Luggage

[dizzyblonde]

sorry to gatecrash, but Claire....if you've never used bike luggage don't bother with panniers.....if your a puff like me and you've weight either side it make the bike bloody heavy off the sidestand.
I use a tailpack...very streamline...you don't know its there and you can get as much in that as you would in panniers
and a tankbag does stick on the tank whatever weight you stick in it. And its damn good for when you feel a bit tired...to lean on

HTH

I have an Oxford Sports lifetime tailpack and a tankbag i nicked off Im Indoors...cause his Raptors tank is plastic and he can''t use it anymore

Many thanks for the advice..... it`s nice to get another womans perspective on it. The extra weight is something thats worrying me, more so when i go away later in the year cos i`ll be needing all my luggage then but i`ll try the tailpack for starters and see how I get on with that

Am not sure how i`m gonna manage a tankbag cos I lean on the tank as it is!

[dizzyblonde]

believe me you'll find the tankbag a godsend. A little odd at first. bearing in mind i've travelled 5-600 miles a day with this set up and tankbags rock for tired girlies!!! My other half made me use it....but don't tell him I'm glad he did
don't worry about thinking the tailpack might blow away. They come with soooo many bungees and they have a velcro strap sewn on underneath, that straps under your rear seat. And they don't budge over 100mph with a gale blowing sideways.

[Girth]

Originally Posted by hovis

i find a tank bag gets in the way a bit............ tailpack would be my choice

My thoughts exactly.

[Girth]

Originally Posted by DoubleD

I'll be using a tail pack, don't even know its there.

I have 'wonder web' but in white on a black bike.... so sticks out like sore thumb, I will be getting it colour coded at some point.

Swop ya for my black stuff!

Many thanks for all the advice... i`d best get up in the attic and dig my luggage out. It`s over 2 years old and still not been opened lol

Speedy ow the ell do you hope to use a tankbag?? there is no room

Personally I would try the panniers first if you're gonna need tankbag and tailpack. The weight is carried lower down. If you think the tankbag is gonna be too big why not try and swap it with some who has a more compact one.

Also I would get that luggage down and go for some trial runs with towels or something in them for ballast. See which feel better to you.

Lastly be careful when mounting and dismounting (the bike!) as either the tailpack or panniers can catch your leg with disasterous consequences.

Originally Posted by girth

Swop ya for my black stuff!

you have PM

I shall personally be using me pockets. The only thing I'll have strapped to the back of the bike will be my waterproofs.

However, claire, as said before, in your position, I'd opt for either tankbag or tailpack. I use a tankbag quite a lot, and whilst it's strange to get used to something between your arms, it's easy to get used to.

The only times I've used a tailpack is when I strap my tankbag behind me (usually when I want a hoon around with a little luggage).

Panniers, if they're not packed evenly, can cause odd weight distribution on the bike that will affect handling. That's mainly the reason I've never bothered with them, chuck everything in the tank bag, or strap it to the pillion seat, and away I go.