Pannier Bags

[hammerfan12]

Cheers all for replying! Nice to have joined a responsive community!

I have the XMAX 400. So its got the space for two helmets under the seat and its fitted with the Yamaha 50l Topbox.

Been looking at PacSafe locks to go over the soft panniers. My main reason for hard case ones were security when leaving them on and not having to lug them around!

Think I might invest in a good roll top bag/tank bag. I've heard OverBoard are really good. Bit pricey. Will have to do some shopping around!

Here my old YBR when I did a festival last summer!

Hammerfan

[hammerfan12]

Oh and in reply to Irev. When strapping my Pannier to the XMAX. I've found it easier/more comfortable having them strapped to the centre of the bike. Under the seat of the first helmet bay as opposed to the rear one.

Does that make sense?

[lonepilgrim]

I do not strap my roll bag to the top of the top box that wuld be stupid even if givi and co advertise the rack to do this ... it is placed between the back of the top box and the rider without any problems whatsoever

[MrGrumpy]

Been looking at PacSafe locks to go over the soft panniers. My main reason for hard case ones were security when leaving them on and not having to lug them around!

Snag is that even with some sort of lock, if someone really wants to steal from a textile pannier or other luggage, a sharp knife is really all they need. I have an armoured helmet bag with steel cables in to prevent this, but its fiddly to use.

[hammerfan12]

Been looking at PacSafe locks to go over the soft panniers. My main reason for hard case ones were security when leaving them on and not having to lug them around!

Snag is that even with some sort of lock, if someone really wants to steal from a textile pannier or other luggage, a sharp knife is really all they need. I have an armoured helmet bag with steel cables in to prevent this, but its fiddly to use.

I was told about the PacSafe locks from local dealer. (Yamaha, Parkroad Power Bikes, Southampton. Cant fault them.) That was my initial response was that if they want it... they'll have it.

However they do their own Tail Packs etc... where the metal wiring is within the material so it can't be slashed

[irev]

Oh and in reply to Irev. When strapping my Pannier to the XMAX. I've found it easier/more comfortable having them strapped to the centre of the bike. Under the seat of the first helmet bay as opposed to the rear one.

Does that make sense?

Prexactly. On the Burger 400 I had the soft panniers strap under the FRONT of the seat - Panniers sat on top of the foot boards, below seat height under my thighs, right in the middle between the wheels. And provided a handy place to rest your legs, footstool style on a long run. Never needed em on the SigFiddy as the passenger seat was all the extra space needed, along with a tunnel bag.

Motorcycle solution was the Ventura bag - because the soft bag slides over an inverted `U` that clamped to the rack - when riding solo simply turn the bag round so it sits on the pax seat. Handily also left the rack available for light items - or s second Ventura Bag which zipped to the first.

http://www.ventura-bike.com/

[MrGrumpy]

That other old chestnut that surfaces occasionally is 'top boxes affect handling'. They don't, or certainly haven't on any bike or scooter I've fitted them too. I've been using the Givi E55 for about 3 years now and it's a case of... fill it, lock it, and forget about it.

I have noticed on the Tmax that if you have a full topbox you can feel the difference, in that the scoot is now more tail heavy. However, most of the time I ride with the topbox empty as I use it principally to store stuff when I'm off the bike.
There again, I guess that taking a pillion makes a much bigger difference.

[kayz1]

I never noticed much of a change when I had the Burger 650's but then with the lardy beast another few kilos would not make much difference..
I do notice with the Integra if the box is full, not a problem but it is noticeable you have it fitted.. Strange but the side cases ( Givi not Honda ) don't seem
to make any difference at all. The little cb500x has a top box also and I do not notice any change at all. Loaded or otherwise.
Lyn.

[irev]

I used all sorts of hard panniers in my biking years and I can't remember having a single handling problem from them being fully loaded or mounted in the usual place. That includes the time I rode my BMW R65 from Andorra over the Pyrenees, up to Roscoff in Brittany for the ferry to Plymouth, and then back up to Cumbria in atrocious weather. The overloaded Krauser panniers were full of Le Creuset cast iron cookware I'd bought in Andorra and with all my other stuff the bike was so heavy both wheels touched the ground when it was on the main stand.

I once had a MZ ETZ 250 fitted with a set of genuine East German Pneumant hard panniers, being flat fronted and wide they had the aerodynamic qualities of a large breeze block fixed to either side of the bike.They didn't affect handling in any way but they robbed the MZ of acceleration when overtaking, cruising speed, and MPG. Though that wouldn't have bothered another MZ rider I used to know years ago.

He toured with so much kit he always used two sets of soft panniers on his MZ. The back end was like a panniers sandwich, one pair slung over the back seat, a load of camping stuff strapped on top of them, and another set of loaded panniers bungeed on top of them. He had even more stuff strapped to the rear carrier and in his tank bag, he was a regular at MZ camping weekends and rallies in the UK and Europe so 'handling' couldn't have been an issue for him either.

That other old chestnut that surfaces occasionally is 'top boxes affect handling'. They don't, or certainly haven't on any bike or scooter I've fitted them to. I've been using the Givi E55 for about 3 years now and it's a case of... fill it, lock it, and forget about it.

Tankslappers on: TDM850, TDM900, BMW R100GS, CBR600, GSX750, ZX10, ZZr100, ZZR600, GPz600R, suggests you are wrong. ANY weight aft of the CG, high of the rotation point WILL have an effect on handling. It's a matter of fact. That you don't recognise it is only an indictment of your own faculties. I'm sorry, but that is the actuality of the situation. And having been part of a legal case where loading was a causation factor, the Law will agree with me as well.

I notice every kilo that is loaded aft of the rear wheel spindle, right up to the point that it causes a crash.

Weight at the back, high up, is a fucking disaster for motorcycle handling. and even worse for scooters which don't have a front end bias to start with.

[alp231]

Interesting thread I have owned Tdm 850 and 900 both had givi boxes had no issues with stability