Tank panniers feedback wanted

[cenji]

Wanting to bring more weight towards middle of my G/S, 1981.

Looked on line and could find following companies making them.

RKA, Wolfman, Aerostitch .

All are pretty much the same, cordura material, water repellent, maybe an outside pocket for map,pen or tire gauge. MOst fasten with two velcro strips over tank and bunjee below.

Do you have any experience with any tank panniers mentioned above or others I am unaware off. Durability, functionality, size,zippers,quality,.....will all be considered. Your feedback is appreciated.

[r100gser]

hi cenji, i have a set of aerostitch tank panniers they are very good quality, and can hold quite a bit of stuff, if you have a fairing on your bike, like a paralever one they can rub on that a bit, but overall i think they are worth having, i am six feet tall and they dont hit my knees when i am sat on the bike, i also have a k100LT and they will go either side of the top box giving extra storage if required....ian

[Warthog]

I bought a second hand touratech tank bag and pannier set for my, then, R1150GS. It was nicely made, pretty well thought out and a reasonalbe size. The panniers were not huge, but I could fit my waterproofs in there for easy access....

Trying to attach them to my Ural now, but the tank shape means they dangle far too close to my cylinders. We shall see if I can sort a solution...

[Ozrockrat]

I have had a Tourateck V45 bag for years on my 1100GS and 1150GSA. Very handy for carrying my heavy chain / lock. Spares etc fit well up there as well (including spare oils). Just make sure they have a bit of padding for the hard bits. Because I used to leave mine on there all the time I didn't leave anything I was not prepared to lose. Even the lads in Glasgow didn't take anything although I always left a cover on it when left for any length of time.

[mollydog]

There are other MUCH less expensive tank panniers.

[Steve Pickford]

Try using Army surplus gas mask bags draped over the tank.

I have the TT VP45 tankbag & panniers, works well on my 1150GS. I fitted it to my 950SE, was not perfect. Made the mistake of filling the r/h pannier with tyre levers, tubes & tools when trailriding in Spain. Result was that due to jumping the 950, the r/h pannier slipped & rested on the hot header pipe - you can guess the rest, learn from my mistake.

In the EU, Hein Gericke is another option.

[mollydog]

These guys have several types, these are the cheapest.

[cenji]

was great to hear your personal experience with tank panniers.

Had heard about the TT with tankbag , right now for some $360, per catalog, too rich for me, but as a used item maybe a go.

Looked at the provided link for rocky mountain atv..., they indeed have panniers listed for under $20. I will call them to inquire about the dimensions and how they fasten underneath tank.

Seems like there are a few options out there for various budgets, but nothing does it all. Or?
Aerostitch, makes two sizes, which one works better? Most obvious difference is the depth, 2.5" and I think 5" or 6" depth and just minor height difference.
It seems the larger one would be resting almost on the cylinderheads.

In General:
Can you prevent sliding(front to back or side to side) of the panniers and if so how? Can you really tie them down with the velcro and bunjees very well?DO you have to have similar weights on each side, how tolerable/forgiving are they to uneven distribution and going down washboard or Camino Austral(Patagonia)? Thanks for your patience with these questions.

[Mick O'Malley]

Originally Posted by cenji

Aerostitch, makes two sizes, which one works better? Most obvious difference is the depth, 2.5" and I think 5" or 6" depth and just minor height difference.
It seems the larger one would be resting almost on the cylinderheads.

I had these Aerostich ones on my R1100GS (in black, I hasten to add!). They took a five litre wine box and a few packets of coffee each on booze cruises. They were as good as new when I sold them after five years & 60,000 miles. The plastic stiffeners in them are a good idea.

I now have VP45 ones on my Dominator. They aren't as big, don't have stiffeners, but are a better shape for keeping my knees warm.

Originally Posted by cenji

Can you prevent sliding (front to back or side to side) of the panniers and if so how? Can you really tie them down with the velcro and bunjees very well?

I had to make a couple of small bungees (with the TT bungee kit - about the best thing they sell IMHO) to secure the Aerostich ones to my engine bars to stop them moving. The VP45s have their own straps, which again I fit around the engine bars.

Originally Posted by cenji

DO you have to have similar weights on each side, how tolerable/forgiving are they to uneven distribution?

I have tools/tyre levers/chain wax/stove/spare inner tubes/meths/cooking oil in mine. I'm not too fussed about evening up the side to side weight as it's so close to the centre line. I'm more happy that some appreciable weight is moved from back to front.

Originally Posted by cenji

and going down washboard or Camino Austral (Patagonia)?

I've ridden a good few thousand kilometres on dirt in Patagonia on both bikes with no problems (in this department, ha ha!) at all.

Regards, Mick

[AussieNat]

You could make your own.
I made a set out of army surplus bags I found. They are waterproof and a good size for a variety of stuff. We keep our food in there on this trip.
Im 6'2 and have mine as far forward as I can on our postie. They work well but be sure that your knees dont touch.
We keep them as equally loaded as possible.


Highly recommended and dont knock around too much on the rough stuff. Mind you Im not too worried if our tank gets scratched...

Make your own.

[cenji]

[QUOTE=AussieNat;210928]You could make your own.

LOOKED FOR A SUPPLIER OF ARMY SURPLUS, NONE OF THEM ARE LISTED AS WATERPROOF OR WATERREPELLENT, ANY IDEA OF A WEBSITE.

Highly recommended and dont knock around too much on the rough stuff. Mind you Im not too worried if our tank gets scratched...


I AM NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE TANK AT ALL.IT IS HOMEMADE AND I THOUGHT OF WELDING ON THE EDGES(TOP AND BOTTOM) LITTLE LOOPS TO FEED THE VELCRO THROUGH(JUST LIKE ON THE TT ALUMINUM PANNIERS), IN ORDER TO AVOID SLIDING OF BAGS.

I THOUGHT THE HOMESETUP WITH THE HORSEHIDE DRAPED OVER SEAT SHALL DO THE TRICK