Metal Mule - still in business?!?
 

I've sold my F800GS and am waiting to buy an AT in the new year. I love my MM panniers, and they've proved excellent in all conditions. Over the last month I've emailed MM, using their own website, about 5 times (same question each time) to inquire whether they are planning to make frames for the new AT and whether they're going to provide a balanced version (new, slimmer exhaust to fit equal sized boxes both sides), but have received zero replies! Does the company still exist? I am right in thinking that, if they're still going, they'd like to sell their products? MM have gone seriously downhill since the company changed hands a few years back!

Off the back of this, does anyone know whether MM boxes fit TT pannier racks? At least they'll reply to customer questions . . . .

They were sold to another company who still make them near Bournmouth, a friend works for them and I will try and find out what they are called now and get back to you.

Woolsbridge Industrial Estate, 87 Condor Cl, Three Legged Cross, Dorse BH21 6SU


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I'm not doubting the quality of MM products but anyone who pays the prices they ask must be soft in the head.
They're a classic example of people wanting a name first and a product second.

Mark and Nigel - thanks for the help! I'll se if this makes contacting them any easier.

Chris - they're not the cheapest, no, but that's the joy of a free market. You pays your money, you makes your choice! The panniers have taken a real bashing, and gave survived torrential weather here and abroad. No one's taken anything from inside, so all in all I'd say they're great for the job.

Now the company recently, that's a different story . . .

I don't claim to have any specific knowledge of these but surely Hepco & Becker at half the price will do as good a job. I could be wrong, I've never owned either and I'm certainly not doubting their value to you. As you said, you pay your money and make your choice.

I'm sure Hepco and Becker are great, and do the job admirably.

To put this in context, I like to read reviews (plural) and buy informed from a variety of sources. When I bought the MM boxes, I'd only just started riding and the whole 'Adventure' motorbiking scene was utterly new to me, so I had no preconceptions about MM being a 'name'. I was riding in a Frank Thomas Jacket and trousers; great stuff, but not a top end name I'm sure you'll agree! I knew I'd like security as well as weather-proofness, read a range of reviews and went for MM. Were they a little expensive? Yes, but I'm hoping they'll last for many years to come. No issues at all 6 years in. Could I have gone another way? Sure, but I really liked the combination of features (the quick release system is excellent) and robustness.

Like I said before, you pays your money you makes your choice. :thumbup1:

I've used MM 38L panniers and frames for over 5 years. I purchased them when Metalmule only made ONE version of the panniers which included handles and tie downs. The pros of the panniers are, they will not leak (unlike Touratech), they are very robust (good welds and rivets), constructed with 2mm thick aluminum and include handles which are convenient for carrying panniers on and off bike. Also, the panniers interior is hard annodized so it will not mark up your contents. The Emka keyed locks MM use are high quality. For comparison, SW Motech locks feel cheap and fragile. The cons are the panniers are overpriced. Since the panniers are made from 2mm aluminum, they are heavy empty. The mounting mechanism is clever but if you drop the bike, they bend easily and in some instances render the panniers unmountable unless you replace the mounting arms (It appears MM have improved their current mounting arms making them a bit larger). Replacement arms are expensive and can only be sourced through MM. If you plan on selling your panniers at a later date, MM re-sale value is not as high as the other more well known brands.

I was new to the Adv scene when I purchased my kit. Having some miles under my feet now, I would pick a much lighter pannier setup. Softbags would be my preference but if I needed metal panniers, I would purchase boxes that use 1.5mm thick aluminum. I would also use a more conventional mounting system (i.e. pucks from TT or Happy Trails). Replacement parts of this kind are more readily available. I like the convenience of handles on my panniers so instead of metal ones, I would find a system that uses nylon webbing to save weight.

If riding to Starbucks and doing short road trips on a pristine bike is your thing then the extra weight of MM panniers are a non issue (they do look very good). The likelihood of dropping the bike is slim so some cons I mentioned above are insignificant.

Note: I selected Metal Mule because they were the only outfit to supply 18mm tubed pannier racks and rear rack for my bike.