Packracks-Are they a hazzard?

**Blackbird** · 19th September 2004, 16:50

The full Ventura system I have causes no problem at all and even with short bursts at over twice the legal limit, you still don't know it's there.

Geoff

**TonyB** · 20th September 2004, 08:37

First, let me say I reckon the purpose built systems like the ones Ventura make with the frame and the bags wouldn't have this problem. What I'm talking about here is an ordinary pack rack with a fuggen great tramping pack sitting on the seat behind you. These Packracks can definitely cause dodgy handling, this incident happened because I was travelling far quicker than I should have been, but I guess it could happen at legal speeds too.....
I used to do a lot of high speed trips betwixt Chch and Nelson about 10 years back. I had a packrack and the pack (ordinary tramping pack) used to sit on the pillion seat. I was going around a left hand bend at high speed on one occasion when the bike hit a decent bump mid corner, this made the bike wobble, which made the pack wobble, which made the bike wobble, which made the pack wobble, which made the bike wobble....get the idea? With the bike and the pack working as a tag team and making the whole package oscillate, the grip from the tyres was reduced. The whole plot began drifting across the road- I knew I wasn't going to fall off, the issue was would I run out of road or would something come the other way. It finally stopped and I got it under control when I was just over the white line on the wrong side of the road. I was very lucky that nothing came the other way and that the road wasn't half a metre narrower. In hindsight I probably didn't help the cause, as I no doubt would have taken a death grip on the bars which wouldn't have helped at all.

Of course I was in my early 20's, young and stupid(er than today)- so my solution was not to slow down in future- nope, I ditched that packrack and bought some throw over bags and a tank bag. Worked a treat.

**Onespeed** · 20th September 2004, 14:43

Originally Posted by wari

WAterpfoor ...

THats what black plastic rubbish bagges are for ... :spudwave:

I wrote off a GSXR600 by using plastic bags for waterproofing. Had a plastic bag of clothes on the pillion seat and a small back pack on top of that. Both were secured with a cargo net (or so I thought). After about an hour of riding the cargo managed to slop off the bike and find itself on the back wheel resulting in a horrendusly long skid and highside.

I don't think plastic bags are a good idea atall.

**dangerous** · 20th September 2004, 20:08

Originally Posted by TonyB

Packracks can definitely cause dodgy handling, this incident happened because I was travelling far quicker than I should have been, but I guess it could happen at legal speeds too.....

purpose built systems like the ones Ventura make with the frame and the bags wouldn't have this problem.

Quite true...... but IMO these systems are still the safest way to carry gear, as you can see by my attachment the packs are well tested (see small print)

Originally Posted by Onespeed

I wrote off a GSXR600 Both were secured with a cargo net (or so I thought).

emm...... another reason for not doing the cheap thing

**vifferman** · 20th September 2004, 20:37

Great! A whole bunch of replies from people with little personal experience.

I've had these on my last two bikes, AND crashed one of them twice with the packrack (and bag) on. No problemo. If you don't overload them (and I've done that - with all my gear AND 2 fire extinguishers in one), they don't affect the handling too badly. Yes, they do make a bit of difference to the handling, but no more than most other luggage systems, and less than a Givi top box, as they sit further forward and slightly lower down than a topbox. And, as has been mentioned, if you ride with the bag on the pillion seat, it's barely noticeable. There is a slight amount of wind drag (I've ridden the same route with/without bags to check), but once again, it's by no means dangerous.
Saddlebags - yeah! I've had one catch on fire when test-riding a bike, and someone I work with had a friend merrily riding up the Southern with all their belongings on fire. If that's not a safety hazard, I dunno what is.
The best thing in crashes are those Givi sidecases, as they actually save the bike from some damage (at the expense of the cases, of course). But the packracks aren't going to make things worse in a crash, and in the two I had with a Bathurst pack on (the big Ventura bag), it wasn't damaged, and did no harm. (The only time it was damaged was when I didn't tie it on, and it came off when I was jumpoing speed humps. The only damage was a bit of a scuff of the material and reflective patch.)

**Dodgyiti** · 21st September 2004, 15:33

Cheers for all the replies you lot.

Peoples views are gathered from life and its many experiences.
And if you want to learn, then it is always good to ask.
Someone had a famous saying " I never learned anything with my mouth open "
And a forum like this is the perfect way of emulating that expression.
I think I will use the rack, and be careful on what I put in it and how the load is distrubuted, and I fully agree that saddle bags for the heavy stuff are the go for stability and all..

Cool, can't wait to load all the gears and 'er indoors for a bit of touring, roll on summer [ the real summer, not that sudo Auckland summer]
Rock on..

**Grumpy** · 21st September 2004, 17:32

Had a packframe on my RF900 when I had a spill.

The packframe wasn't a problem.........

but the f..kin' hedge I hit sure was

**HDSpringer** · 21st September 2004, 18:34

Originally Posted by wari

WAterpfoor ...

THats what black plastic rubbish bagges are for ... :spudwave:

Rubish Bags, are for the saddle bags, you can't go past a Givi top box for convenience, The added weight holds my tire on the ground better, and reduces the amount of softail slap, if the Wife could put on some weight she would be just as useful. I have had a topbox or a back rest for the last 10 years, when it comes to an off, the pillions seem to find there way to the ground quick enough, the comfort apparatus on the back dosn't seem to impede them at all.

**mangell6** · 21st September 2004, 18:52

Wife has the complete Ventura Pack system on her BMW F650GS and uses the complete pack system. Secret is to get the weight over the rear wheel not at the back of it. Has the pack on the rear seat behind her. I personally use saddle bags, with green rubbish bags inside for extra protection.

Here are some examples of other options.

**HDSpringer** · 22nd September 2004, 18:13

Originally Posted by mangell6

Wife has the complete Ventura Pack system on her BMW F650GS and uses the complete pack system. Secret is to get the weight over the rear wheel not at the back of it. Has the pack on the rear seat behind her. I personally use saddle bags, with green rubbish bags inside for extra protection.

Here are some examples of other options.

I was wondering.. do you think that top box, hard bags and a trailer, could be a little over the top when travelling Solo.... Now there is a guys who dosn't know how to rough it.. Possibly never had the joys of a Swag Bag.