Kriega USA Luggage Q&A

[amanlikemike]

Originally Posted by Av8rPaul

Subscribing to this thread. I've had many varieties of bags over the years and had thought the perfect solution to all my needs were the Gobi's I had on my '04 950 Adventure. I love the function and capacity but after reading about the Overlander 60 setup I find that when I pick up another KTM to replace the '04 that this is going to be at the top of the list for my back country adventure kit! This Kriega stuff rocks!

Thanks for subscribing, fella!

It's always great to have gentlemen of impeccable taste, such as your good self, on-board.

Let me know if I can be of assistance at any point.


Cheers,



Michael

[team ftb]

Originally Posted by team ftb

Gents some great posts containing insightful informstion.

Traveltoad - Nice post. Yes the idea of the Overlander carrying its wieght below seat hieght is certainly nice in terms of bike handling and ergonomics, and one of the main reasons I'm looking at this set-up (in addition to its waterproofness). Issue is most of the pics I see of the Kriega have the bag corners jutting above the seat, which from a weight carrying ability do not bother me. However from a comfort point of view is distressing a bit as my arse shall be at that point on any tarmac.

You asked me " In many of your photos it looked like the opper portion of the Coyote was just not used, maybe to keep the seat clear? " Haha. No I've been guilty of loading the Coyote to the gills.



However the more years under my belt doing long distance offroading the more I have learnt to pare down what is brought along. The above was in '09 on a month long trip, camping etc. Lucky its mild temps over here generally so I can get away with a lot less clothes than most climates. Also now I'm learning to carry a bit less.

This year on a 3 week trip with same basic gear and conditions. Not much over seat hieght, learning to get by with less.





Droptarotter - Your post is th first I've seen with the bags mounted far enough back to get the darn strap near enough out of the way. Nice job!! In reference to my comments above to Traveltoad would it be possible to lower the bags to where the top corners are positioned below seat hieght? Would this induce interference anywhere on your 520?

In the second pics you have with the bag on the rear fender it makes it look as though the rear strap over the seat has crept forward two inches on the seat. Is that an optical illusion of did it indeed shift?

-----------------------------------

My experience of the Dirt Bagz with their two, 2" straps supporting the weight of the bag and the Coyote where the full weight of the bag is supported by the whole bag slung over the bike leads me to my next question. The Overlander 30 bag is supported by one inch straps with what it looks like a good bit of tension on the over the seat strap. This raises a bit of concern in my eyes of the bag overstresing the seams at the corner (look at Droptarotters close up pic) and tearing away at the top corner. Since these bags have not been out for long, nor sadly have they been reviewed (by a 3rd party)after thorough long term testing (not Kreigas fault as its a new product) its difficult to triangulate on this bags long term reliability with this seam in the real world of thrashing about offroad. Mike if you can enlighten me on why I should not be concerned with this point I would be greatful as I have seen many bags pull away from their over the seat straps and had to repair in the field..

I'm just a consumer looking to make informed decisions, nothing more. Please don't regard my posts as nitpicking Kreigas products. I can read all the flowery hype about Kreiga products anyplace, however in my eyes I've found many flaws and missed points in products that I have read gushing reviews, including on this forum, and just looking to address any potential issues that raise concern with me. The Kriega products I have sampled have all been wonderfully stitched and manufactured, and only some design issues have kept me from more of their products. Just looking to gain insight on the Overlander 30 as I have a need for luggage again at this point.

I'll also be looking for a larger hydration pack so will be checking out Kreigas options as well.

As always thanks to the posters as you inmates are a great wealth of info.

Originally Posted by amanlikemike

I understand your concerns, but there no need to worry about that happening. This is where the Kriega difference come in to play! Instead of the straps being simply stitched on to the bag, like most other conventional panniers out there, the strap system is bolted onto the back of the bag, via stainless eyelets and fasteners. The back of the bags are heavily reinforced and can handle the tension easily. This arrangement also allows the bags to pivot so there is not torsional stress on any part / seam / material at any time. Like this (set in the background is the 30 - the 60 is in the foreground):



Plus, we have a 10-year warranty against that type of nonsense any way!



No worries, mate. I totally get where you're coming from and it makes sense to do as much research as possible on important equipment which - if it's not up to scratch - has the potential to life on the bike much more difficult than it should be. Kriega gear isn't for everyone, but those that do have it seem pretty happy with their choice. Sure, certain products may not be considered perfect by some, which is probably due to it being impossible to please all of the people all of the time. But - in the case of the Overlander 30 - it is pretty darn close to its brief, which was to offer high quality, lightweight, adjustable, reliable, effective and easy-to-use, off-road cargo carrying capacity to as wide a range of Enduro stye bikes and riders as possible, with the pros dramatically outweighing any potential cons.

And speaking of the Hydro-3... you should have a far easier time of it when deciding whether or not to get one. That product right there is one of those rare, rare breeds, so far head of the competition that it's a bona fide no-brainer!

Cool pics, by the way!


Cheers,



Michael

Thank you Michael for clearing my concerns on the strap attachment, that rotating strap capability alleviates a lot of directional stress on the strap. Nice stuff.

I've been pondering the idea of doing away with the overseat buckle itself and replace it w/3 inch velcro for adjsutment. The pull of the bags on the Velcro will be from a direction that the Velcro will be at its strongest.......just not sure if it will be strong enough. Traveltoad mentioned once I get the bags set-up and adjusted to where I need I may be able to get away with plain strap and no adjustment. Hmmmm. Now would no adjustment work at this point if set-up for one bike only once dialed in?? Can solely relying on the rear fender mount adjusmtent be enough with this system if used on one bike?? Or is this adjustment needed to secure the bags onto the bike at all times?

Of course Droptarotters post has them mounted far enough back that the strap should(?) be out of the way enough. When you get them loaded and riding around offroad Droptarotter give us some feedback on the new location.

Thanks guys.

[Droptarotter]

ftb;

I'll set mine up, remove them by only undoing the rear straps............then see if I can remount them by only adjusting the rear straps. That might let you know if a non adjustable over the seat strap will work for you.

I won't be able to give a full report for a couple of months.........first ride might be to Death Valley at the end of March??

Cheers

[traveltoad]

Originally Posted by Droptarotter

I won't be able to give a full report for a couple of months.........first ride might be to Death Valley at the end of March??

Cheers

Should be a bunch of Kriega stuff there...

[amanlikemike]

Originally Posted by team ftb

Thank you Michael for clearing my concerns on the strap attachment, that rotating strap capability alleviates a lot of directional stress on the strap. Nice stuff.

I've been pondering the idea of doing away with the overseat buckle itself and replace it w/3 inch velcro for adjsutment. The pull of the bags on the Velcro will be from a direction that the Velcro will be at its strongest.......just not sure if it will be strong enough. Traveltoad mentioned once I get the bags set-up and adjusted to where I need I may be able to get away with plain strap and no adjustment. Hmmmm. Now would no adjustment work at this point if set-up for one bike only once dialed in?? Can solely relying on the rear fender mount adjusmtent be enough with this system if used on one bike?? Or is this adjustment needed to secure the bags onto the bike at all times?

Of course Droptarotters post has them mounted far enough back that the strap should(?) be out of the way enough. When you get them loaded and riding around offroad Droptarotter give us some feedback on the new location.

Thanks guys.

I can't see any immediate issue with switching out the cam strap for a set length of webbing (which I can send you), once you've got the system set perfectly for the one bike it'll be used on. To do this, it would just be a case of removing the fasteners on the two-part cam strap, folding over the ends of the webbing to 4 x thickness and punching in the appropriately sized stainless eyelets. Then just refit the fasteners and you should be good to go.

The only question mark I have at this stage is to whether this will affect the rider's ability to adjust the pack position based on different loads. Dropatrotter's experiment should definitely shed more light on it and I'll be doing something similar next week, when my bike arrives. I'll probably even take it a step further and knock up a set strap just to know for sure.


Cheers,



Michael

[traveltoad]

Originally Posted by amanlikemike

I can't see any immediate issue with switching out the cam strap for a set length of webbing (which I can send you), once you've got the system set perfectly for the one bike it'll be used on. To do this, it would just be a case of removing the fasteners on the two-part cam strap, folding over the ends of the webbing to 4 x thickness and punching in the appropriately sized stainless eyelets. Then just refit the fasteners and you should be good to go.

The only question mark I have at this stage is to whether this will affect the rider's ability to adjust the pack position based on different loads. Dropatrotter's experiment should definitely shed more light on it and I'll be doing something similar next week, when my bike arrives. I'll probably even take it a step further and knock up a set strap just to know for sure.


Cheers,




Michael

Might be able to punch a few wholes (like a belt) to give a few choices. It wouldn't be quite as quick and easy to adjust... but would keep some of the adjustability.

Another idea... What about taking something like a Rok Strap and using that for the over the seat piece?

BTW... I sometimes sit way back on the seat and I do'nt find the cam to cause nearly as much pain as the seat itself...

[chief_lee_visceral]

Originally Posted by pinevalley

For FTB...

Hopefully these photos with answer some of your questions:

Bag mounted forward...one side


Closeup of the same side


oposite side


another view


top view


Now bag(s) moved towards the rear of the bike...side shot


top view (towards the rear)


I'm sure you could move this further back if needed. My goal is to keep the height of the bag close to the height of the seat. For reference - I had the edge of the GL bag just cover the Berg logo on the seat.

Some details of the waterproof liner:


Velcro detached showing access


Same system as US-5


mounting points for reference (I had the camera out...might as well)


Shot of the back (have not ridden off road with the tool tube, but Cyborg has had great results)


Photo showing how I utilized the other tie down to strap stuff to the back (figure-9 and some rope). My last trip I used this to strap down a ground tarp, trash and the US-5 (before I bolted it to the bike).


The end...hope that helps

pinevalley

Nice and that's my bike as well. So it looks like you do not have the auxillary 70 degree tank correct? Sno Ho as in Snohomish? I have a GL setup now but I like this and could see me changing.

[amanlikemike]

Worth a watch for various reasons:

[amanlikemike]

Originally Posted by traveltoad

Might be able to punch a few wholes (like a belt) to give a few choices. It wouldn't be quite as quick and easy to adjust... but would keep some of the adjustability.

Another idea... What about taking something like a Rok Strap and using that for the over the seat piece?

BTW... I sometimes sit way back on the seat and I do'nt find the cam to cause nearly as much pain as the seat itself...

The 'belt' ideas not bad either. However, I'm going to have to step back from the product development discussion until I've spoke with Dom. I know and understand the gear very well, but I didn't design it, so can't speak with complete authority and don't want to be giving bad advice.

Dom is currently curled up nursing a set of crushed nuts after a surprise bike / bollock interface, so I'm not going to hassle him too much.


Cheers,



Michael

[amanlikemike]

Tremendous photograph from AntiHero's epic RR, Coast to Coast (and back?) with an Italian Supermodel.



This shot appears on page 86, towards the end of his odyssey. You can jump around from page to page and still get a lot out of it, but it's definitely worth starting at the beginning.

Arguably one of the finest RRs written.

[team ftb]

Originally Posted by Droptarotter

ftb;

I'll set mine up, remove them by only undoing the rear straps............then see if I can remount them by only adjusting the rear straps. That might let you know if a non adjustable over the seat strap will work for you.

I won't be able to give a full report for a couple of months.........first ride might be to Death Valley at the end of March??

Cheers

That would be very insightful to see how critical the over the seat strap is in the system. I understand the adjustable seat strap need for different bikes but I'm willing to do without the buckle if the system mounts can work just as well without it, if Overlander 30 is only utilized on one bike model. Thank you Droptarotter. A round of beers on me if you ever get to the LA area while I'm there (Mar - May)

[Droptarotter]

Originally Posted by team ftb

That would be very insightful to see how critical the over the seat strap is in the system. I understand the adjustable seat strap need for different bikes but I'm willing to do without the buckle if the system mounts can work just as well without it, if Overlander 30 is only utilized on one bike model. Thank you Droptarotter. A round of beers on me if you ever get to the LA area while I'm there (Mar - May)

Tomorrow I will set the OL30 up on my 520......remove and reinstall................then I will try and mount it on my 640 without moving the overseat strap and see how it works.

One nice thing...........it doesn't take long for the experiments...........takes longer to stuff the bags full of towels than to mount them.

Beer sounds good.......come up to BC if you like ftb!!

Cheers

[team ftb]

Originally Posted by amanlikemike

I can't see any immediate issue with switching out the cam strap for a set length of webbing (which I can send you), once you've got the system set perfectly for the one bike it'll be used on. To do this, it would just be a case of removing the fasteners on the two-part cam strap, folding over the ends of the webbing to 4 x thickness and punching in the appropriately sized stainless eyelets. Then just refit the fasteners and you should be good to go.

The only question mark I have at this stage is to whether this will affect the rider's ability to adjust the pack position based on different loads. Dropatrotter's experiment should definitely shed more light on it and I'll be doing something similar next week, when my bike arrives. I'll probably even take it a step further and knock up a set strap just to know for sure.\\

Curious to hear what Dorns thoughts on the subject of removing the buckle. Once he's finished playing with his purple nuts maybe he can provide you some insight, haha

Curious to hear what Dorn has to say about this.


Cheers,



Michael

The point about adjusting the pack at different load levels is key. If it can't be done, then going down this path is a waste of time.

Thanks for the offer of webbing. I was just going to remove the over the seat cam buckle and then use bar tack stitching (used for climbing gear) to simply sew the 3 inch wide (either webbing or Velcro) to the one inch wide standard Kriega webbing. Curious to see what the experiments produce when you get your bike next week. I'm sure you've been rubbing your hands together in eager anticipation.

[team ftb]

Originally Posted by Droptarotter

Tomorrow I will set the OL30 up on my 520......remove and reinstall................then I will try and mount it on my 640 without moving the over seat strap and see how it works.

One nice thing...........it doesn't take long for the experiments...........takes longer to stuff the bags full of towels than to mount them.

Beer sounds good.......come up to BC if you like ftb!!

Cheers

Actually no need to transfer it from the 520 to 640 as they are different bikes. How about just getting them set-up on the 520 then removing them and reinstalling them on the 520 without touching the over the seat buckle? Maybe then pull few towels out and try it again on the 520 with less of a load to verify if the adjustment with the seat buckle is required for a tightly fastened system. and while you;re at it i have a house that needs cleaning and some tires changed on my bike.

Hell mate I second the idea of commission checks to ya, haha.

[Droptarotter]

What have I got myself into????

Yeah, I'll only play on the 520 and let you know how that works out.

I don't mind changing tires on your bike as I have a nice No Mar machine at home........bring beer.......lots......

As for cleaning your house.........forget it...........but you have reminded me my toilet in the shop needs cleaning!



Cheers