END OF AN ERA: Andy Strapz to close after three decades of Australian manufacturing

After 30 years of making motorcycle travel gear on home soil, Andy White has announced that Andy Strapz will cease manufacturing.

White, whose factory has operated out of Seaford in Melbourne’s outer south-east, confirmed that production of all Andy Strapz product lines will wind down in a stepwise fashion as existing raw materials are exhausted, with a full shutdown scheduled for June 20.

“We’ve come to a natural turning point,” White said. “It’s time to close this chapter and turn the page.”

For anyone who’s been putting off a purchase, or needs to replace a well-worn A-Bag, set of Smart Strapz or soft panniers, the next couple of months represent the last chance to buy genuine Australian-made Andy Strapz gear. White is expecting a surge in demand as the closure becomes public knowledge, so getting in early is the play. A full schedule of what disappears when is available on the Andy Strapz website.

It’s the end of a remarkable story. White, a former emergency nurse who topped his state during nursing training, built Andy Strapz from the ground up after identifying a simple problem: the gear available to touring riders wasn’t good enough.

His first product, the original Andy Strapz stretch strap with Velcro fastening, was designed as a safer alternative to occy straps, which White knew from nursing experience were responsible for eye injuries when they let go unexpectedly. From that starting point, he developed a full ecosystem of travel gear including the Smart Strapz, Piggyback Strapz, the iconic A-Bag system and a soft-pannier range that became a staple for adventure tourers and rally competitors alike.

What set Andy Strapz apart, and what makes the closure genuinely significant for Australian motorcycling, is that every single product was manufactured in Australia by Australian workers. At a time when the industry standard was to design locally and manufacture cheaply overseas, White held the line. “Our reputation is actually what sells our products and our warranty issues are virtually nil,” he told INFO MOTO in a 2023 feature.

That commitment to quality and local manufacturing is what makes this closure sting. When the factory goes dark on June 20, Australia loses one of its last genuine motorcycle gear manufacturers.

But White isn’t disappearing entirely. Drawing on three decades of designing and testing adventure travel equipment, he’s transitioning to focus on Travels with Andy, a curated long-format motorcycle expedition business offering immersive journeys through India, Nepal and Sri Lanka in partnership with in-country operator Karma Yatri.

To grab the last of the stock, check the production wind-down schedule, or find out more about Andy’s next chapter, head to andystrapz.com.

How Andy Strapz created Australia’s most successful motorcycle accessory manufacturing business

Spencer Leech

Spencer has a keen eye for hard news, and does some of his best living on deadline day. He loves more than anything to travel on his Aprilia Tuareg 660, and is adamant that Melbourne Bitter is a world-class lager. He also knows how to operate the big computery thing in the office. By night, Spencer plays guitar with Melbourne punk outfit LOUTS.

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