Kawasaki Er6n

[H1w4yR1da]

And then, first you say the ER is underpowered and heavy 'beginners' bike....and now you're saying it's a sport bike? Make up your mind.

Ok ok, put your tampon back in.

Let me rephrase. It's a sport bike for beginners. Simple really!

Whether they're HD type saddlebags or the ones in the picture, they're still thoroughly gay.

[Gweiloman]

And then, first you say the ER is underpowered and heavy 'beginners' bike....and now you're saying it's a sport bike? Make up your mind.

Ok ok, put your tampon back in.

Let me rephrase. It's a sport bike for beginners. Simple really!

Whether they're HD type saddlebags or the ones in the picture, they're still thoroughly gay.

What do you do when you go riding / touring for a couple of weeks? Can you fit all that you need into a backpack? How about when going two up, with gf or wife? I have panniers and top box on my Versys but that of course makes lane splitting a lot harder when trying to get out of Bkk or returning home.

[RubberSideDown]

I like the Kriega dry-packs- US-10/20/30 all strap together and fit decently on a sportbike.

They have them at Panda at the same price as the States.

http://www.pandarider.com/Panda/Product_Kriega.htm

[Gweiloman]

I like the Kriega dry-packs- US-10/20/30 all strap together and fit decently on a sportbike.

They have them at Panda at the same price as the States.

http://www.pandarider.com/Panda/Product_Kriega.htm

Yes, the Kriegas are very well made and a pleasure to hold as they are so soft and light. It's fine on a solo ride but what about riding two up? I see no option other than panniers

[JonnyF]

I like the Kriega dry-packs- US-10/20/30 all strap together and fit decently on a sportbike.

They have them at Panda at the same price as the States.

http://www.pandarider.com/Panda/Product_Kriega.htm

Yes, the Kriegas are very well made and a pleasure to hold as they are so soft and light. It's fine on a solo ride but what about riding two up? I see no option other than panniers

I did a 8 day tour of the North with my ex-girlfriend using a magnetic tankbag and her wearing a small rucksack. It can be done but we travelled pretty light, but that's part of the fun for me, getting back to basics and all that (I'm office based in BKK so it's a novelty being a shorts and t-shirt guy for a week).

I do find a full tankbag gets in the way when you're in the twisties though, but being unable to split lanes due to panniers would drive me even more mad, plus I really don't like the look of them. I think I'll get one of those Kriegas for solo rides though.

[RubberSideDown]

These are nice and actually look decent for a sportbike- about $360 for the ER-6N if you can source them in the States at TwistedThrottle.com:

[wantan]

^

Nice, but shouldn't the velcro be under the saddle so the pillion can sit there?

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/sw-motech-bags-connection-blaze-sport-saddlebag-system-kawasaki-er6n-ninja-650r-09-11

When touring two up better not tell your gf about the expansion zippers or... you know what happens then

[Gweiloman]

I like the Kriega dry-packs- US-10/20/30 all strap together and fit decently on a sportbike.

They have them at Panda at the same price as the States.

http://www.pandarider.com/Panda/Product_Kriega.htm

Yes, the Kriegas are very well made and a pleasure to hold as they are so soft and light. It's fine on a solo ride but what about riding two up? I see no option other than panniers

I did a 8 day tour of the North with my ex-girlfriend using a magnetic tankbag and her wearing a small rucksack. It can be done but we travelled pretty light, but that's part of the fun for me, getting back to basics and all that (I'm office based in BKK so it's a novelty being a shorts and t-shirt guy for a week).

I do find a full tankbag gets in the way when you're in the twisties though, but being unable to split lanes due to panniers would drive me even more mad, plus I really don't like the look of them. I think I'll get one of those Kriegas for solo rides though.

Travelling light, getting back to basics, gf having to make do for 8 days without makeup, other cosmetics, hair dryer, shoes etc etc. No wonder she's now the ex . Just joking.

When I travel 2 up, one of my panniers is pretty much taken up just by the stuff mentioned above. That's why I have panniers, top box and tankbag as well.

Splitting lanes is really only an issue in Bkk. Once out on the highways and twisties, you hardly notice them. A topbox is very useful as it serves as a backrest when the pillion falls asleep

[RubberSideDown]

I don't think there's Velcro facing up- it looks like it's made for the passenger to sit on it. I'd like to read a couple reviews.

[OmegaRacer]

These are nice and actually look decent for a sportbike- about $360 for the ER-6N if you can source them in the States at TwistedThrottle.com:

Yes, these are the bags I was talking about. Made by Bags Connection in Germany and sold by Panda Rider in Bangkok for 10k. Quality looks very good. A friend recommended them.

http://www.pandarider.com/Panda/Product_SW-Bags_KAWASAKI.htm

If you're serious about travelling by bike, good panniers or saddlebags are a must. Of course, if you only ride to the bar and back to show off, you might be led to think they would impede you very masculine juices from flowing. Serious riders know what I'm talking about, though.

[H1w4yR1da]

If you're serious about travelling by bike, good panniers or saddlebags are a must. Of course, if you only ride to the bar and back to show off, you might be led to think they would impede you very masculine juices from flowing. Serious riders know what I'm talking about, though.

Sorry but what complete and utter unadulterated crap. I did a two week tour of northern Thailand with a 35 litre backpack. And down to Sepang MotoGP and back twice with the same.

Now panniers and saddlebags may be useful when touring on a tourer/Hardley with a pillion but good luck getting through any sort of traffic. Hard enough just being on a big bike in traffic, let alone adding extra width.

Here's a recent ride to Khao Yai. My backpack is unusually full as my riding buddy's zip broke on his so I was left carrying his gear also.

Most of the bikes you can see belong to Thai girls. Benellis, er6's, Monster's etc. Thankfully no saddlebags in sight. If Thai girls can tour on big bikes without saddlebags, you can. Then again, maybe not!

And for those who have attached a top box to the back of a sports bike. Be very careful. The structure connecting it to the bike has been known to fail at high speeds causing the top box to fall back between the tail section and the rear wheel. Not a good scenario!!

Suzuki GSX-R1000 L3 182 hp in-line 4 Superbike

Edited June 25, 2014 by H1w4yR1da

[OmegaRacer]

Good on you, macho man.

No wonder you're riding without pillion....with your attitude. I, on the other hand, have a wife I care about, and she needs her stuff. There's no way around it.

So, now...please mind your own business and keep your very vocal but ultimately useless opinions to yourself.

If you can bring anything substantial to the discussion at hand, you're welcome to do so.

So long

[ll2]

These are nice and actually look decent for a sportbike- about $360 for the ER-6N if you can source them in the States at TwistedThrottle.com:

Yes, these are the bags I was talking about. Made by Bags Connection in Germany and sold by Panda Rider in Bangkok for 10k. Quality looks very good. A friend recommended them.

http://www.pandarider.com/Panda/Product_SW-Bags_KAWASAKI.htm

If you're serious about travelling by bike, good panniers or saddlebags are a must. Of course, if you only ride to the bar and back to show off, you might be led to think they would impede you very masculine juices from flowing. Serious riders know what I'm talking about, though.

no, panniers or bags are not necessary all the time for touring. Especially for sport bikes, they mean drag and weight, lets say something that makes the bike slow.

Plus in traffic, they are just a big burden.

I have cowboy style panniers that i had to buy fast for dirt cheap and used it once as i need to carry lots of unnecessary staff to my gf's village as i had no chance of doing a cargo that time due to time constraints. Now, i use it only for extreme situations that i need to carry lots of stuff very very rarely. it is on my wave now.

apart from that, i always tour with a backpack only. If gf is on the back, then a bigger backpack. Travelling light is the key for me especially if it is a sport bike. You dont need much on the roads of hot countries like Thailand and if you need something, you can buy anytime on the roads too.

If you want to carry millions of stuff around, then a truck is better for that. Plus, a rider gf needs to be tamed and instructed and she needs to be aware of the fact that she cannot bring all her jewelry, clothes, five sets of swimsuit and full make up set with 5 bottles of shampoo and whiteners while touring on a bike. If no such gf, then a truck again is better.

Edited June 26, 2014 by ll2

[OmegaRacer]

IIl, I agree with you. I prefer travelling light too.

However, I feel lucky enough to have a wife who enjoys riding with me, and 1 T-shirt is just not enough for 1 week for her (or for me for that matter)

I don't like tank bags for fear of scratching the tank. Maybe those new tank lock mounts eliminate that problem, I don't know.

As with so many things in life, it's a matter of personal necessities and preferences if you want panniers or not.

There are good reasons for having them and there are good reasons not to have them. There's no ground for an argument really.

Belittling people for using them and calling them gay is just childish nonsense imo.

[wantan]

So there are riders who want to carry some things when travelling and others who dont. And?

I often carry a lot of things too, because i use my bike to get to places where i want to do other things than riding. I not only use my bike solely for the fun of riding. E.g. i often carry lots of stuff to Khao Yai for hiking tours. Girls may carry some stuff to have a nice outfit in the evening. And there are some guys who always travel with a complete workshop with them so they can do repairs on their own. I always carry some tools too.

There is nothing wrong with that. Telling others to better use a car instead of just putting some saddlebags/panniers on the bike? Sad biker world nowadays.

[ll2]

IIl, I agree with you. I prefer travelling light too.

However, I feel lucky enough to have a wife who enjoys riding with me, and 1 T-shirt is just not enough for 1 week for her (or for me for that matter)

I don't like tank bags for fear of scratching the tank. Maybe those new tank lock mounts eliminate that problem, I don't know.

As with so many things in life, it's a matter of personal necessities and preferences if you want panniers or not.

There are good reasons for having them and there are good reasons not to have them. There's no ground for an argument really.

Belittling people for using them and calling them gay is just childish nonsense imo.

Sure some riders need panniers. Some like to carry things around like tool sets, pumps etc and i can understand them too. They just want to be prepared for everything which is fine too.

Plus as your case, i totally respect the fact that you want your gf happy. Girls sure dont fancy the idea of riding on the back of a bike - especially thai gfs - and small picks for them at least to carry a lot of their stuff and a set for straightening their helmet hair:lol:

It is just me. I really dont like things making the bike slower and dont want to carry a lot of things around plus packing the bags everyday is also a hassle for me too.

That is why even my gf is around 40 kg specifically:D dont like lots of weight on my bike

I like just to grab my small backpack, put a shirt, couple of underwear and some stuff in it and jump on the bike and leave.

But some like to plan their journey, make their packs ready, like to carry more things and put them in a pannier which i respect as well.

Just different type of riders, different mentality of touring.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited June 26, 2014 by ll2

[BlackArtemis]

I had 21liter givis on my 650r, I maintained 160-180kph for hours on end during my CM to Malacca Malaysia ride.

On my trip down a lot of Thai guys came over to see my panniers because they didn't think you could get them on a Ninja. :shrug:

[Gweiloman]

If you're serious about travelling by bike, good panniers or saddlebags are a must. Of course, if you only ride to the bar and back to show off, you might be led to think they would impede you very masculine juices from flowing. Serious riders know what I'm talking about, though.

Sorry but what complete and utter unadulterated crap. I did a two week tour of northern Thailand with a 35 litre backpack. And down to Sepang MotoGP and back twice with the same.

Now panniers and saddlebags may be useful when touring on a tourer/Hardley with a pillion but good luck getting through any sort of traffic. Hard enough just being on a big bike in traffic, let alone adding extra width.

Here's a recent ride to Khao Yai. My backpack is unusually full as my riding buddy's zip broke on his so I was left carrying his gear also.

Most of the bikes you can see belong to Thai girls. Benellis, er6's, Monster's etc. Thankfully no saddlebags in sight. If Thai girls can tour on big bikes without saddlebags, you can. Then again, maybe not!

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect Thailand1403700333.025716.jpg

And for those who have attached a top box to the back of a sports bike. Be very careful. The structure connecting it to the bike has been known to fail at high speeds causing the top box to fall back between the tail section and the rear wheel. Not a good scenario!!

Suzuki GSX-R1000 L3 182 hp in-line 4 Superbike

A day trip to Khao Yai is very different from a two week ride.

On a couple of recent rides, one with Kawasaki and another time with a group of Ducati riders, it is true that most of the bikes were not sporting panniers / top boxes. But that's because there were support vehicles that also doubled up as luggage vans

Personally, I prefer to have panniers and top box as opposed to wearing a backpack. For me, wearing a backpack feels very restrictive as well as reducing the flow of wind around the body especially when wearing mesh jackets. Furthermore, in the unlikely event of an accident, hard items in the backpack may also cause further injury.

With regards to top boxes falling off, I remember seeing a video on YouTube once but that seemed to be very rare. Otherwise, I'm sure that we would encounter this a lot more. Also, it is normally not recommended to travel beyond 160 kmh when having a top box / panniers attached. 160 kmh on Thai roads is plenty for me when I'm touring. And both my bikes can hit this speed even with a pillion, panniers, top box and tank bag.

Additionally, my Givi panniers have brake and indicator lights installed as well which makes me a lot more visible to other motorists behind me. I reckon that makes me safer on the roads. The only down side is that it makes getting through traffic (Bangkok only) a bit more difficult but that's a relatively small price to pay.

Finally, I think a big bike with panniers / top box looks a lot better when parked next to just a regular sports bike. The image it presents is that the rider is more serious about his / her rides, packs enough to deal with emergencies and is not wearing the same underwear / shorts / T-shirt for a week . It evokes images of saying f*** it to the world, I can just get on my bike and ride anytime I want and to wherever I want to go. I get a lot more looks at PTT stations, more people coming up just to ask a few questions and chat, lots more girls wanting to take pictures with them sitting on the bike etc etc

p/s: of course I would ride with my panniers / top box if I'm just riding down to the neighbourhood bar. That's just daft.

[Gweiloman]

[OmegaRacer]

New bike, new gear.

I'm looking for a new helmet, possibly with the raisable chin part. Budget is around 10k.

I've seen some good looking ones online, but don't know anything about the brands. They are HJC and Shark.

Can anyone report on quality and maybe a good place in Bangkok to get a decent helmet?

Suggestions of other helmets are welcome.

Thank you

[cornishcarlos]

Caberg Duke.. Italian company, good reviews and I might buy one myself.

Sold in Panda Riders for 8000 baht, same cost approx as in Europe.

Best of the flip ups I think

[ll2]

New bike, new gear.

I'm looking for a new helmet, possibly with the raisable chin part. Budget is around 10k.

I've seen some good looking ones online, but don't know anything about the brands. They are HJC and Shark.

Can anyone report on quality and maybe a good place in Bangkok to get a decent helmet?

Suggestions of other helmets are welcome.

Thank you

panda rider sure sorts you out on this.

Nolan might be a good option.

[OmegaRacer]

There are indeed great reviews for this helmet. The price is right, too.

I just hope it won't look too bike on my head.

[cornishcarlos]

20121227_145940 (2).jpg

photo (21).jpg

Think your Ninja looks great with the color coded panniers.

[Wong!]

I got my helmet from Panda - they have a good selection there.

I paid about 12k for an Airoh flip-front helmet, but they're cheaper now.

[OmegaRacer]

Unfortunately both the Caberg Duke helmet and the saddlebags are out of stock until the end of July.

[Gweiloman]

20121227_145940 (2).jpg

photo (21).jpg

Think your Ninja looks great with the color coded panniers.

Thanks. Two problems though. It's only about 28 litres and not regular shaped. Secondly, they cost 1/10th the price of the bl***y bike.

[OmegaRacer]

Got the bike!

On the way home I added almost the same km as it had for the past 5 years.

Also got a helmet from Panda. An Airoh 'Movement' for 7k. Nothing special, but it'll do.

Edited June 29, 2014 by OmegaRacer

[Hili]

OmegaRacer about bags maybe take a look at Kriega Acessories they have a great light system to combine tank bag, rucksack or tail bag. With this system i did a nother loop trip about 12 days - 3k km. I even had my GF as pillon for some time of the trip and she didnt complained that she cant pack some make up stuff

[OmegaRacer]

I saw these bags on Panda's website. I don't really want to put bags on my tank, nor on my back, if possible. Kriega doesn't do saddlebags, or did I miss them?

Tailbags are nice if you ride alone...

I think I'll wait until the Bags Connection bags arrive end of July.

Thanks for the tip though.