Thanks for following up Harold. We had actually already ordered one online. Was initially going with a 55L top case with a dry bag on top of that, but my wife thinks this may be more comfortable for her, I also think this may be lighter than what I was thinking about. And of course at less than half the price of the top case, my wife didn't have any problems convincing me. I'll let you know more once I get my hands on it.

Mark

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"Over Weigh Is Under Prepared"!!!!!!!! Couldn't agree more. It's like the famous quote about the lengthy letter: "I have made this letter longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter."

Good post from Dave Lomax of Adventure Spec.

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"Classic" pic. Great photo shop work! Perfect T shirt promo pic or poster for your business! "WHY GIANT LOOP?"

'nuff said.

Odd thing is ... I'd guess over half the riders out there doing RTW rides are still using these big, heavy boxes. Too Much IS Too Much! (IMO of course)

So I guess Tiffany will be using GL bags on her big BMW R1200 GS on her next Tour Guide gig? .... and of course, all the customer bikes too?

Tiffany doesn't get to choose usually on the tour trips - but the customers can (and a couple have) opted to go with Giant Loop instead of hard luggage.

Go light. Go fast. Go Far.

Cheers,
Harold

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Thanks BMW ON magazine for including Giant Loop's Siskiyou Panniers in the April issue's soft luggage round up!


Here's the intro:
"I have been using the Giant Loop Siskiyou Panniers for nearly two years now, since the first prototypes on a two-week trip through Death Valley, Mojave, Joshua Tree and Anza Borrego. The finished product saw action in Baja, on the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route (OBDR) and Washington Backcountry Discover Route (WABDR), and scouting the future Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route (IDBDR), as well as countless other trips and rallies. The Siskiyous have become my "go to" bags for adventure riding. Compared to hard bags and racks, they are positively light! Compare KTM's Gobi boxes and racks at 37 lb. to the Siskiyous' 9 lb., delivered with two inner waterproof bags and two heat shields."

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Giant Loop Moto

Maybe not quite there yet ... pic below lifted from Tiffany's fabulous S. America ride report on ADV:


Her ride report:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...hlight=Tiffany

I like the idea of removable inner bags on your Siskyou bags ... but $700 out my range. Good thing you're locked in the the KTM/BMW guys. $$$$$ I ride a Suzuki. Suzuki riders use 2nd hand trash bags for luggage and can't afford chase vehicles or Valets.

Seems to me Tiffany could use some inner bags on her rig. I figured this problem out on my first long ride with hard bags ... 25 years ago. I never take my bags off the bike (hard or soft) Waste of time and last thing you want to do in 100F heat at end of long riding day. INNER bags RULE!
Here is Tiffany hard at it ... again!

Most people don't reach very far for their ideas and are happy to go with the known, familiar and old ideas - but we're winning converts every day all over the world.

Check out this video of two riders in South America - she's on a Suzuki DR 350.

I've ridden old Hondas most of my life, so I hear what you're saying.

What kind of Suzuki do you ride?

We have lots of luggage options for most of the Suzuki line. And while they may cost more than trash bags, they're a heck of a lot less than virtually any hard box/luggage rack set, and they'll give you years of trouble-free riding.

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I'm the guy with the sandwich in my mouth! I don't want to sound like a GL marketing agent, but just to put things in context... My girlfriend has only been riding for 6 months, and saw dirt for the first time about 5 weeks ago. I bought a Great Basin for her to use on her DR200, and it has turned out to be perfect for her. She's riding really comfortably on dirt now, and I am sure that the Great Basin is a big part - the DR200 is a very light bike but it is handling very well loaded up - very sympathetic for a new rider.

I'm a GL convert. I've ridden with hard and other soft panniers, and the Siskiyous are superb.

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Very positive endorsement! Can you tell us what you paid for your GL Panniers and the Great Basin bag?

Big ups to your girl riding the interiors of Peru'. Nice vid!

I notice in your vid her lugging the bag and putting it up onto her bike. How long does it take to mount and dismount the bag? How many straps to deal with? Has it ever come loose or fallen off?

I'm a fan of removable inner bags which allow panniers to stay on bike.
Do you have any problems getting to items in the very bottom of that big duffle? How have you solved this problem?

Safe riding!

I'm always looking for good ideas ... "new" or otherwise. Most who claim a "new" idea in fact have merely recycled (or stolen) an old idea. At the same time I'm not confident enough to believe I have re-invented the wheel!

Some of us are not new to motor bike travel and have tried a few things over the years.

Hondas? yea, me too! I rode my Honda 50 step through from Oaxaca down to Lago Atitlan in 1973. (long story)

You can see my Rat Bike DR650 Suzuki on this thread ... go back to post #59. My last Honda was a XR250. XR400 and XR650L before that. Going way back, my '87 XL600R made several Baja rides ... and broke down on one of them.

You're right! These ideas are older than the wheel perhaps . . .

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USA suggested retail for 2014:

Siskiyou Panniers (including 2 waterproof roll top inner liner bags + 2 laser cut aluminum heat shields and stainless steel clamps) $700 USD MSRP

Great Basin Saddlebag (including a set of 3 waterproof roll top inner bags + 1 laser cut aluminum heat shield and stainless steel clamp) $450 USD MSRP

It's a little faster coming off than going on, but I'd say less than five minutes, after you've done it a couple of times. What do you think El Forko?

Great Basin - 2 side mounting straps (attach to passenger peg mounts), 1-3 rear mounting straps (depending on available attachment points - 1 is adequate).

Siskiyou Panniers - 2 side mounting straps (attach to passenger peg mounts), 1-3 rear mounting D-ring attachments, plus webbing daisy chains on the wheel side. Many and various mounting options - the more points of contact the more stable (stabile?).

Our friends and customers have ridden on the most extreme adventures on every continent but Antarctica (anyone?), and as far as we know our bags have never fallen off - even in crashes. They will come loose if improperly mounted.

So are we! Our Coyote Saddlebag, Great Basin Saddlebag and Siskiyou Panniers all include waterproof roll top inner bags. The Great Basin Saddlebag and Siskiyou Panniers can also be locked to the bike, with pass-throughs built into the bags and any cable/lock. But in more than five years, I know of only one customer who has had a bag stolen. It's Terrence Tay from Singapore - and he's riding around Asia right now with our bags on his bike!

Our Tillamook Dry Bag and Rogue Dry Bag are double end, so you can access gear from either end - without unstrapping the bag.

Are you coming on our 3rd Annual Giant Loop Ride?

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I like the doubled ended access for your bags!

I remember my riding buddies struggled to dig down deep to find something at bottom end of the loop. Took them quite a while to unpack/repack bags and get it all balanced, then get it strapped down. About 20 minutes usually on our last 8 day ride camping.

They had only used the GL's on two previous rides so were still learning the systems and working things out ... as we all do on a ride. As mentioned earlier, none fell off but one did come loose, burnt a bit on pipe.

I'm sure Mr. Pitchfork is busy riding Peru' or Bolivia!
I'm following the blog, great stuff. I'd love to hear more comments regards my previous post.

Tarp, bivy sack, sleeping pad, aluminum stakes and parachute cord. Total weight 4.2 lbs.


Tarp, bivy sack, sleeping pad, aluminum stakes and parachute cord packed inside Rogue Dry Bag (17 L) - with lots of room to spare.


Uncompressed synthetic fill sleeping bag with tape measure for scale.


Tarp, bivy sack, sleeping pad, aluminum stakes, parachute cord, uncompressed sleeping bag in Tillamook Dry Bag (38 L) - with plenty of room to spare.


On the thumper, my sleeping bag usually goes in the center Dry Pod inside the Coyote Saddlebag, and my other kit goes in Rogue strapped on with the compression straps.


On the big bike, my sleeping bag and pad go in one Rogue Dry Bag and tent/poles go in a second Rogue (I like to keep my sleeping bag away from my wet tent or tarp).

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Not sure which Giant Loop gear is the best fit your riding needs and bike type?

Here's a handy comparison chart for our 2014 Adventure Proof Packing Systems - click here for PDF.

We also added "Shop By Bike Type" quick links on our homepage. Of course, much or our gear is virtually universal in fitment, and many bags designed for the "dirt, dual sport, enduro" category work great on big adventure touring machines - and vice versa - but they may require a little ingenuity and improvisation for proper installation.


DIRT, DUAL SPORT, ENDURO
• Buckin' Roll Tank Bag
(Complete + Center Only)
• Bushwackers Hand Guards
• Coyote Saddlebag
• Diablo Tank Bag
(Pro + Standard)
• Hot Springs Heat Shield
• MoJavi Saddlebag
• Pronghorn Straps
• Pannier Pockets
• Possibles Pouch
• Rubber Boa Straps
• Rogue Dry Bag
• Vinyl Protective Film
• Zigzag Handlebar Bag


ADVENTURE TOURING, ROAD
• Fandango Tank Bag
(Pro + Standard)
• Great Basin Saddlebag
• Hot Springs Heat Shield
• Pronghorn Straps
• Pannier Pockets
• Possibles Pouch
• Siskiyou Panniers
• Rogue Dry Bag
• Vinyl Protective Film
• Zigzag Handlebar Bag

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