Yet more pannier questions.

[walrus]

I know - google is my friend. And I have searched so:

1200GS - off to Morocco for the first time in September. Currently using varios and they're fine but I have only used them on tarmac. I'm worried about whether they are tough enough for the more arduous conditions in Morocco. Do I need to boost my rufty tufty image with a set of ali boxes?

If so, any reason to choose between ardcases and worldbeaters. I am inclined to ardcases because they are easier to remove when not needed but I am impressed by the alleged toughness of the worldbeaters. I need the wisdom of crowds to guide me. But I don't want to spend the money needlessly 'cos I'm tight.

Thanks in advance

 

[walrus]

Weekend bump - help please. Nearly 100 views and no opinions?

I need to know: will the Varios stand up to a month in morocco?

If not Ardcases or Worldbeaters?

Thanks

 

[stolzy]

Depends a bit on how often you're planning to fall off
If you don't, then any old pannier will do. If you do plan to get it lrubber side up then Vern's pannier/crash bars will be money well spent.

I once valued the idea of removable panniers, but went off the idea the first time one fell off. Vern's are quasi-removable, at a pinch, but they defiantly won't fall off.

 

[E. Buygum]

Just a personal opinion but I was disappointed with my Varios from day 1. There's so little useable room in them, especially if you use inner bags to stop everything falling out when opened. The exhaust side pannier is useless unless expanded and first knock it got, it was game over (someone reversed into it when parked on a ferry).

I changed to the BMW Ali boxes (i.e. from GSA) and found them much, much better, On my latest trip I was, unfortunately, hit by a van (side-side collision) but the front crash bars and panniers formed a sort of crash cage, meaning I didn't get a scratch or a bruise. The pannier was badly dented but still intact. I'm sure the Vario would have been in bits. I like the BMW Ali boxes because you can use your ignition key on them, although the fact that thy are not anodised isn't great. However, my main motivation for going for the BMW GSA boxes was that I managed to buy the set up second hand at little more than half new price.

Ignoring cost, I would go for Worldbeaters (I have seen them and they are excellent) with a width slightly less than the BMW Ali ones. I would have no interest in fast removal...who needs faster than a spanner? I'd use some sort of inner bag (Tesco bag for life even) and wouldn't take the cases to my hotel room at night....

 

[pfarrell]

weight????

anyone know what a verns setup weighs? racks and cases? peeps don't seem to really care that much about weight. to me they look HEAVY...but i don't know. i really care about weight and have weighed everything that came off and what i put back on my bike...most vendors are publishing weights of pannier setups...i don't really get why...

i take mine on and off ALL the time. went with metal mule's balanced system with exhaust. great system, easy off and on, great trade off for weight to toughness (thicker aluminum than zegas). 32.4 lbs including their exhaust, frames, 2-38L cases—if you do the math they really aren't more expensive than a zega setup. if you get the MM racks you could also mount up the new kriega overland 60 softbag setup (11.7 lbs for 60 L)...which is really amazing and probably the lightest toughest option, rotopax smacks right on there too. MM being the toughest lightest aluminum setup...based on what i've been able to gather here and there...

how you like that? droppin 2 UK vendors? you guys make some great shite.

 

[Wapping]

Ting Tong of this parish made it to Morocco and back with Vario panniers. If he can do it, anyone can.

OK, one got a bit bashed up when he (successfully) avoided a too close inspection of a lorry, but we held it on with a couple of straps.

The bigger question is: Shoukd you take them off at night?

 

[BeamishTripleBlack]

If you intend to use them fully extended for the duration and remove them at night I cant really see any problem with them, if not, be prepared for them to get jammed in the expanded mode at some point. With the side panniers opening outwards they are not as easy to open if crammed into a ferry etc....
Enjoy your trip whatever the decision.

 

[MikeP]

I would have no interest in fast removal...who needs faster than a spanner? I'd use some sort of inner bag (Tesco bag for life even) and wouldn't take the cases to my hotel room at night....

Part of the reason for "fast" removal, or to be more accurate, a shear point, is that having the weight of the bike or the energy of a fall/impact transferred to the rear sub-frame is potentially much worse than having broken pannier mountings or a destroyed pannier.

I always thought of panniers as a crumple-zone. Replacing a bent pannier or the mounting pucks was always less problematic than replacing a cracked and bent sub-frame or having a rear shock fail because of unseen damage to the rear frame.

 

[ihandyman247]

My advice is to go ahead with what you have , don't spend money unnecessarily !
The Moroccan roads are not that bad , just take things easy and concentrate where you are going . I will what've bought one large roller bag , waterproof and putt all my valuables in there and top box and the rest of the soft staff on the side panniers . Take the money for the pannier's with you and have a great time , learn from mistakes
Have a great trip

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I know - google is my friend. And I have searched so:

1200GS - off to Morocco for the first time in September. Currently using varios and they're fine but I have only used them on tarmac. I'm worried about whether they are tough enough for the more arduous conditions in Morocco. Do I need to boost my rufty tufty image with a set of ali boxes?

If so, any reason to choose between ardcases and worldbeaters. I am inclined to ardcases because they are easier to remove when not needed but I am impressed by the alleged toughness of the worldbeaters. I need the wisdom of crowds to guide me. But I don't want to spend the money needlessly 'cos I'm tight.

Thanks in advance

I don't think the owner of this bike, is too bothered - they've had more Adventure in their life than you've had hot dinners

20 year BMW plastic panniers

Tesco 'bag for life' and £3 cargo net

30+ year old Lintek or Centurion topbox

covering maybe 100,000 miles on every continent of the the globe


You don't need alloy panniers for adventure

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

I've had my Varios from new with the bike (7 years now). They have been as far east as Istanbul, as far south as the Western Sahara (a number of times), all over Europe and to Tesco.

The bike has been dropped plenty of times, on road and off.

The Varios are scuffed and dented, the expanding mech. has never let me down and they are still 100% water proof - I think they are the dogs danglies.

Oh, and I had them in my old 650 many moons ago. I threw that down the road at 70 plus. They saved the bike from serious damage big time and after fitting a new metal skin to the r/h pannier the only give away was the bottom corner of the pannier having 5mm or so ground away!

Save your money, the cost of some metal panniers and frames gets you a lot of petrol!

Andres

 

[walrus]

Thanks for all the help. Looks like I will opt for more beer money and keep the varios. Bit disappointed that nobody gave me enough reason to justify the added bling but enough of a yorkshireman (albeit on missionary work in Dorset) to hang on to me brass.

 

[ihandyman247]

By any means you can go and spend around £2000 in new panniers and top box but that it will have been more expensive then your Maroccan trip
Most off us have the metal panniers becouse they come as a part off the package when we bought the bike from new

 

[Sgt Bilco]

anyone know what a verns setup weighs? racks and cases? peeps don't seem to really care that much about weight. to me they look HEAVY...but i don't know. i really care about weight and have weighed everything that came off and what i put back on my bike...most vendors are publishing weights of pannier setups...i don't really get why...

I don't know the actual weight of the set up but The Worldbeaters are very light and much lighter than anything else out there. They pannier boxes are very, very tough though because of their construction. The frames are stainless and again, very strong. I had them on my 1100 which went down the road at 40 mph with only some scratching to the panniers I now have them some 9" on my 1200 and i wouldn't look at anything else.

One or two people will say they are a little awkward because they don't easily detach but it only takes 4 bolts and a couple of minutes and they are off

 

[Oz1200]

I was going to jump into this thread to say how I've used my vario panniers for many off-road trips since 2005 and how everything was fine, but...

Today I was washing the panniers, and noticed that the rear 'hook' (that locates into the silver bodywork) on the right hand side pannier has snapped off. My last trip was over some pretty rugged roads with lots of rocks and ruts, and I assume the damage was done then - I didn't come off at all so it is not accident damage. I didn't notice at the time so I guess the other mounts were sufficent to keep the pannier in place.

I've asked my 83 year old craftsman Dad to come up with a solution - we're thinking of bolting on a piece of steel to replace the plastic hook.

I'm still happy with the panniers, they've had a hard life, including a 16 500 km trip around Australia. A bolted on fix will just add to the bike's character.