Nelson Rigg Survivor soft panniers
 

Nelson Rigg Survivor Edition dry bags have been mentioned in the forum before, but I wanted to comment on my experience from our West Virginia RX3 rally. I replaced my stock side cases with the survivor bags, using the stock rear guards to secure the bags in place and keep the right side bag away from the exhaust. They worked great. Simple and effective. I probably had a bit under 30 liters capacity a side, could have held a bit more but then the tops of the bags start obscuring the turn signals from the side. At Container Store I found an open "two handled tray" that fits perfectly in the bottom of the Survivor bags, which helps give the bags some shape and also makes packing much easier. Trays are 13" by 9 1/2" by 5 1/2 inch tall. Plastic on the trays is flimsy, and would probably crack if you dumped the bike on them, but they work. Cost of the bags is under $120, and the trays were $5 each from Container store.

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I had a set and they lasted for two off-road rides. Tore apart. Had about 12 lbs in each. Limit is 10 but hoped they would work. Nope. Decided to spend real cash on giant loop round the world panniers. Awesome!

Your two handled trays look like what I purchased from the Dollar Store for, you guessed it, $1.00!
They work great!

Good point on durability. My testing was limited to on road riding with no abuse, though I was probably carrying 15 pounds a side. I have read elsewhere that some folks have had some of the plastic fittings break.

I've been running Givi WP405 bags for over 8000 miles and they have exceeded expectations. They have been across 4 states, British Columbia, and now 15 different countries. Its hard to guess, but maybe 1000 of that is off-road? But in countries like Ukraine and Armenia, the paved highways are often rougher than your average gravel road in the US. I've had 2 low-speed falls with them, both times were climbing steep, loose jeep roads, so probably 10-15mph max, but they have not been phased.

I keep the stock racks on, and just clip or tie the bags to secure them. The exhaust side comes a lot closer than the bag recommends, but I kept a close eye on it and it never had issues with getting too hot, I think because plenty of air can pass between, plus the exhaust cover on the RX3 does a great job keeping cool. The non-exhaust side actually has more than enough space, and would not sufficiently cushion the rack from a drop, so I added a small bag into the recessed area. This gives me a little extra storage, and pushes the bag out enough for some cushioning.

As for weight, I'm not sure, but I probably stay well below spec because I tend to pack mostly soft, bulky items likes clothes and sleeping bag for cushion.

Did you do all that riding on the RX3????

I end up splurging and purchased Giant Loop Round the World Panniers. They are awesome. Ordered with Touratech mounts so they go on just like my Tourfella luggage. 55 liters each plus two extra 5 liter pouches on each. No weight restrictions like all other products. I used them for the second half of the WABDR and not a mark on them from a crash. Comes with dry sack liners plus the are waterproof...so double waterproof. One of the two extra pouches on each is waterproof. The other sack holds my 64oz kleen canteens.

Indeed. Its the only bike I've ever owned.

RC, have you posted a blog about your trip? Your mention of Armenia and Ukraine got my attention. It sounds like your adventures have blown the question of durability and RTW capability into the dirt.

Peter Y.

For real... we'd all love to hear about it, how the bike did, successes, parts failures, see pics. Not to put you on the spot ;) but dang

Nelson Rigg soft saddlebags are a good, inexpensive option. They have a lifetime guarantee IF you keep the receipt. I used these on my Trans America trail ride. Only problem I found is the straps and buckles, the straps are too thin, and the buckles break easy. My buddy and I both used these, and we both sheared off straps everytime our bikes took a nap. By the end, with many bungie straps, they made it home. I sent them back to NR explaining what had happened in hopes they would go with tougher straps and buckles, but they just sent me another set. That was nice of them, but the attachment system needs upgraded.

No I don't blog, but I do intend to make some posts about my trip with photos. I should get some posts made in the next few weeks as the trip is now reaching a hiatus for winter. The bike has performed flawlessly, in fact the biggest complaint is that border crossings take forever because customs officials can't figure out the make/model and are very confused when I say the word zongshen.