Which panniers for 990 Adventure 2013?

I'm about to purchase a 990 Adventure 2013 model. Any recommendations on which panniers are best? I know KTM do the Hepco & Becker Gobi ones which can also carry water. Are they any good or should I go towards the aluminium ones which are made by Touratech?

Any advice gratefully received.

Caribu out of Boulder, CO.......Hepco-Barker racks w/ Pelican panniers. Life time warranty. Mount securely. Water tight. Look the best as well (imo).

I have Track boxes by SW Motech. Same ones as the KTM aluminum boxes. I really like them. But probably not as durable as some of the plastic boxes.

OK, best for what use? The stock Hepco Becker's fit well, are tough, push the most wind and kill the most bugs.

Pelican based are very tough, slide well on pavement with out damage.

The tough Happy Trail big bags are tucked in very nice, hold a huge amount and are inexpensive. The black hole of saddle bags. But, it all must fit in a 6 1/2" wide opening.

Soft bags are great for soft stuff. Don't bring your knife, rock and broken glass collection. Inexpensive, easy to mount. Giant Loop are best for off-road camping.

I will not use hard bags off road.

Just add into the mix - I vote for Jesses I have a set Gobis too, but the Jeese hold more, tuck in tighter to the bike and and are somewhat friendly for off road use (but not as good as soft bags)

I have the stock Hepcos. With those big plastic outriggers you can really feel the bike working to push them through the air at highway speeds, they act like air brakes when you come off the throttle. I only attach them to the bike when I really need the space. For most short trips I use a medium sized water proof duffle on the tail.

I have Gobis and hate, hate, hate them. Too wide. I've historically always resorted to Pelicans for panniers. I like to make my own mounts. These are mounted to the stock Hepco racks. The sides are 1550 Pelicans and the top is a 1500 mounted to a black cutting board purchased from Target. http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=907044

​

I am a big fan of the Happy trail Denali's but after a few years of hard use the racks gave up and threw the box into the dirt.
I have a Wolfman Rocky mountain set up all ready for a big trip coming up

Amen - I couldn't agree more. I went from the KTM Gobis (which by the way, DO NOT come with the hardware and holes necessary for carrying additional liquid - you will have to source those parts yourself andf install them if you get the KTM branded cases) to the Jesse luggage for my 990R and can't be happier. They swallow up a ton of gear, hold an extra amount of stuff in their tops / covers and I have shaved nearly four inches in overall width compared to the Gobis. I like the Gobis but they are also very square and such, are fairly short in length, limiting packing potential for anything semi-long (like some tent poles or sleeping pads, etc.). The Jesses are also indestructible - can't say enough about their design or quality. The rack is also very tight up against the bike when the cases aren't being used - you will hardly notice it. In addition, the Jesses allow for about 5 inches of fore and aft mounting choice so when you ride with a passenger, you can shift them back for maximum room and comfort and when riding alone, push them forward to keep the mass centralized; a brilliant and thoughtful design element.

+1 on the Track boxes. I have the 45 liter boxes from Twisted Throttle.



I got them primarily because the mounting frame is removable.







I only put the mounting frames on when I have to use the boxes. Almost all my dirt riding is done without boxes (ride to the camp site, set up camp and leave the boxes behind while I go out for a day ride on the dirt).

Boxes and frames are solid. Large enough to hold all my gear and build quality is very high. I also like the way they look.

Each mounting frame connects to the bike with 4 quick release tabs to mounting points that are permanently attached to the bike.



I had one of these quick release tabs fall out when I took the bike off-road and practiced some 2-3 drop off jumps with the boxes fully loaded with camping gear ( probably not the smartest thing to do....). The frame held in place just fine with the other 3 tabs. I didn't even notice it fell off until I got back home. Replacement tabs can be purchased individually from Twisted Throttle. I carry two spare tabs, just in case I do something stupid again....

They also sell a lockable tab to make the frames non-removable. Also, each tab can be easily modified so that it can not be removed.

Having said all that, I agree with FakeName:

If you plan to use the boxes primarily on the dirt, get yourself soft luggage. I totally destroyed my hard Jesse bags on my Tiger when I was riding in Colorado high passes. Damage to the bags was so extensive, I had to abandon one back and ride the rest of the ~2,000 miles home with one severely damaged bag and the rest of my gear piled up behind me.

Whichever hard cases you choose, there is a lot to be said for keeping the pannier frames on the bike (leaving the cases behind) when you go off-road. The added protection is reassuring.

On my first 990, I was using the detachable type frames with Gobis but I always had the impression that these would break loose if the bike took a tumble. My current 990 uses the usual solid KTM racks which are bolted on all the time.

Another consideration is whether you are going to install the ADV tank. Some luggage racks are not compatible, at least without modifying.

I've got the Gobis but hardly ever use them so I've not had the opportunity to hate them yet!

Jon

because of the risk of leg/ankle damage during a fall. Happened to a buddy in the second hour of a five day trip.

The shape of the bottom Jeeses mitigates this some what, though not completely but still much better than any of the square edged boxes out there.

Sent from my GT-I9305T using Tapatalk 2

Like my Trax..... KTM branded.

Jesse Luggage, only the best for your new KTM...

Smitty

Jesse just seems to fit the nicest, regardless of the bike. Possibly a bit narrow but they just fit, kinda like the way a car would set with suspension tweaks, tires, so forth...
Do you know what I mean?

I'll just leave this here...



Can neatly accommodate RotopaX too, when needed. If you're considering soft bags, feel free to click the image for more info.


Cheers,


Michael

Mine = Touratech stainless racks, 1550's, Happy Trails pucks.

...1500 top case mounted on the Baja bonus rack via 1 inch steel spacers.

Love this set up and minimal cash outlay!

FYI
The TT racks are TUFF and look great. I can pick the bike up by the rack with out any flex or give.

Thanks!
Cris

Wolfman panniers with Expedition dry bags.