Honda Panniers ???

Hi Jim. There's a thread somewhere on this forum where there are quite a few opinions expressed on both the OEM panniers and the plethora of alternatives.

I'm wondering which panniers to get too and broadly speaking my requirements are similar to yours.

From what I've read the OEM panniers do the job ok - touring and low-level off-road.

So I'll probably get some along with the inner bags.

If I ever get to the off-road riding level that some of the others are at I would probably change to racks and soft luggage. But to be honest I'm more likely to get a smaller bike for that sort of thing as I'm not the strongest person on Earth and don't really fancy heaving an AT about in extreme off-road situations.

Negatives I've heard are:

- fiddly locks
- panniers easily dislodged in low-speed drops
- side opening
- flimsy

The last point about flimsy doesn't concern me too much - I'm sure they are fit for purpose and who wants any more weight than necessary added to the AT - it's already too heavy.

The top-box is flimsiest of all though and, IMHO it looks a lot less attractive than almost anything I've ever seen. And it feels really cheap too. So I wouldn't get one of those. But, again, I'm sure it does the job and beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder.

I have a set of Honda panniers. I think they're good.

The panniers are watertight, rugged enough, light enough and large enough (for me). They're also neat - no need for any king of framework.

They mount quickly and easily. I can't imagine them ever coming off accidentally, owing to the way they mount. When removed, they bike is left "as it should be".

The locks are not fiddly. They share the ignition key - which is a bonus.

Side opening panniers are more of a pain, but I have the liner bags. These are well made, Honda branded bags which fit well. Load them up and carry them to/from the bike. Particularly useful when you find yourself on a ferry. Without them, you'd be carrying lumpy panniers upstairs, trying not to destroy doors, walls, etc, with them.

I think the Honda panniers are good. Horses for courses - I'd not be buying them for serious off-roading. But, let's be honest, how many of us will go off-road without them, let alone with them.

The Honda top-box (on the other hand) is a different story. In my experience it's ill fitting and I struggled with the lock. I bought a Givi Outback Trekker. The way I use the bike, the topbox is used regularly so need to be top-drawer. The panniers make an appearance 4/5 times each year for trips, so are less of an issue.

Happy to answer any other questions......

Ti04 said:

FullThrottle, thanks for the link. That thread has a bunch of good info about many of the available panniers. Nothing like first hand information.

BenB, you confirmed what I was thinking. I will go with the Honda panniers and if needed I'll get the top plate for a Givi top box I already have. I like the narrow profile and not having brackets sticking out when they are removed. If I do decide to upgrade later I think I will go with SW-Motech quick release racks, of course by then some other companies will have something similar.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't call 97 cm a narrow profile if you have to filter through traffic. Regarding durability, I've already read of two guys on Facebook who've had their attachment hooks snap off.






Givi is coming out with quick release monokey racks this month.