GS Luggage

[PC1]

Hi,

Planning a couple of weekends away but can't afford/justify buying BMW panniers. Has anybody tried Oxford X60 soft panniers on a GS.

http://www.oxford-shop.co.uk/item3306.htm

Any comments about suitability will be appreciated.

 

[ianran]

Ive used soft luggage on a Triumph Sprint before but not a BMW however my findings were;

1) Make sure you fit them securely, ideally fit, do a brief ride then check again. They are more prone to moving in the wind.
2) They are not overly waterproof so pack everything in carrier bags!
3) They will take a surprising amount of luggage!
4) If they rest on / v near the exhaust they will burn!
5) If you stop for camping breaks you can never pack them as tidy and as well as you did before you left! (DOnt be tempted to leave them on the bike and try and pack them!!)
6) It is pug easy to steal bits from them, not the best place for an iphone!!

They do what they say on the tin, Oxford do a cheaper range, did LE Mans with them camping absolutely no problems. SOld them to a mate and he still uses them six years later!

 

[C-J]

I havent got any proper butty boxes... Just a top box... Here's mine with soft panniers, top box and an Ortlieb waterproof bag...

Downsides... Rigging everything up each day. Have to keep everything in bin liners in the soft panniers as they aren't waterproof.

Plus side... Cheap as chips, and as i only use them a couple times a year its good value.

 

[Poley]

Everything Ian said. Also, if you end up doing more than a couple of weekends away, you will almost certainly find that the niggles with soft luggage will make the extra investment in hard luggage seem worthwhile, and you'll end up selling your soft luggage. I'd recommend going for the cheapest possible, trying it out, then making a decision on whether you want to spend money on better soft luggage or save up for hard luggage.

Also, take a few extra bungees and some Gaffer tape in case anything goes wrong. On one trip, a mate's bags got a singeing from his Ducati's exhaust. We stopped at a tea shop, scrounged some tin foil, and wrapped it round the exhaust - worked fine for the next 10 days!

Brief rant about Oxford - don't be fooled into thinking that the Lifetime range means a lifetime guarantee. When the zip came unstitched on my Lifetime tank bag after 5 years or so, they refused to honour the 'guarantee' because I didn't have the receipt. I tried to point out that 'Oxford Lifetime' was embroidered into the product, so a receipt should hardly matter, but it fell on deaf ears. Lesson learned, Oxford boycotted.