@tmotten ... thanks

Yeah, this setup was cheap and worked for 70000km in North- and Southamerica.

The rack was made from scrap aluminium, just bend and some bolts and screws. I also used an exhaust pipe from an oven as a heat shield to protect the saddle bags.

Altogether, less than Euro 30.- and about 5kg (incl. saddlebags)

The bike went down twice, once heavy rain and the centerstand was gone ... and once the wind in Patagonia .... nothing happened

The tank bags were sewed by a friend, she is a pro and I gave her Euro 100.- (incl. some other minor stuff to fix) for her excellent work

Next trip we use alu panniers, we`ll see how that works in Africa

Greets Thomas

With most boxes the security is almost entirely psychological. You could get into mine in 20 seconds with a big screwdriver or similar jemmy. My locks are v. similar to those found on Touratech cases, by the way.

I'd go with soft bags for most of your stuff and a really tough top box for valuables (like a peli case).

__________________
http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

Why????? I'd think Africa is exactly the place where you'd want soft luggage. The more off road you expect the lighter you want it to be. Sound like you found your winning formula, so why change it?

__________________
Tacos Tyring Travels.com

Yes, I know .... the setup would make sense for Africa,

but we reduced the bike weight

Honda XRV 650 -> 220kg
Kawa KLR 650 -> 175 kg

KTM -> 150 kg

we are not riding technical stuff and even in Tunisia with soft sand the KTM handles much easier than the AfricaTwin.

btw..... I need some space for all the stickers

We will give it a try, a change is always possible

Greets Thomas

Aren't you going to Namibia? Off road heaven. It's also the cost. I'm surprised that you don't mind the handling of a loaded 150kg bike. The DRZ in the picture is 160 wet and I don't like the handling at all with that weight. And it would be worse with hard luggage and racks. Just doesn't steer because the balance is all off. The lighter the bike the less you can bring before it ruins the handling. This is why my target weight of my Dakar is 180kg wet. The added weight will change the bike less.

__________________
Tacos Tyring Travels.com

@tmotten

Yes, Namibia and the whole east coast ....

After riding the Africa Twin with a lot stuff (I guess about wet and full loaded 275kg) on gravel in Southamerica, the new KTM 690 is like a mountain bike

In 2003 I rode a Tenere (3 AJ) with about 53 liter gas and 25 liter water plus all the stuff for surviving through Algeria !

I guess about 240kg - 250 kg .....

Everything had to last for 4 days (incl. 20% safety amount) and the first day the bike was almost unridable in the dunes . After a couple of days and 1000km + I got used to it (somehow)

The only really nasty thing I don`t like is mud, which is slippery like soap

Greets Thomas

When was the last time anyone had someone break into his/her soft bags while touring Africa?

If its such a big security issue to take soft bags, there must be examples of having stuff stolen from them all over this forum by HUBBers who have crossed Africa ...

I am unfamiliar with any such stories so would love to be enlightened. If we have real examples including the circumstances of the theft we can start to get some idea of the risk of soft bags in terms of theft. But I strongly suspect the risk is imagined ... with little or no real evidence supporting the view.

__________________

Security for soft bags:

To increase security (or at least perceived security) for your soft bags, I have used pacsafe wrapsafe locks:

Pacsafe Anti-Theft Bags & Travel Security Products

Just a cable that goes around the bag to stop it being opened and stop it being taken off the bike

__________________

That's the good thing about the GL. No one knows how to take it off. Just saved my self 30 bucks right there. I've had my map case stolen off my bars once in Georgia. Maybe I should make an ali box for it.

Also interested about it. I don't really leave my bike out of sight with hard or soft luggage. Interested to know about knife cuts into the bags.

This is the last type of surface you'd want hard luggage one. We suffered that in Mongolia on our first trip. Bloody dangerous. Africa has plenty of this if you're unlucky.

__________________
Tacos Tyring Travels.com

Exactly !!!!

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Good point Walter

Thomas

I can only speak for myself. I leave my (hard) panniers on the bike a lot: out of sight, often overnight, sometimes even overnight on the street. I'd be reluctant to do that with soft bags of any sort, no matter how they were locked, cabled, or encased in mesh.

The original question related to traveling solo. Traveling with a group, or even as one half of a couple, there's always someone to watch the bike. Solo, I'm out of sight of the bike dozens of times per day--to pee, to conduct business, to eat in a restaurant or check my email, to ask for prices at hotels, to take photos....whatever.

I do occasionally hear about people having bags slashed--mostly in Latin America. I've read about this on HU and ADVrider. But to me the point is that having hard cases allows me a degree of freedom I wouldn't have with soft bags. When I've traveled with soft baggage I don't leave it on the bike and I don't turn my back on it. Some of you have traveled with soft baggage: you don't let it out of sight. I think that's why you never hear about baggage getting slashed. But maybe I'm wrong about this part.

That whole issue about which is more dangerous seems like a wash to me, too. My cases have kept the bike off me in slow-speed falls (the only kind I've ever had) quite a few times. One (1) time a case clipped my ankle. I wear motocross boots, and I hardly noticed.

No doubt: mileage varies, and there are no black and white answers. I like the way I do it because it sure seems to work for me.

enjoy,

Mark

I've used alu-boxes through Africa twice and except for very short trips I will still use them.

Some people might argue that cost might be an issue, but mine has lasted for 150kkm so I don't see that as a valid argument. But there are a lot of badly built systems out there and some people who have bad experiences with a certain brand transfer their "knowledge" to all types of hard-boxes.

I've parked the bike everywhere because I like to walk around in the cities, no problems so far.

One of the best advantages of soft bags is that you don't have to leave them on the bike. Throw them over your shoulder and straight into the tent or hotel room.

Although, I NEVER keep valuables in my soft bags as border crossings, going for a pee at a petrol station etc is still a risk. Although, I never have or ever heard of anyone's soft bags getting ransacked.

Bags slashed ???? I think I read something on ADV rider about that too. Mostly Americans in Mexican border towns though right ??? Risky whatever your luggage system.

And yeah... Anyone who doesn't overland in tough MX boots is asking for trouble. Not just from panniers...

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Good points, markharf. I agree, not that my opinion will change anybody else's mind.

Anyway, I don't care. I use both, like both and see advantages/disadvantages either way.

.............shu