Pannier lining bags
 

I'm getting organised for my annual trip (Mugello this year) and I thought I'd enquire about the cost of the soft bags that you can buy as liners for your ST factory panniers.

After I picked myself up off the floor, when my dealer told me he wanted £85 for a couple of small bags, I have been searching for a cheaper option, but to no avail.

Does anyone know of a more vfm option than the DP ones?:puzzled:

Tescos, you get them free with your shopping and they're waterproof.

That's what I use...every little helps.

:lol::lol::lol:

I'm obviously bigger than Jools and need bin liners, look like a right tramp carrying those into hotels though, at least Jools looks like he's been doing the shopping. :D

This is the only other one I am aware of. They also do the side pod (seat fairing) bags that velcro to the frame. Useful for tools and chain etc. I think they call the liners the "saddle bag liner" near the bottom of the list.

http://www.motobags.com/bags.shtml

To be honest though, we used the Nonfango hard luggage on the ST in France and it is fine. It unlocks easily, is quite easy to carry into a hotel etc. Can't remember them leaking, and it did rain too. A lot.

Or, you could use Tesco bags. :)

[Edited on 12-4-2005 by HW]

Yep, on a more serious note...but only slightly more serious.

I've got Ducati hard panniers. Like HW say's they unclip from the bike in seconds and then you have the panache of a Ducati suitcase as you walk into where you're staying.

My panniers have proven watertight as well but stuffing everything into ordinary plastic bags or bin liners just gives that added piece of mind that if they did leak you wouldn't have to go down the bar with soggy boxers.

Can't see any point in paying big bucks for a more luxurious option.

I've got the DP liners although I only gave £40 for them.
I now make use of these after a bit of a problem with second hand chain lube from the bottom of my pannier & a hotel bedspread in a certain location in France!
Ooooooooooops.......:saint:

That'll teach yer to buy new chain lube then, instead of secondhand stuff:lol:

There are a pair on ebay right now. Still a few days to go but £32 already. I think we are looking at silly money time!

We have a pair and use them all the time. At least you know if you can squease it in the bag it'll fit in the pannier - a struggle in itself with the amount my missus takes :D

I would say they don't make best use of the odd shape of the panniers. We generally have enough room around the top to fit a fleece in.
Also the side pocket is deeper than the recess in the pannier, so if you fill that right up it'll stop the bag going in fully/properly.

Even though we have the bags we still tend to take the panniers into the hotel room. Force of habit I suppose.
I'd say if you can get them cheap (less than 50 quid) they are worth it, otherwise I wouldn't bother.


I also have one of the motobags side bags. Note that the right hand side one won't fit if you have an S as the rear shocker reservoir gets in its way. I also fitted my scott oiler reservoir that side. The side bag is real handy for carrying a small bottle of extra fluid, any extra tools, and a load of tie wraps & tape.

Cheers,
John.

I have found the hard luggage to be completely waterproof through some fairly intensive downpours in Switzerland. They are just a bit bulky for carrying into the hotel, especially when your on your own and you've got a helmet and a tail pack as well.

Also I like to use the panniers when I then visit the track for whatever GP I'm watching as I can leave leathers and helmets in them and enjoy the sun.

I put in a fairly high bid for the ebay ones but as suggested they are already silly money and 'used'.

The Motobags site looks interesting as I was looking for something slightly smarter than a bin liner (each to his own I suppose - but thanks for the suggestion :P)

As usual thanks for the ideas all.

I have had the hard panniers on from new (2001) and I can report that they have never ever let a single drop of water in during long hard riding in monsoon weath.I find them very easy to dismount and carry into the hotel. A word of caution though - if you are a little heavy handed and overload the pannier it can be shoved to close, but do check all around the lid fitment line. You may find that the lid is not fully inserted into the cavity depth of the base unit, and if that's the case they will leak.

Never happened to me but I met a bloke at a hotel in France one night and he was complaining about pannier leakage. The next morning as I was leaving I noticed the gap on his (what proved to be very overload) panniers. Pointed it out to him and he was happy as Larry thereafter (he emailed me his thanks a couple of weeks later)