My 60th birthday present

[Bob Kelly III]

Indeed very good looking bike Bob....
and I've never seen that shop so clean ! HAHAHAHHAHA
.....
I had a top box on my 1100 Honda shadow for years ... made the brackets and bolted it on with 2" fender washers !
that lasted about 4 years going in and out 2 miles of dirt road before the plastic in the box started cracking.....
I replaced the washers with steel strap 1.5" wide spanning the length between the bolts..... no problem at all after that !
..... and yah the road was very rough !

Happy Veterans day guys and thank you for your service !
Later all !
Bob.....

 

[MaxPete]

Indeed Bob.

In Canada we call November 11 Remembrance Day - but the message identical: thank you veterans for all you did and thank you Armed Forces members for all you do.

 

[Mailman]

Indeed very good looking bike Bob....
and I've never seen that shop so clean ! HAHAHAHHAHA
.....
I had a top box on my 1100 Honda shadow for years ... made the brackets and bolted it on with 2" fender washers !
that lasted about 4 years going in and out 2 miles of dirt road before the plastic in the box started cracking.....
I replaced the washers with steel strap 1.5" wide spanning the length between the bolts..... no problem at all after that !
..... and yah the road was very rough !

Happy Veterans day guys and thank you for your service !
Later all !
Bob.....

Thanks Bob! Good to hear from you again!

 

[member28833]

Hey Mailman, the rear rack "top case" looks just about right for an excuse to a November Arizona day ride to
"Gotta go get the turkey honey"
That case is very BMW F650 like and you will find it so useful ! Looks great -R

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

I installed a lot of trunk boxes back when, but never liked how high they set. Wondered if any low mounts were made...

 

[Meddy]

I had one of these on my Vstrom, still got it in the shed somewhere, the case, not the bike, pity.
Amazing how much stuff you can pack into it.
I will have to find something to go on the back of my bike now, but will probably go with a seat bag.

 

[Bob Kelly III]

I've had soft cases and hard cases, some I could take off real fast , others darn near impossible to remove from the bike...LOL
but by far the best saddle bags and top box were hard cases that had quick release locks... though the top box never did have the quick release the saddle bags did... and in times when you arrive at home in a downpour those quick release bags are supper nice to get you inside the house with them fast !...un pack inside where it's dry and warm !
to me Having seen the difference between soft and hard cases I'ed go with hard cases every time now.... their worth the extra cost !
I had lights on mine with simple quick disconnects on the wiring and at night the bike was allot more visible from behind !
I learned to always carry my wet weather gear with me all the time..... at 70mph when your soaking wet you are also chilled to the bone
i don't care if its 80 degrees or not ! HAHAHAHAHA!
later all !
Bob.......

 

[GLJ]

On both my BMers I've had the factory bags. I like them a lot. Decent size, pretty water tight and on or off in seconds. You may notice the bungee cords and ask why. I rode it to California 86. Was having it serviced in San Diego. Was talking to another rider there and I noticed he had bungee cord on his bags. Asked him about that. I've never forgot his reply. " You have obviously never chased your underwear down a freeway." About 4 months later I new exactly what he meant. In 79 they had different type latches that were prone to releasing at speed after they got old. These bags have a different type latch. I just kept using them as insurance. As far as a sissy bar or trunk I would never have one on a bike. Maybe it's a hold over from riding off road but if I want off the of the back of the bike I want nothing back there. I know on a street bike the odds of exiting the rear are minimal. Just a me thing.

 

[gggGary]

It's never simple getting "my stuff" space on a naked bike. It starts out so innocent; If I had a little cargo space I could use it for errands, one stone, two birds.
But before you know it.

Prefer saddle bags in ascending sizes, then tank bag...

 

[Bob Kelly III]

I too definitely secure the lids with bungee cords ! .... been there done that... but it weren't underwear running down a freeway ,it was my rain coat on a twisty road....but I found it about 5 miles back !!!!!.... odd too because I checked the bags about 2 miles back and they were closed and looking good... then I saw a movement in the mirror.... and the bag was empty... I guess the wind closed the lid for me at times !
from then on I had a bungee cord over the lids ! "don't trust those latches !"
.....
Bob.......

 

[Bob Kelly III]

gggGary ! ...So true ! if ya keep piling on the accessories you loose the bike under'em !
HAHAHHA
Bob...

 

[Bob Kelly III]

I've been in 3 motorcycle accidents at speed.... there is no getting off after 45-50mph ! nore would you want to !
stay on top of it ( not under it) and ride it to a stop... your better off than getting off the thing ! yah I know it'a a bad habbit to
get rid of... on a Dirt bike you just want to get away from it, but a 800lb hunk of metal between you and that flesh grinding pavement
is much better than the alternative !
Roll bars and Full dress is nice BUT they have a tendency to collapse and trap you ! I went down hard on my left side once on the 1100 Shadow
and that nice big roll bar folded up like a pretzel ...luckily I exited before it caught my foot ! and followed along side the bike
being eaten by the pavement.... it happened to fast to react or I would have climbed on to the right side of the bike dispite the hot exhaust pipes...... as it was I wound up in the ditch and the bike about 50 ft away next to a big pine tree....
I rode it home and was sore for 2 weeks !
I know this...if my foot would have been trapped on the bike I would have had a broken leg.... it flipped 2 times !
if you have a roll bar or crash bars in the front... think about adding support from the frame to the bottom of the first bend...
I wanted to do that after that but never did ....
....you Don't think about how you'll react of the bike looses control too much.... but it's a darn good idea to !
the problem is it happens so darn fast ! you don't have time to react !
.....
Bob......

 

[Mailman]

When I was working , I was commuting after dark in dense city traffic. This was the box I was running on my Suzuki.
I could fit my all stuff plus pick up dinner for two on the way home. Heck I could fit a pizza box in the back and did so many times! The band of lights around the center was a double row led. Full time running lights plus brake lights, the lights on top were just brake lights, then you had my bikes tail lights, then lastly, just above the license plate were two very bright LED pods ( Hyperlights ). Flashing brake lights. I also ran white LED pods on the front for added visibility. Plus I had a horn that could wake the dead!

 

[Paul Sutton]

Nice, I like it! Nothing better than a handy space to pack emergency tools, clothing, a few sandwiches and a hot drink.

 

[Bob Kelly III]

Well Heck ! if you can fit a large pizza in there you can hold the beer on your lap !..... what more does a guy need ???? LOL
Bob.......

 

[geedubya]

On both my BMers I've had the factory bags. I like them a lot. Decent size, pretty water tight and on or off in seconds. You may notice the bungee cords and ask why. I rode it to California 86. Was having it serviced in San Diego. Was talking to another rider there and I noticed he had bungee cord on his bags. Asked him about that. I've never forgot his reply. " You have obviously never chased your underwear down a freeway." About 4 months later I new exactly what he meant. In 79 they had different type latches that were prone to releasing at speed after they got old. These bags have a different type latch. I just kept using them as insurance. As far as a sissy bar or trunk I would never have one on a bike. Maybe it's a hold over from riding off road but if I want off the of the back of the bike I want nothing back there. I know on a street bike the odds of exiting the rear are minimal. Just a me thing.
View attachment 129476

G'day,

My experience of these panniers was somewhat different.

My hinge points separated and yes, all of my underwear ended up on the road unbeknown to me until the end of my journey.

The bungees or a sturdy leather strap were the order of the day.

I currently have a R1100RS 1994 and these panniers do not require the "Safety Belt"

GW
.

 

[gggGary]

The Kowie Koncours 14s were notorious for shedding a pannier. There's video of a rider crashing after a saddlebag ejection at speed. Goes to an old aviation mantra. No matter how big the problem, your #1 job is to FLY THE AIRPLANE! Wish some drivers would embrace that.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Have you seen the new SportGlide saddlebags?
They open vertically.
You have to open them to get to the release mechanism.



Good luck if you're carrying a bunch of loose golf balls...

 

[gggGary]

I have a STRONG preference for top open.

 

[Jim]

Goes to an old aviation mantra. No matter how big the problem, your #1 job is to FLY THE AIRPLANE!

Or as Bob Hoover said.... "fly the airplane as far into the crash as you can."