oh you have met her then, that would be 2 for shoes :)

If you want really skinny panniers, how about the classic despatch rider panniers made by Kieth Gold? Simple, top loading, designed to let a bike slip through the worst of London's traffic. I don't know if they are still made but maybe like the Cravens, they could turn up on ebay.

on second thoughts she can stay home

I do not mind treating my 2 bikes with separate sets :) I just do not like weight of metal panniers, I also never saw ones that would be skinny enough but most importantly - I had really hard time this year on "german motorway" section of trip to Norway because of bike twitching with wide Givis at 135+ kmph with top box or (top box left in hotel to be picked up on way back) at 145+ kmph. Now I am trying to make something...ahm...more aerodynamic (thou my DR Big itself looks like brick :))

I have just ordered a pair of the bikebins panniers to try on a ybr125, a mate of mine(www.justmetal.co.uk) is going to fabricate a set of frames for the bike, he has already done jobs on my GS and both Enfields.
From the bikebins spec sheet it appears that the right hand box will require 'heavy' modification due to the upswept exhaust, this looks like a new pannier base will be required after chopping out 2" off the height. If I learn how to post pictures on here I will do!.

i never thought of that, if you want narrow panniers you could get metal ones, chop and weld them narrower

I now done with rebuilding frames and making adaptors to be able to click-on Aprilia Pegaso panniers on both bikes. Those are too pretty to be offroad panniers, but offroad I would not take hard cases anyway.
Here it is.
On DR800 overall width with panniers is 85 cm - precisely same with handlebar width.
On VTR1000F it is 80 cm, still wider than very narrow bike that VTR is, but bearable.

http://kickstarter.org/mkportal/modu...lbum/a_645.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...0/IMG_0179.jpg

http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/r...0/IMG_0178.jpg

Do you have an heat problem on the Honda? the bottom of the pannier appears to be very close to the exhaust.
What is the handling like on the Suzuki when loaded? The panniers are mostly past the rear axel.

For Honda - no problem, panniers are not that close as it looks and anyway with proper fuelling/jetting bike exhaust gases are not that hot. It is headers that get hot mostly.
For DR - not a slightest problem with handling even with previous panniers which were same position and heavier. I think you need to take into account sheer size of that bike and fact that I never exceed 10-15 kg per pannier.
However, even with my wife as passenger and 3 fully laden panniers DR will give run for money handling wise to any other bike in tight stuff. Pure correct geometry and suspension tuning matter. This bike is magical when it comes to geometry, I still don't get how Suzuki managed it.

Well, I think French mini-team completed RTW on YBRs, no? They are very reliant.

The difference is that you probably running stock exhaust and panniers made from different plastic. Those are meant to be OK close to silencer.
Also - Honda exhaust and DR exhaust is not stock in my case. Honda runs same kind of arrows used by Rumi VTR supertwins team, e.g. it is race type with absorbing filling, so they never get that hot. DR runs ex-Benelli Tornado Tre double-skin titanium Arrow, also don't get that hot as it is semi-labyrinth and double skin.
But general rule of thumb for me is that I should be able to hold hand agains exhaust outlet without burning it or getting too uncomfy to keep it in gases way or I will start looking at jetting.

Ah, sorry - read all now, you mentioned bikebins...they are totally different kind of plastic, really can melt much easier. Pegaso panniers are more heat-proof and laid inside with kinda soundproofing material...

the danish police used glasfiber panniers and , I think, quite narrow. Try and ask the BMW clubs where to get them

Politiets motorcykler

Just fitted the 'Bikebins.com' panniers to my ybr125, the ali panniers I use on the other bikes would have been too large for this one, the right hand pannier had to be 'cut down' and have a metal base inserted to keep it off the exhaust, !st try out will be at the TT and 2nd at Ripley. The rack has been made bigger to cary tent and sleeping bag etc(topbox removed).

Hi Dave,

would you please post some shots of the YBR, with the panniers removed, so we ca view the framework?

Regards

Reggie AKA The Cameraman

Hi Palice15, how did you get on with the bike bins on the ybr? I'm considering these for my derby Terra and thought they were more in keeping with the size on bike, I'm not worried about removing them so will probably make up a rack to suit.... Any info would be helpful, cheers :thumbup1:
Tdmalcolm