| Author | Message | ||
     Desert_bird |
Been looking all over for large capacity quality panniers for the Uly. Preferably top loading and tougher than the plastic stock panniers. I didn't want to change the racks over for Touratech's, so checked out Micatech. They looked about as tough as you can find, made in the US with touring and adventure riding in mind. I wrote to them about 6 months ago but there wasn't an adapter which fit the Uly's backward H&B racks. So I put on a pair of H&B Xplorer 40 liters panniers. They fit right onto the stock H&B racks and seemed tough. I run with lots of stuff. Turned out that the plastic tops and bottoms of the Xplorer started breaking because the bags were sagging. They were useless after 4 months. So I went back to the drawing board. I called Micatech again and this time Susan and Bob told me that they could retrofit the SW Mototech adapter to fit the Uly rack. Here are some detailed photos of the 45 liter Micatechs right after they arrived in the mail. I'll post a few more of them mounted up, if there is interest. These are heavy duty 2mm all-aluminum panniers. The design, welds and workmanship are top notch. Each pannier can be mounted in 4 possible positions with about 1.5" difference between; high, forward/aft, or low forward/aft. They come with all hardware and locks. They are side-open, but the doors open about 1/4 the way up at the outer edge of the pannier, so you can pack quite a bit without things falling out. When open each door has two beer holders!              Oh, and I'm no shill. I'm not paid or getting discounts . . . from posting this. Just getting info out for other Uly riders looking for luggage options. DB (Message edited by Desert_bird on August 14, 2011) | ||
| Brucespoint |
Yes! more. Personally leaning towards top loaders for grocery hauling, but those look SWEET! I'm using stock, and They are Perfect for play, easier to pick up from sleep with them on. but might not last... OhWell... trainin wheels. Had been looking at Happy Trails. but Concerned about sharp corners, that might "catch", and cause more damage than necessary. b. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Thanks for posting. Always looking for plan B options cuz ya just never know. The beer holder is a bonus feature after a long days ride. Will a full faced helmet fit? | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Those look deluxe. How much do they weigh in comparison to the Journey bags? | ||
| Idaho_buelly |
Sweet!  | ||
| Sharkguy |
Very nice, a friend has a set mounted to his GS. Love to see some pics of them mounted on your bike. | ||
| Nittanyxt |
I was the guinea pig for those adapter plates!The boxes are bullet and water proof and their customer service is second to none. There is a couple of pics of my XT on micatech's site. I did have to move the stock turn signals back 1.5 inches (just made some flat alum. brackets) in order to use the top rear mounting position. I'll also be using the cases on my new Yammy XT1200Z  | ||
| Miibradley |
Cost?? | ||
| Nipsey |
Looks like in the $1200 range - looks worth it to me. Now if there was a way to not have visible racks when the cases are off..... http://micatech.net/products/v-pilot-cases | ||
| Wbrisett |
I don't know... while a bit small, I still like the H&B Gobi top loaders. Those bags just look overly large.  Wayne | ||
| Desert_bird |
Sorry for the delay getting some pics out. In Colombia at the moment. Made the gorgeous ride from Bogota to Medellin today. Great high speed curvy mountainous roads through some amazing country. 8400 feet in Bogota to 500 feet back to 4500 in Medellin. Anyhow, the panniers fit up to bike pretty well. The aux. rack ain't that pretty but the panniers look great on the bike. That's where they stay while I'm touring so no worries. Will get pics in a day or two. These things are bullet proof, big, and yes, 'deluux', but not cumbersome. I was leaning waaay over at high speeds today and no scraping or scratching. They are in the lower position as well. A full face helmet is just a little bit too big to fit. They cost me $880 including all hardware. Shipping was extra. DB | ||
| Desert_bird |
As promised, here are a few shots of the panniers on the bike. The racks don't look that great when outfitted with the adapters for the Micatech, however they don't show when on. I had to put some heavy tape on the notches of the rack because there was some metal-on-metal vibration when the boxes were mounted. The panniers are holding up great. Had a heavy rain outside of Bogota and nothing wet inside. DB   (Message edited by Desert_bird on August 20, 2011) | ||
| Desert_bird |
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| Desert_bird |
Craig, 12.4 lbs. for 10," and 12 lbs. for 8." Heavier but much more robust than the stock H&B nylon boxes. DB | ||
| Squidbuzz |
The H&B rack is the stock rack, right? What about a top case solution? | ||
| Desert_bird |
Stock rack. I don't run with a top rack, so don't know. I think they make a top rack, but don't know how to mount it. DB |
