Let's See Your Panniers In Action!
 

Lots of discussion about panniers and loading up the bike in general.

What's the best way to carry your stuff?

http://www.pzorb.com/albums/westafri...0807.sized.jpg

Hi,

These are two Touratech KTM 35L panniers, both weighing a total of 22KGs with 2-person tent, stove&fuel, food, sleeping bag, mattress, pans, utensils and spare oil.

On top of one (out of sight) is a Krieger pack to keep fresh food cold with a pouch to hold tools. On the other is lashed a fold-able seat, which frankly I probably don't use nearly often enough but good when camped.
edit: found a pic of the other side
http://www.pzorb.com/albums/westafri..._0881_crop.jpg

The topbox is a Givi, fantastic as I can lock my helmet and clothes in there.

There is a big 90L red bag between me and the Givi, folded around the Givi, for when I want to store my riding gear.

I use bungee chords to keep the panniers taught, and thread it via the chair and the red bag handles to ensure those are lashed down.

My backpack holds all my ID and papers, a book, towel, toilet paper, and a water-bladder.

I would say the entire luggage with gear totals less than 35KG. I prefer the bike's handling with this weight, as the bike is preload-adjusted for it.

Works well, but getting the Touratech panniers on and off is a complete pain. To do it frequently is a character building excersize!

I have a small Wolfman Enduro tankbag on order for frequently needed items (not in the pic) when crossing borders.

HTH.

This is a pretty standard set up, nothing unusual.

I could have carried a duffle on the rack but not needed. Plenty of room

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2875/1000542eb2.jpg

Soft fabric panniers for dirty clothes and daily consumables.
Duffel bag for sleeping kit and clothes.
Tank bag for documents and camera.
Topbox for spares and food.

The complete system comes off with two bungees and a lock, and takes arond 2 mins to put back on. Everything put together weighs 22 kilo, and can be easily man packed and carried around. I like the system.

Birdy

Here is the setup I use for long trips. Happy Trails aluminum panniers, with their mounting system. The top box I believe is a Happy Trails as well, but I bought it used, so can't say for sure. The bike has 58,000 miles on it, maybe 2/3 of that with the luggage on, and all 3 boxes have had one welded seam split. I reinforced them with ferreteria angle brackets, and all is well, so far. I have been quite happy with this setup overall. I bought my luggage in 2001, and my racks are made of round tube, and have never broken. The newer ones are made of very lightweight square tube, and they seem to break pretty regularly, at least most of the newer ones I've seen have been welded, so I can't give a real strong recommendation for the new ones.

For shorter trips, I have a set of Cortech soft bags also. I use these anytime I am not taking a computer along. The main thing I have against hard bags, is that I personally know three people who have broken a leg or ankle when the bike fell on them, or they ran over there leg while dabbing. There is nothing like the lockable security of the aluminum bags though, and for another multi month trip, I would use them again.

My usual packing system was computer, maps ,notebooks, camera in left pannier. Tools, spare parts, rain suit, clothes in right pannier. Clothes in one roll up bag, tent , sleeping bag, and pad in th other. Maps, guidebook, water snacks in the tankbag, and other miscellany in the tank panniers. Would have been nice to be a little lighter, but I like clothes for all the temperature extremes, and would probably take about the same stuff again, maybe add a GPS. I never weighed my gear, but I would have to guess 120 lbs. or so.

http://andyt.smugmug.com/photos/183327876_TKcEk-M.jpg

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2875/1000542eb2.jpg
Looks like you've got everything you need:thumbup1:

Safe going!

Where do you pack that really small guy standing on your saddle?

I love pannier threads!
 

So far i've built two sets of panniers, one for my '89 R100 GS, and another set for my R1200GS.In this post i'll concentrate on the R100gs. The first required some stiffening of the R100 sub frame. Instead of re-enforcement, i just built a new sub-frame using 3/4" 0.065 Chrome Moly tubing.[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...-R1-031-14.jpg[/IMG] This has the benefit of being both very strong and weldable with mild steel rod, making repairs in the third world that much easier. I added an attachment point behind the left foot peg, feeling this was much stronger than using the stock muffler as an attachment.[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...-R1-037-17.jpg[/IMG] I used simple angle iron to bolt on the panniers, as i don't see the need to remove them every night. The panniers are bolted to the frame with 4 bolts each, and removal takes about 5 minutes. The pannier itself is a part of the frame, providing great strength. Made of 2mm aluminum and welded, these boxes are extremely strong! Lids are removeable and i prefer the aluminum finish just in case i need to weld them again. The first time i lened the bags with cloth, but in Colombia i had some durable bag liners made that attach with velcro.
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...0-R1-017-7.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...-R1-023-10.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...-R1-047-22.jpg[/IMG]

R1200GS panniers
 

My next project was the 1200GS, which i sold last year. This bike was a challenge. The sub-frame on the 1200gs is very flexible, and building a new one was not an option at the time, so i opted for a more sacraficial type of box made from 1.5mm aluminim and connected them to a tubular frame.[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0740.jpg[/IMG] I used small stainless steel bolts to attach the panner hooks, which i milled myself from aluminum blocks.[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0741.jpg[/IMG] The idea was, in the event of a crash, the box will crush, or the soft stainless steel bolts will shear, saving the sub frame from harm. Both instances are easy to fix, a twisted sub frame is not :nono:
This time i chose to build the pannier racks from 3/4 stainless steel, as i really had no plans on entering the 3rd world with this bike, and anyways, welding stainless still is much more common that most people think.[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0746.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0097.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0095.jpg[/IMG] The boxes were welded simple and rectangular, without a re-enforcing angle, again with removable lids which proved extremely useful on previous travels as tool trays or whatnot. [IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0743.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0739.jpg[/IMG]I coppied the tapered pattern of the stock Vario cases to keep the lines of the bike square. I also purchased a muffler from Metal Mule that allowed me to keep both boxes the same size. [IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0090.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0039.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0052.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0097.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0747.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0424.jpg[/IMG]
the building process:
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0093.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0083.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0081.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0085.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/c...n/IMG_0074.jpg[/IMG]
BTW... all the primary fitting was welded on the bike without disconnecting the battery or ECU and i never had a problem, but then again, i know where to place my ground and start my arc. :smartass:

If I'm doing a trip that will take in more off road then I go with soft panniers.
Help's keep the weight down, and if..or when the bike get's dropped there is less damage.

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...icture2733.jpg


If I'm staying on the black stuff,then I use alloy pannier's.

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...w/CIMG2330.jpg

Which are best ? ..:yinyang: who know's ?c?

I have also tried useing Tank bag's....but I can't get on with them .

Some nice fabrication Wish you lived in my neighborhood!

Avoid panniers ?


We bought the bags from an army surplus store in SF. They hold a tent, sleeping bags and ground mats.

Jean will hate me for this pic.

And Ventura tail pack has enough room for 2 people to pack for 3 months.

The loading of extra weight will always effect the handling of a bike to some degree or other.
In order to minimise this the weight should be carried, as much as possible, as close to the sidesof the bike and within an imaginary triangle drawn from axle to axle and up to the riders head.
The heavier items really need to be as low slung as possible within this triangle and the weight as evenly distributed between sides as can be managed.

But now i've got an Ohlins shock
I think everyone should do this before hitting the road.

Hi Birdy

A terrific post!:thumbup1:Where was the pic taken? Thats the way to travel.

Hi Mollydog

last summer I used the XT660R for our trip to Romania

My partner was pillion .

The bike was you could say fully loaded :innocent:

We had a pannier each for our Kit..The large waterproof bag on the rear of the bike carried a tent..2 sleeping bag's..2 air bed's...and the cooking Kit.

Then we also had the Kolpin fuel cell which hold's 6lt .

The tank bags carry some spare's ie inner tube's and a 12volt mini pump .
The other bag carries water proof's..

I did make a lot of mod's to the bike before the trip.

although It still as the standered fork spring's and shock, I did fit a set of fork spacers,which make's the front end harder.
I also fitted a set of shorter links to the rear shock,which lifted the back of the bike.

The pannier frame's are from Touratech ,these I had to strengthen by adding 2 more supports to help take the extra weight .

I also had the seat reworked with a step init for more padding for Leigh.

The XT did better then I tought it would. The only place I could have done with more power was on the autobahn :rolleyes2:

Apart from the small amount of motorway work the bike was excellent.Most of the time we were riding around the 60 mph and at this speed the bike was doing 74mpg :clap: even when we were doing 80mph on the motorway the bike was still doing 65mpg.

New tourance tyres were fitted before we left,and on our return we had done just over 5000 mile's and the tyres only look about half worn.

The XR400 also did very well.
all stock part's,and it carried all this kit on the 4500 mile round trip.

once in Midelt I ditched some kit,changed the tyres and traveled lighter.
then collected it all for my return ride home.

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...icture2659.jpg

Nicely done! Sounds like you had a great trip!

I really wish my DR650 was F.I.!

Here is a work in progress
Which is best for off road on a dirt bike?

Cheers,

Panniers etc
 

Well, so here is my little biddy stuff, too.

I went on a Hokkaido touring 2 years ago during summer vacation - roughly 3.500 km ride on my "old" Honda TA (model 1992).

I used 2 Hepco&Becker panniers as well as a soft bag (that was originally designed as one of 2 soft panniers).

The panniers were loaded with clothes, cooking utensils, a sleeping bag and all the stuff you need for a 2 week trip. In the soft pannier on the rear part of the seat I had my "emergency equipment" like toothbrush, rain gear, camera, maps and so on. On top of the panniers I carried my tent, tarp and sleeping pad.

The panniers weighed in at around 10 kilogram each, the soft bag at around 8 kilogram.

I was more than satisfied with this setup, the H&B panniers didn't let me down even during the worst downpours (yes, we had a taifun).

Just have a look here:

http://virtulanguage.com/images/DSCF0690.JPG

and here

http://virtulanguage.com/images/DSCF0827.JPG

This year during sumer I will go up there again with a "passenger" (= g.f.) and I will probably have to reduce my equipment load.

Awesome efford building that rack. Is that bender one of these jobbies? If so, how do you find using it? If used the hydraulic ones only but found it limiting as there is only a bottom die and the pipe buckles on tight radii.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...nding/67_3.jpg

also, how do make those clamps?

Yup, thats the same bender! Usually i try to avoid chinese crap, but for only $100, i couldn't resist, and it's been worth every penny. This is called a roll over mandrel. The mandrel suports the tubing while you roll it. Another way to use the bender you are describing without collapsing the tubing wall is to stuff it with sand and cork the ends. This method will always give you a desirable radius! :thumbup1:
The clamp was quite simple to make. First, i took a block of aluminium and drilled it to the same size as the tubing of the frame. I then drilled the two holes for the 6mm threading tap to the proper depth. I then cut the block in half with a bandsaw and re-drilled the top holes to accept the 6mm bolts and tapped the bottom holes. The frame was a piece of 1" SS angle iron drilled to match and welded to the tubing.

Jesse Panniers
 

Here are a couple of photos of how we packed for a trip from Munich to Cape Town

Audrey on her F650GS in Ethiopia with Jesse bags and an Oxford duffle bag
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3048/...7d21c05f57.jpg

Me on my R100GS with Jesse bags and an Oxford duffle bag
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3537/...e5dd253b75.jpg

I think the only thing slightly unusual about how we packed for this trip compared to other trips is that we anticipated that in less developed countries we would be spending more time in hotels than camping. So what we did is move all the camping gear from the duffle bags to the metal panniers. All of our clothing was then put in the duffle bag. When we rocked up to a hotel we just unclipped the duffle bags and walked in. Everything was then secure on the bikes (after tossing a cover over it) and we didn't have to lug stuff up to the hotel that we weren't using.

We also had PacSafes (as can be seen in the picture of Audrey) that we put on the duffle bags whenever we thought that there was a security risk such as leaving the bikes unattended or riding in big cities.

Camping was still reasonably easy as we pulled the tent out of a saddlebag and then tossed our duffle bags into the tent. The only downside was that the duffle bags could be dirty or wet in the tent.

The only other problem we encountered with this system was that the Oxfords were not waterproof as they were intended more as a pit bag rather than motorcycle luggage. Next time it will likely be something like an Ortlieb waterproof bag on the back.

This system works for us with the usual proviso that hard luggage can hurt if it falls on you. Audrey still has a bit of a bruise from a fall in the Sudan.

Can you tell us how much your Jesse bags weigh, empty ??
I love those Pac-Safe systems. How did they work out over the long term? Any problems or inconvenience?

Sorry Patrick, the racks and hardware would be awkward to remove and weigh. The mounts are made of some kind of heavy steel while the bags themselves are aluminium. Unlike Touratech bags the Jesse bags don't crumple in a crash. I think the reasoning behind each is sound: Touratech believes it is easier to repair a bag than a subframe and Jesse believes the mount will break off in a serious enough get-off.

I'll try to remember to weigh the bags this weekend.

As to tools Audrey had her rather lame standard toolkit with the addition of a Torx screwdriver in Nairobi (Thanks Tom!) and I had the standard R100GS toolkit expanded to about the same number of tools as the super toolkit that used to be available in the mid-80s. The tool roll fit under the seat in the stock location. If you look closely at the rear of my bike you'll see Al Jesse's rear compartment usually used to mount a top case. In there I stuffed a couple of oil filters for each bike, spare ignition cables, an adjustable wrench, a long T-handle allen key for the oil filter, a combination spanner/tire lever that fit the F650 rear axle and a few other sundry items like super glue and electrical tape. I'm not a believer in carrying tonnes of spares. Since you can't carry an entire spare bike with you inevitably the part that breaks is the part you haven't got with you.

I too am not a big believer in falling so my pace is quite slow. On the down side I don't have much practice falling so if it does happen I probably won't have the brains to step away from the saddlebags.

PacSafe worked perfectly for the whole trip even if we didn't use them very often. It takes a bit of practice to get good at putting the PacSafe over the duffle bag but once you've done it a few times it only takes a few minutes. When riding with the PacSafe over the luggage I found that the bare wires would scratch the bike and actually rubbed some holes in the duffle bag. I think you need to make a personal decision if the added security is worth the added weight. They are heavy.

I'll try to remember to weigh the panniers...

I see that the picture at the pyramids doesn't show the rear compartment very well. Let's try this one riding along the Nile in Sudan:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3336/...eeb8194cbe.jpg

Love the juxtaposition

Hey, cool. I never noticed that. Thanks Spitfire!

DR650 with Andy Strapz and Ortlieb bag
 

Here are a some pictures of my bikes the Ktm is loaded up on a longish trip in Russia (note me doing a curtsey like a ballerina) it has the ktm hepco becker luggage and top box, top box is heavy but roomy and very comfy for her ladyship to lie back on to go to sleep it had all the everyday stuff and stoves etc, the tent is underslung on right pannier, I had a tank bag for all kinds of stuff and army ammo sacks on the front crashbars for a big lock and chain , puncture gear and inner tubes etc .I found the Hepco becker stuff very good, waterproof and unbreakable although the pannier internals were quite small (couldnt cope with her ladyships shoe collection).
Then there is the Bilge pump (r8ogs) on a cool day OOp north in the Arctic she's fitted with large Tesch panniers on a box tube rack (These are immensly strong and have a huge carrying capacity, are waterproof and car proof _been tested and withstood the car very well) they look a lot bigger than they are with the angle I caught them at here. (mind you they are still big.) they have tool boxes each internal side towards the wheel which is handy for those things you only need sometimes or in dire straights, Here I am carrying all the camping gear, food, stove, and all spares/tools,Sleeping bag, camping mats and lots of warm clothes, the stove fuel and water etc on back hung bottles,Tent and bits in tent bag on Mid rack behind single seat (I am carrying all the camping gear for two bikes here). Also got a tank bag for everyday stuff and nylon overjacket etc. I really rate these panniers they are low enough to keep weight low, not to wide and strong and secure. They are permanently fixed to the bike however I dont really find that a problem.

Here is my previous setup: SW-Motech racks with Ortlieb panniers and rack-pack. Worked well, held up to some crashes and is completely waterproof. A bit wider than I would like due to the rack, which also weighs 5gks.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...0236Medium.jpg

I have since bought MikeS' old AndyStrapz and Pacsafe nets (see his post above), and will be combining them with some simple racks from Ebay. Just wanted to try out the Andy's to see if I like them better.

After seeing a shattered set of Gobi's (both panniers and the top box) on my cousins KTM I would avoid using them on off road biased trips were you expect to fall.

These has been a big discussion about the build quality of the Andy Strapz. Have a look at these as well, which is superior in build quality.

Steel Pony Luggage Home

Something a bit different:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven..../finland-2.jpg

That was me 3 years ago on a 1976 Honda 550/4, took on a big 18,500 traversal of nearly all of Europe. Obviously all that steel was pretty heavy, on an already heavy bike, but I didn't regret going down that route at any point as it looked totally unique and really cool. Was also totally watertight and secure.

For a UK-Vladivostok trip I'm soon be setting off on, I'm going for fairly minimal side racks to support jerrycans for water and petrol, slim canvas bags hanging over the sides of the jerrycans, a lightweight front rack for a sleeping bag etc, small ammobox infront of the bashplate for tools, 'topbox' for things that I can't afford to get wet or stolen, and a small rack behind it for more camping gear (roll mat etc). The topbox however is two H83 type ammo boxes welded together as I hate the look of motorcycle topboxes but there aren't any ammoboxes that were the right size for what I want. This is basically the same setup as those Terra Circa lads used but with a smaller 'topbox'.

Man you are a wery good welder!
Bravo on the job done.

Here's my GS500 ridiculously overloaded. I need working clothes and tools as I'm working here and there while traveling.. plus I brought a really unnecessary and bulky tent with me... that adds up to too much stuff...
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/...553f6f51b7.jpghttp://farm2.static.flickr.com/1038/...02248d9167.jpg

All that extra weight is to be shredded now. I need to make some space for water and petrol, which I will need in Africa.

The setup constitutes of a pair of modified postman's bicycle panniers, an old backpack and a tankbag. The panniers are soft, but they have a hard plastic shell inside and they can be locked.

Here's my "panniers" in Cambodia. All i needed for 10 days on the bike was in the bag on the back.
It fell off somewhere the first day, but found me back while contemplating what I would miss over lunch.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...88953_9288.jpg


On the KTM I use the standard Hepco & Becker set:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3078/...729e3b04a1.jpg

No fuss and suit me well.

Panniers
 

I use Panniers made by Lochy of MTD. They have worked very well for me and would recommend them. My wife is standing beside them in Uganda, we also put an Aussie themed reflective graphics on them which I would also recommend for visibility.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._4934064_n.jpg





http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._7735861_n.jpg






http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...1_191520_n.jpg

This is how I used to travel when I was about twenty yeras old. A Harley davidson SS250 twostroke with a plywood home made topbox and bicycle bags over the saddle. A shopping bag in a plastic bag on the saddle and a tankbag.
On the saddle I had an imitation shipskin because I thought it looked cool.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jkrijt/bikes/hd250ssa.png


Now, a few (33) years and a few (26) bikes later, I upgraded to a BMW F650GS with original BMW top- and sideboxes and a BMW tankbag. I have a big shopping bag with my clothes on the saddle and a real (IKEA) sheepskin for added comfort.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jkrijt/trips/n2g/pict/day8_03.jpg

The real advantage of the new setup is that I can lock the boxes. That gives a little peace of mind when leaving the bike unattended for a while.

My DR650 is currently being optimised for an Africa tour later this year. The picture here shows the setup for a 3700km trial tour in Australia. It's a setup of RV Aqualine pannier frames and Steelpony Gascoyne panniers. A small backpack for the easy-to-reach items and the camping mat is just strapped to the pannier frames.

http://www.mhes.com.au/foreverfree/p...98peakhill.jpg

I used modified frames and bags.

but cant get the picture to load, nor can i delete the post :(

http://www.our-site.me.uk/bike/larry...reenwidth=1024

http://www.our-site.me.uk/bike/larry...reenwidth=1024
Thanks... thought I had mastered that bit. :)


http://www.our-site.me.uk/bike/larry...reenwidth=1024

http://public.bay.livefilestore.com/...039.jpg?psid=1

This was from 2006 when my wife and I travelled from Cape Town to Nairobi. Now me and a couple of friends will participate in the 2012 Budapest to Bamako Rally ( Bamako by Vespa ). I will keep my setup as it is on this trip, the two other guys may go for a different setup like the Spanish Postal Scooters (Correos) - a large plastic top casse on a tubular frame, which basically means no manufacturing.

The principals are as for any setup. It should be rugged enough to not damage either the luggage nor the ride, it should be easy to repair and be easy to take on and off, and it should keep everything locked up and out of sight.

I opted for a large top case on a rugged metal frame (can be easily welded). The Vespa rides low and only have 10" tires. Sidepanniers would only dig into the ground on uneven surfaces or when leaning into curves, and would also make it cumbersome to service. I was very happy with this setup.

Swiss Army Pioneer Boxes from fleabay €29 a pair, 100% waterproof, survived a few fall overs and narrower than than my HepcoBecker bins.
The blue bag on the RHS pannier is my washing maschine, :mchappy:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_rkK230MTF8A/TG...0/DSC01932.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_rkK230MTF8A/TG...0/DSC01933.JPG

Just built by myself.
Low centre of gravity etc....:clap:

http://kuvablogi.com/nayta/prev/img2783904.jpg

2005 at UK meet...
 

I wish Id taken a photo but there was an F650 GS in bristol a couple of weeks ago with two full size suitcases as panniers.

Saw a Honda C90 a couple of months ago on the road, had white painted home made wooden panniers and top box. 0 points for style, 100 points for practicality!