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Alpos boxes - any good? Alpos boxes - any good?
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  #1  
Old 24 Jul 2009
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Alpos boxes - any good?
I've seen a couple of people talk about these, but mainly it seems to be posts saying "Look at these cheap panniers" and not "I bought these cheap panniers and they're great!!" Does anyone have them, and have any feedback.

I'm wondering as I've been in contact with them and we're talking about me being their agent over here, so don't want to saddle myself with quality issues, and complaints.
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  #2  
Old 26 Jul 2009
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inundated with replies i see?
i have no experience of them myself but ive seen three bikes with them, all have said the boxes are great value but can be a bit flimsy at the attachment points and need a bit of support because the side walls are just thin ally. all three had put thicker plates either side.
i dont know if alpos do their own frames now, the ones ive seen have been a diy frame, touratech universal frames and i think givi frames with the lugs taken off and touratech style fittings put on (the black plastic discs with bars over the rails).

none of them complained about water getting in or general falling apart.
hope this helps a bit mate
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  #3  
Old 26 Jul 2009
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Ive a set of them, both i think 48ltrs so something and they are cheap, but there are draw backs. You have to buy a fitting kit for givi panniers or others which is extra or you end up being cheap like me and making your own rack and fitting system.

I ended ip with 4 holes in each box with reinforcing aluminium around the hold and then rubber mounted to the frames to make them 100% waterproof
.

They are weak looking and i wouldnt want to try them much off roading but they are doing the job for me so im not worried.

So all in al yes cheap, good panniers but not overly strong.

I read a Vstrom report about 2 guys who when round the world with them and they complained that any drop bent them about and cause them to leek but they had never done any off roading before so probably hit the ground pretty hard and also they did say there bikes where way over loaded to very heavy.
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Old 27 Jul 2009
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Alpo boxes
With my husband we spent a year round south america. We both had Alpo boxes. No wrong things to report.

I dropped my bike many times in the 1st few months and the panniers were fairly bullet proof. But in the end we had to get the support frame strenghthened as the MoTech frame (and my bike's farme!) took such a battering as a result. This was easy and very cheap down a metal workshorp.

I had to abandon my panniers in Brazil after my bike was stolen. The police found the bike but not the support frame. By then I had probably dropped the bike about 10 times (!)... well you know some trails ARE tough!
Anyhow, nothing bad to say about them.

My husband's one did all the trip. And now the bike is sold with the panniers on, and going around the world...

He dropped his bike couple of time. No damage to frame or panniers.

So in conclusion, they are good quality and cheap. If they get out of shape (as a result of dropping the bike!) they are easy to hammer back into shape.

I like the fact you don't have to open the panniers to take them from the bike. Useful when surrounded by lots of curious locals. Just undo the padlocks and remove the box. Easy.

cheers,
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  #5  
Old 31 Jul 2009
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if you read the thread "metal mule prices go up again" then alpos cases look even better value...........
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  #6  
Old 2 Aug 2009
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had them on my 1150gs when i brought it, i thought they were preety good ,they did every thing touratech ones do,but at a fraction of the price,
i know have touratech panniers on my 1200gs,but i brought them second hand,i certainly wouldnt pay t/t prices, alpos boxes are ok
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