Moto-Sport Pannier Dirt-Bagz
Moto-Sport Pannier Dirt-Bagz
CW EVALUATION
Off-road luggage done light
The word "pannier," unspoken among off-road riders and seldom used by the dual-purpose crowd, is generally defined as a big, bulky way to overload your dirtbike so that it can’t possibly be used in the manner for which it was originally intended.
Thank goodness “Dirt-Bagz” is a little easier to swallow.
These are universal, 1000-denier cordura-nylon saddlebags, real luggage for real off-road riders. Each bag measures 13x12x6 inches, for a combined 23 liters of storage. Side pockets supplement the main compartments, all with covered zippered closures. To help maintain the bags’ shape, the panels closest to the bike are reinforced with sheets of plastic. A kevlar patch on the muffler side minimizes heat transfer. The bags fit a selection of popular dirtbikes and dual-purpose machines using model-specific powdercoated tubularsteel mounting brackets.
On a Suzuki DR-Z400S, installation took 10 minutes. The bags slide over the mounts and clip onto hooks. On and off in less than 30 seconds! The entire setup weighs less than 5 pounds.
Neat thing is, you don’t notice the bags-or their mounts-while riding. When the bags are filled to capacity, you have to swing your leg a bit farther when getting on or off the bike, but that’s to be expected. Initially, we were leery about over-stuffing the bags. As we gained confidence in the design, however, we packed them as full as the zippers would allow.
The manufacturer recommends a maximum of 6 pounds per bag.
Packing carefully, you can get a few days’ worth of clothes-or be more than prepared for anything you might encounter on an average day-long trail ride-into the bags. Prior to one ride, we wrap ped a load of tacos, burritos and quesadillas in aluminum foil, positioned it up high on the muffler-side bag and were later treated to a warm lunch!
DETAILS
Moto-Sport Panniers 1153 Bergen Pkwy. #M219 Evergreen, CO 80439 303/679-9316 www.dirt-bagz.com Price..........$200
Ups A Function without flash A Lightweight, barely noticeable while riding A Dufflebag also available
Downs ▼ Good, not great capacity ▼ Fragile goods not protected in tip-overs
Moto-Sport says the coated cordura is water-resistant, but water will likely eventually get past the zippers. While we didn’t encounter any downpours, the bags survived stream crossings with flying colors.
We did experience one problem: One of the front clips untied itself, allowing its bag to flop around. The trailside fix was to simply re-tie the strap to the mount, and we haven’t touched it since. The clips have since been upgraded. The only other thing worth noting is that the bags don’t like small, heavy items flying around loose. But what saddlebags do?
Priced at $200, Dirt-Bagz are a bargain. They’re simple, easy to install, as refined as one could expect from a set of soft saddlebags and really add to a D-P bike’s usability. And they sure beat the heck out of a backpack!
