Help, I've narrowed it down to two options I think, Wolfman expedition (with frames), or stahlkoffers. Both come in at about the same price, Wolfmans bit cheaper. Doing the Stella in July and hope to build up onto more challenging stuff the following year. I'm on a big arsed 800GS, so the Stahlkoffers look pretty wide, but strong.I don't like to sit in traffic though. Self loading luggage wants to come on the odd trip so the Giant loop was out. Wolfmans look slimmer and well made but obviously not lockable. I will drop the bike going on past history, pros and cons for both. Any one out there used both and have a favourite?
Cheers
Jase
Which luggage
Re: Which luggage
hi jase,
personally ive never really got on with soft luggage, but my experience was years ago with cheap sportsbike panniers that somehow collected water by osmosis or something, even when i didnt remember it raining. also didnt like the fuss of zips and straps and such, a lock on a hard case is easier. saying that newer good quality stuff is much better, i use an ortleib bag for tent and chair and i could get by using that rollover system if i had to i think.
so its hard panniers for me, i like the stalkoffer boxes, but dont like the frame attachment lockbar arrangement much.
personally ive never really got on with soft luggage, but my experience was years ago with cheap sportsbike panniers that somehow collected water by osmosis or something, even when i didnt remember it raining. also didnt like the fuss of zips and straps and such, a lock on a hard case is easier. saying that newer good quality stuff is much better, i use an ortleib bag for tent and chair and i could get by using that rollover system if i had to i think.
so its hard panniers for me, i like the stalkoffer boxes, but dont like the frame attachment lockbar arrangement much.
Dave
Re: Which luggage
I have a set of stahlkoffers. (I'm the one that PM you about selling them) They are a great pannier for on road riding, as to how well they would tackle allot of off road riding im not so sure (im changing for some Metal Mules) Not exsactly a great sales pitch but I would rather be honest.
Day to day may Stahlkoffers have been fantastic. They do rattle a bit, but cause no problems. The profile is one of the narrow ones on the market so filtering is easier than most. Also if you take pillion allot they are mounted low down and far back so getting on and off is no trouble at all.
As for soft luggage I have no real experience with them. I had a set for my 125 which I used day to day (A cargo endurance) and I as soon as I got a bigger bike went for hard luggage. I prefer the security of knowing everything is locked away.
Its very much a personnal thing, so just think about what you want for your panniers and start from there!
Hope that helps!
Ps Thought I would add a photo of the panniers on my bike up in yorkshire last year!
Day to day may Stahlkoffers have been fantastic. They do rattle a bit, but cause no problems. The profile is one of the narrow ones on the market so filtering is easier than most. Also if you take pillion allot they are mounted low down and far back so getting on and off is no trouble at all.
As for soft luggage I have no real experience with them. I had a set for my 125 which I used day to day (A cargo endurance) and I as soon as I got a bigger bike went for hard luggage. I prefer the security of knowing everything is locked away.
Its very much a personnal thing, so just think about what you want for your panniers and start from there!
Hope that helps!
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Re: Which luggage
In my world, there are so many more pros than cons for hard panniers and vice versa.
I'v seen soft bags getting soaked, I've seen them melt on exhausts and they seem hard to protect from theft.
Price on Hard panniers are usually higher.
Try to find some used ones.
Niklas
I'v seen soft bags getting soaked, I've seen them melt on exhausts and they seem hard to protect from theft.
Price on Hard panniers are usually higher.
Try to find some used ones.
Niklas
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Joe Bar
Re: Which luggage
There are pro's and cons to both. One thing with soft luggage is that good soft luggage is not the same as cheap soft luggage, which mars many people's view of it. Whilst you buy specific hard panniers to fit your bike, many people think that any cheap old soft luggage will do. Good quality, well designed, well fitting soft luggage is just as good an option to ghard luggage.
I've used factory fitted BMW hard luggage as well as Hepco & Becker panniers on several different bikes, but I've also got a selection of decent soft luggage I've acquired over the years. In general, if I'm riding solo, I tend to prefer just a tank bag and seat bag. More than enough capacity, keeps the bike narrow and doesn't add excessive weight. Mine is simple to remove and refit, no messing with bungees just 3 good easy to use straps with quick release clips. Tested to well in excess of 3 figure speeds on the Autobahn without problems.
With a pillion I tend to use hard panniers, more for the extra capacity than any other reason, but then my pillion is usually my daughter, so I tend to ride in a slightly more casual, circumspect manner with such a precious cargo!
I've seen so many poorly lashed up Oxford throwovers bungeed to the back of £9,000 sports bikes it no wonder soft lugagge gets a bad press at times. They'll gladly pay £1,000 for a carbon can and Power Commander, but then spend £50 on a couple of bags to go on holiday. Quite simply, you get what you pay for. A quick search on AdvRider Wolfman bags will find loads of positive comments, I was reading a great ride report the other night of an Irish guy who did a trip to Mongolia and had the Wolfman panniers.
It's horses for courses really and depends on what you want to do and where you want to go. I wouldn't be put off by soft luggage if it's decent stuff. The other big advantage I've found with soft lugagge is that it moves easier from bike to bike. I tend to change one of my bikes every year, and only buy hard luggage if I know I'm going to be keeping it longer or will definitely be going away with my daughter.
I've used factory fitted BMW hard luggage as well as Hepco & Becker panniers on several different bikes, but I've also got a selection of decent soft luggage I've acquired over the years. In general, if I'm riding solo, I tend to prefer just a tank bag and seat bag. More than enough capacity, keeps the bike narrow and doesn't add excessive weight. Mine is simple to remove and refit, no messing with bungees just 3 good easy to use straps with quick release clips. Tested to well in excess of 3 figure speeds on the Autobahn without problems.
With a pillion I tend to use hard panniers, more for the extra capacity than any other reason, but then my pillion is usually my daughter, so I tend to ride in a slightly more casual, circumspect manner with such a precious cargo!
I've seen so many poorly lashed up Oxford throwovers bungeed to the back of £9,000 sports bikes it no wonder soft lugagge gets a bad press at times. They'll gladly pay £1,000 for a carbon can and Power Commander, but then spend £50 on a couple of bags to go on holiday. Quite simply, you get what you pay for. A quick search on AdvRider Wolfman bags will find loads of positive comments, I was reading a great ride report the other night of an Irish guy who did a trip to Mongolia and had the Wolfman panniers.
It's horses for courses really and depends on what you want to do and where you want to go. I wouldn't be put off by soft luggage if it's decent stuff. The other big advantage I've found with soft lugagge is that it moves easier from bike to bike. I tend to change one of my bikes every year, and only buy hard luggage if I know I'm going to be keeping it longer or will definitely be going away with my daughter.
Re: Which luggage
Personally, other than tank bags, I like hard luggage: the security and ease of handling, as well as the fact that they can be left on the bike overnight, if needs be.
Soft luggage has a following amongst dirt riders, particulary, for a number of reasons. The main one being weight. They can also be very tough: their shape may change if you drop a bike on them but, as previously said, decent panniers - like a decent jacket - should take the punishment: you'll need to pay for a quality item. Some also say that in a big off, your ally boxes will dent anbd buckle, whilst soft stuff will squich and mash, but may be the more useable of the two by the end: I think this depends on the crash really. No way of knowing... I suppose that soft panniers ripped off a bike would be easier to re-secure than hard luggage ripped off a bike.
In my experience the boxes were fine, but then my offs were slow.
Another comparison that has been made is safety. However, personally, I am not convinced by this arguement. It has been said that, in the event of a spill a hard pannier landing on your leg may cause serious injury, whilst a soft pannier would not. This is undoubtedly true, but by the same token, a hard pannier may keep parts of the bike off your leg that soft panniers would not.
If a hard pannier busts you tibia, you'll wish you'd fitted soft and if a soft pannier fails to stop a foot-peg skewering your calf muscle you'll wish you'd fitted hard...
6 of 1 or half a doz' of the other, IMO.
All it proves, IMO, is that crashing can be bad for you, so best try and avoid it.
In other words, keep sunny side up, and which ever you choose, research and remember that expensive is not necessarily good, but good probably won't be cheap!
Soft luggage has a following amongst dirt riders, particulary, for a number of reasons. The main one being weight. They can also be very tough: their shape may change if you drop a bike on them but, as previously said, decent panniers - like a decent jacket - should take the punishment: you'll need to pay for a quality item. Some also say that in a big off, your ally boxes will dent anbd buckle, whilst soft stuff will squich and mash, but may be the more useable of the two by the end: I think this depends on the crash really. No way of knowing... I suppose that soft panniers ripped off a bike would be easier to re-secure than hard luggage ripped off a bike.
In my experience the boxes were fine, but then my offs were slow.
Another comparison that has been made is safety. However, personally, I am not convinced by this arguement. It has been said that, in the event of a spill a hard pannier landing on your leg may cause serious injury, whilst a soft pannier would not. This is undoubtedly true, but by the same token, a hard pannier may keep parts of the bike off your leg that soft panniers would not.
If a hard pannier busts you tibia, you'll wish you'd fitted soft and if a soft pannier fails to stop a foot-peg skewering your calf muscle you'll wish you'd fitted hard...
6 of 1 or half a doz' of the other, IMO.
All it proves, IMO, is that crashing can be bad for you, so best try and avoid it.
In other words, keep sunny side up, and which ever you choose, research and remember that expensive is not necessarily good, but good probably won't be cheap!
Re: Which luggage
hi Jase......... I use a hard pannier set-up, the guys posting have pretty much exhausted the pros and cons for each type of pannier set-up, so there's no need for me to add my thoughts besides my real world experience that happened to me whilst on my European adventure a couple of years ago. I was using some Oxford soft panniers at the time, and my bike was parked in a busy public street in Antwerp (Belgium), whilst i was having lunch. On my return an hour or so later, my right-side pannier had been knifed/ripped open and its contents robbed (don't know why they did'nt go for the left one as well). Funny thing is whilst reporting the crime to the local police, when asked the street name the theft took place on, I replied, with a wry smile on my face, "Alfons De Cock Straat". Made me laugh anyway. :unsure: (took a picture for prosperity). The net result of my experience is I would never use soft panniers again.
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Willy_Eckerslike
- Posts: 521
- Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:21 pm
Re: Which luggage
Depends what you mean by 'more challenging stuff'. If you mean long distance road based trips then a nice set of boxes will do you just fine. If you mean off-tarmac stuff then the last thing you need is more weight on your bike, not just the boxes and frames but it's very tempting to fill them with things you might not normally think to bring. From a personal point of view, the less you take the more you can do. A pair of Oxford soft panniers £15 off ebay have done me for 3 years, 3 week trips down to Morocco included. Security wise, never had a problem and don't expect one. I'd be more worried about parking my bike on the road in the UK than leaving it anywhere in Africa.
A ship is safe in harbour, but that’s not what ships are for. – Grace Hopper
Re: Which luggage
Cheers for the response guys,
Going to buck the trend and go for the wolfman soft set up and try to travel light. Will stick some photos on and do a review when I've got them and used them in anger. Going to the ACE this weekend so hopefully catch some of yah then
Cheers again
Jase
Going to buck the trend and go for the wolfman soft set up and try to travel light. Will stick some photos on and do a review when I've got them and used them in anger. Going to the ACE this weekend so hopefully catch some of yah then
Cheers again
Jase
