My opinion on soft bags versus hard cases for motorcycle luggage options. Dave kept his hard cases on for this leg. Being a guy who greatly dislikes farkeling, we’ll see what he thinks when he straps some soft bags on in the fall.
Hard case pros:
– help keep bike off legs in the event of dropping bike. Which never happens.
– provide better leverage angle for lifting bike off the ground. In the event of dropping bike. Which never happens.
– are waterproof and theft-proof when locked
– farkle-less; easy to get in and out of
– great for showcasing bragging stickers of all places you and bike have been
– make a good table or seat
Hard case cons:
– dented cases can mean permanent reduction in volume and a lid that doesn’t close properly, thus the waterproof pro goes out the window
– heavy!
– if they hit you in the back of the leg and/or achilles tendon it hurts at best or maims you for life at worst
– can smoke obstacles with a ton of force and break things
Soft bag pros:
– lighter in weight
– soft enough to graze most obstacles without too much force
– looks way cooler (if you keep the straps tight and tied back, otherwise you look like a flap-happy dork on the road/track/trail/trapeze line)
– with proper strap expertise, bags can shrink or expand in volume according to gear inside
Soft bag cons:
– too soft and may crush contents in cases of bike dropping
– easy to hack into given more than 30 seconds
– extra weight and cost in buying cables to lock around bags to prevent aforementioned hacking
– farkeling nightmare; so many straps and buckles! I just want my flip flops but… they’re under… three rolls of fabric and five buckles!
– need dry bags inside to waterproof. Mine came with pods
– outer fabric can be trashed easily if bike goes down. Which as you’ll remember, never happens.
THESE ARE DIFFICULT CHOICES FOR THE TIMES. MY UROLOGIST HAS DISCUSSED THE IDEA OF IMPLANTATION…THIS WOULD BE THE “HARD CHOICE” OPTION. I’M SURE YOU WILL WORK OUT YOUR OWN ISSUES. CALL ME AS NEEDED. HAPPY TRAVELS! YEAH! RAY
Soft bags have a tendency to break your leg in a crash (found out the hard way )
Much safer in Latin America where taxi drivers like to push you out of your lane
Good points! Sorry about your leg 🙁
I prefer to travel light but I’d go for the hard case this time. I like its theft-proof qualities since it gives me an assurance that my things are safe whenever I am not around and I leave my bike outside.
Thanks for the input Ryder!
I like hard bags for reasons above but also for safety. I was hit two weekends ago by an out of control pickup truck. I was almost off the road when my left pannier was crushed by the back end of the truck swinging around. If it weren’t for the strong build of the Happy Trails Panniers my passenger’s leg would have been crushed. She walked away with a bruise and will be able to ride her Adventure bike this fall and for years to come.
Wow, that is definitely a great advocation for hard cases. Thanks for sharing Jim and so glad you both are OK. XO
I like your post!