KTM 690 Enduro set up for camping trip - Part II - Kriega

This time we equipped KTM 690 Enduro with Touratech pannier racks, Kriega Overlander-60 and Perun moto Luggage rack and Extension plate.

Luggage is exactly the same as for our previous setup described in previous blog post - HERE.

Just for the reference, here is the picture of everything needed for camping trip, excluding water and food. Not shown here is one liter bottle with spare motor oil. More details on what is in the bags are in previous blog post. 

Kriega Overlander-60 is recently discontinued. This system was on the market for several years. Bags shown here were used for 7 years and approx 25.000 km, mostly off road, on 2008 KTM 690 Enduro. Bags are holding great, quality of Kriega bags is outstanding. Bags themselves are made of two layers, and inner layer is waterproof and detachable, which is very smart solution.

System is modular - HDPE plate is mounted to the pannier frames and there is room for two 15 liter Overlander-15 bags to be mounted on each side. There is an option to mount two Rotopax 1 gallon cans instead of one bag, which greatly contributes to versatility of the system. In theory, it should be easy to remove HDPE plate off the pannier racks with bags still attached, but in reality this wasn't the case. Cam levers were always coming loose, so we had to replace them with standard bolts. This was much more secure, but it required more time and effort to remove the plate from the bike. Also, bags were bolted to the HDPE plate with special bolts and washers, and unbolting them was not easy at the begging and not possible later  - eventually, we also replaced that special hardware with standard bolts.

After these modifications, system proved to be very secure, but removing the bags off the bike requires some time. Since we were mostly camping, this wasn't an issue at all, but if someone want to take luggage in the hotel, this may arise as an issue.

So, here is how it looks on the bike. 

Everything listed, except spare oil, is packed inside the bags. Notice that left side front bag is almost empty. Kriega claims each Overlander-15 bag holds 15 liters and that seems true but it also seems that you can squeeze liter or two more. Although very strong, bags are soft, which really helps with packing.  

Packed like this, this is very clean looking system. Nothing is flapping around, nothing is sticking out and everything is firmly in its place. 

Top plate is empty, which is great as it provides space for additional dufel bag or  1 gallon Rotopax fuel can. Also, if tent is packed wet, it can be strapped to top plate, so it can dry faster. We still need to find a way to mount Tool tube on the inside of the pannier frames, to carry spare oil inside. Experience taught us not to carry oil in same bag with anything else. 

Gas cap is easily accessible and entire seat area is clear of any straps. This improves comfort on longer rides, as you can change sitting position from time to time, to battle but fatigue. 

Considering pannier racks are required, this is very narrow setup. Significantly more narrow than handlebars, which helps in the traffic jams or on tight forest trails. 

This is very slick looking setup. Quality of the bags is outstanding, bags are soft but very durable. HDPE plate is also very durable and support bags very well. Everything is reasonably narrow as well.

In our experience, mounting system is not that good and some DIY modifications are necessary. After some mods, system is very secure, but it is not that easy to mount/dismount bags, but if removing is not needed on daily bases, that is not that bad. This system also lacks outer bottle pockets. Kriega don't have add-on bottle holsters as on option, and that is a pity. 

To summarize.

Pros:

- very strong, yet soft, waterproof bags,

- entire seat area is completely free of any straps, contributing to riders comfort on longer rides,

- easy refueling,

- easy access to stuff in the bags,

- narrower than most setups requiring pannier racks.

Cons:

- pannier racks are needed, adding few kg's,

- removing the bags off the pannier racks requires some time and patience (after modifications we found necessary), 

- no bottle holders on the outside of the bags.

New Kriega OS product line

Kriega recently replaced Overlander-60 (OL-60) with new Overlander-S line (OS line). Direct replacement of OL-60 would be 2 x OS-32 soft panniers on OS-platform. Although capacity is similar, there are some very important differences - way how HDPE plate is bolted to the bike and way how soft panniers are strapped to the plates is definitely better than on OL-60. Only thing that new system lacks is an option to carry Rotopax cans, but, in case of need, Rotopax can can be mounted onto Perun moto Luggage rack. Weight distribution would be better if can is on the pannier racks, though. 

I really like new OS line, and I will try to get few of these bags.