CJ Designs DL650 Dual Sport Build with Siskiyou Panniers
 

Check out this super-bad V-Strom adventure bike build by CJ Designs!
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Tough bikes need tough luggage!
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Check out cjracer's thread about the bike here.

Fort Rock Top Case review in BMW Motorcycle Magazine
 

Thanks BMW Motorcycle Magazine for logging miles with the Fort Rock Top Case - you've already lightened your load considerably by riding Giant Loop vs. a hard luggage tail rack system!:clap
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video: Canadian Couple Camps on Suzuki DR200s
 

Small bike camping is where it all started for us - love this video!bier

New Giant Loop Gear: Tillamook Dry Bag, Rogue Dry Bag, Rubber Boa Straps
 

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Just in time for Fall and Winter motorcycle riding, Giant Loop releases two new 100% waterproof double ended roll top dry bags, the Tillamook Dry Bag and Rogue Dry Bag.

Plus, expedition strength shock cord fender straps, the Rubber Boa Straps.
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Tillamook Dry Bag (38 liters) and Rogue Dry Bag (17 liters)
Indispensible equipment for on- and off-road motorcyclists - keeps gear dry and easily accessible.
* Made in USA
* Limited Lifetime Warranty
* 18 oz. polyurethane with welded seams
* Reflective daisy chain - easy attachment, high visibility
* Vertical nylon compression straps with heavy-duty side release buckles

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Tillamook Dry Bag™
* 38 liters packable volume
* unpacked flat dimensions 40" x 19"
* Integrates with Giant Loop's Siskiyou Panniers
* 2 reflective daisy chains
* MSRP $89.00
Tillamook Dry Bag available now


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Rogue Dry Bag™
* 17 liters packable volume
* unpacked flat dimensions 32.5" x 13.5"
* Integrates with Giant Loop's Coyote/Great Basin Saddlebags
* 1 reflective daisy chain
* MSRP $73.00
Rogue Dry Bag available now

Rubber Boa Straps™
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Put the squeeze on a spare inner tube, tools, water or other essential gear with Giant Loop's new Rubber Boa Straps™ lashed to dirt bike fenders.
* Made in the USA
* Military-spec 1/4-in. shock cord
* Heavy-duty injection molded fender hooks
* Super tough and stable
* Fit most standard dirt bike plastics
* MSRP $25 (package of 2)
Rubber Boa Straps available now

Support our excellent Giant Loop dealers! Find your nearby Authorized Giant Loop Dealer here.

Go light, go fast, go far,
Team Giant Loop

Designed in Bend, Oregon | Made in USA | Ridden Worldwide

Tiffany Coates in Madagascar
 

Our friend Tiffany Coates posted up some pics of her latest adventure: dirt biking in Madagascar.
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10,000 KM on a KTM 950 Adventure in Australia's Outback
 

http://giantloopmoto.com/wp-content/.../IMG_2246.jpegGreat email from Giant Loop rider Jack from Perth, Australia:

Hey fellas,

Just got back from a 10,000km solo trip from Western Australia thru the Great Victoria Desert to Uluru (Ayres Rock), down the Oodnadatta & Strezleki Tracks to Tibooburra, then to Albury & up to the New South Wales Snowy mountains, Victorian high country & back to WA, about 10000Km, all on my KTM950 Adventure, equipped with your Siskiyou Panniers & Diablo Tank Bag.

I gotta say, I gave the panniers a floggin’ & they’re still hangin’ in there, cos very early in the trip, I lost the 2 heat shields & the muffler burnt a hole in the right bag & the dry bag as well, but whilst in Kalgoorlie, I managed to patch em up with some hundred mile an hour tape & with some rough bush craft, new hose clamps & some aluminium angle, I fashioned a new heat shield, I was back on the trail in no time flat. Just wished I’d paid as much attention to securing the original heat shields as did doing the patch up job !!!! *Lesson learnt : Lock wire your hose clamps so they can’t come loose.

So, all was going very well till about 50Km west of Tibooburra, NSW, I had a very close call with an Emu ( like an Ostrich), fortunately not knocking me off, but as I glanced it, the left pannier took the full brunt breaking the plastic D ring, but amazingly not the webbing off the lower front side strap that goes onto the footpeg mount assembly. All at about 120Kmh, I didn’t have time to shit myself it happened that quick.

Anyway, *all in all the bags worked great for me & were easily big enough to carry all I needed & did everything I asked of them & more, right from the desert to the snowy mountains & back. Great product fellas, they’re as tough as guts.

Jack

Perth, Western Australia
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Best email message we've ever received from a customer
 

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"Hey Guys

4 years ago you guys at giant loop auctioned off a bag and donated the money to me after I was injured filming at the races.

On the 4 year anniversary of that accident, a few friends and I took off on a 6 day ride on the WABDR after we ordered some of your gear for the trip.

On the last night of the trip I did a little camp scene setup and took some nice pics for you as a way to say thanks.

Thanks again for stepping up and helping me and my family out while I was out injured.

You guys make a great product, and it worked flawless on this epic adventure.

Dave"
www.davidschelske.com

BMW Motorcycle Magazine - Winter 2013
 

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From BMW Motorcycle Magazine, Winter 2013:

“Motorcycle Adventure Gear
Giant Loop has become known for products that are rugged yet lightweight and can be loaded with stability. New products include:

Pronghorn Straps: Multi-purpose stretch polyurethane straps with virtually unbreakable fasteners. You’ll find a hundred uses for these tough, quick-connecting straps for securing items to bike or luggage. Sold in packages of two, the 3/4″-wide Pronghorn Straps are available in three color-coded lengths. Multiple straps can be chained together to make various lengths. 16″ gray $15, 20″ orange $17, 26″ red $19.

Indispensible Dry Bags: The 17-liter Rogue (20.5″ x 13.5″) and 38-liter Tillamook (40″ x 19″) are new. Made in the USA of 18 oz gray polyurethane with 100% waterproof radio-frequency welded seams. They both feature reflective daisy chain loops for easy attachment, access to gear from each end and durable side release buckles with vertical nylon compression straps for secure closing. $73, $89

Rubber Boa Straps: Shock cord straps with molded hooks lash gear to dirt bike fenders, in packages of two, super tough Rubber Boa Straps are made in the USA from military-spec 1/4″ shock cord with heavy-duty injection molded fender hooks. $25, giantloopmoto.com "

Hey HUBB! Wake Up! It's 2014! - BMW Owner's News Review
 

Thank you Kit J. Vercella for the comprehensive review of Giant Loop’s Tillamook Dry Bag and Rogue Dry Bag in the January 2014 “Kit And Caboodle” column of BMW Owners News magazine.

This is our favorite part:
“A personal side note: Although not necessarily relevant to your purchasing decision, there is something heartening about a group of adventure riders down the street who have the vision and technical expertise to create top-shelf, functional motorcycle gear every bit as good (maybe even better) than their corporate rivals worldwide.”

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2014 Buckin' Roll Tank Bag - Center Only
 

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/...47064956_n.jpgOur trimmest tank bag yet! The 2014 Buckin' Roll Tank Bag is available in this center Tool Pouch only configuration, making it the most minimal and most affordable tank bag in Giant Loop's Adventure Proof Packing Systems line.

In stock and shipping now!:clap:

2014 Buckin' Roll Tank Bag - Complete & Center Only Options
 

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New for 2014, Giant Loop's Buckin' Roll Tank Bag has been completely redesigned, making it fit virtually any motorcycle make/model and fuel tank combo.

Named for saddle pads used by rodeo cowboys, Giant Loop's Buckin’ Roll Tank Bag keeps all the essentials handy and out of the way when standing on the footpegs, making it the Tank Bag for those who don't like tank bags!

The Buckin’ Roll Tank Bag consists of three components, which can be used individually or in any combination: harness, center Tool Pouch case and Pannier Pockets.

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The new Buckin' Roll is available in two configurations: COMPLETE and CENTER ONLY. The photos above are the COMPLETE option, which includes two 2-liter Pannier Pockets.
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Here's the CENTER ONLY option:
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The Buckin' Roll Tank Bag - CENTER ONLY option is just the ticket for carrying a few small essentials.
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We're in the process of getting our website update, but in the meantime, the 2014 Buckin' Roll Tank Bag is available in our webshop in both the CENTER ONLY and COMPLETE configurations.

If you're concerned about scuffing or scratching bodywork or plastics, get a package of Giant Loop's Vinyl Protective Film and install it beneath the Tank Bag's contact surfaces.

I notice many GL users use multiple stuff sacks to place inside the GL bag.
In the beginning of a long ride I waste a hell of a time looking for items and don't know what is in which bag. Also, in the first two weeks on the road I'm continually moving stuff around ... which makes it worse ... I go crazy. :eek3:

Have you guys thought of a way to make a CLEAR stuff sack ... or at least something with a clear plastic panel in it ... so I can SEE what is inside each bag?

And it's not just "the old guys" with this problem ... even young guys I travel with have trouble ... and I spend tons of time watching (and waiting) while they dig through various stuff sacks to find some obscure item. This is the problem with the basic "everything in one compartment" duffel type bag.

I eventually "learn" my "system" ... but the "learning curve" would be faster if I could see what is in each individual stuff sack.
Who knows? Maybe an opportunity for yet another useful product ... ? ... or not? doh

Organizing Kit
 

Thank you for the great suggestions and questions!:thumbup1:

Yes, I completely agree. It always takes me a couple days of travel - packing, unpacking and repacking a few times - to get the kit all organized. Amazing how it all "shrinks" after a couple rounds, as you become better at packing everything.

Great suggestion on the clear. I've used clear vinyl roll-top dry bags for whitewater rafting and fishing trips - it is really handy to see the gear inside.

In the meantime, we've seen customers who use a permanent marker to number their Stuff Sacks or Dry Pods. Some even save a packing list on their phone or a piece of paper in their tank bag, so they can quickly check which bag has the desired piece of kit.

I always pack the same way, so I know mostly which bag to pull out:

Lower Left = tools, tubes, etc. (this is the part I hope I never have to get out!)
Lower Right = cook kit, stove, fuel
Middle = clothing, toiletries
Dry Bag = sleeping bag pad
Dry Bag = tent/poles
(or all of it in one single large Dry Bag)
Tank Bag = wallet, phone, camera, sunscreen, lip balm, snacks, lens kit, etc.

With GL's double-ended roll top Dry Bags, it's handy to pack items you want to reach close to the ends. The bags don't have to be unstrapped to access gear from either end.

One of the key drivers of our design development is continuing to expand our Adventure Proof Packing Systems with more modular, customizable components, to give each ride the ability to pack and organize their kit according to their own needs.

I hope this helps a little.

Cheers!
Harold

Harold,
Thanks for the response and good ideas! I like modular, customizable components too ... and that is why I've not gone with GL bags ... as of yet.

My more traditional Nelson-Rigg panniers have various internal compartments & pouches to separate and better organize items. Also keeps things from rubbing together and turning hard items into powder as happens so frequently with metal boxes on washboard sections.

As mentioned, ALL IN ONE Duffels make organization tough (for me!) LOTS of little stuff sacks. I have tried different colors & numbers ... not great for me. Paper Lists last one day. :nono:

With panniers I learn where things are (eventually) ... because I can SEE most everything immediately upon opening the pannier. (visual is good) doh

I use Inner bag liners. They help with quick unload at Hotels. My GL buddies spend 10 minutes unstrapping the GL bag from the bike and have to carry the whole thing in. I grab my two inner bags and top duffel, and I'm off.
Panniers stay on the bike with only a few low dollar items left behind. I don't use a tank bag ... just a Camel Back with storage pouches.
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Wolfman dry bag sits on plywood platform .. too big. Will be cut down to size. (Previously carried bigger duffel for camping) Upcoming ride involves no camping ... so trying smaller 33 liter Wolfman dry bag.

The Nelson-Rigg's seem BIG on my DR650 ..but are nearly empty.:clap:
I guess that's good? not overloading gives room to store stuff or carry food and beer! bier

Panniers: I keep heavy stuff down low & forward, all clothes in Wolfman Dry bag. I'm using small/light Happy Trails racks to keep panniers off the pipe. (not shown in pic)

I've had friends with GL's catch fire on two occasions ... when bag shifted. So I guess there is some expertise involved in mounting GL's to the bike. My buddies GL bag would kind of "slouch" to one side (over time), eventually resting on the hot pipe. We caught it early so no great damage.
Has to be cinched down TIGHT. (crushing anything inside)

My panniers move a bit too on rough terrain, but really no place for them to go, no probs so far. (55,000 miles on this bike)

GL bags seem well suited on dirt bikes with no sub frame and carrying a very light load.

But my Suzuki DR650 has a very strong rear sub frame, so no worries loading it up. It won't break if not too overloaded. (Suzuki claim it's designed to carry a 120 lbs. pillion)

Cheers! bier

Rubber Boa Straps in Dirt Rider magazine's Gear Bag
 

“Giant Loop Rubber Boa Straps: $25. Specifically designed to hook onto dirt bike fenders, now there is no excuse to not have that spare tube, tool pack or submarine sandwich.” – Dirt Rider magazine, March 2014
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