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Touring in Europe (Luggage question)

  • 30-11-2017 12:02pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 27


    I'm touring in Europe next year for a week or possibly two. I ride a BMW XR but have yet to buy the hard luggage as I'm not sure I will need it.

    I have always used Keriga soft luggage before but that was for when I was based in one place in Wales or Scotland. I never had the problem of moving on to a new location each day and leaving the bike unattended while I went to have lunch or doing a bit of sightseeing.

    The countries I'll be visiting will be German, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia and Italy.

    My question is will the luggage be safe and are there countermeasures to keep soft luggage safe on the bike?


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 1,996 ✭✭✭two wheels good


    Pacsafe do wire mesh nets for security of soft luggage. I've not used them. They seem a bit of a faff.
    Your Kriega soft bags will be more valuable than the contents because you'll have your valuables and documents with you or in the hotel - won't you?

    I can reassure you about security risk in (southern) Austria. The procedure at tourist spots in hot weather was to roll up you gear and leave it under\next to the bike. Marvellous!

    Hard luggage:
    Givi kit is a cheaper option than OEM and you could get the boxes secondhand.
    Do you have racks for the Kriega? If not, then racks for a hard luggage set-up may be dual-purpose if you go to hard luggage later.
    Personally, I like the convenience of hard boxes with inner bags.
    Maybe a top-box with soft panniers would give you flexibility and peace of mind.

    PS That's an ambitious itinerary for two weeks. Are you thinking of transporting the bike?


  • Registered Users Posts: 61 ✭✭Grumpy Bike Wizard


    If you have the cash, spring for the hard luggage for peace of mind. The outers and inners for the XR will run you about a grand from the dealer, or can be got online for much less if you don't mind a separate key or want to try keying it yourself (plenty of YT vids on it). You're still paying at least twice as much as for the soft luggage (you can get a US30 and a couple of US10s for 250 or so if you shop around). But being able to just secure the bike and be reasonably sure nobody's going to ship anything off it is worth it IMO. Plus you're on a properly specced upright touring bike, don't be cheaping out on the essentials like luggage :-)

    I toured with a lad with kriega setup on a S1000rr this year, we ended up just not going out of sight of the bikes, or dropping stuff off at hotel and heading out with no boxes on. Wasn't much of a pain if you're there to ride bikes rather than see tourist stuff.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6 jbcaddy


    We and the missus have been around most of France and north Spain over the last few years camping and have had no problems leaving helmets on the saddle etc in shopping centre or at beaches ect nothing has ever been touched just make sure your parking in a place in full view obviously


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,936 ✭✭✭stewygriffin


    I'm touring in Europe next year for a week or possibly two. I ride a BMW XR but have yet to buy the hard luggage as I'm not sure I will need it.

    I have always used Keriga soft luggage before but that was for when I was based in one place in Wales or Scotland. I never had the problem of moving on to a new location each day and leaving the bike unattended while I went to have lunch or doing a bit of sightseeing.

    The countries I'll be visiting will be German, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia and Italy.

    My question is will the luggage be safe and are there countermeasures to keep soft luggage safe on the bike?

    Wales,England,France,Belgium and Germany on the S1k back in August with my Kreiga bags,never a problem with anyone touching my bike or gear.:)

    435172.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,789 ✭✭✭slavetothegrind


    fcuk me stewy what's in the bags? the detailing gear????
    :-)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 27 Realgonekid


    Pacsafe do wire mesh nets for security of soft luggage. I've not used them. They seem a bit of a faff.
    Your Kriega soft bags will be more valuable than the contents because you'll have your valuables and documents with you or in the hotel - won't you?

    I can reassure you about security risk in (southern) Austria. The procedure at tourist spots in hot weather was to roll up you gear and leave it under\next to the bike. Marvellous!

    Hard luggage:
    Givi kit is a cheaper option than OEM and you could get the boxes secondhand.
    Do you have racks for the Kriega? If not, then racks for a hard luggage set-up may be dual-purpose if you go to hard luggage later.
    Personally, I like the convenience of hard boxes with inner bags.
    Maybe a top-box with soft panniers would give you flexibility and peace of mind.

    PS That's an ambitious itinerary for two weeks. Are you thinking of transporting the bike?

    Cheers for that. I think your suggestion of a top box / soft luggage mix is the front runner for me at the moment. Although if I'm flush with cash and a secondhand set of OEM hard panniers comes up I'll buy them. The bike came equipped with the rack so might as well make use of it.

    And yes, we are shipping the bike with Overlanders to German.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,209 ✭✭✭✭Cienciano


    Stewies bags alone costs more than my bike


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,878 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    your bike cost 250 euro?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,936 ✭✭✭stewygriffin


    fcuk me stewy what's in the bags? the detailing gear????
    :-)

    4 changes of clothes,lightweight jacket,shoes,runners,toiletries,toolbag,puncture repair kit and 12v air pump.

    Oh and a can of chain lube.:)


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,878 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    What kind of padding is that under the bag? I just got kriega stuff

    435359.jpg


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,936 ✭✭✭stewygriffin


    What kind of padding is that under the bag? I just got kriega stuff

    435359.jpg

    Roll of anti slip mat from Dealz for 1 euro 49 cents.
    Cut to suit the shape of the bike andI put slits in it so the Kreiga straps can go through it.:)


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