make mistakes and end up hurt.
In terms of getting a great sleep, the Kulkyne Premium Biker Swag is a resounding yes. That hybrid mattress is seriously comfortable, and you have genuine room to move during the night. That’s a massive win.
Then it’s a big win for convenience. One bag. Everything in it, including your sleeping bag and pillow (throw your thermals in there too if you like). Safe and secure. It’s set up and ready to sleep in within about 10 minutes, including blowing up the mattress. That central pole that holds the ends out means there are no tedious ropes and pegs to go in to hold the end hoops up.
The Kulkyne is not an ultralight solution, but the comparison becomes closer once a tent, sleeping mat, sleeping bag and pillow are all included. The main difference is that a tent system can be divided between several bags, while the Kulkyne carries the shelter, mattress and light bedding in one approximately 60 x 30 cm roll.
While it’s true that you can pack some of those things across different luggage bags if you want, that also means diving into multiple bags and half‑unpacking everything just to get your accommodation sorted – which can be a pain in the arse, quite frankly. And that extra time can be an issue if you just want a lie‑down, or if there is rain coming and you need to get a wriggle on.
Trip style: where the swag fits best for me
The final realisation for me was about the type of trips I’m doing more regularly: I’ll ride to the camp destination on easy‑to‑medium trails, get the swag off and base camp set up, then tackle the more difficult trails without the extra weight on the bike, returning each day to the same camp.
That way I’m just running a backpack for the more challenging trails. Then, only when it’s time to head home after a day or three of riding, do the luggage and swag go back on the bike for the return trip.
Even if you’re doing a multi‑camp ride, the speed and ease at which you can get your swag set up is leagues ahead of any tent setup. That means more time for relaxing after a day in the saddle.
Could the Kulkyne Biker Swag be better?
The only thing I’d really like to see added would be an option for an external storage compartment at the end (or both ends). Something you could put your luggage and supplies in out of the elements, and keep any associated aromas out of your sleeping space. That could fit nicely into the additional bag, actually… Happy to help test that idea too.
The swag’s side flap can also be tethered to the motorcycle and used as a small fly-over riding gear or luggage. That provides some weather protection, although it is not the same as having a fully enclosed storage compartment that can remain attached to the swag. Or a tarp and a quick lean‑to solves that problem – just not as neatly.
Verdict
The Kulkyne Premium Biker Swag will not suit every motorcycle trip. At approximately 9 kg with bedding inside, it is heavier than a minimalist tent system and puts all of that weight into one relatively large package.
For the kind of riding I increasingly do, however, the convenience and sleeping comfort justify that compromise. It is quick to erect, genuinely roomy and provides a better night’s sleep than any motorcycle-oriented swag I have previously used. The biggest compliment I can give it is that I started this test as a committed tent user and finished it wondering how often the tent will now leave the cupboard.
Kulkyne Premium Biker Swag pricing and availability
Kulkyne is an Australian family business, with its products designed and developed here in Australia. The Premium Biker Swag is available on the Kulkyne website as well as through plenty of retailers, which you can find via their website: https://www.kulkyne.com.au/.
The swag is currently on sale at $459, which represents solid value given the materials, the hybrid mattress, and the fact it becomes an all‑in‑one sleep system for the bike.
Kulkyne Premium Biker Swag at a glance
Packed size: Approximately 60 x 30 cm with around 1.1 kg of bedding inside
Set-up footprint: 215 x 95 cm
Swag and main bag: 7.9 kg
Approximate touring weight: 9.0 kg with bedding
Mattress: Hybrid air-and-foam construction
Canvas: 230 gsm
Floor: 280 gsm PVC with hot-sealed corners
Maximum recommended rider height: Approximately 200 cm
Price: $459
