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Rackless baggage: the mis ing Link
No so much a bodger FIX as a rackless soft pannier mounting idea which some might classify as a bodge.
The Kriega or Rhinowalk soft rack harnesses work on bikes with big side panels but not my 450MT. And all these harnesses do is make your bags into throwovers that need to be mounted high on the seat sides to stop them swinging about. As low and as forward as possible is the ideal and the solution has been there all along: the pillion pegs. As strong as a full metal rack and you get two free with the bike. I tested this idea on an AT ride a few years back then more seriously using an old Kriega 18 on my current 450MT. The old style 18s have a loop on the base which helps it sit wrapped to the peg.With a couple of counter-tensioned TPU zipties at the top the bag did not budge or get in the way over 6000kms in Morocco with a spread of rough tracks. I admit anything bigger than 20L might be a squeeze, but it's a good spot for the heavier stuff. Long version with more pix and details: https://adventure-motorcycling.com/2...-mis-ing-link/ https://adventure-motorcycling.com/w...mtrackless.jpg https://transmoroccotrail.org/wp-con...2/mtgravl.jpeg https://transmoroccotrail.org/wp-con...12/mtlube.jpeg |
My (now ancient) Endurance soft panniers, which are massive, sit nicely on my Himalayan pillion footpegs. They don't / didn't sit quite right on any other bikes' pegs, but even then I've always used the footpegs as an anchor point.
On the Tangos I've put a piece of ally 10mm tube from the left pillion footpeg heel guard up to the base of the indicator, which is a solid point on the back mudguard - that keeps bags from flapping around and had the side effect of stopping the number plate from shaking around while off-roading :) (we only put one bag on the side of them because of the exhaust on the other side, it works ok as long as it's just light things like bedding) |
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I've long used peg-to-indicator sticks to limit in-swinging.
But if it's swinging it's too far back – hence the pillion peg idea. Plus I didn't want the bodging to be so visible on the shiny new 450MT. Years ago on my GS I went one better and converted the pipe into a thermally isolated pannier support. One of the only bodges – or anything I've done – for which I've actually received hate mail! A pretty good record, all things considered ;-) |
Yeah, on the Tango there just isn't room to move the soft panniers forward, I often describe them as the minimum of everything that's possible to still be a proper motorcycle :)
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