Soft Luggage for a little RTW trip

[Reklaw59]

There is another Australian company to consider, although it looks like they are temporarily out of stock on some items.

http://www.steelpony.com.au/

[thorinoakenshield]

Originally Posted by sheikyabooty

Hey these are a great find, has anyone had any experience with these or with the enduristan range? The Giant Loop was our original favourite, but in terms of cost it has slipped down our list. If money was no object then.... :)

here's a recent review. looks nice.
http://adventuremotorcyclinghandbook...onsoon-review/

i'm leaning towards wolfman e12 with an ortleib drybag for my weekend trips.

[wanderlost]

These bags claim to be waterproof and cost approx $90.00 US for the set. Link below

http://shop.twistyride.com/motorbike...ameron-barker/

Paul

[Gregg Wannabe]

Originally Posted by sheikyabooty

Good call I totally forgot about these guys, how did you get around the lack of waterproof-ness issue? Also how do these guys sit when on a bike like a 690, especially on the side of the exhaust? cheers

They are water resistant, as in the water rolls off pretty darn well but they are not water proof. I don't see much rain so I have not worried about it. I bought some small racks that "stand off" the bags away from the pipes on my 950. An inmate sold them to me but I can't remember who.

If you look real close you can see them in my avatar. Ha Ha

[Kommando]

I'd do Wolfman drybags and their rack system with crossbrace for panniers. These bags strap in tight and secure, not hanging from the stitching to their straps like most saddlebags do. The straps actually go around the Wolfman bags and compress them to the racks. You could drag the bike by the bags with this setup, and the mild-steel racks are easily welded if damaged. Secure the bags with PacSafe mesh and some braided cables when parked.

Use a hard topcase. I'd go with a Givi 55L Maxia or something of similar size, wearing an additional padlock when parked. The Givi cases generally aren't very heavy, and a tire or two can be strapped on top. Do NOT mount a Givi with a small-parts kit. I can separate a topcase from this with my bare hands. Use a mount like the Givi M3 plate.

I'd also look into a front fenderpack and a fender brace. I have the Moose DS pack. It's HUGE. It will carry 2 powdered tubes and some tools. Zip-tie it to the fender and cable-lock the zippers to the bike, but don't leave anything valuable in it.

I also use tank panniers and a tankbag, to distribute some of the load to the front, and to keep things accessible. You can use PacSafe mesh over these when parked too. Cable-lock these to the bike, or use as a backpack when walking around.

I use a PacSafe 80L sack to lock my gear to the bike when walking around. When empty, it packs down to about the size of a small, rolled-up newspaper.

Turbo City has number-plate racks that are handy for carrying long items like tents and sleeping rolls.

A locking tooltube comes in handy. You can also secure things like tire levers and spare brake/clutch/shift levers to the bike itself. I strap levers to my bike's frame, using ties/velcro wraps/hose-clamps, under my side plastics.

Put a loud paging alarm on the bike. Use it. I also like to use a 15'-30' security cable and an alarmed disc-lock to secure the bike to something solid when parked.

All these locks and alarms won't guarantee that nobody will steal/vandalize your stuff, but it WILL cut down on the opportunists. The locks I use are combo locks, settable to my combo of choice. I have fewer keys and numbers to keep track of then.

[clintnz]

Originally Posted by Gregg Wannabe

http://www.andystrapz.com/products-d...yId=22&Level=1

Andy Strapz makes a great set of panniers. Not waterPROOF but tough as nails. I have crashed on these all over Baja.

I've crashed on mine all over NZ & a good bit of Australia... good gear. The new Adventure Spec ones do look pretty cool though, the security aspect would be handy. $$$ but.

Originally Posted by sheikyabooty

Good call I totally forgot about these guys, how did you get around the lack of waterproof-ness issue? Also how do these guys sit when on a bike like a 690, especially on the side of the exhaust? cheers

Andys panniers are relatively water resistant, then I have anything I want to keep dry in a lightweight drybag(s) inside - this also makes keeping stuff organised much easier.

You will need some sort of a rack, it doesn't need to be complex though. Check out the 690 rack & luggage thread in thumpers.

Cheers
Clint

[josjor]

I'd echo Kommando on the Wolfman bag and rack combo. I think I'll add some of those after the finances repair themselves after some other necessary upgrades.

Take the time to watch the video's on Wolfman's site. The way the bags attach and how sturdy they are is really impressive. I've got their Summit saddlebags and Explorer Light tankbag right now, but will make the switch sometime. Outstanding customer service is a HUGE plus in my book

Links:
The bags: http://wolfmanluggage.com/Expedition...ddle_bags.html
The racks: http://wolfmanluggage.com/Racks/index_Side_Racks.html
How the bags mount to the rack: http://wolfmanluggage.com/Video/ExpDryTetonSaddleV.html

I love the way the bags attach to the racks.

[jimmex]

Originally Posted by cug

Softbags normally crash better on non-paved terrain, it doesn't break your leg as easy when you drop the bike on it, it doesn't hurt you as bad when your foot gets could while maneuvering tough terrain, hard cases with racks often weigh around 30 pounds by itself before adding any luggage ...

There are many many reasons why off-road riders prefer soft luggage.

Breaking your leg on the road less traveled is a serious risk with hard panniers. If you are using hard panniers on a big bike, imperative to wear the most protective boots you can find.

[Owly]

I have zebras and Megan has Andy's , we went through a huge thunderstorm out west and my Zegas leaked the Andy's didn't . The bags have 6k miles on them and they look new, -
Andy has added some racks I didn't look for your bike but you can check

[rockydog]

magadan bags at adventure spec, some pics here

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791703

[RDT953]

I have the panniers and the tank panniers, I've ridden in some pretty heavy rain here in Japan and so far no problems with leaking. I use the waterproof liners but more for convenience in packing and unpacking and I also have cut down plastic water containers in the panniers to hold the shape and help with packing, plus I can use them as buckets at the camp.