Worldbeater panniers.Pre-production clearout

I have made 25 sets of panniers for the 1100/1150.These are from a pre production run,just to see if everything worked like it should do.

I'm selling these sets off for £525 all in,because there are a few marks on some of them,but most are good.The marks are only cosmetic,and not serious at all.The real price for these will be in the region of £625+

Some sets have gone to their new homes already,and I don't expect these to hang around to long either now,as I have sent sets to Belgium,Italy,France,Estonia and Norway and I haven't advertised them at all yet,so you can have the first pickings at them.

They are all anodised in the most popular colours,and they are in the popular sizes as well,so there should be something in the pile to suit everyone.The pannier bodies are 9,10,11 and 12 inches wide,and the lids are from 40mm high to 125mm high with about five sizes inbetween.

My new workshop is just outside Chester,and I'm open on Saturdays if you fancy coming along for a look at them,and make your own mind up.

Any questions,you can e-mail me on [email protected] call me at the workshop 01829 771040 or my mobile 07905 802663.

My web site is www.projectvnd.com for those of you that don't know me,and want to have a look at what I do.The web site also has my opening times,but always telephone before you call in,as working on my own I have to do all the running around as well as everything else.

Cheers all

I got a set of Vern's boxes four years ago, second-hand from Andy in Aberystwyth. Foolishly, when I flogged my 1150, I'd already promised them to Steptoe. They've seen a few miles on his bike - Morocco and back at least twice - but the bugger still wouldn't sell 'em back to me no matter how often I asked.

So when I heard a rumour that Vern was in production again, I asked him to put a set of the pre-production numbers aside for my new-to-me 1100. Rode up to Chester to get 'em fitted in pissing rain like I've never seen and didn't stop shivering until the fourth heavily-sugared cuppa.

Here's the result:



And another shot of the Panzer and boxes:



Those were taken the following Saturday. Didn't exactly pick the best day to ride to Chester, did I?

They were a bit of a mare to fit, but Vern drilled out a couple of brackets, made a couple of others too, tweaked the indicators and got them to fit like a glove despite the somewhat non-standard set up at the back of my 1100. With my advanced mechanical, engineering and technical skills I played my part too. I made the tea.

I don't use the car much, so the bike does duty for client meetings, shopping, seeing mates, getting stuff to printers and all sorts. So a decent set of b-i-g panniers comes in handy.

I ride up to London a lot and they don't seem to get in the way too much (although I really must polish the red paint out from the Astra that tried to sqeeze me last week ) - if the bars'll go through, the boxes'll follow. I can carry the crap I lug around without any bother.

I think I must have had them all - system, Jesse's, Civil's, Touratech, Givi top boxes (although not Metal Mules). Excellent as the others have all been, these are - in my view anyway - better.

When I had mine fitted, Vern hadn't got the turned ally bobbins that fix the boxes to the frame (supplier screw-up apparently). So he made up some to tide me over and, in the post last week, arrived a set of new, proper ones. Cheers Vern.

I reckon they're cracking-good boxes

P.S. Looks like you've tidied up a bit since I was over

Got myself a set of Worldbeaters for my 1100. The bike is being prepped for a East West Trans America Trip this year then a North South Pan American Trip in 2009. I looked at all the usual suspects and the Worldbeaters came closest to the spec I wanted. i.e big and strong with a plus of they look pretty darned good as well. They are a good shape for storage and I can get all my camping gear into one of them!

The panniers themselves are beautifully made and don`t feel like big biscuit tins unlike others I`ve checked out. Hinges and catches are very strong and the seal is excellent. The lids remove easily if you need them to. Nice little bobbins are fitted on the outside to strap all the goodies the panniers can`t swallow. The frames are a heavy guage stainless and look indistructible. I have no doubt these panniers will survive almost anything. They are wide but no wider than anything else and I`ve had no problem filtering. If you are unlucky enough to have a bike/car interface with these babies, the bike will win

They take no more than 10 minutes to remove from the bike if you need to. I see no reason why they should be removed in any case.

Fitting the rails is dead easy for a standard bike but it`s well worth the run to Vern`s workshop for a "personal" fitting. The kettle`s in the back of the workshop and is always on the boil.....!!

Those shelves look well made

verns`s panniers

i used verns demo panniers(the old ones in the middle of the pannier rack) for a recent trip around europe i was carrying my mates luggage as well as mine and had a job to fill them up,they are well made strong and water tight and at this price a steal

now that i am keeping the 1150 gsa i will have to go up and get a set

Verns Panniers

I recently got a set of Verns Panniers for my trip to Spain. I drove up as it was still a bit nippy at the time I took them home and fitted them the next day. They went straight on with no problems at all. I opted for the 9inch version which when fitted are slightly narrower than the bars, so no problems forgetting they are there and no need to ever take them off (which is very easy anyway). The build quality and strength looks first rate and after a week in Spain in the rain they have proven to be totally waterproof.
The insides are also anodised so no black dust marks on whatever goes in them.

One very satisfied customer

Good tea and chat also supplied FOC

Piggers

TUNED IN said:

Those shelves look well made

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Only joking Vern that looks so impressive all those panniers racked up

TUNED IN said:

Those shelves look well made

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Those shelves,I'll have you know,contain half of a decent forest and a mountain of nails from a wicked,evil nail gun(and I never nailed myself to anything at all,came close a couple of times mind)

Back on the pannier side of things,the 9 inch wide panniers have now all been sold,and there is only one set of 10 inch wide ones left that are ready to go.

Thankyou for the e-mails and PMs everyone

I'm on my second set of Vern's Worldbeaters, sold the first set to MMC as he said. Got to agree with everyone else they are possibly the best paniers you can buy, best quality, strength & looks and of course the service you get is superb.

Another one

andy leett said:

Another one

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I recognise that view!

It was a bloody long drive from Oxford to your place - but the roads!! Cor!

Panniers


I also recently got a set of Verns 9 inch panniers but with the slightly deeper lids. They are an extremely well manufactured pair of panniers and Vern fitted them whilst i drank tea. There is ample room in them both, even with the left side cut out and visually they are equal at the rear. They are anodised black inside and have a smooth finish so there is no dusty residue on anything loaded into them.

The lids hinge back nicely and have a solid feel with the clasp closure, as well as an excellent seal around the top of the box all i need now are some locks.

A very helpful service from Vern all round and i would suggest that if anyone is looking to fit a quality set of panniers they at least visit his workshop first before they do anything else. When they have i'm sure they will choose project VND panniers.

I had a close look at Piggers when we were in spain, looked so right on the bike and superbly finished

Much neater than the BMW ones.

I'm after some decent panniers, but will they fit a Tiger 955i? If so, how much extra?

Jacqueslemac said:

I'm after some decent panniers, but will they fit a Tiger 955i? If so, how much extra?

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No,I'm afraid that they're a dedicated system,so they only fit the one model of bike. I do plan to make a set for the Tiger,but all in the fullness of time

And when all of Vern's have gone, I will have a slightly used set for sale too ...

Vern said:

No,I'm afraid that they're a dedicated system,so they only fit the one model of bike. I do plan to make a set for the Tiger,but all in the fullness of time

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Any progress on producing a set for the 1200gs Vern?



Val.

Got mine yesterday.





They were packed superbly. It took only 4 days from UK to Estonia (around 2000 miles away). A decent transport service!

Now to my first impressions: I've owned and seen many panniers, both machine and hand made. These things just look like they're made by extraterrestrials - unreal craftsmanship! Every weld, every detail, yet robust yet there's amazing precision, function and looks. OK, Japs eat sushi to make reliable things, Italians eat pasta to make beautiful things. What the feck do you, mr. Vern, eat to make that kind of handwork?

And Vern calls them pre-production set??? Can't imagine what the production panniers will be then!







Anyways, did around 200km on gravel with them:





I'll write more detail about them later after I've done more tough-roaded Estonian miles on 'em and provide more proper pics.

So far got to say I'm impressed!

Margus

any plan for the 800GS?

Hi Vern,
any plan of developing your system for the new 800GS? i have one coming next month and I am trying to sort out the best luggage solution.

many thanks
gianluca

Tsiklonaut said:

Got mine yesterday.

Now to my first impressions: I've owned and seen many panniers, both machine and hand made. These things just look like they're made by extraterrestrials - unreal craftsmanship! Every weld, every detail, yet robust yet there's amazing precision, function and looks. OK, Japs eat sushi to make reliable things, Italians eat pasta to make beautiful things. What the feck do you, mr. Vern, eat to make that kind of handwork?

And Vern calls them pre-production set??? Can't imagine what the production panniers will be then!

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So why did you buy a set of these over a set of Caja Sahel Panniers like you had on the bike you crashed?