d-s ride, mendocino nat'l forest; moose, bill & james

[WILLAM GILMORE]

Another newby question -- what's the biggest downside for soft versus hard saddlebags. Also, I'm close to ordering the Wolfman Alpha with the duffle, along with the explorer tank bag. Any advice or comments, please [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Chris]

That you can't really lock them and of course hard bags will be more weatherproof too. There's something about a hard bag with a lock on it that will keep more of the honest, honest, compared to a bag with a zipper in plain sight. If I didn't need locking bags, that tailpack that Wolfman makes would have been hard to pass up.

On Fri, Jul 09, 2004 at 02:20:08PM -0700, WILLAM GILMORE wrote: > Another newby question -- what's the biggest downside for soft versus hard saddlebags. > > Also, I'm close to ordering the Wolfman Alpha with the duffle, along with the explorer tank bag. > > Any advice or comments, please > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at www.dualsportnews.com. List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > -- ___ ______ _____ __ ________ ___ / _ |< < / == / ___/__ / /_ /_ __/ / __ ____ _ ___ /__ \ / __ |/ // / ****/ (_ / _ \/ __/ / / / _ \/ // / ' \/ _ \ /__/ /_/ |_/_//_/ == \___/\___/\__/ /_/ /_//_/\_,_/_/_/_/ .__/ (_) 8600 miles*Russel Lines*Supertrapp Race* /_/ http://www.kingsqueak.org/klr650/

[Douglas Dick]

I bought my A16 last year and used the Wolfman Explorer Tank Bag, A 100 liter duffel bag on the back seat, and soft saddlebags on a MAC-D rack. This year I will be using GIVI E36 luggage in place of the soft saddlebags. The biggest reasons I went for the GIVIS is the lockable storage and waterproof storage. Also, if I get a new bike, I can transfer the luggage over, and just need a new rack. The downside is the initial cost. I also find that soft luggage hugs the bike closer, for slightly less wind resistance. I found that my bike is working harder with the GIVI luggage and fuel economy was down about 12% compared with unloaded bike. (On the other hand, I just had my valve adjusted back to loose side of tolerances, they were too tight, so this may have been affecting fuel economy) With soft saddlebags, I have to worry about support straps becoming undone, whereas hard luggage is much more secure. Soft luggage is also more likely to shift to where exhaust can melt it. I prefer a big duffel bag on back for touring, because I can stuff more into it than a top box. I usually put my tent, sleeping bag and cot, and then I have a backrest. The Wolfman Explorer is excellent. It is a bit pricey, but worth every penny. It comes with an optional raincover. I only use this when I am not moving. The bag does not get wet on the highway. Hope this is useful. If you have any specific questions please ask, but I am just leaving for the Lake of the Woods Tour with the Wolfshead Rider's Association, so I will be back in a week. Take care. Douglas Dick Winnipeg MB mailto:ddick2@... KLR650 A16 -----Original Message----- From: WILLAM GILMORE [mailto:willgilmore@...] Sent: Friday, July 09, 2004 4:20 PM To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com Subject: [DSN_klr650] soft versus hard case luggage Another newby question -- what's the biggest downside for soft versus hard saddlebags. Also, I'm close to ordering the Wolfman Alpha with the duffle, along with the explorer tank bag. Any advice or comments, please [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] List sponsored by Dual Sport News at www.dualsportnews.com. List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . Yahoo! Groups Links

[squasher_1]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, WILLAM GILMORE wrote:

> Another newby question -- what's the biggest downside for soft

versus hard saddlebags.

> > Also, I'm close to ordering the Wolfman Alpha with the duffle,

along with the explorer tank bag.

> > Any advice or comments, please > >

Hard bags can be left on the bike and wont get stolen. soft bags you can take off when you dont want them. Hard bags are more durable. soft bags will "give" if you hit something. on very rare situations, soft bags (starps)can get caught in your chain or rear tire. So can Bungee cords. not all sof bags are water proof. I use X-Large pistol cases for hard bags because they are cheaper ($70 each). Hard bags require a stiffer rack made for them

[Eric Lee Green]

WILLAM GILMORE wrote:

>Another newby question -- what's the biggest downside for soft versus hard saddlebags. > >

Security. Soft bags don't lock, hard bags do. Weather tightness. Hard bags are generally waterproof, few soft bags are. Hard bags also are typically more securely fastened to your motorcycle and easier to remove and put on. My Givis come off with the twist of a key and push of a button, and when they're "locked", are on about as firmly as you'd ever want (i.e., they're never flapping in the wind like soft bags can). And finally, on the KLR, soft bags have a bad habit of pushing the side cover into the exhaust pipe and melting it. Hard bags mount on a rack that holds the bag away from the exhaust pipe. Soft bags do have some advantages, though. They're lighter than hard bags. They're easier to take off and sling over your shoulder. And they're typically easier to pack, because you can stuff them to whatever shape your stuff is, rather than being forced to cram your stuff into whatever shape the hard bag is in.

>Also, I'm close to ordering the Wolfman Alpha with the duffle, along with the explorer tank bag. > >

One thing I noticed about the Alpha is that it appears to keep the weight fairly high compared to the way my Givis are mounted. This is because it doesn't use a rack to keep the bags out of the exhaust pipe/rear wheel. The Explorer is a good tank bag. Make sure you get the KLR harness. The KLR harness works GREAT. I've thought of getting the Wolfman tank paniers, which are enormous, but frankly between my Givi bags and the Explorer tank bag, the Green Mule already has WAY too much storage space for carrying stuff. I mean, c'mon, this setup will already swallow the results of a typical supermarket shopping trip, what more could you want?! -E

[squasher_1]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Eric Lee Green wrote:

> but frankly between my Givi bags and the > Explorer tank bag, the Green Mule already has WAY too much storage

space

> for carrying stuff. > -E

thats almost like saying the KLR has too much fuel.

[squasher_1]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Eric Lee Green wrote:

> but frankly between my Givi bags and the > Explorer tank bag, the Green Mule already has WAY too much storage

space

> for carrying stuff. > -E

thats almost like saying the KLR has too much fuel.

[monahanwb]

Took a great long dual sport ride today, on the KLR, with James on his KLR; we left Santa Rosa about nine, stopped at Glenn's TWT shack for a cuppa, then up and over Hopland Grade where I felt the new Karoos breaking in (they do take some break-in). Then it was through old Upper Lake and up Elk Mountain Road to meet our friend Moose at the Middle Creek Campground, he was camped there with his wife and kids. Moose was there with his friends from church, they all have dirtbikes. Moose has a real nice KLR - I know the guy who used to own it, in Elko. So I recognized the bike when I met Moose a couple of years ago, which really surprised him. The three of us wailed up Elk Mtn Rd (quite a road, for the uninitiated) to the top, where it changes to dirt, then we took M10 down into the upper reaches of the south fk of the Eel. We crossed the river a couple of times, went for a swim, were given cold beers by some deer hunters, then we took off up M3 which goes around the north side of Snow Mtn. We climbed up and over so many ridges with awesome views in every direction. From the top of M3 we could peer down into the Central Valley, we were basically right about halfway between Stonyford and Elk Creek, but up at the top of the mountains. Weather was beautiful as were the wildflowers. Moose began to get all in a hurry to get to covelo and then back to his wife at their campsite, which precluded me from getting down to this little lake (Paskett Lake) which is near the top of the range there, surrounded by gorgeous alpine meadows, wildflowers and birds everywhere. I definitely was irked at not being able to check out this lake, but I can tell it is somewhere I want to camp for a night or two. There are a couple of really beautiful and isolated campgrounds there. It is lovely up there - right in our backyard. For those with maps, this is actually Mendocino Pass Road aka Alder Springs road, aka CA 162, but it is all dirt in the stretch from the outskirts of covelo to where it comes out of the mountains over in Elk Creek, from where it heads to Willows and Thunderhill. Altitude is probably 6500 feet or so at the top. We absolutely flew down the 30 or so miles of dusty dirt road to where you meet the Eel, at the entrance to the Yolla Bolly. Moose turned off there on his way back from Covelo to take the dirt (M1) highway into Pillsbury then south to Middle Creek (just north of Upper Lake) Stopped for Mex food in Willits (Super Taco, it's pretty good, in the Ray's Food Place shopping center on the west side of the road), and then a determined blast home non-stop because my doggie told me if I failed to come home without dog food he would do something not so nice. I remembered the dog food. Altogether we roade about 100 miles of high quality dirt backroads, 100 miles of paved super-twisties, and 100 miles of 101. A good day. Salud, Bill