Nelson Rigg Hurricane Pannier Review

[@ADVScott342]

After a lot of research with everything out there these are the soft panniers I finally ended up with and couldn't be more happy .

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Scott, I hope they work well for you. Mine have been abused, and are still holding up well. Thank you for stopping by and commenting! - Frank

[@drzrider3440]

Thanks for the review. Going to say what i say to others, which this video just proved my point. You started it out by saying you have had 2 or 3 other brands or sets of luggage already. So if you factor that in, which is the norm for most to start out cheaper and move up later. Well if you and others just went and spent the money on MoskoMoto gear to start with, you would have saved money and still have them. I have the original reckless 80 system. I think they have updated it 2 or 3 times since then. They still look near new, still function as new, never one drop of water inside ever unless i put it there. But, i do use the Nelson Rigg 40L duffle for my top tail bag instead of the smaller one that came with it. And the Nelson Rigg duffle has done very well. Never water or dust inside it. Have put 3 or 4 years of riding hard with the nelson rigg duffle. Great quality. But again, i stand by buying the best to begin with, or replace 3 or 4 luggage sets as they ware out, or buy MoskoMoto and never have to buy again. I have wipped out im.guessing 200 times at least, as in tip overs, drops and well anytime my bike was on its side for the many many years i have had moskomoto gear, and they still look awesome. Going to share your vid with some buddies.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello DRZ Rider, For sure Mosko is a buy once brand. Worth mentioning though is that while I have bought at least five years sets of luggage over the years, none have ever needed to be replaced. One was stolen, I gave one to @SwabbyG on YT, I sold a Tusk Pilot set on Facebook, I sold another NR set for this NR set and I have a very small set I use on my Dualsport. Aside from the Dualsport set, I could have used any of them on the 390. I may have a luggage problem! 🤣 - Frank

[@AdventureGlide]

I didn't know that Nelson Riggs even made Soft Sided Panniers. Thanks for sharing them with us, Frank.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Adventure Glide, thank you for stopping by! I have been catching up on your videos. I am jealous of the places you ride! - Frank

[@ParallelCamper]

These look like great kit and look good on the bike. I run the Nelson Rigg Dual Sport saddle bags on my DR650 and am completely happy with their construction and function. Thanks for the video!

[@pilotdane1]

ROB !!!!

[@doc650adventures]

Hi Rob! Which pannier rack system did you go with to mount the bags?

[@ParallelCamper]

​@@doc650adventures Hello DOC! The Dual Sport saddle bags are only the wedge shaped "throw over" style and require no rack. Very simple and inexpensive.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Rob, how long have you been running the bags? One concern I have had is sun damage, seems liek this type of material does not do well over time. - Frank

[@ParallelCamper]

@@OneOldManRiding I have had these on my bike for over a year. Seem to be holding up fine. They do spend far more time in the garage than on the road. I really like that the pouches on the back side of each will hold a 1-liter fuel bottle since I am still running the small stock tank.

[@AT2021Rocker]

I used Nelson Riggs on my klr for many kms off-road. Always worked very well.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello ATASadvrider, Thank you for stopping by! I love using their tank bags, and the panniers are treating me well. I am looking forward to their new 2023 tank bag. - Frank

[@MOTOMINING]

I've had the Giant Loop Mojave bags for 11 years, the zippers started going about 4 years ago. They've been really good to me, and I'd buy them again if they hadn't doubled in price! I just ordered the dual sport version of the Hurricane, half the price of GL and twice the capacity! Can't wait for them to get here!

[@OneOldManRiding]

Thank you for stopping by and commenting! - Frank

[@RiseRyder]

came from Amen Moto. I have the same bags on my KLR for about 6 months. I also have the same gripes as you do, but they have been great on all my camping trips and are really a great value.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Chris, thank you for stopping by! Which KLR do you own? I am a former owner of a 2006. - Frank

[@doc650adventures]

Great review Frank! Great points on the value of these bags. The cost of panniers can be crazy expensive. For travel on trails where there is an increase in the possibility of dropping the bike, soft panniers ae the way to go. The stiffening material inside the bags really helps when loading the bags. The nice thing about the inner storage bag is if you end up at a hotel for a night, you can just grab the bags and take them with you to the room. Great to hear the NR bags are really durable and have been thoroughly tested by you. Thanks for this great review! Cheers!

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Doc, it's a great time to be a motocamper. We can now buy inexpensive great that's going to last, and or, backep by a warranty. I did love the (perhaps false) sense of security the VStrom metal luggage gave me, but as you said, it's risky to take that off road. - Frank

[@blakeberlin6295]

Very thorough and helpful review. Thank you.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Blake, glad I could be of help. I am still using these bags; they are holding up great. - Frank

[@clonkex]

I've had Nelson Rigg CL-855 saddlebags for about 3 years, first on a CB500X and now on my Himalayan. The zips have totally failed (soft plastic zips + tonnes of Australian dust don't go well together - that model really wasn't designed for off-roading) but they have numerous plastic buckles and there's not even a hint of failure. My very expensive Kriega US-20 tailbag also has plastic buckles and is about 5 years old. I wouldn't worry about the plastic buckles. As soon as I can afford it, I'ma get me some of these roll-top panniers so all my stuff can stop falling out of the broken zips on my current ones lol.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello David, you sir are correct, the plastic buckles are holding up well. - Frank

[@dougelick8397]

You're fine with those nylon buckles. They've been the standard on whitewater dry bags for decades. I've never seen or heard of them breaking.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Doug, you are correct. Even with the bike hitting the gravel and skidding on the bags, no buckle has ever broken. Or even come undone. I own a drybag or three, I was a ww kayaker once. I left a drybag in the Ontario when it roughed me up! Thank you for stopping by and commenting! - Frank

[@russellborn515]

I do wish they'd stuck with the metal G-buckle the Sierra bags used. Still, lotta bang for the buck, and you don't need to buy separate bottle holders.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Russell, I agree. Though I got yelled at in the comments if a video do saying I wish they had the Sierra bag metal buckles! 😁 - Frank

[@vtrack1963]

Nelson Rigg sells high quality luggage for a reasonable price. There are several gear sellers that sell very good bike luggage; however, they charge EXTREMELY high prices that are beyond the reach of most riders (especially new riders)… you might have considered showing how easy or difficult it is to mount those bags.

[@jeanettecone1464]

Tim, I love the use of the semicolon/comma combo right there. #swoon

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Tim, you are right I should have shown the mounting! - Frank

[@christophepoteaux3932]

They look and sounds well made. I love the fact they are waterproof without an extra waterproof liner. I'm looking at those for my wife first saddlebags on her new RE Himalayan... And I might borrow them for my KLR when I go off road. Thanks for the review.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Christophe, I am finding them to be very well made. Unfortunately, my bike has been on its side a time or two. So far, no damage to the bags. - Frank

[@JacobBoone]

Great review Frank. Exactly the kind of info I needed as I’m shopping for a set of waterproof luggage. Thanks!

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Jacob, pretty happy with them. Many more miles in the rain, many more drops and they are still going strong. If I bought your Tiger, I wiuks consider rackless to keep the weight down. - Frank

[@JacobBoone]

@@OneOldManRiding I’m not too into the idea of rackless because it seems like more of a pain for loading and unloading the system plus I think they looks ugly. There isn’t much room for the bags to lay on the left side of the bike too. Very open area, but maybe I’m wrong about it.

[@motarded4214]

I've used the older bags, Sierras, for 3 years now. I can't say enough good about them, especially for the price. They've held up to a lot of stupid abuse over the last 3 years and I can replace them MANY times for the cost of one set of Mosko or Giant Loop bags. I finally managed to get a small tear in one of them when I dropped the fully loaded BMW GSA on some sharp rocks. Nothing would have resisted damage in that situation though. I've been considering upgrading to these new ones, but all the additional yellow on them kind turns me off. The price does a great job of making up for it though.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello, I too owned the Sierrra bags. I replaced them with these. Honestly, the Sierra are great bags, and I certainly did not NEED to replace them. That said, I prefer the Hurricane for the stiffer sides and the ability to connect extra storage to them. - Frank

[@darrylpaterick3108]

Have had a set of the sierras on my DR 650 for the last 5 years (daily commuting, running errands and the odd overnight trip) Nothing bad to say about them. The only damage was a small burn hole from a buddy's cigarette. Will be buying a set of these to put on my new Norden 901. Best bang for your buck out there.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Thank you for stopping by and commenting! - Frank

[@pilotdane1]

FRANK !!! - That was a great review. I am taking baby steps towards "MOTO-CAMPING" - However am going to be quite different... That said, after that review, if my plans need an enima, (sp?) I'll be looking at those for sure !!! Thank you so much for that in depth review. Again, this will help others !!! Cheers !!!

[@doc650adventures]

OBI! These look like great bags for Moto Camping. The nice thing about panniers is that they keep the center of balance of the bike lower when off road or any travel. Tusk makes a great rack setup if you end up deciding to use panniers. Cheers Buddy!

[@CalvinBradley]

OBI ! I just got a set of the Sierra Dry bags. I’ll try them on my DR tomorrow and see how they fit and look. Got a return set from amazon for $155 total. $50-$60 off normal. Whatever you get, be patient and search around.

[@doc650adventures]

@@CalvinBradley Yup!

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Obi-Wan, man I picture you with a truly minimalist camp gear setup! Then I imagine DOC bringing the kitchen sink! - Frank

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Doc, I sold my Pilot bags to a fellow with a DR650. They looked really good on the bike. The right size and have a rigged look that fits the Mighty DR650 for sure. - Frank

[@royarnab22]

I'm from India and recently got the Hurricane 40 ltr tail bag from US hand carried through a friend. Before I could even start using the bag is already damaged and developed small holes/cuts in the bottom side edges. Upon inspection I found that rubber PVC martial they're using is not very thick and durable. The extra rubber reinforcements at the bottom surface doesn't cover the bottom edges just like you saddle bags. So the edges developing holes on little rough use. As we'll use these bags on rocks stones, I'm quite sure the PVC will get easily cut. We've local bags where they use 1680D PVC which are much more durable and cheaper. We don't have nay warranty support here so I guess I've to live with it.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Arnab, disappointing that they do not offer a warranty! I am unfamiliar with the quality of bags you can source in India, as all of mt bags have been sold in the USA from mostly Chinese manufacturing. Do you have a model you would recommend? Many 390 owners here source parts from India. - Frank

[@glennd3618]

Thank you for the great review! I'm wondering, are you using the back pad with your Tusk racks? Have you discovered any methods to prevent the pad from pinching and buckling up? Alternatively, if you're not using the pad, have you noticed any signs of wear on the bag without it? Thanks! - Glenn

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Glenn, a little wear, nothing serious. Thank you for stopping by and commenting! - Frank

[@spotthedogg]

I’m sure many have told you there is a pass through for the straps under the bottle holder, you then hook to the front . In my opinion the plastic buckles are used on a multitude of devices, are reliable, are readily available and easy use.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Spot, if my originals had them I missed it. My new ones form six months ago have a clear passthrough! Thank you for stopping by and commenting! - Frank

[@RomulusReemus]

Thanks for the great review

[@OneOldManRiding]

Thank you for stopping by! - Frank

[@RodKrisBisdakMotovlog]

Wow that's really cool and absolutely awesome review about on it. I'm this vids is very helpful to those who are looking for the best honest reviews to look up too. Keep it up and more vidz to come brother.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello RodKris, Thank you so much for the kind words. I truly appreciate it! - Frank

[@samh8130]

Duraflex plastic buckles are the standard in the industry when it comes to roll top bags. What do you think would be a better closure for roll top?

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Sam, I used to own the Nelson Rigg Sierra dry bags. They use metal buckles. They felt like they would last forever. I have used plastic buckles I liked better than the ones in my Hurricane bags. That said, they are working perfectly many months and trips later. No breaks, no cracks, no issues at all. - Frank

[@RRRRefuelRideRace]

I have a feeling that they are made fo a very durable material. Even the look is OK and tey fit the bike perfectly. Not having the plate is nice, because your bike is less heavy, just like you said. A very well done job here. Got my like bro. Keep it up Frank. :)

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Gregory, The bags have now been down HARD in a gravel skid. Still holding up well. I hate to think of what I would have done to hard cases... - Frank

[@RRRRefuelRideRace]

@@OneOldManRiding In this case soft bags are a must.

[@samhill3496]

I've been looking at these. I have a couple bikes I could use them on. A Yamaha T7 and a BMW R9T Urban GS. With both of those bikes I want a set of bags I can just put over the seat and strap the front down. These may do the job. I don't want to frame mount them. I run exhaust systems which don't interfere with the bags. So that isn't an issue.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Thank you for stopping by and commenting! - Frank

[@samhill3496]

@@OneOldManRiding 69 I'm old man riding too

[@OneOldManRiding]

​@@samhill3496 as long as we are riding, we are not TOO old! - Frank

[@josemontalvo4532]

Thank you for sharing the 411 on this rear rack. It’s back to searching for rear bags. These are not for me, even for free.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Jose, what bags did you go with? - Frank

[@elitetileandstone]

I have the 10 L roll bags and my 40L dry bag just arrived on Friday. They are an excellent quality at a very reasonable price. An added bonus is that each bag comes with four of the patented G hook tie down straps. #RiggGear

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Elite, I too like how well the products connect to each other. I need to look at adding their dry bag in the spring. Thanks for stopping by! - Frank

[@brianwest5348]

I was looking at these for my DR650. Do you think they would be too big? I'm thinking of getting the Tusk pannier rack and maybe the Sierra version of this actually. Only difference i can see is the molle webbing. I was also looking at the Tusk pilot's, but these seem worth the extra money.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Brian, while the DR650 is narrower, the size of the bikes is similar, I believe they will work fine. Thank you for stopping by and commenting! - Frank

[@TheBeardedGrump]

Good review Frank. How does that plastic piece that keeps them rigid hold up with dropping the bike?

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Greg, if the bag was empty, there might be a problem with the rigid piece. All of my drops were with camping gear. I have used them for grocery shopping, and man you can put a decent amount of groceries on a bike with these bags. - Frank

[@44musher]

Frank, thank you for your video. Is a backing/mounting plate necessary or can I attach it directly to my pannier rack? Greetings from Maine

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello 44Musher, the pannier racks are all that's needed to mint them. Thanks for stopping by! - Frank

[@44musher]

@@OneOldManRiding thanks again Frank, your review sold me on this setup !

[@OneOldManRiding]

I hope you enjoy them! - Frank

[@sdefiel3719]

... and they look pretty good too! Okay, you don't have a mounting plate ... so you don't have bars or anything to keep them away from the wheels? You throw them over the seat and tighten them up? That's the kind of setup that I'd like. Thanks for the info. S

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello S, I have the racks on the bike, so even without a plate they are not near the wheels. Have you looked at the Tusk Highland rackless luggage? I had a set originally. Very nice to use, though for camping they were a bit smaller than I would prefer. - Frank amzn.to/3uK6dVq

[@sdefiel3719]

@@OneOldManRiding Thanks for the link. They're a bit small? Looks like they would completely swallow the KTM. Yes, I've thought of those. The wife and I are thinking more of our next trip on the Harleys, so these Tusks will be put on the back burner. Again, thanks, Stuart

[@OneOldManRiding]

@@sdefiel3719 Hello Stuart! They are smaller, storage wise than my other bags. They are large looking! But fit the bike OK. Man, if you have a HD to travel on... you travel on the HD for sure! Where are you headed? - Frank

[@sdefiel3719]

@@OneOldManRiding We're still thinking. The last two years have been an adventuring bust with the pandemic, (Eileen is a first responder) and the lovely hurricane that flew over our house and STOPPED there for eight hours last year. Utah or Colorado, Arkansas if time is short or a hop to Las Vegas and renting a bike. Who knows? S

[@OneOldManRiding]

Its nearly 2023, time to make a decision! You cannot go wrong with any bike trip!- Frank

[@ResilienceOnPurpose]

Seems like the straps are meant to go between the whatever is molle'd on and the main bag, or around whatever is molle'd on for more stability. I can't quite see why the straps are in the way. Are the plastic buckles sewn on or can they be switched out if broken on the male and female sides?

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Resilience, The buckles can be replaced. I find them to be in the way, but that's a personal annoyance. When strapped over a water bottle molle, you need to loosen the strap just to remove your water bottle. It's a minor complaint, and I just do not put anything there and sure rhjbha in the top bags that connect to the panniers. - Frank

[@garyrourke3284]

Very good review….I kind of like the Tusk because they are larger…28 vs 35 litre of even better the Olympus 40 litre and you spoke about the Tusk Pilot not being waterproof but waterproof with the inner bags (I’m not a fan of the inner bags either) have you tried silicone spray for tents??…..

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Gary, the Tusk arw great if you fold the bags. Or do not pierce them. I had a small hole in my pilot dry bag. My own fault for how I packed spray my tent once a season at the beginning with this: amzn.to/3GxTBHo Lots brands do the same thing, I saw a tent review that recomended this and it's inexpensive, some are not. - Frank

[@garyrourke3284]

Thanks for the reply Frank....I meant to say did you even use tent spray on the Tusk bags? 😆

[@OneOldManRiding]

Ha! Sorry, I did not. They are very water resistant as it, I bet using a waterproofing would get them darn close! - Frank

[@mattcero1]

I'd carry extra 20w50 oil instead of water in the bottle holders. My 1200GSA burns about 4 oz per 500 miles or so.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Totally, heh, I had a 2006 KLR 650 that I always carried a quart of oil with. That seems like a lot of oil for a BMW though! - Frank

[@mattcero1]

@@OneOldManRiding Yup, the fact that I have to keep my eye on it is annoying more than the act of having to pay for the ride-along quart and add every other tank full or so.

[@motoshark5847]

They dont look that much smaller than the 35L pilot bags which I use now. Are they really smaller than the pilots?

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Motoshark, They are shorter. That meant changing how I stored a few things, but I did not have to remove any gear, just shove things in a bit more. - Frank

[@dieselguy62]

What chair is that you pulled from that roll bag? I'm in the market for a chair I can carry on the motorcycle. Thanks

[@OneOldManRiding]

Its the Cliq chair, Its crazy expensive, but very durable and comfortable: amzn.to/3rXJasc I sometimes use this far more economical chair: amzn.to/47tCJNK

[@dieselguy62]

@@OneOldManRiding thanks. I'm going to look at those two. Getting my bike rigged for some cross country Moto camping

[@OneOldManRiding]

Sounds awesome! - Frank

[@samhanks1594]

Not rubberized it's Tarpaulin PVC, Not 100% water proof, if the roll goes underwater for more than 5min water will work into the roll over, I've plastic clips all over many of my camping gear and never broke one, I prefer plastic for the weight saving, Yes the straps are in the way of the Molly, just strap a Molly to the Molly over the straps, Rigid inserts, just cosmetic? WT..., they keep the bag open, it's one of the best functionality features of the bag. One * review.

[@grego10r]

i use Nelson Riggs for years good stuff best bags for the $ and the plastic baskols will last long time tryst me

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello GS, you are correct, those plastic buckles have not been an issue at all. And they have taken some serious abuse. - Frank

[@grego10r]

@@OneOldManRiding yep same on my they work just like new got my bags in 2018 til now no rips not holes drop the bike many times with them still like new

[@advinjapan]

A little off topic, but what is that orange case you’ve got there?

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello ADV, that is a Harbor Freight case. Essentially a knockoff Pelican case. Inexpensive and durable. You can get similar on Aliexpress. - Frank tinyurl.com/47ra43k6

[@alanstringer7997]

Hook your straps to the side Molle straps bro. Just like in the instructional video from Nelson🤷‍♂️. You are making your own issue there. Otherwise great video.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Alan, thank you! I followed the video below. Kyle shows both using the front and side, and then in the demonstration, stated you can use the front if the side. I did try the side, and to me in seemed to sag using the side. Probably just due to lack of room to tighten it down with my Tusk racks. A good suggestion, I will give the side molle a try next trip!

[@brucet1467]

The plastic buckles are not load-bearing so they do not need to be metal. I do not see why you are so hooked on those plastic buckles being poor?

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Bruce, I have broken buckles before and the Rigggear panniers Inhad before there were metal, so I am disappointed that these are not. A minor thing. None have broken in many months of use. Close to a year now. - Frank

[@brucet1467]

@@OneOldManRiding I see. Thanks for the reply! You just got a new subscriber

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Bruce, why thank you! I try and reply! I fail at times, but I try 😁 - Frank

[@armadilllo]

Literally EVERY company uses plastic buckles like that no matter how much you pay.

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Armadillo, you are almost entirely correct. Nelson Rigg manufacturers the Sierra set with metal buckles. It was the luggage Inhad before the Hurricane, so I was used to using their metal buckles. - Frank

[@AmenMoto]

First

[@OneOldManRiding]

I appreciate that! Scotty! - Frank

[@murraehaynes3182]

Nice review 👍

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Murrae, thank you very much for the kind words! And thank you for stopping by! - Frank

[@murraehaynes3182]

@@OneOldManRiding I’m considering these bags as an alternative to my aluminum panniers, so aI just need to see how they would mount 👍

[@OneOldManRiding]

Hello Murrae, they have straps that go over the bike, attaching them to each other. And then each bag has four straps to attach to the racks. Takes me about 10 min to get them on. - Frank