Affordable Adventure Motorcycle Saddlebags
So, now you have an adventure motorcycle. Congrats! Now, you have to find some saddlebags to carry your stuff. Check out our thoughts!
Congratulations on your brand new Adventure Motorcycle! I know you could not be more excited about traveling across the country, whichever that may be, and and are daring any dirt roads or water crossings to stand in your way. You are set. Now all you need is a map and your off. Right?
Well, not quite. Unfortunately, like any new sport you have to have some practice before it's game time. Before you can even practice, you have to have the right gear. Bummer. I know. after the initial outlay of money, you should just be able to "plug and play" so to speak. But, when you are planning to leave home, travel up to hundreds of miles, encounter who knows what kind of terrain, you need to take a deep breath first. The most essential part of your trip will happen before you hit the road in the planning stages.
Good news! If you are in the majority of the northern hemisphere at the writing of this article, its winter. You, like me, have a bit of time before we actually hit the trails. You may even be covered in snow like me.
The best thing you can do right now is to make a list and check it twice. What will you need for you adventures in Spring? For my complete list of essentials, check this out. If you would like to simply watch this review, click here!
This article, however, is not about the whole list. As the title suggests, saddlebags are an essential of any overnight adventure touring trip. The essentials have to ride somewhere other than your lap!
Styles of Saddlebags
Saddlebags, or panniers, depending on where in the world you call home, come in a few different basic styles. They come in all different levels of quality and cost as well. Here are a few of the basic styles.
Hard Panniers
These are typically mounted to either a model of pannier specific, motorcycle model specific or both pannier rack. The are mounted on the frame of the motorcycle below the passenger pillion seat or around the rear fender to the frame.
Many different motorcycle manufacturers have their own proprietary rack and pannier system like my Royal Enfield Himalayan. Here is the rack as an example. It comes with everything you need to mount to your bike including a turn signal relocation kit that is often extra on many motorcycles. Like batteries, make sure it is included on your choice or purchase separately.
The panniers that match this kit, also from Royal Enfield, are quite nice and many people prefer this type. It is like a suitcase, as much as you can stuff into is is what you can carry! Unfortunately, not all panniers like this are as waterproof as they appear. Many sell additional waterproof removable liners. It is nice to be able to quickly carry your requirements into your tent or hotel, but, just be sure you know where the "waterproofing" comes from. The other benefit to these is they open from the top making it easier to access without spilling out on the trail as with side opening panniers. They hold 26 liters per side.
Soft Saddlebags/Throw over
Soft saddlebags are typically made to be either permanent or semi-permanent. They will come with either mounting hardware that mounts them to a rack already on the bike, or have straps attaching each saddlebag across the seat.
They can be removed easily not mounted to the racks, but generally they are less stable at speed with that setup. With adventure touring motorcycles that spend some time off-road, floppy bags may begin to grate after a few miles. Not to mention the wear on the items inside being tossed around.
My personal preference is to utilize a rack system and secure them as well. The additional benefit to having a rack for your saddlebags is to provide protection to the motorcycle when the inevitable fall happens. Hopefully while going slowly on a trail with plowed dirt...
This type of saddlebag is currently the type mounted on my motorcycle. Notice I said mounted, because I have the pannier rack from the manufacturer of my motorcycle, Royal Enfield. I really despise stuff flopping around, myself included, and wanted something that had the capacity of the larger hard panniers, but could be collapsed when not full. Though I am using the OEM racks (I had a credit on my trade in from dealer😉), there are many generic racks available for this type of bag. If you get a smaller capacity, you may not even need racks at all. Lots of choices. Here's an example.
The Nelson-Rigg Sierra Dry Saddlebags are working well so far. Oh, and they are under $200 (like the picture says). They are 27 liters per side, 54 total, which is a bit more than the Royal Enfield OEM panniers. They are top loaded similarly and are waterproof without the internal liner which is really only there for convenience of removing your packed items. I did a video review, waterproof testing included, on my YouTube channel if you would like to see more details.
Rackless Luggage Systems
The last type I will cover, and just about the only one left besides a duffle on the tail, is rackless. This type of bag is very intriguing to me since it mounts from the tail of the motorcycle down the body of the toward the foot pegs. It is secure and there are a ton of riders out there that swear by them. Itchy Boots is a great example.
I part ways with her on this simply becuase I have not ridden enough off-road to have a solid opinion. I knew I did not want hard bags that are the same size whether full or not (and heavier) but, I am not sure about these. They all seem to be a bit pricier than I wanted to spend on "trying something out" if you know what I mean. I can see myself with these in the not too distant future, however. Definitely, a worthy consideration if you are looking for some. I have selected the Tusk brand as a mid-range example of what I am talking about. The king of these bags right now seems to be Mosko Moto. If that is outside of your budget, here is another recommendation to check out.
So, there you have it. An overview of the different types of saddlebags out there along with a few samples to kick around. Like everything, there are many, many great choices that allow you to get what you are looking for at the budget that fits. Remember the goal is to get each one of you reading this or watching videos on trails experiencing the adventures. Reach out with any comments or questions. I look forward to having you along when the snow thaws and we can hit the trails. Follow my YouTube channel here and be safe out there!
Thanks for stopping by!
With dreams of the new adventures,
Ron
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