2013 Giant Loop

Hi Olaf,

Some quick questions. The Syskiyou looks nice but very expensive. I am still looking at the GB as an alternative.

- Where exactly does the GreatBasin gains volume compared to the previous version?
- Can you provide the dimensions of the new 2013 version compared to the dimensions of the previous version?
Dimensions (fully packed):
55" - bottom of pannier, across top to bottom of other pannier bucket
9" - height of bag in top center
7" - distance from inside to outside of pannier bucket bottom
12" - front to back in top center
- Can you provide the dimension of both the new and old style heat shields?
- Are mounting clamps included with the heat shields product? Old and new style?
- Do you have more picture of the new Great basin mounted on various bikes (especially the exhaust area)?
- Do you have more picture of the new Syskiyou mounted on various bikes (especially the exhaust area)?

Thank you in advance for answering these questions. I think lots of people have interest in both the Syskiyou or the new Great Basin but are still in conflict about which of them to chose.

One last, but important question: when will these products be available at the local dealers in Europe?

Thanks Dan! I included the inner bags to make it a more apples-to-apples comparison of functionality, since we include inner bags that provide the convenience of pulling gear out of the panniers without removing them from the bike - and we're both claiming waterproofness (is that a word?), just achieving the same end via different methods.

I grew up backpacking in the Pacific Northwest. When I started in the late '70s, tubular metal framed packs were the state of the art. In the outdoor industry, the internal frame backpack revolutionized pack design in the mid- to late- '80s. Giant Loop is essentially bring the internal frame design concept to motorcycling - about 20+ years behind the outdoor industry.

Lighter, less vulnerable to breakage, less likely to cause subframe failure, loads positioned closer to the bike's center - it all adds up to a better ride and fewer hassles.

I backpacked in Europe and Asia in 1970 with one of those packs with an aluminum frame and it broke in Turkey and trying to get it fixed was impossible so I hear you on frames and damages.

That's why I'm interested in soft bags instead of Jesse's that I used to own. One low side and major repairs are needed plus the chance of doing damage to your legs with the hard bags.

But at $650 I need to be convinced

So getting back to the backpack theme, they have some kind of internal frame to keep them out of the rear wheel?

What would you recommend for securing the Siskiyou panniers to the bike when eating, at a motel, crossing a border, Etc.

Any answer to the above question?

I don't have enough experience with the 2013 designs yet, to accurately answer these questions, but will in the next couple of days!

FTB,
I agree that a sweet feature of Coyote 1, is its ability to roll down and become lower profile on top, but still carry a load on the sides. I don't think that has been affected with the addition of the beavertail, but haven't played with one yet, to say for sure!

Lakota,
The new Great Basin has a cable lock pass-through for securing the bag.
I will work with the Siskiyous and have a recommendation for securing them, at the up coming Vancouver Bike show, this weekend.

Dan,
Giant Loop designs uses tensioned straps as a key to the "framework" of the bag. The shape of the Siskiyou panniers and the design of their mounting straps allow the bags to be mounted securely against the side panels of the bike.



The Siskiyou's mounting system is a good example of the careful design work, thorough prototyping and effective, long term testing that goes into creating a new Giant Loop product. There are many items to consider when "hanging stuff" off the back of a multi-surface motorcycle and THE big one is keeping that "stuff" out of the back wheel and its undulations, while on rough terrain.

Thanks for the questions! Keep them coming

I've tried to show the GS from the side, I'd like the panniers to mount where the rear seat would go with a duffle like this on top of the straps. Note there isn't any body work like KLR or DR or whatever that would hold the bags away from the tire and exhaust. Would they lean against the passenger foot peg and would that be enough??

Are any of the GL products going to be at the NY international motorcycle show?.. It would help in deciding which setup would work best...

Am using the original heat sheilds which stand off from the exuasts .

How do the new ones mount ? Are there spacers ?

We're heading to Vancouver, BC for the motorcycle show later this week.

This will give us a chance to share a bunch of photos of 2013 bags on bikes, with details to help answer questions.

Heat Shield mounting is identical - stainless steel clamp included:
http://www.giantloopmoto.com/collections/giant-loop-gear-collection/products/hot-springs-heat-shield

2013 Great Basin Saddlebag dimensions are about a 1.75" deeper (measured across top, from front to back). This gives the bag extra volume, but has no effect on how it mounts.

Stay tuned . . . !

The beavertail feature will function almost identically with respect to gathering the top of the bag - and it's even better for load compression than the previous two separate straps.

Plus, all the 2013 bags look BITCHIN'! More refined, finished and detailed.

We are just beginning to get our first production units now. Most of them are heading right out the door to various shows and reviews. By February 1, we should be sending first orders to international distributors worldwide, which means they should be available by mid-February.

Contact your favorite dealer/distributor and ask them to place an order. We're shipping in the order we receive purchase orders.

Hello Mr Giant Loop Person,



I love the product, but do you have a quick disconnect system? My sport saddle bags can but undone with clips and put back on without adjusting it again.

I just don't like adjusting it everytime I put it on.

I remember installing that gray Coyote at Rawhyde, CA!
Thanks for reaching out to us here on the thread, especially with a pic of your bike. I think your request is a perfect one and I have a solution design to test. Can you tell me if you still anchor the bag in the back, by looping the strap under the rack rails? I will PM you some details once I show it to the rest of the boys at GL and they ensure it's dialed.

Edit to add:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=851314

Had a blast up north with OlafofOregon! It was our first time showing the Giant Loop brand together and we supported ADVrider inmate, toowheels, who is our Canadian Distributor. toowheels company is called MotoOverlandDesign, aka MOD or MotoOverland.com.

We showed at the Abbotsford TRADEX building, where the Vancouver Motorcycle show is held. Guys and ladies who attended there saw all kinds of new product shown by MOTO industry manufacturers, including ours. The bustling energy was very exciting since there were many riders seeking dual sport and adventure type bikes, and their accessories.

Our booth had two bikes, one nicely kitted 530 EXC from Colin at MX1canada.com, sporting Mitas Tires, and the other was toowheels's daily driver, a F800GS mounted with MOD skid, MOD skid mount tool box, MOD back rack and an MOD big kickstand foot. We had our new Siskiyou panniers and a Fandango on the F800 and on the EXC wore a Coyote, sporting its new QD Cinch ring and Beavertail, stuffed with Dry Pods. We strapped the ZigZag on the EXC handle bars and it looked ready to carry important small items.

We had lots of folks very interested in the new features offered by the GL13 lineup, since they had such success with their older Giant Loop saddlebag. In fact, I received a load of ride photos and footage from "Kiwi Dave" and his guys, that bushwacked across the MacKenzie Trail, using GL Coyote and Mojavi to pack their loads! An awesome story to share...

More later!

Thank you for the reply. However can you answer the direct question I asked above: " With the new modification of the Beavertail is there less compression available in the straps before the straps bottom out?" as that is a concern of mine. If there is less can you provide a ballpark answer as to how much less? "BITCHIN looking" is not a concern of mine. Again, thank you for your time.

The answer to this question is yes. On a GL13 Coyote with Beavertail, the QD Cinch Ring straps bottom out before the Beavertail is cinched completely tight, on top of an empty Coyote. The Beavertail and Cinch Ring together, are as long/longer as the base of the Coyote, to begin with, now add to that the length of the QD buckles.

The quick access convenience of QD Cinch Ring straps and additional stowage/load control benefits of the Beavertail, greatly out weigh the loss of using the Cinch straps to secure an empty top roll. I always carry a couple extra cam buckle straps in my kit and use the short one to compress the rolled top of my empty Coyote. Now, with the new QD Cinch Ring straps and Beavertail, I will use the Beavertail to roll up the empty top, Cinch Ring, QD buckles and untensioned straps, looping my spare strap under the base and over the top of the Beavertail, then cinch it down to its self. Should be a perfectly secure package, as usual.

Hey team ftb,

Now that I have a sample of the 2013 gear I can hopefully help answer your question.

As snowhawk jockey said there is not quite as much compression available. However on playing with different configurations I've found that by sliding the buckles up to the top of the ring and moving the new keeper straps out from between the buckles and bag at the bottom you can get it down to about 3". By folding over the top and clipping it down as you have done it looks like it works well.

I *think* this will still work for you but as suggested you may want to use another strap to fully compress it if needed. The QR buckles on the other hand will make getting in and out of the bag MUCH easier! You also now have an external area under the beavertail to stash a jacket or the like.

I have a 2013 Coyote sample now so if you have more questions...ask away!

Thanks,

Dave

Thanks for getting FTB some additional details on the GL13 Coyote.
Getting enough time to figure out all the ways the 2013 design features work is a big priority for me. Need to retain my own sample to play with, so you know where I am stopping this afternoon!

sweet! got a back image so we can see how it attaches to pipe or bike???

OK, so a technical question here...

The site states the saddle bags are adjustable for width:

"Adjustable width fits bikes without — and with — luggage racks"

What's the range of adjustability? Here's my KTM.



I've got racks, and have Rotopax storage cases on each side of the bike (tools, emergency supplies/first aid, air pump, tubes, etc. in them). The total width I have back there is 25 5/8 inches, which needs to be spanned. Can the pannier bags handle a span that wide?

(Yes, I realize this makes the rear of the bike wide for trail riding. But it's no wider than my FJR with saddle bags...not that I offroad THAT bike... )