Nelson Rigg Survivor soft panniers

[NoVa Rider]

Originally Posted by fjmartin

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!

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.

[RC]

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.

[AdventureDad]

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

[RC]

Originally Posted by AdventureDad

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

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

[pyoungbl]

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.

[AdventureDad]

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

[RC]

Originally Posted by pyoungbl

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.

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.