Wilsons Sandbox

Get the MEFO Explorers, more money but last longer and I just like the name MEFO!

> > IMO that distinction would belong to Torrey, UT but love both the > others as well! > My vote for KLR rubber is Dunlop D606 but only for 70% or more off > road. Great tire for dual sport with better than average on highway > performance. > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > , Harry Seifert > wrote: > > > > Julian, CA, in the southern Southern CA, 60 miles in any direction > takes you to below sea level, Imperial Valley; the beach, Del Mar; the > 6,000 ft + San Gorgonios above Palm Springs and south to Mexico. Elden > Carl has named Julian as the KLR capital of the world. > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > cough. > only because he has not been to the Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. > revmaaatin.>> >

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Attachments : I’ve dropped my KLR twice at speed with Pelican cases on the bike. In both cases the handguard and the Pelican case on the down side bridged my leg preventing injury.

 

I like the Pelican cases. I don’t leave home without them J

[b]From:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com] [b]On Behalf Of [/b]Mark Harfenist [b]Sent:[/b] Wednesday, January 13, 2010 8:19 AM [b]To:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [b]Subject:[/b] [DSN_KLR650] hard vs. soft bags

 

 

I am currently using hard bags back and front.  In the rear are Happy Trails aluminum boxes mounted on their racks, on the front are Pelican cases mounted on Happy Trails nerf bars. I also use a Pelican top case. All are locked with padlocks.

 

This system has evolved over the course of three years and 63,000 miles on my KLR.  I have several reasons for doing it this way: first and foremost is security.  I ve met too many people who ve had soft bags slashed or removed, and while the chances of this are slight, they are real.  I know of no one (yet) who has had hard bags opened or stolen.  With hard bags I can park on the street while I look for a hotel almost anywhere without significant fear I ll lose anything as soon as my back is turned.  This includes Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America and, most prominently, New York city.

 

Second, the hard bags definitely protect the bike and my legs in the normal course of slow speed, involuntary toppling maneuvers.  These happen in parking lots and at remarkably slow speeds on and off gravel roads, in mud patches, while cornering through tight, grabby trees, etc.  Since this is the only sort of fall I ve had, and since they happen rather often (e.g., twice on my current trip, now 15,000 miles old), it seems entirely worth taking them into account.  If and when I go down at speed some day, I might have occasion to regret the hard bags.

 

Note that I often paddle in mud, soft sand or deep, loose gravel, and even more often I dab a foot down to maintain balance.  I ve yet to catch a leg under a rear pannier, but I can certainly see that this might happen and that it might be painful.  Note also that I almost always wear full motorcross boots.

 

The final reason for hard bags: sticker placement.  My KLR has visited more than 60 countries, inumerable parks and other landmarks, and has become intimate with parts departments and repair shops on five continents (so far).  It craves stickers, and stickers do not adhere to soft bags.  When I replaced my (leaky) Wolfman panniers with Pelican cases, this opened up vast new terrain for stickers. 

 

I m aware that there are disadvantages to hard bags, notably weight excessive, cost, and certain safety issues.  Mileage varies.

 

Mark

 

(from Mendoza, Argentina)