"On bike" storage?

EricV

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Guil said:
I really want to able to ride without panniers or a top box, particularly on short rides when they will be 95% empty by volume.
Why?

I admit I'm not the average rider. I go places with my bike more than I do short rides. My panniers stay on the bike all the time and one is loaded the same today as it would be for any trip I would take. The other is empty now, but does duty for clothes on trips, groceries occasionally and what ever else is needed to be carried.

It's not like the bike handles differently with panniers. Especially empty ones. So why own panniers, but choose to ride w/o them?
 

markbxr400

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No help for ES bikes, but nonES have quite a bit of storage under the rider's seat. Enough for air compressor, tire gauge, two different plug kits, basic tools, papers, etc.
 

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Checkswrecks

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EricV said:
...So why own panniers, but choose to ride w/o them?

Because when splitting traffic they can catch on things like the rubber mud flaps of parked tour busses. Trust me in that it will IMMEDIATELY have every bit of your attention when that happens and you will never ever want to do that again.
O:)
 

WJBertrand

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Checkswrecks said:
Because when splitting traffic they can catch on things like the rubber mud flaps of parked tour busses. Trust me in that it will IMMEDIATELY have every bit of your attention when that happens and you will never ever want to do that again.
O:)
This is why I chose bags with a narrower overall width than the handlebars. In three years of near daily lane splitting, I've only tagged my side bag one time and even then very slightly. Having said that I can see many occasions to ride without the side bags, off-roading, puttering about town etc. Need to be able to care at the minimum registration and insurance information. I the case of the ES there really isn't any good place to put even that stuff
 

Wallkeeper

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EricV said:
Why?

So why own panniers, but choose to ride w/o them?
Leaving the comments about lane splitting aside (not legal here) I leave the panniers off around town because it fits better in my garage and the top box is big enough to hold my brief case and shoes if I commute to work. I only need the pannier space if I am on a trip

::021::
 

fredz43

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WJBertrand said:
Need to be able to care at the minimum registration and insurance information. I the case of the ES there really isn't any good place to put even that stuff
Hi Jeff,

On my 14 ES, I have been able to put my registration and insurance card in a zip lock bag and fit it under the seat adjustment thingy. No room for anything else, though.
 

WJBertrand

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fredz43 said:
Hi Jeff,

On my 14 ES, I have been able to put my registration and insurance card in a zip lock bag and fit it under the seat adjustment thingy. No room for anything else, though.
Yeah, thought about that but I've got what little room was there occupied by my StarCom1 system and associated cables. I also worried that it might fall out somehow. At any rate I'm happy with my Raid toolbox.
 

EricV

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Checkswrecks said:
Because when splitting traffic they can catch on things like the rubber mud flaps of parked tour busses. Trust me in that it will IMMEDIATELY have every bit of your attention when that happens and you will never ever want to do that again.
O:)
Know thy edges. ;)
 

EricV

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Wallkeeper said:
Leaving the comments about lane splitting aside (not legal here) I leave the panniers off around town because it fits better in my garage and the top box is big enough to hold my brief case and shoes if I commute to work. I only need the pannier space if I am on a trip

::021::
Pay close attention, you are about to save your life. STOP RIDING TO WORK. You are putting yourself in the highest density traffic, with the most brain dead operators, of any time on the road. There is no good reason to ride a motorcycle to work in high density traffic. Move closer to work, get a different job or suck it up and car pool or take mass transit. All you're doing besides killing all the fun of riding a motorcycle is putting yourself at a greater than necessary risk.
 

doc187

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I have the DS raid tool box and really like it. I sold my hard panniers and got bags so it's really nice to have the ds lockable storage for small things. I wish someone made a box for under the rear rack. I think my rack is SW motech though but the space looks the same.
 

Den

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Finally got off my ass and made a locking box under the top box. I have a Globe Scout case which has a bracket like the Altrider (I think) which is ok for storing rags etc but I prefer to have something lockable for tools etc.

This is the case/bracket set up...



Ready for fit...



On bike with DIY rack on Globe Scout bracket...



I’ve got an Abus Detecto, MP trail tool and Dynaplug tool repair kit in there.




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