Tank Panniers

[rcacs]

Having never felt the need before, now that my wife is "into" coming on long trips, I find the need for a bit more storage space.

I am looking for tank panniers that are a good fit/match to our Stroms. I already have 2 different sizes of tank bag and I should add that I do have SW engine guards and dont think I will need "huge" bags.

Looking for your input.

Cheers, and thanks in advance.

ps: pics would be a bonus

[rcacs]

This Famsa (Art. 260/6) looks like the cats meow. Wonder if available in Canada?

http://www.bikerworldusa.com/famsa.html

cheers

[maggot]

I have a set very similar to Tom's pic except mine have mash water bottle pockets next to the riders legs.. I got them at Princess Auto. They're ATV tank panniers and worked great on my DRZ400. Haven't tried them on my Wee yet though. I think they were 9 bucks.
I also got another that attaches to the top of the front fender. Again work great on my DRZ but won't need to use it on the Wee. It was 5 bucks.

Good luck

Ken

[rhbell]

I have a FAMSA tank bag and pannier set and pretty satisfied so far - 1.5 years and took them out to BC and back. One zipper pull broke but that was my fault, other than that the construction and features are very good. Expect to pay through nose for though. I got mine from Helmet Head Cycle in GA as I could not find a Canadian Distrbutor for them.

As another rider reports - I have seen the ATV tank set at Princess Auto and if I didn't already have a prime set, I'd have spent $20 or so to see if a temporary solution would work. Nice think about tank panniers is the wind protection on cool mornings.

Safe rides
BOb

[rcacs]

I really like the Famsa panniers. No offence to anyone owning other types, but I dont like the "thrown on" look to them with straps here, there and everywhere.

Will order a set in spring (hopefully our Loon goes up in value by then).

cheers

[RockyMtnRoadRash]

I really like the Famsa panniers. No offence to anyone owning other types, but I dont like the "thrown on" look to them with straps here, there and everywhere.

Will order a set in spring (hopefully our Loon goes up in value by then).

cheers

I have and love mine. The tank panniers never come off anymore (I keep extra gloves/raingear/earplugs/drinks/random-needed-on-any-ride crap in them) and the tankbag goes on for big trips. Like you, I travel with my honey on the back and anyone who asks you why you need so much luggage can just bite it because they have obviously never tried to travel 2-up with a woman and camp off of a motorcycle.

The tank bag is Insanely Huge, to the extent I can't see my gauges if it's fully expanded.

A nice side effect (for my legs anyway) was that the famsa bags eliminate some of the up-flowing air from my legs which is especially nice in winter and seems to decrease buffeting quite a bit.

[rcacs]

Thanks Rash for your report. It only solidifies my thoughts on the Femsa.

I can travel for weeks on end by myself without even using up all the space in my hard cases and top trunk. Add a wife...and yikes, I ended up buying 2 waterproof duffle bags on the big trip with my wife. She just kept adding crap (can i call her stuff crap?) as we went along.

When I dropped her off at the Halifax airport so she could fly home, my Wee instantly dropped what seemed like hundreds of pounds of excess luggage (No, not meaning her....) and bulk.

Cheers!

[rhbell]

I'd just add my two cents re: straps. i don't know how many straps other makes have but the tank panniers on the Famsa have 3 per bag. Once comes off bottom right corner to tie in to crash bars, one comes off bottom left corner and fastens in front o bag, under the cowling with a simple flat hook, the third comes off the top, goes down through the cowling where it meets an under strap coming up the same way. These are adjustable buckles and FAMSA conveniently provides a neporene / plastic loop to tuck the excess strap up so it doesn't flap in the breeze. That plus the side bag zippers onto the mount for the tank bag which fastens with single strap to front and 2 short traps under tank assembly at rear.

Elegant - not - but definitely road worthy and I've neved had a problem.

I did break a side zipper tab on the tank bag - it got caught in trhe exposed bolt of my RAM mount on the LHS handlesbar while executing a really tight slow turn lock-lock. Shouldn't normally happen.

The tank bag is huge - 13 l expanded and the side bags are 9 litres each. I keep soft stuff in the sides - provides a little tipover protection as I found out one day when I accidentally parked on a downslope while getting off the bike! .

My local dealer jokes I always like like I just came back from a trip with Ewan and Charlie......I don't take mine off, same with the E41s and E52. FOr some strange reason I like having a little storage for those things I see I just can live without (like fishing tackle) and find I'm a lot safer rider if I remember that breaking those GIVI's is a lot more than the deductible. FAMSA is expensive but I don't regret my purchase at all.

Safe rides
Bob