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[clint640]

Yep, I've got a set of the Andy Strapz panniers & they're very good. I place them well forward so the weight sits about where a pillion would & I hardly notice the extra load on the bike.

The security of hard cases would be nice at times, I'd have em on a road bike for sure, but sometimes the adv riding I do involves the occasional tricky section (or just doing dumb stuff ) & being whacked in the back of the leg while executing an 'oh shit' dab maneuver just doesn't appeal.

Cheers
Clint

[Wolf]

Home-made soft bags for me - a couple of Voyager V1205 cabin bags modified to act as panniers were quite sufficient to carry everything I needed for the Cold Kiwi except my tent and water bottle (which went on the tail rack).

Of course they're not fully waterproof but I carry all my gear in plastic bin liners anyway.

They caused no problems with the handling of the bike (but I took it easy just to be on the safe side). A couple of times one strap came loose but they remained firmly in place thanks to the bungee straps I used to stop them from swinging outward or shifting forward/back.

I'm well pleased as they're quite large but cost less than $80 all up - including the bits to modify them.

[tri boy]

Yo Wolf,
Feel like a break from Ham town?
O/night trip to Coro Tip is recommended for this w/end.

[Wolf]

Yo Wolf,
Feel like a break from Ham town?
O/night trip to Coro Tip is recommended for this w/end.

Would love a break from Hamilscum - but it won't be this weekend: all the signs and portents say it's contraindicated for me (I'm too broke and too busy)

Cheers for the heads up, though. Some other time.

[clint640]

Home-made soft bags for me

Nice work Wolf, I've seen a few other similar setups which seem to work well. Given that you can get fairly beefy cabin/school bags for quite cheap it's a good option.

Those sorts of bags are a better shape for a dirt bike too as, like my Andy Strapz bags, they're a bit taller than most of the sprotbike-styled panniers available. I think the key is to try & get some like yours with buckles so the zip doesn't take all the load.

Cheers
Clint

[Wolf]

I think the key is to try & get some like yours with buckles so the zip doesn't take all the load.

I cheated - I used the hand strap and a couple of quick-release clips to make the buckles to take the load off the zips.

Very robust - good thick Cordura (thicker than the Ventura bags I looked at) and a lot larger than a $100 set of saddle bags from Ventura as well.

The bags cost me around $35 each and I paid less than $10 for the plastic clips and a metre of webbing strap. The plastic sale board I used to stiffen the sides of the bags closest to the bike cost me nothing.

I think getting some cheap small bungees from the $2 shop to secure the bags to the pannier frames pushed the price tag marginally past $80. (Damn, it's getting costly!)

The pannier frames I used were $10-worth of 2mm electrogalv plate cut and shaped by Roj to fit over the rear grab rails and edged with rubber beading from the local Para Rubber store.

I'm not at all worried about the lack of "proper waterproofing" as I've never trusted the waterproofing claims of any pack/bag.

[warewolf]

For adventure touring in NZ, I'd pick soft saddlebags for sure. Anything that needs to stay dry is separately waterproofed as needed. Clint's point about shape is a good one. I've got cheap motoline sports panniers on my 640, they expand out whereas up would be better. And make sure they are securely held off the exhaust!