I use a medium Wolfman duffel. I like the mounting loops which help stop the bag moving if you thread the straps through them and as the upper loops are doubled up you can easily strap another bag on top if you need to, and the handles velcro together so don't flap. Very thick material.

Get some Moskos. On and off the bike like hard panniers, but you can cinch them down like soft, so no rattles.

http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/u...P4240121_1.jpg

The large bags do work okay if you have those big metal boxes to spread them over.

They do have the all the weight high and rear though which is not ideal.

Bigger, heavier bikes handle this better. You would certainly feel the difference on a smaller, lighter bike though. Especially off-road.

Ideally you want your weight as close to the centre of gravity as possible. The pillion seat is usually the best bet and that's where a 55L ortlieb sits best.

Dry duffel bag instead of top case
 

I use a 31lt Ortieb - agree with others anything over 50 is massive. I only put bedding, sleeping bag, clothes and riding thermals in there. Anything else is too heavy to be that high up and far back. I also like keeping these items separate from fuel stoves, tools, etc which go in my saddle bag. I have a 8lt tank bag for bits and bobs.

Few weeks ago, got the Moskomoto http://www.moskomoto.com Backcountry Duffle (40l).

The Moskomoto Backcountry Duffle (40l) is very solid and really like the beavertail feature as easy to stash & carry a decent size chain lock and nylon biker cover or other gear with easy access = http://www.moskomoto.com/collections...40-rear-duffle

Completely agree. I have the very same bag - great value for money and totally waterproof.

My 1150GS came with System panniers & top-box. I've never liked placing weight high and rearward on a bike. I don't use the top-box.

For a trip of 5000-6000km in mind for the future (60-70% road, 30-40% light off-road, 50/50 camping/B&B), I'm pretty set on replacing the System panniers with aluminium cases, to have a simple luggage set-up:

- Aluminium panniers (locking)
- Waterproof bag on passenger seat.
- Waterproof tank bag.

No extra bags on top of the panniers, and nothing on the luggage rack.

In my theoretical planning, I've arrived on the idea of packing stuff I'd take into a hotel/B&B in the soft bags (clothes, toiletries, tech, valuables), and leaving everything else (that doesn't need to come into a hotel/B&B) in the panniers (tent, sleeping gear, cooking gear, tools, spares).

It seems more common to do the reverse, but that seems more faffy to me, primarily because you must take your camp gear (in the soft bag) in with you for security reasons.

I'm pretty sure I'll mount the drybag longitudinally on the passenger seat/luggage rack, most likely removing the passenger seat and passenger grab-handle for the trip to facilitate this. Mounting the bag long-ways will mean there'll be no interference with opening the pannier lids.

All the bags mentioned, and a few others, are on my radar. I want something like the top-loading Ortleib Rack Packs, rather than an end-loading tube-type, and somewhere around 30-40 litres max.

The only tank bag I can find now that looks to be properly waterproof (hate the faff of needing to carry and fit a waterproof cover for rain) is the Givi GRT705 - expensive, but waterproof and simple.

If I let my OCD take control, I might consider the matching GRT703 40L bag, but it's way dearer than the equivalent Ortleib Rack Pack, or Givi's own WP400, so as I've never been a money-no-option kinda guy, maybe not...

I see those Q-Bag bags on websites for great prices, and they might be worth looking at, but I can't find many reviews online, and I'd be reluctant to take a chance that my dancing clothes won't be dry when I hit town...


Mark

Lomo dry bag panniers FTW except vs. chipmunks
 

I have a pair of Lomo dry bag motorcycle panniers that I love. I used them for a couple of months in the summer of 2024 on a cross-country (USA) motorcycle trip. They were great.

They never leaked. They were easy to pack and set up on the bike.

The only problem was that one very aggressive chipmunk chewed a hole in the bag that contained my food one morning while I went to the out house. Fortunately, the hole is in a part of the bag that isn't exposed when I roll the top closed.

That was the only time in the trip when I wanted hard cases, even in bear country.