I've just fitted panniers and have found that they're 35mm wider each side than the TA brush guards. I was thinking of screwing simple fold-out plastic tags on the guards as guides to help in traffic. We're heading off into the unknown for a couple of years travelling in the spring and I want to make life as easy as poss for she-who-must-be-obeyed.
As long as you remember you'll have no need. And remember that the reason the rear does not hit things is because it is usually much narrower than the bars.
To have the same guarantee you'd need to swap your bars for a canoe paddle.
Mine stick out an inch wider than the bars but as they're ally boxes I've managed to remember they're there (mainly by repeating the mantra "remember the panniers" when I start filtering).
Funnily enough I scraped the original Triumph plastic ones no end of times as they don't do any (much) damage to cars, but I'm so scared of leaving a huge groove along the side of someone's car that I've managed to avoid it so far.
I went to London today for a business meeting and had one pannier on as well as a tank bag. Oddly enough, when I took the tank bag off for the trip home (didn't need satnav) I forgot the pannier was still on.
The answer = my brain associates the panniers with touring.
Tankbag = touring!
Good thinking Whealie. Any 'cat's whiskers' would only serve to give too much confidence.
I fitted Alpos 36 and 32L boxes on some racks that I made myself. In hindsight I could possible have made the racks 20mm/side narrower but you're right - caution is the only way.
I have SWmotec racks and 41 litre panniers on mine and they stick out 2 / 3 inches either side. I just remember not to filter when they are fitted.
I did hit two bollards when in france.
ive never measured the ones on my varadero, i have the honda 35ltr panniers.
when im using them im aware that width is compromised so i dont filter so much anyway. it would be interesting to see if theres much difference
Givi Keyless here too - wide load coming through!!
Often thought of the same idea - hit a Gemdarme when in Framce as he was parked a bit close when filtering traffic at the TourDeFrance - I ended up falling off after loosing balance but that old kwak never moved off its stand!
Thankful for the crashbars and Givi's - they werent too wide when I needed them to brake my fall!! lol
Very cautious in traffic with them but you learn your space, I havent bothered with anything on my bars as ive got enough to think about when filtering.
I only have kappa 21l boxes fitted to the vara so width isn't really a problem, saying that I did manage to tw*t a transit the first day i put them on , on the pan's i find the best method is to turn on the flashy light, woo woo kit and filtering isn't an issue
- this option may not be available to you though, or may cause an issue with local law enforcement ?
While in back in Blighty a couple of weeks back i spent about 2hrs on the M25 car park fully loaded (36lt givis) being passed by all the locals doing at least 50mph!!!!! sod this i thought i,ll have a go proper cacked me sen but after a mile or two i got used to where my DERRIERE was and managed an average of 25/30 mph woohoo:thumbright: and hit nowt But you have to keep a SHARPER eye out for some knobbs in cages that don,t know what mirrors are for:blob7:
Phil
ps BOY AM I GLAD I DON,T HAVE TO USE THAT ROAD EVER DAY
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