As others have said; don't strap anything to your back other than armour..
as regards luggage, check out Louis International Speedbags; cheap as chips, very stuffable, good and waterproof and easy to bungee to the pillion seat. My 30L one was 9.99 and, in combination with a smallish tank bag, can easily hold enough gear for a week of camping.
Thats what we have the tent etc in when we head off ... keeps it all together across the back of the bike & as Julie said totally dry.
If you do go for Oxford soft panniers ... do as I did & get the lifetime ones ... they come with a lifetime guarantee for waterproofing, ok a little more on the pay out however worth it if they do spring a leak as they will be replaced FOC
Panniers are always the better option and if you dont have a pilly then get a net and strap your rucksack onto the bike, as with others on here would never wear one as a mate now goes round in a wheelchair after wearing one and having an off :(
RustyKnight In: Newton Aycliffe
Posts: 2462
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That's good advice re the off feisty. If I ride to work I always wear a rucksack with puter etc in and never really thought about the consequences of coming off! This is my first bike with hard luggage and it's so much easier than tying everything on. Pack in the house, carry out to the bike and one click and it's on
Hav a look on m/ycle ride outs events, page two under tips for camping there are some pic's and a lot of ideas, you will go on the first one then empty half out for the next trip.
Hate top boxes but you can't beat them. Put one on the Tuono it looks crap but I can get all my gear, boots jacket and trousers, in it, helmet chained to the seat. Ideal for day at the races. Dry bag, tent and chair on the back seat is enough for a weekend camping, Soft paniers if going for longer. After your first camp you'll know what the essentials are.
I've got givi hard luggage on a SW motech luggage system.
You can easily unfasten the luggage racks with a screwdriver .... a quick twist each side and all you can see are some tabs.
I've used soft luggage before on other bikes and it was fine, just when I started with the ZZR's, because of the shape of the plastics the soft stuff rubs and sticks out, I went for hard stuff.
Can not wear a rucksack, absolutely kills my back, only tried it once and that was enough, even a small one, how anyone wears a bergen like some I've seen, I do not know
You could always consider the Ventura Bike Pack system. This uses a pack rack with an extended upper bar over which a pocket on the bike pack slides. When not in use, you can change the pack rack for a sports rack. Expensive but doesn't look out of space on a sports bike and can be used with or without a pillion.
Some good advice on here
Solo camping is a whole different ball game to camping two up.
Being solo on the bike you can use the rear seat instead of just a rack or top box. A top box can easily unbalance the bike as you are tempted to overload it to carry more 'essentials'.
Keep the centre of gravity as low as possible else your ride to and from camp will lack the essential 'fun' element.
Soft panniers are great as long as you can stop them from rubbing against the tyre!
You can then load up the rear seat with the tent, doss bag, etc strapping it well down. A tank bag will give you that bit extra luggage space and make it easier to locate and get at essentials on the journey.
Hard luggage is of course nice but more weighty in itself and more permanent, but can be useful to keep things dry on the journey and whilst camping.
I'm not mentioning luggage if carrying a pillion, lets just say it's not easy and a pilly carrying a rucksack! No Way! Where's the enjoyment in that for rider or pilly?
Cheapest safe option then if solo, soft luggage and load rear seat sensibly, and lightly packed tank bag
Hi all, I have a pan now and i had a zx9r before. I have a set of soft panniers that double in size if any body wants them send me 30 pound in the post and there yours. also a magnetic tank bag too call it 40 pound and its a done deal. pm me for details, regards gaz
A tankbag is probably the most useful piece of kit you can buy. Whether for a daytrip, camping, or touring. You can keep all your valuables and essentials (wallet, shades, camera, tickets, passports, toll money, etc) all handy and easy to get to. And when you stop for a coffee, you just unzip/unclip it and take it with you.
I also have a Kriega R25 rucksack which I swear by. It has padding and armour built in, and a fastening system which eliminates loose, flapping straps. It is so comfortable I forget I'm wearing it.
You can't beat drybags for price and versatility.
For touring, hard luggage is the dog's danglies. But if your budget doesn't stretch that far, or if you don't like the looks of hard panniers, soft luggage is the next best thing. The problem with soft luggage is that it will rub on your paintwork and, if you're not careful, can melt on the exhaust (don't ask me how I know ). This can be funny, if your underpants are scattered halfway across France, or not so funny when it actually catches fire...
Finally, please be very careful strapping anything to your bike. I've seen the result of a soft tailpack being pulled into the back wheel of a bike doing about 80mph on a motorway in France. The rider was using bungies on either side to secure the load and when one side snapped, the bungie on the other side pulled the bag into the back wheel, locking it up instantly. It was not a pretty sight...
<!--6e052d28b1806771e2d163a041d4a5d4-->Hi 2Dogs the kriega is Im sure a very nice rucsack, but consider what happens if you took a tumble, Ive seen the results of what happens when someone comes off wearing them, they can make injuries worse. Use the tank bag and like you say just unclip and take with you.
Ride safe
I have the Oxford throw-over paniers. They're very useful and capable, but do rub the paintwork away. I use that non-slip rubber mesh now to protect the panels.
However, I'm looking to get a tank bag for my Suzuki SV. Are the magnetic base one's the best solution? Also how quick is it to get the bag off for a fuel stop?
Magnetic bags are OK if you have a metal tank They can pick up filings and bits of grit though. And you know what that means...
The best tank bag I've ever owned is from Bagster. Not cheap, but a lot kinder on your paintwork. If you change your bike, just change the harness. Unfortunately, they don't make a harness for my KTM Adventure. Now I have a tank bag and 2 harnesses in the loft (looks like they'll be going on ebay)
P.S. The Bagster ones just flip up for fuel stops.
I use a bagster tank cover and bag on mine, after I had scratched the tank on my old bag with a screw on a magnetic tank bag, wasn't pleased. The other advantage is that you can lean on the tank bag whilst riding and take the weight off your wrists and arms. Fuelling is no problem, just unclip one end, lift up and do the deed.
![Panniers, Rucksacs or Bags (2) - Forums [Biker Match]](/images/backgrounds/strips/8mobileLQ.jpg)
![Panniers, Rucksacs or Bags (2) - Forums [Biker Match]](/images/backgrounds/strips/8desktopLQ.jpg)
