mkitchen
Explorer
Dat be a long ways from AK. Is there a ride report coming soon? Glad to hear that you like the Mosko's, I am thinking about getting a set too. A lot of money but they really do look like a very well made set of bags.
Mikey
Pictures of Expedition Motorcycles
- Thread starter LiveRust
- Start date
Dat be a long ways from AK. Is there a ride report coming soon? Glad to hear that you like the Mosko's, I am thinking about getting a set too. A lot of money but they really do look like a very well made set of bags.
Mikey
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agavelvr
Guest
They weigh about the same as a pair of ammo cans! You have been warned
@agavelvr, my first set of "panniers" on that bike was actually a set of .50 cal ammo cans www.ox-ak.blogspot.com The photo at the top of the page with the ammo cans was taken at Eureka, Alaska, on a trip across the Denali Highway.
I've also ridden that bike with a set of Happy Trails on a 10,000-mile trek through the small states. When I shipped it to Europe in 2015 for another 10,000 mile trip through Europe and Central Asia, I had Magadan Bags from ADV Spec on it. They were lighter than the Mosko Moto bags, but they didn't hold up as well. I threw them away in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. I flew down to Oregon and looked at the Mosko Moto bags before I ordered them. They are thoughtfully designed and well made. They suited my purpose better than the Kreiga, the Magadan, or Andy Strapz bags.
What do you ride, and what are your bags? It seems to me that all you do is criticize other people's gear. Man up, Little Buddy, and tell us where you've been lately.
RHINO
Expedition Leader
i think the mosko bags are pretty awesome in concept, but i also think they are way over engineered in practice and simply too busy. i like a simple bag w/o too many external pockets and straps to catch on things if you get on smaller than dirt rds. wolfman is still my favorite bag maker,, with giant loop a close second.
heres a recent pic of my bike, not an expedition bike,, more of a jack of all trades bike
heres a recent pic of my bike, not an expedition bike,, more of a jack of all trades bike
That's a nice KTM. I love them for their straightforward utility. I like Wolfman as well. My front panniers and tank bag on that bike are Wolfman. I guess I just like bangles and buckles. Here is the same bike with the Magadan bags from ADV Spec and a BMW tank bag. The duffles are North Face and Wolfman.
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agavelvr
Guest
Dan,
I just call it as I see it and was trying to help the a friend who seemed ensnared by them. I'm not sure how you consider that criticizing YOUR choices.
Anyhow, there is no denying that the Moskomoto bags are excessively heavy for what they are. I think it is fair for me to say that, as I have had their Reckless 40L and Scout 25L systems. Ignoring the weight issue, the Reckless has limited utility in the real world with the tiny dry bag opening you are somehow supposed to cram your junk into. I'm not sure how one expects to access the stuff in the bottom of the bag without creating a nice trsilside yardsale. I returned it immediately upon inspection. The scouts I have came with a bike I purchased in December. More weight than aluminum panniers without any security, I fail to see the advantage. I'm probably going to sell them on ADV rider. They are new in box if anyone is interested in procuring some of China's finest craftsmanship
I wonder if you ask me about my luggage and bike(s) out of genuine curiosity or simply for posturing purposes. If it is for the former, let me know and I'll reply. If it is the latter, I think you need to work on your taunt game before you bring it to my garage
I had the Backcountry 35s because of the type of riding I was doing -- thought I needed the extra capacity for a full loadout of camping gear, tools, spare parts. I particularly liked the add-on pouch for carrying the water bladders so I could get their mass low and centered. I liked the MOLLE straps for attaching first aid packs to the duffle so they were accessible. I liked that the edges of the hooks were all eased so they were a little easier to slide into the loops, and the velcro retention ends on all the straps so you could keep them snug and not flying around to get caught or frayed. I think they are very well designed for the long distance traveller who uses their gear hard. I hit a pig crossing the road in Georgia (country, not State), went down, slid along on the Magadan bags, and abraded a hole in them. In Kyrgyzstan, the air pressure from a fuel truck overtaking me knocked me down (roughly same speed), and no damage to the Mosko bags.
The mounting design makes it easy to remove the bags. I usually travel solo, so getting the bags off quickly and to wherever I am securing them, like a hostel or guest house, is important to me.
It's all a matter of personal choice. I keep trying different set-ups, looking to optimize. I still have the metal boxes on the Adventure because I use it mostly on surfaced or gravel roads. If I were to take it on a long trip off-road, I would fit it with the Mosko bags.
The mounting design makes it easy to remove the bags. I usually travel solo, so getting the bags off quickly and to wherever I am securing them, like a hostel or guest house, is important to me.
It's all a matter of personal choice. I keep trying different set-ups, looking to optimize. I still have the metal boxes on the Adventure because I use it mostly on surfaced or gravel roads. If I were to take it on a long trip off-road, I would fit it with the Mosko bags.
@agavelvr, "I wonder if you ask me about my luggage and bike(s) out of genuine curiosity or simply for posturing purposes. If it is for the former, let me know and I'll reply. If it is the latter, I think you need to work on your taunt game before you bring it to my garage "
Well, first of all, this thread is supposed to be about pictures of bikes, Expedition Bikes. So we have kind of hijacked the thread, as sometimes happens.
Second, I really want to know. Sounds like maybe you have a stable of dirt or dual sport bikes, and I always like to see what people have and how they like them and why they chose specific bikes over other alternatives. Like that KTM above. That looks like a great bike for desert work. I met two Dutchmen in Turkmenistan who had, I think, KTM 590s? Does that sound right? Great, lightweight machines, with long range fuel tanks. Since there were two of them, they split some of the weight and had a great time. We hopscotched along through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and into Kyrgyzstan. We compared our machines, point by point, and I decided I liked theirs an awful lot. But I can't get one in Alaska, so there is that.
Look, whenever I see one of your posts, you are sniping. Okay, some people do that as a natural mode of communication, as they have a firm and unyielding belief that those comments are funny, and indicative of a sharp mind and sharper wit. I'm not taunting you, I just want to know what you are basing your comments on. Now you have at least said you've actually handled some of their gear, and you don't like it. That lets us know that your opinion is based on actual inspection not just looking at a picture and reading some specs online. Likewise, my opinion is based on using them on a specific bike, for a specific purpose, and in a far away place with strange sounding names, and comparing those bags to other bags on the same bike for similar length trips, although the road surfaces were not always the same.
If we were to meet in person, we may even enjoy each others company. But clearly we do not agree on some things. So for now, I feast on bean burritos and poot in your general direction.
-- For what it's worth, I think they (the Mosko bags) are actually manufactured in Viet Nam.
Well, first of all, this thread is supposed to be about pictures of bikes, Expedition Bikes. So we have kind of hijacked the thread, as sometimes happens.
Second, I really want to know. Sounds like maybe you have a stable of dirt or dual sport bikes, and I always like to see what people have and how they like them and why they chose specific bikes over other alternatives. Like that KTM above. That looks like a great bike for desert work. I met two Dutchmen in Turkmenistan who had, I think, KTM 590s? Does that sound right? Great, lightweight machines, with long range fuel tanks. Since there were two of them, they split some of the weight and had a great time. We hopscotched along through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and into Kyrgyzstan. We compared our machines, point by point, and I decided I liked theirs an awful lot. But I can't get one in Alaska, so there is that.
Look, whenever I see one of your posts, you are sniping. Okay, some people do that as a natural mode of communication, as they have a firm and unyielding belief that those comments are funny, and indicative of a sharp mind and sharper wit. I'm not taunting you, I just want to know what you are basing your comments on. Now you have at least said you've actually handled some of their gear, and you don't like it. That lets us know that your opinion is based on actual inspection not just looking at a picture and reading some specs online. Likewise, my opinion is based on using them on a specific bike, for a specific purpose, and in a far away place with strange sounding names, and comparing those bags to other bags on the same bike for similar length trips, although the road surfaces were not always the same.
If we were to meet in person, we may even enjoy each others company. But clearly we do not agree on some things. So for now, I feast on bean burritos and poot in your general direction.
-- For what it's worth, I think they (the Mosko bags) are actually manufactured in Viet Nam.
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agavelvr
Guest
You are correct. I just looked at the bag and the have "sew in Vietnam" on the packaging.
I've tried a bunch of stuff over the years to figure out what works for me and my clients. I'm easily annoyed by shortcomings in a design or my selection process, so I'm quick to switch. I'm biased toward rackless soft luggage these days due to the nature of my trips, bike types, and interest in keeping weight down. I am also biased towards ultralight backpacking gear and general minimalism whenever practical. That extends to the type of bikes I currently ride and rent also... KTM 640 Adventures, BMW 650 Xchallenges, and a KTM 250xcfw. I'm not a world traveler at the moment, but the philosophy wouldn't change much. My load weight is pretty much the same for a weekend, week, or month trip at this point. I carry more weight in water and fuel than clothes and camping gear when I'm gone for long
My riding gear weighs more than camping gear at this point. I have hard luggage on a few of my rental bikes to provide options for people's preferences. This list is probably not comprehensive, but gives you an idea...Soft Luggage - Currently use
Wofman Dry Enduro saddlebags, Dry Enduro Duffel, and some drybags lashed on (my favorite of all time)
Wolfman Enduro Tankbag (keeps you honest on what you need to bring and stays out of the way)
Wolfman Explorer Lite Tankbag (for when you want to cheat a little)
Wolfman bottle holsters (mostly for hauling tequila)
Giant Loop Fandango tankbag
Altrider Hemisphere w/Sea to Summit Big River Dry bags (using your own dry bags is way more useful than theirs)
Sea to Summit Big River Dry bags for various uses (probably the best dry bag out there for multiuse)
Klim backpacks, both sizes - used for hiking and mountain biking too
Mountainsmith fannypack - I've camped out of it before, nuff said
KTM Tailbag (came with a bike and used around town)
Mosko Moto Scout 20L
Mosko Moto molle pouch
Hard Luggage - Current use
Pelican cases as panniers (bomb proof)
(can't remember the brand now) Aluminum panniers (came with a bike I bought)
Soft Luggage - Prior use
Dirtbagz Ranger (no frills but best bang for the buck)
Wolfman Expedition Dry Duffel - Medium (very good, probably should buy again)
Wolfman Rolie (highly versatile, should buy again)
Kreiga US-10 (versatile)
Kreiga R25 backpack (so nice)
Wofman Expedition Dry Saddle Bags
Wolfman Peak Tailbag
Wolfman E12 (obsolete)
Wolfman Enduro Fender bag
Altrider Hemisphere w/Altrider drybag
Mosko Moto Reckless 40L
Giant Loop Mojave
Giant Loop Coyote
Giant Loop Diablo tankbag
CruzTools fender toolkit (meh)
Hard Luggage - Prior use
Pelican case as topbox (too heavy)
Touratech Aluminum Zega panniers (too fragile)
Homemade Aluminum panniers (too big)
People can probably figure I'm a Wolfman fan. While my eye has wandered a few times, Wolfman stuff just works for what I do to my poor luggage and bikes. I'm also a big dirtbagz fan as well since it was the first luggage I ever used and it is produced in PHX, water proofing is accomplished by using small dry bags and keeps you organized. If I was going to buy hard stuff, it would be Jesse Luggage, that's what other luggage wants to be when it grows up. If I did Alaska, I'm thinking I would be biased towards hard luggage as much as I hate to admit it because it seems like it would be easier to clean. Thoughts?
RHINO
Expedition Leader
sure ya can as i bet the bikes in question are ktm690RR's, you cant get those in murica,, but the popular thing these days is turning a standard 690 into one with a basel kit.
Thoughts on hard cases to Alaska
It is absolutely a fact that if you ride the Haul Road to Prudhoe, you, your bike, and your gear are going to be filthy. That's one reason I would not ride my own bike on that road, but would rent one so I could just smile when I turned it back in. But to answer your question, it seems to me that if you can clean your soft bags fairly easily, with either pressure type washers or a brush and hose, stick with them. I met a rider near Yellowstone a few years ago with Wolfman bags, which he dearly loved, and he delighted in the removable dry bags so he could, among other things, scrub the outer bags with a soft brush he carried. He had been on the road for about a month, and the bags looked great. But I'm sure, since you rent gear to others, you have discovered the best way to keep that gear clean and presentable, and it would be presumptuous of me to suggest cleaning methods to you.
I also think soft bags are safer and more durable than hard cases, although Pelicans are very sturdy and abrasion resistant. And soft bags are easier to pack. And they are waterproof when used with dry bags. And on and on. Just an opinion, mind you, but I would stick with the bags you like best.
I used those ammo cans as bags because a pannier manufacturer did not deliver cases as he promised. I had a trip planned to ride the Denali Highway with a friend, and when the racks arrived without the cases, I scurried down to the Army/Navy Surplus store and bought two .50 cal ammo cans. I sprayed them black with a rattle can, and bolted them to the racks. Just the right size for a weekend of camping and riding.
It is absolutely a fact that if you ride the Haul Road to Prudhoe, you, your bike, and your gear are going to be filthy. That's one reason I would not ride my own bike on that road, but would rent one so I could just smile when I turned it back in. But to answer your question, it seems to me that if you can clean your soft bags fairly easily, with either pressure type washers or a brush and hose, stick with them. I met a rider near Yellowstone a few years ago with Wolfman bags, which he dearly loved, and he delighted in the removable dry bags so he could, among other things, scrub the outer bags with a soft brush he carried. He had been on the road for about a month, and the bags looked great. But I'm sure, since you rent gear to others, you have discovered the best way to keep that gear clean and presentable, and it would be presumptuous of me to suggest cleaning methods to you.
I also think soft bags are safer and more durable than hard cases, although Pelicans are very sturdy and abrasion resistant. And soft bags are easier to pack. And they are waterproof when used with dry bags. And on and on. Just an opinion, mind you, but I would stick with the bags you like best.
I used those ammo cans as bags because a pannier manufacturer did not deliver cases as he promised. I had a trip planned to ride the Denali Highway with a friend, and when the racks arrived without the cases, I scurried down to the Army/Navy Surplus store and bought two .50 cal ammo cans. I sprayed them black with a rattle can, and bolted them to the racks. Just the right size for a weekend of camping and riding.
They were 690s. I couldn't get the photos to upload, but their blog is at: http://www.opdekoffieinchina.nl
Great bikes.
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agavelvr
Guest
This what amazes me about this site...
Unknowledgeable praise = acceptable behavior
Criticism of thing you have experience with = bad behavior
coom-buy-motherf&*%ing-ya.
Not sure what that rant is about. You asked for my thoughts about hard bags to Alaska, I gave them to you. RHINO said he thought the KTMs I saw in CA were 690rrs. I went and checked the blog of those guys, and the bikes were 690s. I reported back. I thought they were great bikes, based on what I saw and how they performed. I was particularly impressed with their weight. What am I missing here? Like you, I tend to give more weight to the opinion of those who have used the gear, or, at least, touched it. So explain where the bad behavior is, because I don't see it. Teach me, oh master.