Plastic luggages VS Aluminium ones
 

G'day mates.

I've been riding around the world on a 21 years old motorbike, using Givi luggages all the way from Italy to New Zealand.

I'm flying to Chile in december to ride up to Alaska and I'm seriously thinking about swapping these plastic one with some good aluminium stuff.

What brand and model whould you recommend me? Are you aware of any company interested in using my credibilty to get some visibility by providing me that gear for free?

Thanks guys.

Mine is a low budget RTW. Other people's help can really make the difference to me.

Gionata Nencini
Partireper.it - The world tour by motorcycle. Il giro del mondo in moto. - Home page.

Hi Gionata,

hope that your trip is going as planned and that you're ok.

I've heard that these are the cheapest ones but very well made: Zu bestellen bei Daerr.de: DÄRR- Motorrad- Box JUMBO, Aluminium in 1,2 mm - Heavy Duty (Därr)

Give them a call or e-mail them and try to get some attention, or buy a pair,

save riding,
Frgich

try touratech. they sponsored ewan & charlie :) lol

Plastic is crap (I took it for my overland trip because of budget - they were free H&B Gobi Enduro, sounded suitable)

Alloy is too expensive

Soft bags would be my choice next time round

I wrote them. I was thinking about building some, if i don't get nobody attention. Would be a great feeling to ride the rest of the world with a self made gear....

touratech australia offered a discount, which is less competitive of the discount offered by touratech italy and germany.

they don't wanna offer. i wonder why, i thought i had enough credibility at this time of my tour.

ill see what i can do...

thanks though

plastic is great. i've been using them for 3 years but they are not as practical as aluminium.

i personaly would love soft bag, but it's easy to steal and it can get all wet and damange what's inside if it rains or if you do a lot of creeks crossings....

Hi Henry - Are you saying that the Hepco & Becker Gobi panniers are definitely crappy? I enquire because lately I've been focusing on these as a serious option.

H&B's website states that: "... The Gobi bags made of a coloured shock-resistant artificial material is extremely robust, water-proof and it absorbs any shock without any consequences for your journey."
I'm confused .. :confused1:

Would you clarify?

KEITH

Well I know that you're travelling and staying for some time on some of the locations-eg teaching for example.
So if you have some time on your hand you can make some of your own cases and be proud of yourself.
Here's the link on how to made your own cases and racks: rtw.xtz660 - Home made aluminium boxes

ride on

great. i had that link and printed out all the pictures. the only thing i will improve is welding the case instead of riveting.

what do you reckon?

If you can weld aluminium , then that would be the best way to go .
TIG welding would be preferable ,but you need a good machine for AC Tig .
If you have a friend who welds ,then buy him lots of beer .
If you have to pay for welding , it will be expensive .
Buying aluminium panniers may be cheaper .

really????
even on the link about home made aluminium case, the guy had the lid welded, for a reasonable price.

I'll like to weld because i do stuff like this.

YouTube - Cool Video: Motorcycle 2007 (ENG subtitles)

thinking thinking thinking thinking....

Hey there - loving the videos :-) Have just subscribed on youtube....

I notice that you are currently using the same panniers as I have.... I wonder if you could be more specific about what you don't like about them? It would be good to hear before I set off!

Cheers

m

mmmmm. good question.

let's put it this way. if you ride around the world, is not smart to use everyday for 17 months, plastic bags. not enough room, totally unpractical for access to what you storage in it. and you can not use them as table or whatever.

my bike, travelling for so long, become my house, my vehicle, my wardrobe, my bed, my bathroom, everything. to not be able to travel easily because of a practical problem, can be stressy and limitative.

The link shows a great way to make alloy boxes without special tools , there is virtually no welding and very little bending [ just a simple lid ]. Most guys who know how to use a tape measure and a square can build one . The only criticism I can make is that the rivets and bolts protude into the box and may damage stuff inside due to the bike vibrations . A plywood corner liner or flush fitting rivets would cure this problem .

Let me explain about what is involved with welding .
Aluminium welding is not as simple, or as cheap, as welding steel .

Welding will be stronger than rivets , but you will need a bending brake to bend the alloy into a U shape . OK OK you could improvise , but it's much simpler to get bending done in a workshop . If you are having them made you can also make the corners into two 45 degree bends [ look at Happy Trail panniers ] , this will make the box stronger and you will avoid sharp edges which might catch on your leg or the road surface .

Then you will have to weld the ends on , I would use a double 45 degree corner on the front of the box [ or an even broader angle to avoid injury to your leg ] .
I suggest TIG welding , this will involve a good quality welding machine , you'll only find these at a good quality workshop , BUT MIG welding will also be good enough if done correctly , a less well equiped shop will be able to help you here .
If you have to buy the alloy at market prices and pay shop prices for the work to be done ,it could be very expensive .
BUT if you know a welder who likes beer and you can find the alloy cheaply then you might be onto a GOOD THING !

You could also look for ammunition boxes or airline boxes [ there is a recent link on the HUBB that is very good] .