LEITNER DESIGNS ACTIVE CARGO SYSTEM REVIEW FEATURED IN ADVENTURE RIDER MAGAZINE

Intro

Not many people realize it, but Leitner Designs Active Cargo System (ACS) Classic was the first bed rack on the market designed expressly for motorcyclists. That’s because Founder and Chief Engineer Bernhard Leitner himself is a motorcyclist who desired a bed rack that he didn’t have to dismantle in order to haul his motorcycle. Searching high and low, Bernhard couldn’t find such a rack. So he designed it himself. The ACS was born.

Although ACS has become extremely popular in the off-road and overlanding communities, we still wanted to underscore the rack’s original design intent. So we sent a rack — a rare 8-foot ACS Classic — to Adventure Rider Magazine’s William Roberson in the hopes he’d see the brilliance in the rack as a moto enthusiast.

Roberson assembled the rack and drove his beloved Suzuki into the bed of his truck. To his surprise, “there was still plenty of room for other gear – including two bicycles – with the DR in the truck and tied down,” Roberson wrote. “Adding more bikes to the load – or full-length kayaks, canoes, SUPs or other long items – is a snap because, hey, it’s a rack and you can get stays and brackets for just about anything you want to add. Plus, the storage compartments resulted in a lot less of a jumbled campsite experience since I knew where most everything was packed away – and it was all locked up to boot. Besides the integrated locks in the rotating latches, there are also spots to add padlocks for more security.”

Moto and More
After several months with the rack, Roberson has become a devotee of Leitner and his ACS.

“Overall, the Leitner Classic Rack system on my Silverado is a huge boost in capability, carrying capacity, organization and functionality. The fact I can pop my bike in plus a literal ton of other gear without removing it just adds to its appeal,” he wrote. “Anything I would change? I can’t really think of anything. This is a fully mature and versatile piece of moto kit in the broadest sense, in that it allows riders to expand their adventures from a central base camp, and with the edition of a rooftop tent like a Roofnest Condor, it can also condense down the gear and lodging basics to a single vehicle. Not having to tow a trailer means I can get my truck – and bike – more places, more easily and with less expense. It’s a hefty initial investment, but one that pays for itself over time in terms of convenience, simplicity and utility. Months after I got it set up, I’m not sure how I lived without it before now. Highly recommended.”

You can read Roberson’s full review on Adventure Rider here.

Patented Design
Among Leitner’s nine patents, two innovations helped perfect the Active Cargo System: The sliding rear load bar, which allows owners to fit taller items in their truck without removing the rack, and side-mounted GearPods that offer indispensable eye-level, locking storage. Customers are able to install additional utility and storage features on the ACS Forged throughout ownership thanks to Leitner’s ever-growing line of accessories.

The Leitner Designs ACS Forged rack for Ford Maverick is available now and priced at $1,950, including a two-year limited warranty. Buyers can find more information online at LeitnerDesigns.com

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