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VStrom DL 650 2 up- What Panniers? HELP! VStrom DL 650 2 up- What Panniers? HELP!
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  #1  
Old 17 Jul 2011
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VStrom DL 650 2 up- What Panniers? HELP!
Hi all,

My girlfriend and I are planning a trip around South America (for a long time) and are deciding on the appropriate panniers. We're leaning towards aluminium panniers (sturdier) but need some advice regarding brand and size.

Any advice on good brands (need to be affordable), I've been looking at happy trails but there seems to be so many different types.

Also size, we'll have to carry our lives on one bike so the more space the better, but I'm conscious of weight and width. Any thoughts on how many litres?

Any held would be appreciated.

CHEERS
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  #2  
Old 17 Jul 2011
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Dl650
On my DL650 I put some jesse , not cheap but large and very narrow , if you can find some givi they are great and waterproof.Forget the top case and go with a duffle bag and use some tank pannier for weight repartition.I had happy trail on 2 bikes and they are great product for a goo price , anything over 40 liter is good for luggage . don't overload the bike as you can buy anything you need on the road if need be.
PM me if you need more info.
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Old 31 Jul 2011
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My DL 650 is equiped with two panniers of 45 and 37 liters and a topcase of 38 liters. The three items are from the Trax Evo Panniers System of SW-Motech.

This is the website: by products - Luggage Systems - TraX ® - SW-MOTECH & BAGS-CONNECTION

And here you can see some pictures of my own DL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/neke/se...7625986869077/

Greetings
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Old 31 Jul 2011
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We got Metal Mule 38 L on the sides, and Givi (or Kappa, cant remember?) 49L plastic top box on our way with my girlfriend from Europe to Australia 3 years ago. The Mules weren´t cheap, but they´re good quality, and will probaby last a lifetime, as we´ve still got them, and they look like they´ve never been anywhere!

More about them (and some pics) here:

http://www.moto1.fi/blogC.htm
Last edited by pecha72; 31 Jul 2011 at 21:22.
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  #5  
Old 3 Aug 2011
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Mrs MarkE & I toured New Zealand in March on a rented Wee and loved it, but...

The bike came with the rental company's standard plastic Givis. They were fine for our needs but they were on the standard mounting, which put them quite near the pillion rests. Mrs MarkE is no Amazon and she doesn't have particularly big feet, but she did find the lack of space between pannier and peg a problem toward the end of a day. You might want to have a look at a Wee fitted with the panniers you're thinking of with this in mind before making your final decision. What is a minor irritant for a month's holiday could be a real problem on a longer trip.
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Old 13 Aug 2011
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hy all
try this ...Konvoi | Coburi si Topcase-uri pentru motociclete
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Old 26 Aug 2011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HendiKaf View Post
On my DL650 I put some jesse , not cheap but large and very narrow , if you can find some givi they are great and waterproof.Forget the top case and go with a duffle bag and use some tank pannier for weight repartition.I had happy trail on 2 bikes and they are great product for a goo price , anything over 40 liter is good for luggage . don't overload the bike as you can buy anything you need on the road if need be.
PM me if you need more info.
I can confirm that the Jessie bags are quite good. I have a set of Jesse bags on my 08 DL650 and I have a friend who had a set of Happy Trails on his 09 DL1000. Both are well built and solid. However, IMHO the advantages of the Jesse Bags are that the top lid folds out, and allows for about 10L of storage in them, plus it is worth getting the clips that fit into the top lid area -- I had tried several home style replicas, but nothing worked as well as the ones they supply.

This area also works well for a work bench to put tools on etc. when needed or to access things you use quite a bit, as they are readily available.

The other plus with the Jesse Bags is that the locks are built right in. Very solid and easy to use. The Happy Trails have a U-Bolt type unit with a clip that goes over that you attach a padlock or keylock too that tends to flap about and rattle a bit. Not that that is the end of the world, but you have to keep worrying about where the heck you put the lock each time you undo it.

If you would like some pics of what I have set up, please pm me and I will send you some.

Cheers,

Zarks
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  #8  
Old 20 Sep 2011
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Thanks for all the help team,

We went with aluminium panniers from happy trails with a tail rack system and we've bought a pvc duffel dry bag for the back.

We'll let you know how it goes
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  #9  
Old 20 Sep 2011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ReeceNZ View Post
Thanks for all the help team,

We went with aluminium panniers from happy trails with a tail rack system and we've bought a pvc duffel dry bag for the back.

We'll let you know how it goes
Which ones did you buy, I had the Teton Canyon cut 9.5inch, the panniers themselves have done Oz and North/South America with many falls and survived very well.

I bought new ones on my return to Oz(quick release) but that was a mistake as they kept coming off when I crashed and did not protect my legs

Anyway, you will like them

Cheers
TS
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