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Paniers on trail?

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Larry Gunn

Larry Gunn

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Looking for a little been there done that wisdom. I am about to go dual sporting in big bend. I have 2009 KLR. The river road will be one of the first things I want to do. I will be by myself. After lots of reading, and knowing that the ride is over 100 miles, I am wondering just how self sufficient to be. I have a z-haul system, extra water jugs, an emergency bivy sack as well as all the tools needed to change a tire. But to take all that extra stuff, I would need to strap on the side cases in addition to the top case. I have good bags, but, lighter is better too. Since I will be alone, I am leaning toward packing the extra stuff just in case. I have been to Big Bend many times without a bike, and know that it can be brutal without the right survival gear. But I will also feel like a bit of a weaney packing the extra stuff.
Chances are, nothing will go wrong.....but.
 
If you pack everything, it will make the riding harder too. Kind of a catch-22 situation. You definitely need to carry water and tire fixing stuff. All the other stuff? I don't think you need it all. First aid, fire starting, maybe something to wrap up in. If you are on the river road then you won't be there longer than 24 hours I suspect. If it isn't a weekend or holiday then I'd be really tempted to check in with the rangers before I took off and let them know what the plan is. You would have to do that for backcountry camping anyway.
 
I did part of it on a mountain bike years ago. The sand on the west end had us carrying our bikes for a while. Hopefully the KLR will plow through without an epic. I am looking forward riding in the area. Pinto Canyon Road and Christmas mountain are also on the list. I will be based out of Gareth park for the better part of a week. What I can fit in the top box will likely be plenty.
 
You want the weight down low, not up high like in a tail bag. That makes a BIG difference on a KLR, especially in the sand and loose rocks. I used the DirtBagz on my KLR and really liked them. Not real expensive. Easy to install. Hold a lot of stuff.

http://www.dbzproducts.com/

I had the Ranger bags. They are also pretty durable... I tested that on mine :doh:

If you really need more than these two bags can carry, I would suggest using a camel-bak that has extra storage capacity. Better to have the weight on your back than high on the back of the bike.
 
Here are a few shots of my 02 KLR with the bags installed

IMG_0972.jpg
IMG_0976.jpg


The tank bag is a Wolflman Enduro bag.

The yellow bags are Wolfman Expedition Tank Panniers. I put stuff like rain gear and spare tire tubs in them. That made for cushioning for moments like these,

IMG_0973.jpg


IMG_0980.jpg


Some more close ups of the setup,

Col2010-0083.jpg


Here you can see how the straps go across the seat and luggage rack,
Col2010-0112.jpg


The bags are VERY easy to remove/mount. There is a clip point down near the passenger pegs on each side. You drape them over the seat, slide them forward so the back of the bags hook to a spot on the bracket, then connect the straps to the clip points and pull them snug. Takes about 60 seconds if you take your time. They don't move once mounted.

Of course, if you can carry all that stuff, you become the group maintenance guy on group rides :-P
Col2010-0210.jpg
 
My two cents worth that you don't want

1. Don't do this alone! If you have someone with you, the chances are, nothing will go wrong, if you are by yourself, chances are something will go very wrong - Murphy's Law . Trust me, this is a "been there, done that" advice.

In late December (28th I think ) there is a group going to the big bend state park (I can find and post up the link if you are interested. This will be my first time, but I am told that park has some fun challenges

In March, there is the "Uncle's 'round the bend" event at teralinga(sp) and it is always a blast and several will be doing river road for sure.

2. The more baggage you carry, the greater chance for your foot to get caught under the bags and break your ankle very bad. This is another "been there done that "
 
BeemerlessBob said:
2. The more baggage you carry, the greater chance for your foot to get caught under the bags and break your ankle very bad. This is another "been there done that "
Click to expand...

Good point! That is another reason why I went with the soft Dirtbagz. They have enough play in them that if you do go down, they will give and not snap your leg/ankle, unless maybe you crash REALLY hard!
 
BeemerlessBob said:
My two cents worth that you don't want

1. Don't do this alone! If you have someone with you, the chances are, nothing will go wrong, if you are by yourself, chances are something will go very wrong - Murphy's Law . Trust me, this is a "been there, done that" advice.

In late December (28th I think ) there is a group going to the big bend state park (I can find and post up the link if you are interested. This will be my first time, but I am told that park has some fun challenges

In March, there is the "Uncle's 'round the bend" event at teralinga(sp) and it is always a blast and several will be doing river road for sure.

2. The more baggage you carry, the greater chance for your foot to get caught under the bags and break your ankle very bad. This is another "been there done that "
Click to expand...


I vote also for not going alone. It is always safer and more fun with a riding buddy. If something happens not only can the "buddy" laugh at you but go and get help if needed.
 
kickstand~prophet said:
I vote also for not going alone. It is always safer and more fun with a riding buddy. If something happens not only can the "buddy" laugh at you but go and get help if needed.
Click to expand...

And get a good picture before you can pick up the bike :-P
 
Thanks for the advise. It does make sense to use the side bags instead of a top case. That should give plenty of room for an adequate amount of stuff. Tow rope will stay in camp. I already have good quality hard bags, so I will use what I have. I won't be trying to break any speed records, so barring the unlikely, it should go well. My time off from work is very limited and not too flexible. So far, all my riding has been by myself. Not ideal, but it is what it is.
 
If you are okay with riding in silt, sand, and baseball to grapefruit sized rocks, sometimes all at once, then you will be fine ;-)
 
kickstand~prophet said:
This is the most important part of any riding buddies assignment.:photo::photo:
Click to expand...

But you need to have riding buddies that have their priorities right.

When I flipped my Ural, gas was running out (a feature of upside down carbs), so Solorider and Hizzo ran over to right the rig.

Now if they had just thrown a match under the rig, a video of me on the ground moaning with my rig in flames would have been award winning.
 
Sorry if I missed it, but when exactly are you going? If you are going around Christmas, then look me up and I will tag along and go pretty much anywhere you want to go and then some.

Second, I'm glad that Bob chimed in about ankles and panniers. I recommend to anyone riding stuff like Big Bend or worse, to NOT have panniers or if it is a must, then very soft panniers are the only thing I would do. I have known three separate people to have snapped their ankles when a bike with panniers went over on them and their leg got stuck.

For my KLR, I have a Pelican case mounted to the rear, and that carries two tubes, air pump, and a full tool kit. I carry a small first aid kit in there and usually my liners if I brought them along for riding in the morning. I wear a 2L hydration pack, and that is about it. But then again I never ride out there alone so I know if something happens it won't be an overnight stay one way or another.
 
Wow. From highway smooth to road of many perils. Not sure what to make of the road report. I have ridden some pretty rough roads with a top case only. So if my caribou cases are sure to break my ankles, I probably should leave them off (which was my original question). To clarify, no panniers unless they are soft, right? I can't change my schedule and am determined to to this. November 9th thru 16th is when I will be there. My budget doesn't included any more last minute gear, so I will make do with what I have. I have had pretty good luck in my rock climbing, spear fishing past, so hopefully I am not biting off more than I can chew this time. I do tend to look at all aspects of risk vs. reward, otherwise I wouldn't be anal enough about it to have posted requests for the details of refining what I pack or don't pack. Wish me a good adventure. I'm sure it will be.
 
Larry Gunn said:
Wow. From highway smooth to road of many perils. Not sure what to make of the road report. I have ridden some pretty rough roads with a top case only. So if my caribou cases are sure to break my ankles, I probably should leave them off (which was my original question). To clarify, no panniers unless they are soft, right?
Click to expand...

That would be what I would do. Obviously there are others that do other things, but that is my personal comfort zone.

Last time I rode River Road, it was pretty close to how folks have described it. It was graded and very smooth on the East end, and it was pretty sandy/rocky/gravel'ish on the West end. But overall it was one heck of a good ride. Just watch out for the scenery, as it will reach up and bite you when you least expect it. I recommend either riding it twice (once for the scenery, and the second time for the fun of riding it), or just force yourself to pull over whenever the scenery is looking pretty darn good.
 
Yeah, the East end is easy peasy... the West end is fun :trust: Black Gap Road is also a lot of fun and has some challenging sections ;-)
 
Everybody has their own opinion on what is best. I prefer hard panniers. Let the "box" take the brunt of the fall. Yes, I've fallen hard enough to have one of them ripped off. Luckily, I haven't gotten my leg or foot in the way. Hard bags or boxes cost more too. You decide which way to go.
 
Tourmeister said:
You want the weight down low, not up high like in a tail bag. That makes a BIG difference on a KLR, especially in the sand and loose rocks. Better to have the weight on your back than high on the back of the bike.
Click to expand...

^^^^^
Good advice. It's amazing how moving weight just a few inches lower can change the entire ride. Going from a tail bag (wrong way) to saddle bags (right way) is daylight and dark different. Just about any rack system will work with some cheap Tractor Supply saddle bags. Course, there are plenty of quality baggage systems out there too.
 
Keep an eye out on the TWT for sale section and pick them up used. If they do not work the way you want you can always resell them for the same price.
 
We will be out there the week of Nov 2nd-8th...not sure we plan to ride river road this year...the trail is not that tough...you should be ok...we typicaly see another group of riders out there this time of year...just bring a camel pack with water and tire kit and head out

For some real riding, head over to Big Bend State park
 
When I ride with people with KLRs and such I usually end up hurting my back helping pick the big beasts up. Being a nice guy, I'll help anyone, even the same rider 4-5 times a day, until I end up aching for a week. That is one reason why I choose to ride alone, or with a few carefully chosen accomplices. Actually, my days off are at random and usually during the week when everyone else is working, so I ride alone most of the time.

If you have to ask about hard panniers on dirt roads, you don't need to be using them. Props to you, however, for figuring out you need to ask. So many don't, then end up broken on the trail, creating huge problems for other folks.

While it is necessary to be as self-sufficient as possible, it is not necessary to bring the garage. Everything you need to change a tire, fix a chain, swap a lever, etc., will fit in a medium size tank bag or a canoe bag from Walmart. Multiple bungies will adequately secure either atop the tank or even the most basic fender pad/rack set-up. Add more bungies. There are several threads on what to take. just take that which is required. Forego the entire wrench set and only bring the ones that actually fit your bike. Go a step further, I cut apart the 10/11 and 12/13 boxes wrenches and welded a set of 10/12 and 11/13. Since my bike uses 10/12, I only have to carry one wrench instead of 2.

I especially like the Walmart canoe bags. They are tough and waterproof and have no sharp edges to stress-weaken bungies. Lots and lots of bungies. In fact, it is very easy to spend more on bungies than on the bag.

Tdub's custom rack has pannier mounts (typical loops) with fold-down loops to sit the canoe bags on. A few bungies and all is secure, yet able to give easily if necessary to avoid a broken ankle. A couple more canoe bags atop the Walmart top box and I am set for long periods away from home.

Tourmeister, I like your idea of using tank bags as bumpers. The upcoming Tdub project will incorporate that idea.
 
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