I just purchased a set of Mosko panniers, has anyone had a chance to put some miles on these relatively new products?



Not my setup, just a picture found floating on the interweb
Mosko Gear

Maybe you know, but they got a big thread on ADVrider forum Mosko Moto Soft Bags for Offroad & Dualsport - ADVrider

Actually good reading, show everything from first idea of doing this, development, testing, new products etc. And user reports, though most haven't had them that long yet.

Also looking into buying their bags

I studied the adv thread and the product looks good... It became a toss up between the Wolfman Rocky Mountain and the Mosko units.. I liked the Mosko mounting system so that tipped me in their direction over the Wolfman product... I purchased a lightly used set of the 35 liter units that the owner found too large for his needs...

I looked briefly at the Mosko link, beautiful looking gear ... but are you guys concerned by the fact ALL weight is taken on the racks and a LOT of stress will be taken by the mounting plate that attaches to the panniers? I thought such designs were ruled out a decade ago for off road adv luggage systems?

For 20 years I've seen racks crack, sub frames crack and break and breaks at attachment points of racks to sub frames.

Old school, conventional "throw over" style soft panniers allow the seat to take most of the weight ... AND SHOCK ... does not depend on racks to support all the weight and spreads load over sub frame more evenly.

And what about WEIGHT? Big, strong racks are heavy. With throw over panniers racks can be light.

I wonder what sort of testing was done? And what bikes were used? At their site I see a KTM 690 is featured ... which does not really have a true sub frame ... correct? So how does that work?

How will this system survive THOUSANDS of miles of rough going, fully loaded?

I note that Colebatch's ADV Spec bags still use a throw over system. Why is that?

Thoughts? Any long term comparisons?

I looked at their stuff at Overland Expo in Arizona this spring, I thought it looked really good, well thought out. I don't think they are going after the dirt bike with lights crowd so much. At the show they had a KLR with their mounting plate adapted to a set of Happy Trails racks. But I agree that a Giant Loop or similar looks like it would hold up better on a dirt bike. The Giant Loop style is a pain to load, though.

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Andy Tiegs
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/ts...lsouth-america

They are working on a Rackless solution as well, similar to GL.

They're also looking into riding suit and other products but they're not a big company, just the 2 of them I think, so takes some time.

EDIT: See here http://moskoblog.wordpress.com/ regarding 40L and 70L Rackless solution (called "Reckless"), scroll down to 5th November 2014

I ran a set of MS pannier soft bags on my 640 for 10 yrs and they worked very well... These 27L softbags had a rigid back plate that bolted directly to the frames the same as hard boxes at a fraction of the weight... The biggest drawback was that they were not waterproof, had zippers that would plug with dirt and did not have any strap attachment points.. I sold these bags earlier this year and they were still in decent shape considering the use they had endured... The quick disconnect frames on the Mosko system is the one thing I wondered about, will they would hold up?

As for luggage frames, whether I was using bolt on or throw over soft bags I would still go with a good sturdy set of frames... The simple reason is that the frames do more than just hold the bags in place, a good designed frame will triangulate the whole rear end of the bike adding strength to the sub frame from the passenger seat back... The essential part in the design is to have a strut that comes from the bag hoops and ties into the frame near the riders foot peg... Because of the 690s poorly {for luggage} designed subframe, some of the luggage rack makers built their racks with double struts that tie into the foot peg area to support the load.. The luggage frames on my main bike on a couple of occasions over the years needed a weld to fix a stress crack, but never the subframe, it is still factory original and I often carry a passenger in addition to the load... I just fabricated a set of frames up out of 1/2" tubing for my project bike and they add about 6-8 lbs to the overall weight..

I laugh when I see advertised a tail rack with built in side supports for soft bags, with these things you can mount your tail bag and panniers on one unit that hangs off the back like a kid on a teeter totter.. There are no struts, no additional supports, everything just sits over the back seat- fender area.. These probably are fine on smooth paved roads, but over rough, potholed ground is the sub frame going to hold?


My old soft luggage setup at work..

Bags look very good on first inspection.. I mounted them on the project bike...

The mounting plates are beefier than they looked in the pics...

The mounting plates fit perfect on my home made racks

Bags in place, not too bulky

Clean looking setup, I like how the bags keep their shape

Back end view

A streamlined 32" wide

1/2" narrower than the width of the bars, so if the bars fit through so should the bags...

With the Wolfman on the back

I've done a couple of thousand miles with my Mosko luggage, through some significant rain. My gear stayed dry. No signs of any stressing on any subframe or my existing rakes. The Mosko bags are working really well for me.


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What type of frames do you have them mounted to?

Yep, did a couple of thousand miles through France and Spain with my Mosko Backcountry 35s in October. Worked really well- strong, light, waterproof and easy to remove from the bike- no stupid straps over the seat. I expect they'll perform just fine in Africa next year.

Mounts fit nicely on TT racks

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Hi Island Hopper. Mine are on Aussie made MTD racks. The mounting system is pretty clever and the go on just about all racks. You'll probably find more info on Mosko's web site.
http://moskomoto.com/

The more I ride with these bags the more I like them. They are so easy to get on and off the bike.


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The Mole panels are a great idea

The GL tankbag almost matches the pannier colors..

The Wolfman bottle holsters fit perfectly to the front {or rear depending on bag orientation}, I installed 2 of these using 4 Mosko mole stix per side..

Which begs the question, are they too easy for someone to remove and steal? Not that I think ill of my fellow humans, but...

Reckon not. You could easily screw some cable loops to the bacing plates to secure them, I just thread a long cable through all the luggage when I have to cross borders. So far no problems, people are generally honest, just keep the valuables in the tank bag and always have it with you.

Young miscreants in Malawi- pretty typical in my experience...

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