Hard vs soft luggages for long trips

[milton]

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I'm going to ride 2-up, so the "middle part" of the GDW soft bags between the 2 bags could be a problem for the pillion (not really comfortable for a long trip), I already sent a PM to Milton to ask his detailed thoughts about those bags, as he used them for his last trip.

Hi Fred,

Apologize for this late reply to your PM. I actually had answered part of your question at this thread:
http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...ll=1#post34096

I might add a few things:
1. I have never taken any trip with a pillion. However, the GDW saddlebags sit quite flat on the backseat and look ok to sit on.
2. They are close to 100% waterproof if you keep all the covers on tight.
3. They are quite durable. Some grueling part of my trip and a getoff did not damage them a bit.
4. I still haven't figured out how to attach them firmly to my bike yet. I just threw them on and rely on their weight to keep them in place. If you remember the last part of my RR, they did come off and took me a while to recover them. However, this can be remedied by installing a top box on the back.
5. Although it's easy to take them on and off the bike, you do need to keep them in sight to avoid petty theft, which may not always be possible.

They are good saddlebags and can go the distance.