‘Luggage for the real world’

Kriega OS Base Combo 36 £389.99

Tested by Michael Guy for four months

Hard metal panniers have become synonymous with big adventure bikes. For some they finish off the ‘round-the-world’ look, for others they are perfect for adding serious carrying capacity. But personally, I’m not a fan. First up is the weight; even empty, the panniers and racks easily weigh in at over 10kg. Chuck in another 20 or 30kg of luggage because you can and you’ve just added on a significant amount of weight to the bike – which even with electronic suspension and

150bhp compromises everything about the way the bike accelerates, stops and handles.

There’s also the extra width which reduces the ability to filter. I know this doesn’t bother a lot of riders but I have to confess I have some form when it comes to hitting things with metal panniers, so it’s definitely a factor when I ride with them.

Another negative is that I like to ride off-road and doing that with metal panniers can be risky and there have been plenty of cases of leg injuries from limbs getting trapped between the solid metal pannier and the ground in a crash.

I first started using the Kriega OS base system and smaller panniers on my KTM 690 Enduro R, which made me want to try them on my KTM 1290 Super Adventure R longterm test bike. Unlike metal panniers there is no need for any racking or permanent changes to the bike. Instead there is an over-seat harness which is secured using straps. The panniers/ bags then attach to the harness and can be tightened and secured in seconds.

They are tough, 100% waterproof and come with a 10-year guarantee, which gives an indication of the quality.

The panniers come in three sizes with each side being either 6, 12 or 18 litres. I use the 18-litre system and while that is smaller than most metal panniers, because they are soft and loaded from the top they are very easy to pack and I always manage to squeeze more into them than I expect.

They are also relatively cheap. While metal panniers and racks will cost in excess of £1000 this system is under £400 and can be removed in seconds when not in use.

In fact the only downside I can see is security as being fabric they cannot be locked or secured to the bike like traditional metal panniers.

Quality Value www.kriega.com