Packing For Adventure with Robin Box

This entry is part 18 of 22 in the series Adventure Rider Issue #2

Choosing the right luggage can make the difference between a great trip and a very difficult one.

Luggage – Part 1

One of the first things to consider before any sort of two-wheeled adventure is the type of luggage you need. Unlike a car where you can toss everything in the boot, motorcycle travel requires a lot more forward planning and preparation.

This issue we’ll describe some of the luggage options available and offer some tips on the suitability of each. It’s worth noting that there’s no onestop solution to all your requirements.

All luggage has been designed for a specific purpose, and the type of travel you’re undertaking, and the conditions in which you’ll ride, will determine which you feel is right for you.

Generally, the biggest decision you’ll have to make is whether to choose soft or hard luggage. We’ve used both extensively, and in all types of terrains and conditions. While our advice shouldn’t be considered gospel, we’ll give you a good starting point.

Preparation

Before you begin, you need to consider where you’re riding and what your requirements are. Without going into too much detail, your decision will basically come down to whether you’re riding on a ‘road’ – tar or dirt, with a good, even surface across its width – or a ‘track’, where there’s a huge variation in the surface and where any change in your position on the track is a consideration.

It’s worth noting that tracks can change from year to year. The Oodnadatta and Birdsville tracks can be a road or a track, depending on the season and the state of the maintenance when you arrive.

First up, let’s have a look at hard versus soft options in panniers.

Hard luggage

When it comes to panniers the intended use is mainly tar or gravel road, and many riders get a good result from the OEM (Own Equipment Manufacturer) luggage systems offered by bike brands. These are generally fitted with quick release mounts offering the convenience of a suitcase-type container. Usually with side and top openings, they’re easy to detach when you get to your destination, allowing you to carry them into your accommodation.

However, the side-opening versions can create problems, and many people open their suitcase-style panniers only to have everything fall on to the ground.

The suitcase panniers are usually referred to as touring panniers, often with an aluminium outer skin. They’re mainly made from plastic, and these are generally not as robust as the full aluminium adventure versions. As such, they’re best suited to road riding where loads are light, and not for offroad adventuring where uneven road surfaces and carrying extra weight are considerations.

Typically prices for touring panniers range from around $900 to $1400 and their combined capacity is usually between 60 litres and 70 litres.

For adventure use, virtually all the aluminium panniers are topopening and have their own sturdy mounting frame. The panniers attach to the frame via a locking system, which prevents them being stolen or tampered with.That’s a real consideration when travelling in some areas or countries where security is a concern.

The top-opening systems don’t offer the suitcase convenience, however liner bags are available and these can be easily removed for overnight stops. If you’re living off your bike (maybe carrying food), the top-opening panniers are far more convenient.

The key to the strength of these panniers is the mounting system, which helps protect them from damage. Their sturdiness also gives them a reasonable chance of being repaired on the run if necessary.

Aluminium adventure panniers, such as the Touratech units pictured, are definitely stronger and more durable than the touring units.

Prices for the aluminium adventure panniers typically range from around $1900 to $2300 including pannier racks, and combined capacity is typically 60 litres to 90 litres.

Just be aware that adding panniers does effect the handling of the bike, however it’s not as significant as you might think. For example, I’ve put a tractor battery in one side of a BMW pannier box and thought it would make it incredibly dangerous to ride, but I hardly noticed it.

Having said that, you want to try and balance the load, and certainly put heavy items at the bottom.

What size to use

The size of pannier you choose will usually depend on the size of your bike and what your carrying requirements are. You should try to keep the total width of your bike to one metre or less, and the following is a good rule of thumb:

• Single-cylinder adventure bikes with twin exhaust (like the Husqvarna Terra, BMW G650GS and Yamaha XTZ660) – 31 litre pannier on each side.
• Asymmetrical bikes, such as the Suzuki DR650 – 31-litre pannier on the exhaust side, 38-litre pannier on the non exhaust side. This helps to keep the bike symmetrical and keeps the weight even. Larger symmetrical bikes (like the KTM 990/950 LC8) – 2 x 38-litre panniers.
• Large asymmetrical bikes (like the BMW 1200GS, BMW 800GS, XTZ1200, Triumph Tiger 800, KTM 1190) – 38-litre pannier on the exhaust side, 45-litre pannier on the nonexhaust side.

Soft panniers

Soft panniers are lighter and narrower than their hard counterparts, and are usually constructed from PVC waterproof fabric or canvas.

The canvas versions need to be at least 16oz canvas, with the most durable using rip-stop canvas like the Australian made units available from Andy Strapz.

If you want PVC panniers, you should be looking at a fabric thickness of at least 300 grams per square metre (gsm), but preferably a fabric that’s around 400gsm to 500gsm, which will assist in the pannier’s durability.

Sherri Jo Wilkins

On her three-year, 128,000km ‘Because I Can’ world tour, Sherri Jo Wilkins rode a KTM 690 with black aluminium adventure panniers fitted.Sherri Jo wanted the security and locking ability that the aluminium panniers provided. She chose black panniers that were less obtrusive and didn’t stand out in countries where security concerns were high. Picking the right luggage combination before she started her marathon journey proved to be an inspired move, as it caused her no problems throughout her adventure.

Soft panniers are highly durable in some regards, but if you fall off there’s an increased chance of damaging the contents of your pannier, or the pannier itself.

Even in the event of an accident they often surprise you as to how durable they are. I fell heavily in rocks at speed with a fully loaded adventure bike, and didn’t damage my set of rip-stop canvas panniers, which surprised me,although it did damage some of the contents. In this situation, even an aluminium adventure pannier would have been damaged significantly.

However, in the event of a fall you could lose the waterproofing ability of the soft pannier, so you’ll need a secondary means of waterproofing.

Some brands are a lot more durable than others. A brand that offers superior waterproofing will not always offer the best durability, and vice versa.

The lack of robustness in soft panniers is a definite trade-off for their compactness, however one advantage is that you can also move the luggage further forward, and they don’t require the big pannier rack systems. Items also don’t move around as much in soft panniers, because you can tighten the straps to keep everything held securely.

Soft panniers are considerably cheaper than hard luggage systems – usually less than half the price. Typically a pair of soft panniers will run somewhere between $600 and $800, including frame to suit, and the capacity of the bags will be something like 35 litres to 45 litres.

Soft panniers can be used anywhere, but they’re more commonly used on tracks and for hard-core adventuring where the narrower width makes it easier to manoeuvre a bike, and when you don’t need to carry as much luggage.