Hard vs soft luggage

[.chris]

I much prefer soft luggage purely because it is lighter (not that I have ever run hard luggage, but the weight puts me off).

Just that gear security issue.

If you want to come around and have a look at the setup I have for my 690 feel free to give me a shout.

[Phreaky Phil]

I have both. I have had Touratech Panniers on the BMW for years. I used soft panniers for the TAT and glad I did. I would have wrecked the hard panniers on a trip like that. ( if you come off they will bend/break ) In the last few days on the TAT we rode at times with a German guy who had hard panniers. We had the discussion about catching your leg on them. A couple of days later we got to the bottom of some tricky stuff and waited for him. He took quite a while to arrive and guess what ? Had fallen off and got his leg pinned under a pannier and couldnt move. He finally got out. Leg not broken but real sore.
Having said that I have just finished fitting the Hard panniers to the DR for an up coming South Island trip, although I dont expect any real tough riding.
So horses for courses.