Giant Loop Round the World Panniers and Mounts Review

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

When it comes to soft luggage, there are many options on the market, with a wide range of prices and features. Having returned from a weeklong trip with hard panniers and struggling with packing issues, I went looking for a set of soft luggage with more room than my current hard bags. I also wanted something with compartmented storage options that are easy to get on and off the bike. Enter the Giant Loop Round the World Panniers and GL Pannier Mounts.

Attaching the soft bags to the GL Pannier Mounts was fairly straightforward following the clear instructions provided, but having an extra set of hands was a plus and definitely eased the process. These bags are heavy duty and the construction quality is on point. Once the bags were mounted to the GL Pannier Mounts, it only took a couple of minor adjustments to the mounting brackets and they locked up perfectly to the pannier racks already installed on my Africa Twin. There is a barrel lock on the latch to keep someone from walking off with the bags that I wish was a little heavier duty, but when leaving the bike outside overnight I would remove the bags anyway, due to the ease of the mounting system. To remove the bags, it’s a simple one-handed operation and all it takes is a pull of the lever on the top of the mount, and they lift right off with the handle built into the luggage. The total weight of both bags and mounts comes in at 15 pounds, about five pounds less than my current hard panniers, which don’t have a quick-release mount.

These 90+ liter waterproof bags have amazing versatility. Outside of the main compartment, there is one external five-liter dry compartment and one external five-liter wet pocket on each bag. I went ahead and bought two inexpensive five-liter dry bags from my favorite online retailer that fit the wet pockets perfectly, allowing me to have more dry storage if needed; it just depends on what you’re packing. There is a removable waterproof liner for both main compartments that can be pulled out easily if you don’t want to remove the bags from your bike when you stop, but the GL Pannier Mounts make removing the actual panniers so simple, I don’t foresee ever having to remove the liners, except maybe to bring my clothes into the tent.

During a recent week-long trip to Vermont, I had both my hard panniers filled, with large dry bags strapped to the top of them. To my surprise, I was able to pack all the gear from that trip into the Round the World Panniers and had a little room to spare! The ballistic nylon compression wings on the outside of the bags do more than just stabilize your gear. They also make a great place to strap down items that don’t need to stay dry, like sandals, tent poles, camp chair, or any other item you want to have readily available. Overall, this is the best quality and most versatile soft luggage I have used to date, and I expect this will be my go-to luggage for years to come.

The GL Pannier Mounts will work with other soft luggage systems, as well as coming pre-drilled for RotopaX mounts. Giant Loop does offer a discount if you order the complete pannier and mount package.

GiantLoopMoto.com

MSRP: RTW Panniers—$675 | Pannier Mounts—$249–$299

PROS:

• Ease of installation and removability
• Exceptional versatility with lots of packing options
• GL Pannier Mounts work with most manufacturers’ luggage racks

CONS:

• Barrel lock could be improved

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