Back
This is a REALLY cool setup, the MoJavi saddlebag by Giant Loop.
It is made out of really tough super thick (22 oz) water resistant truckers tarp material with water resistant zippers. The construction is really bomb proof and for me it is the perfect size for day trips.
The center top bag is held tightly to the tail rack (if you have one), and will easily hold a basic tool roll and a bit more.
The only real issue is the fitment on the bike. Two issues: left side exhaust/side panel issue, and where to pull the front strap to on each side. Both have solutions.
1. The left side exhaust/side panel issue:
Not a showstopper but still an issue. The problem is not so much that the bag will touch the exhaust muffler itself, because the side is pulled forward instead of down, and the entire bag can be mounted fairly far towards the front.
No, the issue is that the black molded body trim / side panel above the muffler tends to stick out strongly, and mashing it down by pulling the strap tightly might eventually damage it, which is part of the entire expensive body work. (The Great Basin mounting is a MUCH bigger problem as well for this issue).
(Note the XChallenge has different trim and is not as big of a problem as the XCountry).
My solution was to insert a 3" metal tube between the exhaust and the trim and attach it to the frame with a hose clamp wedged in above the muffler. My first try was an adjustable 3" steel stove pipe elbow but tightening the hose clamp would pop the joints apart.
Finally what worked great was a widemouth stainless drinking bottle, 3" diameter. But the tearing stress on the hose clamp making a sharp angle around the square frame tube (and it crosses at an angle) is not ideal and has broken the strap over time. I fixed this with a stiff plastic and rubber piece in there to take up the space. Also notice here how the bottle pushes up against the base of the plastic body trim:
2. Where to pull the front strap to:
This is the main fitment issue, but after ideas from tbarstow and some experimentation on my own, the best place seemed to be to find a way to add a loop just in front of the seat tabs on the top of the frame.
I found some rectangle shaped smooth metal rings at a camping/ranch supply store that are strong and will still allow the strap to slide through it without abrading it, so I attached these in place.
These pics show a temporary solution with zip ties but something stronger to mount these would be better. I have since upgraded to stonger zip ties and never had a problem:
Right side:
Left side:
There is a single strap on the rear of the main top bag, in my case I have the BMW top tail rack so I just moved the clip aside and looped it through the tail rack.
You can set the strap to the proper length so that when you push it forward it will become snug because the rack is tapered, and then the side straps pulled tight will make it very secure. About 8" left on the strap end works well:
Here is everything with the side straps tightened up:
The bags are tight and stay on great:
Another REALLY cool setup is the Great Basin saddlebag by Giant Loop.
It is made out of really tough super thick (22 oz) water resistant truckers tarp material with water resistant big ass zippers with a cover over them. Volume is over 50 liters.
I didn't want hard bags for their potential for serious injury when you put your leg down in tough terrain. Another option is soft sided bags but decided against them just to stay simple and not need to install separate frames on the bike.
This bag has the advantage of being able to fit on multiple bikes without any additional frames. In addition, the obvious advantage is that it fits very tight that there is no flopping around like could be an issue with some panniers while offroad.
The main disadvantage is that after you have mounted it on, it is not that easy to access items from the bag compared to saddle bags. I work around this by using a tank bag and a small waterproof rolie bag mounted behind the Great Basin for easy access while riding.
Amazingly, WalMart has pretty tough roll top dry bags from Outdoor Products for something really cheap like $10 for a 20 liter, that is what I used. It is semi-clear so you see contents easily.
Here are some borrowed photos. They continue to changed the design, the model I have has the sewn in center black bag and 2 bottle bags, 2 black and 2 yellow insert bags, and storm flap with magnetic flag closure in one spot:
After receiving the bag I followed the instructions and used the provide seam sealer and thoroughly sealed ALL the seams while it was new and clean. I stuffed it full of beach towels which made it easier.
Again the only real issue is the fitment on the bike.
Two issues: left side exhaust/side panel issue, and where to pull the main straps to on each side. Both have solutions.
1. The left side strap mounting:
2. The right side strap mounting:
Bag mounted on bike for a trip:
It actually fits very well on the bike. I have a rear small BMW rack and I set the Great Basin on the rear passenger seat then attached the center strap from the ring on top of the bag to the front of the rack, which keeps the bag from moving forward.
Next loosely attach strap on each lower side to their mount points. I then took a soft Crazy Creek camp/canoe chair and put my tent inside of it and put it behind the bag on top of the rack and strapped this on with 2 separate straps.
Last attach the other 2 outer straps from the ring on top of the bag over everything else and tighten them all up.
As I mentioned earlier, I strapped a small dry bag to the top to get easy access to more stuff quickly, as getting into the Great Basin once everything else is strapped on is difficult.
The last picture shows a time in the Baja when I needed a little extra fuel range so I strapped on my MSR Dromedary Bag, 6Liter bag (not full), it is made for water but works for a rare occasion.
The seal in the little cap is the main thing to keep an eye on for leakage over time. Put plastic sack under it and strapped it down on a rough road for a couple of hours until I emptied it.
Conclusion:
This is a quick and easy bag to install and really stays tight to the bike. My main complaint is that you really can't get into it while on the road, especially since I used the mounting straps to attach more items behind it, which prevent access to the zipper.
Naturally you should put the heaviest items down low on the sides, so this is where my tools were, and that makes them inaccessible. I normally don't need the tools and it's a tradeoff like everything else.
You would think it would feel top heavy, especially compared to low saddle bags but I've never felt it was top heavy. I even had to pick it all up once in the sand in a tipover.
Another advantage over side panniers is that it is mounted farther forward and keeps the weight off of the aluminum rear subframe better.
The Enduro tool kit bag comes with a separate velcro base plate which mounts to the bike and has straps on it that simply encircle the tool bag itself. This is vital in keeping the tool bag from trying to shift around and get loose.
Turns out this velcro plate also fits well on the BMW small tail rack as it has a top plate with 3 screws in it, and if you remove the 2 front screws they will fit into the 2 grommets on the Enduro bottom velcro plate perfectly.
Then the rear Enduro straps can loop under the rack first before looping around the bag itself. I have not ridden with this setup but it looks very secure and I would recommend it on this rack at least.
In a rush I mounted the Enduro tool kit but also needed more space so I was experimenting with putting the Peak bag in front of it (with a loop underneath the seat), which I did not end up doing since I got the MoJavi bag instead. So the pictures below are mock ups and not the best.
Back