The Soft Saddlebag Revolution!

My introduction into Adventure riding started with a 1200 mile Dual Sport ride in the U.P. of Michigan back in 2005. I didn't have much of a luggage setup, so I improvised and just strapped everything on the back.

There were several issues with this setup, mainly due to the fact that it wasn't strapped down properly and that the weight was kept very high. I realized that I needed to run saddlebags in the future to help keep the weight low. I ended up trying a few different styles of sport bike style bags and while they worked, they really weren't up to the demands of adventure travel.

For my 2007 trip to Baja, I had to come up with a better solution for carrying enough gear, supplies and tools for a 2 week trip into the unknown. At the time, one of the only options for waterproof and dustproof saddlebags was the Ortlieb Dry Saddlebags from Aerostich. Back then, I thought $180 saddlebags were a bit expensive!     http://www.aerostich.com/ortlieb-dry-bag-saddlebags.html

My DR650 with Ortlieb Dry Saddlebags in northern Baja.

I have put on probably 20,000 miles on these bags since I have owned them. In Baja, I had a lowside which ripped the front strap out of the bag, which required a makeshift repair. One thing you need to think about before a big trip is how to secure your luggage if an item gets torn off the bike or damaged, and that goes for soft luggage or hard bags.

My experience with luggage has lead me to these requirements for soft luggage.
Waterproof
Dustproof
Expandable
Options to attach other items (like water or fuel containers)
Convenience
Secure mounting
Affordability & Value

Since 2007 when I purchased my Ortlieb bags, the Dual Sport and Adventure bike markets have taken off, and now there are many more options out there, and that $180 I spent then is a drop in the bucket, because now some of the bags out there are double and triple that price. I intend to review more of these bags this season and try to determine if they are really worth the price.

The BIG Bags:

Giant Loop Siskiyou Panniers
http://www.giantloopmoto.com/products/siskiyou-panniers

These babies are huge, and 70 Liters (35 per side) and are one of the most expensive options out there at $650! These bags do not require racks, but work with racks as well. I usually run pannier racks on my bikes, and I prefer that over having bags lay on the bodywork and exhaust. The Siskiyou Panniers include waterproof liner bags as well to make sure your gear gets there dry.

Kriega Overlander System

http://www.cobraheat.com/Kriega-Overlander-60-Pannier-Set_p_283.html

The Kriega Overlander 60 is more of a Luggage System versus a set of soft saddlebags, but its an option that I want to touch on. This is a really unique modular setup that allows to have up to 60 Liters of 100% water and dust proof capacity with 4-15 Liter bags, or you can add in Rotopax Fuel and water containers to increase your range.

The one thing that might cause this setup some issues is the price is sitting at $795 for the Overlander60 setup.

Andy Strapz Expedition Pannierz

http://www.andystrapz.com/products-details.php?productId=35&productCategoryId=22&Level=1

Made in Australia, the Andy Strapz Expedition bags are tough, simple bags that just get the job done!
They are 15-25 liters per side, so a little smaller than some of the big boys, but enough room to carry most of your gear. These will need the optional liners to be completely water and dust proof. The 4 pocket versions of these, run about $399 U.S. Dollars.

Wolfman Rocky Mountain Saddlebags

http://www.dualsportwarehouse.com/Wolfman-Luggage-Rocky-Mountain-Saddlebags-M1015.htm

The new Wolfman Rocky Mountain Saddlebags are the biggest, newest option from Colorado's Wolfman Luggage. At $379.99 they offer a bit of a value in this group. They are alos quite large at 32-35 liters each and plenty of attachment points for other bags and items. Like the Giant Loop and Andy's bags, they require a waterproof liner to keep the water and dust at bay.

Adventure Spec Magadan Panniers

http://www.adventure-spec.com/default/adventure-spec-magadan-panniers.html

Designed by famous adventure traveler Walter Colebatchm the Adventure Spec Magadan panniers offer a serious feature list that I think prompted the creation of most of the bags on this page. These things are built for the long haul and feature durable construction with slash proof cable in the bags to help prevent theft, and waterproof liners to keep everything out of the bags. The Magadan bags run about $543 at current exchange rates.

So there is my brief summary of some of the options out there for soft luggage for your Dual Sport or Adventure bike. There are a couple more options out there that I will post about later. So which ones are best? Well that depends on the type of traveling you do, your bike and your budget. I hope to get more first hand experience with some of these this summer, so stay tuned!

Check out Giant Loop and Wolfman products at Dual Sport Warehouse!
http://www.dualsportwarehouse.com/main.sc