Alloy hard cases.

[matty]

I have never had any side cases, only run pannier bags and as small as i can get away with. My wolfman bags were hung up in a shed and over the winter had visitors that chewed through and caused hell just to get to a few digestive biscuits i forgot were in there. They will repair, but , mentioned what happened to a mate this morning, he showed me a pair of alloy side boxes i could have for fee, , not massive but still heavyish . Tusk make and medium which looks online to be 27 L capacity which looks about right.
10lbs each before i load anything, i dont want to take them and not use them, but i dont want to miss a kind offer from a close friend either.
They look like i will know they are there, and not keen on the weight when empty aspect, am i overthinking this, and what are the pros and cons of hard cases good bad or indifferent.

 

[Oldtrix]

Are you planning lots of offroad riding? I'd stay away from hard cases off road. Dabbing your foot at speed may roll it under the case, snapping an ankle.

I run hard cases on my GSA, but limit that bike to 2 track and dirt roads. I use soft bags on the dual sport for woodsy/trails riding, if I'm packing up.

 

[matty]

Are you planning lots of offroad riding? I'd stay away from hard cases off road. Dabbing your foot at speed may roll it under the case, snapping an ankle.

I run hard cases on my GSA, but limit that bike to 2 track and dirt roads. I use soft bags on the dual sport for woodsy/trails riding, if I'm packing up.

Yep i always was put off em down to this exact fact. Well observed, and i think he can keep em, ill stick with bags, a fall at my time of life is bad enough but a snapped ankle would be inredibly bad. I appreciate his offer but i am going to pass
, JUST DECIDED AFTER READING YOUR POST, i KNOW IT MAKES SENSE. THANK YOU.

 

[FLrider]

Never had an issue with my legs going down with the hard case(s), as the case (Zega's) got the worst of it...
When I got home, I did some bashing getting the case back into shape and it was waterproof again . Gorilla tape is your best friend on the trail to temp fix them if the worst happens... YMMV

 

[FitzPA]

I've had both hard and soft; The advantage of hard is when you drop the bike the cases
prevent the bike from falling all the way over, so it is a bit easier to pick up.

Also with softbags - if they are half empty then they tend to flop around (at least mine);

The disadvantage of hard is that they can get hung if you are winding though tight stuff.
I got hung up once trying to get around a locked gate.

 

[Danno]

Are you planning lots of offroad riding? I'd stay away from hard cases off road. Dabbing your foot at speed may roll it under the case, snapping an ankle.

I run hard cases on my GSA, but limit that bike to 2 track and dirt roads. I use soft bags on the dual sport for woodsy/trails riding, if I'm packing up.

Rubbermount touring harleys will do this with the passenger footboard. Your leg can get sucked right under. Which means the electraglide gets ridden feet up like an adv bike or atv.

 

[matty]

I am not taking them, its a kind offer. but they will just sit here like they are sat at his place, if i take them and sell them..... well thats not right!. So ill decline, may be his son in law makes use of them, whatever.
I will fix the wolfmans or buy new ones , who knows perhaps its time to get the sewing machines out and set about making my own, the wife and daughter could even be press ganged into doing the lions share of this for me.
Soft bags are light and even falling off its caned food rice pasta or clothes sleeping bags etc in the side bags mostltly, anything delicate or breakable i tend to try and fit in my oxford tank top bag, i like tank top bags weight is way better there than hung to the rear.
IMO top rear rack boxes are a no no, they make bike feel, well how i dont want it to feel even the big heavy 1100 Xs back in the day felt horrible with the top box ir came mounted on the rear rack.
Example If its looking like cold or wet weather, i take a fair size Blacks 3 man tent it sits on the pillion section of the seat i never strap it to the rear rack never. if i ever take the wife, rare these days i fasten it to the tank top.
I like stuff hung off the front more personaly. Under light drop down guard crack is a dream one day project. and some front tank side paniers no matter how small would be good in my opinion, and would sort of offer some wind protection for the knees / legs in winds etc.
seen things like this on older eastern block bikes but its not common practice and i am at a loss to see why.

 

[FLrider]

^ Whatever works for you! 👍