Looking for cheapish DR650 panniers

[firstaid_kit]

Hey there,

New here and just got myself a 2010 DR650 from Colemans Suzuki in Auckland.
Looking to get some panniers for it but not keen on spending $400. Anyone know of a good site/welder who has done theirs?
Would want to get hard luggage not soft

Cheers!

[R650R]

The words cheapish and good don't go together in this scenario... unless you are matesey with a great welder already unlikely to get something like this done for a dozen beers.
Best to buy something off the shelf than a budget job that might crack along the way somewhere.
Also guessing your an adv newbie have you considered soft luggage, hard panniers are good for breaking body parts when the bike eventually lands on you at some stage...
Every good DR owner should visit this place http://www.procycle.us/bikepages/dr650.html

[RMOTO]

Hey there,

New here and just got myself a 2010 DR650 from Colemans Suzuki in Auckland.
Looking to get some panniers for it but not keen on spending $400. Anyone know of a good site/welder who has done theirs?
Would want to get hard luggage not soft

Cheers!

Custom luggage is often more expensive than off the shelf. Here is an article of having a fabricator build a set of alloy panniers a few years back. I did the patterning but even then it was well over $2,000 to get them made up:
http://www.remotemoto.com/articles/f...-for-a-drz250/

Choosing between hard and soft is personal preference. My preference is hard luggage and is explained in detail here:
http://www.remotemoto.com/articles/h...-soft-luggage/

Building your own luggage could be an option if you have the time:
http://www.remotemoto.com/articles/b...om-fiberglass/

One popular good value option is the WolfMan pannier racks and Expedition soft panniers
http://www.remotemoto.com/articles/w...y-saddle-bags/

Rough costs, around $400 to $600 will get you a good quality set of soft luggage, for a good quality set of hard panniers and frames you'll be looking around the $1,200 to $1,800 mark

As mentioned above, good and cheap are a rare combination. Quality has a price.

Best of luck with your new setup

Cheers

Josh

[pomgolian]

First panniers I used on my DR were bicycle panniers cheap from Kathmandu sale $50 I think, some truck strap webbing threaded through the pannier mounts on the bags to sit over the seat couple of mitre 10 strap clip buckles and bobs ur uncle they survived a couple of low speed offs and you need dry bags if it's raining but good entry bags that do the job.

Later I bought the wolfman waterproof bags & racks which are good just a little small and too many buckles & sit too high IMO

Still use the old bags as throw overs which need to be kept away from the exhaust by the bag top strap through the frame which keeps them low and forward.

[5150]

From what I have heard Ausie made Andy Straps soft panniers suppose to be good for the DR type bike. Few that have them, rave on about them. Personal preference me thinks, but if I was in the market then I would look at these.

[bart]

Here's what I use




I would only use soft panniers as the bike already has enough pointy bits on it to break bones, and doesn't need any more. I tend to ride more tracks then road and have been known to fall off occasionally.

These cheap Oxford jobs don't need a rack, sit low and foward, and expand real wide if needed. Stitching is about had it, but for around $100, they've survived real well (about 5 years of abuse).

I'll be buying another set real soon.

[bart]

Here's a shot from the front. They expand a lot wider, but I tend to load them up and then pull the straps to shrink them in as far as I can.

[clint640]

I've made several sets of pannier racks for various bikes, got all the gear to make hard panniers if I wanted to... $400 might almost buy the materials & hardware to make a decent but very basic set of racks & boxes. Add 2-3 days time (if your fabricator is real quick, probably more) & that's where your $1200-$2000 comes from.

If you need something lockable for around town a Givi (or similar) top box is probably the most economic option but will be sucky offroad. As noted above, for proper adventuring soft luggage is best for most. Then you just need a fairly minimal rack that will support the back lower corners of the bags.

Cheers
Clint

[Big Dog]

Here's what I use




I would only use soft panniers as the bike already has enough pointy bits on it to break bones, and doesn't need any more. I tend to ride more tracks then road and have been known to fall off occasionally.

These cheap Oxford jobs don't need a rack, sit low and foward, and expand real wide if needed. Stitching is about had it, but for around $100, they've survived real well (about 5 years of abuse).

I'll be buying another set real soon.

Are they high enough the exhaust doesn't harm them? Or are they just resting on the exhaust?

I was thinking about using the freebies I got with the cb1300 on the DR350 but was reluctant to put them up against the exhaust. Maybe some universal brackets and modify them to reach around?

Also I have a cargo rack from a dr250 I have been meaning to modify to fit.


Stupid phone / Tapatalk, apologies in advance.

[Scubbo]

just get a big ass rack

google DR BBQ rack

[bart]

Are they high enough the exhaust doesn't harm them? Or are they just resting on the exhaust?

.

Here's a close up. They're about an inch off the heat shield. They only overhang the side panel by about 3 inches. My exhaust isn't standard though, so may be sitting in towards the wheel further than it should. The bag itself has some heat resistant padding along the inside and shows no sign of heat damage (I don't take the risk and always put my beers in the other panier though).

I've seen better set ups, but for the money, and the fact I only get away 2 or 3 weekends a year, this is ideal.

[bart]

just get a big ass rack

Lucky the DR's got bugger all power. With wings like that it'd likely take flight.


Or maybe they're trying to pimp it up with a bad ass spoiler.

[JATZ]

I was thinking about using the freebies I got with the cb1300 on the DR350 but was reluctant to put them up against the exhaust. Maybe some universal brackets and modify them to reach around?

Also I have a cargo rack from a dr250 I have been meaning to modify to fit.


Stupid phone / Tapatalk, apologies in advance.

I think the ex has a set of DR350 racks I made. We used soft sport bike bags on them. There's pics here somewhere....

[Ally67]

I think the ex has a set of DR350 racks I made. We used soft sport bike bags on them. There's pics here somewhere....

Yes I've still got them 😎

[pete376403]

If you really want hard bags then Jaycar have Pelican lookalikes for about half the price http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView....SUBCATID=986#1

I have a couple of these on my bike, clipping onto home built racks. Big enough for essentials, not so big that I end up taking too much, largely unnecessary stuff.