I wonder if any of you can offer advice on making soft luggage secure to the bike. I've seen the pacsafe lid bag and intend getting one as helmet and gloves can be left securely on the bike. I'm looking for a waterproof bag of about 70 lites that can take camping equipment. Hein Gerike (spel ?) do one but it does not have the wire mesh security build in so I suppose buying a separate mesh system that goes over the bag would be ok. Can anyone offer any advice on whether these wire security systems are any good ?
Cheers
Soft Luggage
Moderators: slparry, Gromit, Paul
Soft Luggage
BMW R1100S
Triumph Sprint ST 955
Triumph Sprint ST 955
I've looked at them but I wouldn't trust them. If I leave my helmet on the bike (which I try to avoid doing) I run a cheap lock through the chin bar and pannier rail or other convenient part (depending on bike) - if anyone's going to cut through that they're going to be able to cut through a wire mesh 'protection system' just as easily, if not more easily.
Even hard luggage isn't that secure - it's a deterrent and no more. The wire mesh soft luggage is a bit more of a deterent than normal soft luggage but if someone really wants your kit, chances are they'll take it however its 'secured'.
While I don't take silly risks with luggage, that's what travel insurance is for IMO. Obviously losing stuff is a real p.i.t.a. but there's only so many precautions you can take. Wire mesh might provide some (possibly unjustified) peace of mind, but I wouldn't expect it to provide much more than that.
Perhaps the best way to deter theft of/from soft luggage is to fit a sensitive alarm to the bike - one wobble of the bike caused by someone tampering and the alarm will probably scare the low-life away.......as long as there are other people around.
Even hard luggage isn't that secure - it's a deterrent and no more. The wire mesh soft luggage is a bit more of a deterent than normal soft luggage but if someone really wants your kit, chances are they'll take it however its 'secured'.
While I don't take silly risks with luggage, that's what travel insurance is for IMO. Obviously losing stuff is a real p.i.t.a. but there's only so many precautions you can take. Wire mesh might provide some (possibly unjustified) peace of mind, but I wouldn't expect it to provide much more than that.
Perhaps the best way to deter theft of/from soft luggage is to fit a sensitive alarm to the bike - one wobble of the bike caused by someone tampering and the alarm will probably scare the low-life away.......as long as there are other people around.
for camping we used one of these things:
http://www.survival-school.org/Default. ... GgodiWQ47A
cheap and above all waterproof, bungeed to a ventura sports rack with another BMW waterproof bag and optional panniers + bmw tank bag.
The ventura rack is excellent.
For security - there is no real solution - we never let the bike out of our sight or found secure parking, which is missing the point of your post I know.
Hard cases are a good idea pretty cheap 2nd hand.
Ade
http://www.survival-school.org/Default. ... GgodiWQ47A
cheap and above all waterproof, bungeed to a ventura sports rack with another BMW waterproof bag and optional panniers + bmw tank bag.
The ventura rack is excellent.
For security - there is no real solution - we never let the bike out of our sight or found secure parking, which is missing the point of your post I know.
Hard cases are a good idea pretty cheap 2nd hand.
Ade
2000 R1100S Sport
1980 Vespa P125X
1980 Vespa P125X