Hepco Becker luggage - just got it and...

[colesyboy]

The weight "restriction message" on it says "dont put more than 10kg in it" - so thats 40 litres of space full up with socks and pants is it?

Little bit dismayed at that - as I am intending on stuffing all kinds of my life into it, anyone had experience with these (posh but flimsly feeling exclusiv panniers) and loading them up?

I've yet to buy the frame for it, so might flight them on if they are really crap.

Cheers all,

Brian

 

[Tsiklonaut]

Brian,

usually you can go more than they allow to put in it. I think to load 15kg isn't any issue if you don't do hundreds of kilometres of potholes per day anyway.

Have you compared the H&B price with Vern's or Caja Sahel panniers for example? They give strong frame with the panniers and i'm sure you can load more weight into them. But if you load excessive amounts of stuff then you go over maximum allowed gross-weight especially doing two up riding - meaning you'll kill rear shock relatively quickly coz it's bouncing to maximum going through potholes or more complicated terrain. Then idea is to get Öhlins rear shock with stiffer spring (they got 3 versions of springs - stock, stiffer and very stiff) last ones allowing to go over allowed GW a bit.

But don't you dare use the topbox!!! - it'll crack the rear frame on vibrations, load etc, in quite short term of travelling in third world. Use waterproof luggage roll! I've got some experiences with it now and highly recommend one. Topbox is only good doing tarmac and everyday communiting in city in need to secure it, but on travelling you have takbags and stuff free anyway and you don't let the bike out of sight with all that stuff on it in Nigeria for example, do you?

Good luck, Margus

The weight "restriction message" on it says "dont put more than 10kg in it" - so thats 40 litres of space full up with socks and pants is it?

Little bit dismayed at that - as I am intending on stuffing all kinds of my life into it, anyone had experience with these (posh but flimsly feeling exclusiv panniers) and loading them up?

I've yet to buy the frame for it, so might flight them on if they are really crap.

Cheers all,

Brian

 

[colesyboy]

Cheers Margus,

I used the touratech ones on my africa twin and they lasted a year of hammering around the americas.

I bought these because they were VERY cheap from ebay. Like WELL under half price!

The reason why I need to use my GIVI topbox on the back and not my waterproof bag is that my girlfriend will be on the back - so would like back support via the backrest.

Cheers,

Brian

 

[Dick Dastardly]

The weight "restriction message" on it says "dont put more than 10kg in it" - so thats 40 litres of space full up with socks and pants is it?

Little bit dismayed at that - as I am intending on stuffing all kinds of my life into it, anyone had experience with these (posh but flimsly feeling exclusiv panniers) and loading them up?

I've yet to buy the frame for it, so might flight them on if they are really crap.

Cheers all,

Brian

I've got the journey H&B panniers and topbox. I too was surprised with the weight limit. To get round this problem, i just ignored it.

In the 2 years of use, i've toured europe aswell as weekly trips to a green grocers to load up with veg for 4.....no bother at all. Not even with those big cauli's at this time of year....

 

[Micky]

The weight "restriction message" on it says "dont put more than 10kg in it" - so thats 40 litres of space full up with socks and pants is it?

Don't worry... just done a five month trip with the Hepco Becker 'Gobi' panniers... carried everything but the kitchen sink. Could hardly pick the panniers up, bike just wanted to wheely everywhere until we got used to them! Sue had several SST's (soft sand tumbles) in the Gobi, and we even stood her bike on one of the panniers to get it up onto the top of a lorry!

Great kit...

 

[colesyboy]

cool

Thanks all for the v handy responses, I shall test them out this weekend. Its going to be an interesting trip - a rethink needed on the shock absorbers methinks.