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Photo by Igor Djokovic, camping above San Juan river, Arizona USA

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Photo by Igor Djokovic,
camping above San Juan river,
Arizona USA



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Old 9 Nov 2020
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Location: Oslo, Norway
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Lone Rider Semi Rigid Pannier Asessment (theoretical).

I have my eyes on the Lone Rider MotoBags (semi rigid panniers). I've never seen them in person - but they seem to be the best compromize for me out there - if it wasn't for the fact that they don't have a quick on/off solution.

https://www.lonerider-motorcycle.com...ctions/luggage


Pros
  • Less risk of personal injury. When you take a spill, the probability of having your leg thrown into the panniers or even getting it trapped underneath is quite big - and it will hurt a lot less than if the panniers were made of rigid aluminium. This is for me the greatest benefit of these bags over aluminium panniers
  • Less risk of damaged panniers or racks in case of it getting snagged or when taking a spill - the second greatest benefit of these bags (my opinion)
  • Easy to repair - simply glue on a patch - though it seems like monster insurance as they seem so robust. Still, more piece of mind compared to aluminium panniers
  • Collapsible - i.e. when you ride with stuff in one direction only, or if you only need them for storing riding gear when off the bike. This is the third greatest benefit over the aluminium panniers in my opinion. I often do lane splitting and would like a more narrow bike - also offroad, and I also often find that I need to do some shopping on my way home, or a place to store my riding gear while I'm out exploring, etc. I think it is an awesome asset allways having bags on hand, but never having them in your way when you don't use them.
  • The M.O.L.L.Y. system which gives you literally thousands of tailored options to expand on your luggage and ways to carry your gear
  • Lockable and fairly secure from theft of bags or having them broken into - I think they score about even with aluminium panniers
  • Superior waterproofness (both inne and outer bag) - I've never had a problem with alumium panniers, though I've heard several claims that aluminium panniers sometimes leak

Cons
  • Expensive
  • Lacks quick solution to take them on and off. While you can allways go for a Motech Evo rack (or similar), with quick detachment, it means having to carry both bags attached to the rack, and then finding a good place to stre them - it is very cumbersome and inconvenient and not an option that I would likely use. Being able to take the bags inside over night is the only secure means to reduce risk of prying eyes and itchy hands off the bike and luggage - except for hiding the bike. With the bags being more inviting to thieves that think they are easier to deal with than aluminium panniers - more will try - some will succeed, others will brake things
  • Slightly more inconvenient to get your stuff in and out of the bag
  • Couldn't use the bag as a chair even if it could quickly be detached from the bike - need to carry a separate stool (which I allways do anyways)
  • No universal key for the locks - not a very big deal
  • Can't put your stickers on them - not a big deal
  • Lack the overlanding look of aluminium panniers - for those who care about the image
  • Using the molly system means that the bags are no longer collapsible. It is not a design flaw - it simply means that you will loose the collapsible feature when you load the bags with molly gear. Also, since the bags don't come on and off easy, it means that you will have to take off all your molly attached gear when you want to take your stuff off the bike - very inconvenient. It is far more convenient to be able to bring your whole pannier with you - which is not an option.

Now, if they could come with a soltion that made taking the bags on and off the bike, I would think them to be the best option for me (cost set aside). Without it, it might just be a deal braker for me. I read somewhere in 2018 that they were going to come out with such a solution, but I'm yet to see it. I just wrote them to ask if and when - I'll let you know what their reply is if and when they reply.

What are your thoughts?
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