Luggage question

[Dr Jekyll]

I used to do weekend trips, one or two nights away putting everything in a 35 litre tank bag and as I recall there was room to spare. Now planning some more trips and some new luggage.


How big a tank bag or roll bag do most find necessary for say 4 nights away? Travelling solo, certainly not camping. So changes of clothing, at least one pair of shoes, and would be nice to have room for a small laptop.

Obviously it's tempting to get some proper panniers for the GS, but that's expensive.

[Jazoli]

Surely its an easy question for to answer yourself, put all the stuff you would need for 4 days out on the bed or something, then buy a bag big enough to fit it all in.

[TT1138]

I’ve had hard luggage, both the metal panniers and the plastic ones. Convinced that most of the time hard luggage is a complete waste of time and money.

Best setup I’ve found is the Lomo 20l roll bag with Rok straps. £40. Second best is the Kriega US30 for about £130. Both options easily capable of swallowing enough clothes for 4 days, a coat, shoes and laptop and completely waterproof.

[leighz]

also a big fan of Lomo gear

I have the 30l dry bag rucksack which is enough for me for a few days pootling about (no camping) but got bored of trying to contain the straps and buckles so pushed the boat out for the 40l dry bag which is simpler and all I need

http://lomo.co.uk/acatalog/Motorcycle-Dry-Bags.htm...

[Iminquarantine]

Having a GS, thinking about multi day trips and not having panniers and a top box sounds ridiculous. One of the many reasons not having hard luggage when touring is completely ridiculous, it that without it, anybody can steal your tankbag/roll bag/Hello Kitty bag when your bike is parked. Buy hard luggage.

If you can't afford new ones, buy used ones. There is a set of BMW panniers and top box on eBay now for £500.

[slalom3]

It's amazing how little you actually need when you think it all through. Flip flops in the evenings instead of shoes. I like the Kriega bags.

[Bob_Defly]

I also love Kreiga stuff, it has never let me down in the rain.

[Dr Jekyll]

Iminquarantine said:

Having a GS, thinking about multi day trips and not having panniers and a top box sounds ridiculous. One of the many reasons not having hard luggage when touring is completely ridiculous, it that without it, anybody can steal your tankbag/roll bag/Hello Kitty bag when your bike is parked. Buy hard luggage.

If you can't afford new ones, buy used ones. There is a set of BMW panniers and top box on eBay now for £500.

This is a valid point, and I do have a topbox. The trouble is that when planning a trip and realising 'oh bugger I need to buy some more luggage first'. £50 for a rollbag seems more attractive than hundreds for hard luggage I might only use a few times a year. After all, if I don't put anything too valuable in the tankbag it's actually cheaper to replace it and the contents a few times.

If I was planning a muti stop tour stopping at places of interest with luggage aboard then hard cases would be the way to go. But if I'm planning a day or two to get somewhere to use as a base, then staying there a few nights leaving the luggage back in the hotel for day trips, I'm not going to be leaving luggage on an unattended bike for very long.

[ThreadKiller]

I had hard luggage on my 800gs... from my experience.... I would buy soft luggage next time if going off road.

[GriffoDP]

I keep umming and arring about this at the moment. Having a GS. I went for the metal top box early on so I had somewhere to put my lid when out and about.

Now a year later I'm struggling to justify the corresponding panniers. The Lomo approach above is, as you say, attractive for the price. I'm thinking of a sufficiently small one I can carry if leaving the bike for longer, plus lockable steelcore or similar straps to prevent opportunistic stuff when leaving for small time periods.

[zzrman]

I´ve twice done week long European tours on my HP2 Sport - which can´t carry a tail back - with a 35 litre Kriega rucksack carrying all the gear I needed.

We had this approack to luggage.

1. Put everything you want to take on the bed.

2. Remove half of ir.

3. Now think what do I really need.

That will get you to within a 35 litre pacl.

50 litres will be more than enough. BMW sell a really good 50 litre Soft Bag which is pretty waterproof for all but a deluge of biblical proportions.

[StreetDragster]

If you do go down the hard case route, consider none oem boxes.
My last triumph came with oem boxes, which are triumph branded givi trekker boxes, but they have altered them slightly so the fittings are different.
As such, i can only use the boxes on one bike.

When i upgraded to a tiger 900, i binned the oem boxes, and went for givi branded givi trekker boxes and matching rack.
Now i can use the same boxes on any bike with givi racks, and when i sell the bike, i can retain the boxes for the next bike whatever brand that may be.

Thanks

[archie456]

I've got an aluminium top-box on my KTM SMT.

I've been on 2 week holidays with everything including shoes and a laptop in the topbox. A small waterproof roll bag provides some additional luggage space in case I buy anything. I take minimal spare clothes and wash socks etc in the sink and dry overnight.

For me a bike holiday is about riding the bike more than getting dressed up for dinner in the evening.

Hard panniers just mess up your ability to get through gaps in towns/traffic, and soft luggage is just asking to get stolen.

[bsidethecside]

I have a 30 litre top box that does weekends fine. Doesn’t get in the way and is secure. Last 4night trip I added my 20 litre Kriega on the seat and had more than enough - I overpacked TBH. The volume needs don’t go up linearly, there’s a certain amount of base stuff you need and then the daily extra’s small increments. By the end of a trip, if my Kriega got nicked I’d be annoyed, but the thief would also be disappointed by a load of used skiddies. Pack the valuables in the top box, or take the bag with you as suits.

Basics - tyre repair, shoes, wash stuff, jeans, daily clothes changes (stuff socks in shoes). Optional extras are jersey/fleece, casual coats, but your bike stuff can suffice, if a bit bulky.

Depends on how light you want to go...

[stang65]

I've got a 36litre top box, and do a weekend away with it half full. Get travel toiletries to reduce size, a pair of Converse trainers takes up about the same room as flip flops, one pair of jeans will do 4 evenings, then it's underwear and clean t-shirt for each day. Maybe a zip up fleece (use as a jacket in the evening if it's a warm-ish trip but an extra layer if it cools down). A phone charger if you're not charging it on your bike every day. After that I'm struggling to think what's needed? I usually take a camera but take a compact in my jacket pocket, and if I'm touring a go-pro mounted on the bars so I don't have to stop to take photos of scenery.

[Mr_Tickle]

30L is more than enough for a week away on the bike in my experience. The difference between a weekend and a week away is just a few pairs of pants and t-shirts (if you change your pants daily - I do coz I'm a ponce).

[CallorFold]

Can't comment on how good it is just yet, but I've just grabbed an Oxford Aqua Rollbag to take camping gear in. They seem to do a 30L, 50L and 70L in their range -

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...

Seem well priced (especially discounted - though shop around, maybe cheaper eBay options etc.)
Supposedly waterproof
Grab handles/Shoulder strap for carrying
Some easy mounting options with straps/bungee's