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Equipping the Bike - what's the best gear? Anything to do with the bikes equipment, saddlebags, etc. Questions on repairs and maintenance of the bike itself belong in the Brand Specific Tech Forums.
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 19 Nov 2003
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NEW ALLY PANNIER MAKERS, UK

Saw these guys at the NEC motorcycle show. Their product seems pretty robust, with double corners and good quality construction. Another option, at least



The prices are about the same as TTech:

38L = 150GBP
45L = 155GBP
50L = 160GBP
Fitting kit = 40GBP / side
Topbox (32L) = 180GBP

The fittings are an alternative take on the TTech stuff, using injection-moulded nylon channels.

Before you ask, standard 18mm hoops will fit.

http://www.metalmule.com/
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Old 19 Nov 2003
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David Lambeth had samples of these at the last UK HU meet. They did look good and the mounting system was particularly neat.

However, the versions that David was displaying had a good 5mm of rivet (the sharp-ish bit with the little ball in it) poking out into the inside of the box. These were all over the inside of the box, and on rough roads would cut/tear/hole just about anything you put inside.

To be fair, David said he'd mentioned this to MetalMule, who had promised to do something about it. However I would check before buying.

They did look strong and were quite light.

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Old 20 Nov 2003
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unfortunately pop rivets need a good tail to hold properly.if that was the only gripe on otherwise good boxes, you could easily put a blob of sealant or filler over each rivet tail.

anyway, wheres the fun in buying kit thats perfect for you from the word go?

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Old 20 Nov 2003
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The rivets weren't really bad on the show boxes, but I must confess that I didn't look *too* closely, as I'm not in the market for luggage, personally.

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Old 20 Nov 2003
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tails on rivets = bad news with or without sealant. forget it and buy something to protect the few essentials that you decide need to go with you. esp if they're the same price as TTs
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Old 11 Jan 2004
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Hi, I have Daar boxes and frames from Ernie at Overland these also have pop rivets protruding into the panniers, the solution is to get some old carry mat,cut and glue this over the area affected and hey presto problem solved. I have also seen the metal mule panniers and frames and think these score highly. Regards Chris
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Old 3 Feb 2004
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are they available in the us?
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Old 3 Feb 2004
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http://www.metalmule.com/

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