Metal Mule v StahlKoffer which is best?

[MATKAT]

Verns

Hmm, because the the MM's are twice the price doesn't mean they are any better MM's are completely over priced IMHO and you are paying for a name.

Stahlkoffer are a decent price, offer a few options and are very robust. ARD cases are top notch too and as mentioned, Roger is a top geezer

I could concur re: the Mules..... However, I still reckon Verns are the tops, especially with TT frames and doughnuts..........

 

[MATKAT]

Verns

No question, Verns worldbeaters best I have ever owned, however if you want to take your panniers on and off QD then Stalkoffer, the fitting system is all on the outside, so completly smooth on the inside of the panniers nothing to catch on bags etc, frames are rock solid, completley water proof, they are much better made than the MM and less than half the price, and I dont care what any manufacturer states but NO folded and rivited box will be as strong as a properly made and welded set.
I have verns, my wife Stalkoffer

Verns on TT mounts for the perfect set up

 

[MATKAT]

Metal Mules

I have had 2 sets Mules. probably one of the first to buy them. very good boxes but the locks easily caught on stuff inside the boxes and could rip them, I believe Paul has modified them now.
These boxes also went down the M5 in my one and only attempt at stunt riding. They both came detached from the bike (Airhead 80G/S) and were extremely battered but still intact. Paul did repair them, at a very high price ..... just like his prices anyway
I also had a set on a 1200 but sold them and bought a standard GSA set, these went too..... now I have a set of Verns 'unbeatable' wordlbeaters with TT frames, which works really well as they are easily removable. The capacity of Verns are really good without going to wide. Nothing else will take my Varrie5 tepee, the inner tent and the poles and pegs.
My Verns are 9" wide so not to big, I believe it is the shape that makes them so versatile.
Look no further for me

 

[sycomoto]

ARD

ARD for me, they are built really tough and for a good price. Rodger custom built me a set to my requirements cheaper than MM. Here's a pic

 

[sycomoto]

With the table open.

 

[Flipfly]

With the table open.

But surely the chances of getting a lapdance on the side of the road are fairly slim

 

[Jurassic Mark]

But surely the chances of getting a lapdance on the side of the road are fairly slim

I think certain road side stops, established for the professional trucker may offer this kind of a service......

 

[Blackal]

Verns are shaped in such a way that you will fall off before they touch down. They also mount very securely. Not the quickest to get off, but they do not and will not come adrfit. The frames are stainless and sit tight to the bike when the panniers aren't fitted.
Have a look at the hinges and catches, all stainless chunky monkeys.
Then feel the weight, they are light, but because of the use of the correct thickness of ali, they are amazingly strong.
Then there is the way the lids open, the teathering system for the lids, and of course the choice of lid styles to increase load capacity. The tie down points are a work of art, not just something bolted on.

I've had TT panniers in the past and looked at many others, nothing comes close to the worldbeater pannier by vern imho.

Verns won't hit you in the back of your calf should you have an off.

Verns won't hit you in the back of your calf should you have a dab to keep you upright.

Unlike a lot of other square/rectangular boxes with a nice pointed edge in just the right place to cause you great pain.

Yeah - I'd looked at the design and surmised that the shape may be kinder to your leg if caught under the pannier.

But - until now, no-one had actually elaborated on the design/build. All you ever read was a kind of "Verns - get them bought" response.

Thanks

Al

 

[STUBBS]

Soft luggage on a metal frame ......

It's the future .....

win win for stahlkoffer then

 

[Flipfly]

win win for stahlkoffer then

that made oi larf

 

[Tsiklonaut]

An obvious +1 to Vern WorldBeaters.


It's a superbly though-through system with many years of trial-and-error practice IMHO. He doesn't keep them in one fixed shape like other manufactures - it's a dynamic and highly customisable setup. My bike's less than a meter wide while the boxes fit over 45 liters each. Sitting low and front. Simply indestructable frame designed by Vern.

Mine have endured well over 100 000 miles of third world roads and crashed a lot. Their only downside for some people might be they are not quick-mount panniers, takes some 10-15 minutes to take them off. But through my own personal practice I wouldn't ever want a quick mount setup since they saved mine and wife's legs too many times w/o coming off on higher speed crashes like quick mount panniers mostly do. I just use different inner bags - much better and less weight to carry in a tent or a hotel than a complete dirty pannier, IMHO at least.

When you crash on the side they slide nicely w/o doing any further damage on "sticking" with corners. All other travellers I've seen using simple cornered "boxes" have them boxes bent into number "8" since the sharp 90-degree corner falconpoints the ground and twisting the whole pannier badly. Your leg get can get stuck under this corner as well. With Verns it just slides on the cut-out corner nicely leaving little damage other than skidmarks.

For the lardy version of Vern boxes I have (I have probably the biggest he makes) the aerodynamics is impressive as well since cutout corners are on all sides vastly reducing the turbulences. You can laugh, but in practice this can save your arse even on a semi-decent 80mph+ highway speeds. I had a lot of 100mph range speeds following the Dakar race in Argentina and it wasn't a problem with Verns - the bike's very stable even with the massive Patagonian sidewinds while I know guys with Touratech Zegas almost killed themselves when there was even a small sidewind. I've heard the same on German autobahns that recangular boxes can create a "death-trap" wobble over 80mph with just little sidewinds. So if you do higher speeds you ough to consider those things. I.e. the lardy and excessevly (well over 1 meter) wide Givi boxes are not recommended over 80mph at all by the manufacturer.

Thus overall considering how much good service they have provided to me I can highly recommend them.

Yeah - I'd looked at the design and surmised that the shape may be kinder to your leg if caught under the pannier.

But - until now, no-one had actually elaborated on the design/build. All you ever read was a kind of "Verns - get them bought" response.

You can get some reviews on those pages.

Cheers,
Margus

 

[Steptoe]

Yeah - I'd looked at the design and surmised that the shape may be kinder to your leg if caught under the pannier.

But - until now, no-one had actually elaborated on the design/build. All you ever read was a kind of "Verns - get them bought" response.

Thanks

Al

I've tested them in a slide with my leg under the pannier on a greasy french roundabout at 6.30am.

Plenty of witnesses as it was on the 2009 morrocan dash.

 

[Flipfly]

I've tested them in a slide with my leg under the pannier on a greasy french roundabout at 6.30am.

Plenty of witnesses as it was on the 2009 morrocan dash.

Dedication to testing the steptoe headguards? And those fools thought you fell off by accident

 

[Welshman]

I've tested them in a slide with my leg under the pannier on a greasy french roundabout at 6.30am.

Plenty of witnesses as it was on the 2009 morrocan dash.

When Tsiklonaut visited this parish a year or so ago on their round the world and plus some, his "Verns" had seen some "excursions" but were still well usable, the best advert

 

[thegasman]

Just a quick note to praise the MM service.

I bought a second hand pair of panniers plus frames off a tosser of this parish, unfortunately many bits of the fitting kit were missing. This lead to some confusion as I tried (unsuccesfully) to work out how to get them on to my bike in a rainy car park far from home having ridden up to get them. Great help from Paul at MM who fielded my phone call and e-mailed parts lists and fitting instructions plus pictures so I could see exactly how things weren't going to work

Paul subsequently arranged for the missing bits of kit to be sent out so I can get things fixed up proper-like

Clearly they weren't going to make a lot of money out of me as I had already bought the stuff second-hand, but I have had significantly worse service from people who have taken far more of my money. I am very likely to go back to them in future as a result.

 

[cug]

Does Vern have a set for the new watercooled GS? Don't know when his website saw the last update and so far I figured he provides great service as long as you are local (and maybe in the same timezone for easy phone communication).

 

[BAKERMAN]

TouraTec ZEGA

are my choice, used for 12 years.


now use soft luggage as I just want to be like James, different.

 

[Ribcracker]

I've used Stahlkoffer panniers for the last 3 years no problems good value for money.