[ECJJCE]

Hey All-

I just purchased a set of Kriega OVERLANDER soft panniers with (accompanying OS platforms) in the OS-22 (22 liter) size for the right side, and the OS-32 (32 liter) size for the left to accommodate the offset exhaust of my current bike. I have a 2023 Norden 901 on order, and will use the luggage on the current bike until it comes in, and will then transfer it over to the Norden (and then sell the current bike at that time).
I haven't yet installed the panniers, and had ordered them just before ordering the Norden, so before using them on the current bike (and not being able to return them), I was curious to know if you guys are running offset bags on the Norden, much like most people do on the Yamaha Tenere 700, BMW R1200GSA, etc.
This is a fairly significant and longterm investment in terms of luggage, so want it to be right, and am interested in hearing other peoples opinions on the subject who are running similar set ups.
Thanks in advance,
ECJJCE

 

[ECJJCE]

Well, in the absence of any responses or opinions, I'm sticking with my original plan of running offset panniers, and also plan to use an asymmetrical rack system like the one pictured below on the right in order to keep everything as tight and close to the bike as possible for riding the often overgrown trails here in the the NE part of the states.

Ride on!

ECJJCE

 

[ECJJCE]

I have a couple of friends who ride BMW GS's, and one has a symmetrical set up with semi-rigid panniers, and the other has an asymmetrical rack and offset hard case set up. The offset hard case and rack set up is A LOT narrower than the friend with the symmetrical set up. This may or may not be an issue where you ride, but seeing the two side by side it is a marked difference. I like the idea of keeping the sort of mid sized Norden as compact as possible. We get a lot of encroaching brush here in the North East, so it makes sense where I ride the most.
I also personally like the idea of soft bags to deform a bit in case a leg or foot is trapped underneath during a drop. The semi-rigid Kriega bags, Mosko Moto, etc., seem like a good compromise between truly soft roll top bags and aluminum box panniers in terms of ease of packing, access, etc. You can also cable lock both the Kriega and Mosko systems if need be.
ECJJCE