Soft panniers

[EdSpur]

Anyone have any experience/knowledge of these?

Don't want to spend more that I have to so have been looking at Oxford "First Time" and Buffalo "Getaway":
Buffalo Getway
Oxford First Time

Anyone know any important differences? Is one better than the other? Any alternatives?

Secondly, is getting cheap ones a false economy? Why are these ones half the price of others?
(For example)
Are they poor quality and will fall apart?

Any advice appreciated. Will only be used for occasional (every 6 weeks or so) weekends away up north so not wanting to spend budles of cash on a whole hard luggage system.
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CBT - 05/05/07. DAS - 07/01/08. Previous: CG125 Current: CB500. Both black!

[olionel]

get second hand ones from ebay... Ive recently bought oxford humpback panniers for £42 off ebay. They are spottles and still smell new
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1989 CG125 - Childhood Sweetheart (she got kidnapped by baddies)
1998 ZXR400 - Teenage Love (lasted three years, then she turned lesbian and left me)
2001 XRV750 - Wife Material (still getting to know her but head over heels in love)

[truslack]

I have 2 gas mask bags draped over the fuel tank, they're good for spanners and quickly shoving stuff in, but I prefer the hard panniers.
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Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[TheDonUK]

I dont think i have Buffalo Getaway's but they are definately Buffalo soft panniers that look very similar to yours, Have been touring all over UK/Europe with them on various bikes... Good panniers, just make sure you put all yours clothes inside bin bags then in the pannier and you will be laughing when it rains..

[ncrn]

Oxford panniers are brilliant, I got a set and they have plenty of securing points so you can fit them no matter the load stably, also you can fit a fair amount in them which is handy. I've managed to fit a weeks worth of clothes into them (with trainers), so they can pack a fair bit.

I'd say get some oxford's off of ebay for cheap ^^.
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Past: 55 Sym Jet, 91 ZZR250, 03 NSR125R. Present: 97 ER-5.
https://www.nsr125.co.uk - NSR Owners forum.

[_Will_]

Got oxford first time ones, good set.
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[Itchy]

My Buffalos look exactly the same as yours but are bigger,

the problem i have with them is they don't fit under the seat all the straps on the CBR unless you put then really far foward, and on the NTV only the velcro straps will fit under your seat.

Also the expansion system is a bit iffy , it works yes and can be over filled BUT you are forever mistaking the expansion zip with the main recessed zip.

The water proof covers are a tad antqiue though and flap in the wind sucking up MPG and if you don't put them on perfectly have pools of water in the bottom, treat them with thompson's water seal or fabrisil (thompsons stinks for weeks though).
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[mistergixer]

I have the Oxford Humpback panniers and tailpack/tankbag. On the whole not that bad, but the waterproof covers are a bit ghey (can't they just make the bag waterproof?)and one of the covers blew of one of the panniers -albeit at a fairly high cruising speed, i was 'sports-touring' after all.
With typical biker innovation, i quickly fabricated a replacement out of a bin liner and some bungee cords, which worked well. Now i just put everything inside a bin liner and dispense with the rain covers.
Anyway, i think it's time to post a pic (in the traditional photowhoring manner of a gixer owner):
https://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj243/Andy_B_photos/TheGreatEscape226.jpg

And another one of two lovely Gixers nestling side by side. The owner of the other Gixer had a pair of Oxford panniers (a larger, non-humpback style) and he had real trouble getting them secure and still leave the pillion seat clear for his missus. One of the panniers drooped onto the exhaust and melted a whole load of molten plasticy gloop over the contents of the pannier - which just happened to be all his bird's stuff, and she went just a tiny bit mental as a consequence. We cured the droop with cunning application of more bungee cords, but it meant she had to sit on top of a load of bungee cord, which couldn't have been that comfortable. Anyway, onto the pic:
https://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj243/Andy_B_photos/TheGreatEscape145.jpg
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[Whosthedaddy]

[Paivi]

I've got the Oxford Sports expandable ones, and they're great. A bit of a pain to put on the bike on your own, but doable. They're crash proof, too.
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My other bike's a Monster...

[Mudskipper]

I've used Oxford Sports, Buffalo and currently Oxford First Time.

All fine when used in conjunction with a handful of bungees.
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CBR125|||GSXR400|||CBR400|||CBR400|||CB250RS|||GSXR750|||CB250RS
"You're clumsy, you eat too much and you behave like a 12 year old boy. But you know what? Every once in a while, you find a thumb."

[truslack]

[EdSpur]

Thanks for your thoughts guys.

Conclusion seems to be the cheap ones should be fine for me but should be used in conjunction with bin bags and extra bungees!

Nice one, question answered.

Cheers!
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CBT - 05/05/07. DAS - 07/01/08. Previous: CG125 Current: CB500. Both black!

[Paivi]

Forget the bin bags, you will still get water inside them, and then they start to sag and touch your pipes...

Wrap everything inside in see-through freezer bags to keep them dry and save on space (as you can squeeze the air out).
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My other bike's a Monster...

[Smousie]

I need some panniers too (sorry to hijack the thread). I need to carry my shopping home from Sainsbos, and I also frequently have to bring piles of paperwork home from work, and there's only so much you can fit in a backpack! The panniers posted above don't look very big...can you fit much in them? How much stuff could I realistically fit in two panniers, a backpack and a tank bag?
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Time is an illusion; lunchtime doubly so.

[theopj]

Take a look on here - tell you all the different sizes for quite alot of them.

https://www.motorbikesandparts.co.uk/index.php?cPath=13_137&osCsid=e1f27db21bd05cb3d7923bd8f2e36803
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Suzuki Bandit SA 1250 & Honda CB750F2T

[Itchy]

[dave1rs]

sorry to hijack here...but may save me a for sale advert,i have a pair of humpback panniers and tailpack im getting rid of...pm if interested.

[TheDonUK]

[Mudskipper]

[Paivi]

[TheDonUK]

Fair enough the post by paivi makes a bit more sense now , couldent have anyone knocking the trusty binbag now could i...

binbags (on the outside) + hot exhaust = melted on mess

[mistergixer]

[EdSpur]

[kawashima]

I'm not sure if I can call this "soft" pannier, but I have this one.
https://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b295/kawashima_/softpannier-2.jpg