Riding on two wheels will always feel more exhilarating than when driving a car. It’s not that cars aren’t fun to drive, motorcycles give you a different sense of freedom. That’s especially the case when you go on long-distance trips as you get to enjoy the vast scenic routes that go through nature and urban areas as well as the light breeze hitting your face.
Covering lots of miles with a motorcycle is not as easy as it sounds but it definitely is a more rewarding task than when you do so with a car. You get to pay less for fuel as well as for accessories. You shouldn’t go unprepared especially not without panniers.
Types of Panniers
Hard
Panniers are a type of luggage accessory that fits on either side behind the seat where a sissy bar would be. Hard panniers are the best when it comes to protecting whatever is inside them. A hard motorcycle luggage pannier rack in Australia is best for when you want to keep both water and dust from entering the pannier.
Soft
If you want a type of pannier that is more versatile you should go for a soft pannier. Soft panniers are still able to keep the items in them safe from the elements but they are certainly not waterproof. Sharp objects can definitely penetrate through more easily but the panniers are not as bulky and certainly not as heavy.
Semi-Rigid
If you want to have the best of both worlds, you should go for a semi-rigid motorcycle pannier. These panniers are tougher than soft panniers but not as costly as hard panniers. Semi-rigid panniers are still able to provide protection in a crash while being easy to mount and remove from your motorbike.
What Matters in a Motorcycle Pannier
Weight
Adding weight at the back of your motorcycle is definitely a good thing as it helps improve traction but it shouldn’t be too much as it can be cumbersome on hills. Keep in mind though that a heavier motorcycle pannier rack is not going to always be a better one but it usually makes for a longer-lasting solution.
Capacity
What affects the loading capacity is both the weight and size of the panniers. The larger they are the more they can fit but typically the more they weigh too especially if they are hard panniers. A balance between capacity and added weight is key here.
Protection
As you already know heavier panniers are able to protect your items better but they also affect your ride quite a bit more than their less rigid counterparts. Again, you can’t have it both ways but what you can do instead is to get a pannier that is the most adequate to you. Just go for whatever you favour more in this case.
Installation
An easy-to-install pannier rack for a motorcycle will make a night and day difference as you won’t have to fiddle around as much when you stop for the night. Keep in mind that easy installation doesn’t mean a pannier that won’t fly off at higher speeds. A secure pannier is more important than one that’s easy to install.
Placement
Your new pannier rack for a motorcycle should be able to fit exactly on your motorcycle and the height of it should make the pannier itself sit high up. In fact, the lower the pannier sits the better as this way your motorcycle has a lower centre of gravity and a more stable ride.
Edges
The pannier itself should be safe in case you bump into it. This is why its edges should be made of either rubber or soft plastic. Rubber edges are not going to hurt as much but they will certainly wear out easier than soft plastic edges would.
Pannier Rack Materials
Stainless Steel
The most commonly used motorcycle luggage rack in Australia is made of stainless steel. That’s mainly because stainless steel is both strong and has excellent anti-corrosive properties. It’s the most long-lasting material you can have a motorcycle pannier rack be made of and you don’t even have to do lots of maintenance on your part to keep it that way either.
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel is not a bad option for pannier racks but it’s definitely not what you get with stainless steel ones. Carbon steel still makes for strong racks and it can last a decent amount of time when exposed to the elements but don’t expect anything major from it. What you can expect though is a lower price tag.
Aluminium
Aluminium racks are another great alternative to stainless steel racks. This type of pannier rack for a motorcycle is considerably lighter and has as good anti-corrosive properties as a stainless steel rack does. Keep in mind though that aluminium racks are not as tough and can bend more easily but can be bent into shape quite easily too.
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