Nelson-Rigg Hurricane Soft Panniers

[jdub53]

After recently trying a rackless set-up on my T7 that didn't work as well as I'd hoped, I looked at all the soft pannier options out there while also considering what worked best for me during past years of both hard and soft pannier usage on a variety of bikes. Because my T7's usage is dirt oriented, including BDR-type distance rides involving camping and hotels, and after nearly breaking my ankle in an off-road spill when I became trapped under a hard pannier many years ago, no hard bags for my T7 or anything else I take off road. With Rally Raid's excellent soft luggage racks already hanging in my garage, I decided to get something that would mate well with the racks for the few times a year I need the travel capacity of panniers.

 

Nelson-Rigg's relatively new SE-4050 Hurricane rack-mounted soft panniers appeared to click all my requirement boxes, so I ordered a pair. Things didn't start out well, as the pair of bags I was sent arrived mis-matched; instead of two mirror-image bags I was sent two identical bags which was a no-go. I contacted the seller, provided them a picture, they profusely apologized for the error and immediately shipped a pair of correct bags while I returned the wrong ones on their dime. 

 

First impression out of the box: These things are heavy and stout. After installing the Rally Raid racks and ensuring each bag's large external protective pad (sits between the bag and the metal rack to prevent bag wear) was positioned correctly by their velcro strips, I threaded the four corner straps per bag around each rack and hooked the metal strap ends into appropriate end slots in the side Molle panels. After connecting the bags together with the two wide across-the-seat straps, I stuffed each bag with a combination of sleeping bags and large towels, filling them to their fully loaded shape. With that done, I adjusted the seat straps so each bag sat evenly at the correct height, and then adjusted the bag corner straps so each bag sat as far forward on its rack as possible. With the purge valve open (something I now find invaluable on compression bags), I rolled each bag's top downward three times (the recommended minimum to ensure it remains fully waterproof), buckled its end straps and the single wide middle compression strap buckle across the top of each bag and then closed each purge valve.

 

The end result with each bag pretty much filled to its 27.5 liter capacity is pictured below. Each bag is as solidly mounted as I believe a soft bag can be, and the close-fitting and tapered-design Rally Raid racks keep the bags as tight to the bike as possible. Elastic keepers on every strap make it easy to stow the straps ends to prevent them flapping about. There is plenty of room between the bags to strap a duffle bag, firewood, etc., on the pillion seat, which was one of my desired features for any pannier set-up. Additional metal loops and other Molle-type attach points are also located on each bag's exterior.

 

 

The integral bottle holders with drawstring tops placed at the front of each bag are claimed to fit a 30 ounce bottle. I'd tried fitting a one liter (33 oz.) Nalgene wide-mouth bottle into one pocket before mounting the bags, and while doable it was a very tight fit. With the bags mounted to the bike I could no longer fit the one liter bottle, but the 20 oz. plastic bottles I had on hand each fit easily into each pocket and the Y strap fit nicely over each bottle's neck before connecting the strap's buckle at the base of each pocket. Between the Y strap and drawstring top, any bottle that fits should be very secure in these holders. 

 

 

To try one of the new design's unique features, I removed the sleeping bag from the right pannier but kept numerous towels inside as a partial load. While the seat straps required no adjustment, I re-positioned each corner strap's end metal hook closer together on the side Molle panels and then pulled each strap tight through its sturdy metal buckle. With the purge valve open, I was now able to roll the top down five times and buckle the top end straps down as well as the bag's center strap buckle which I then tightened. In its partially loaded collapsed state, as shown below the bag is much thinner and just as secure as before, confirming the ability of each bag to readily adjust for any load size up to capacity. Completely empty bags retained on the bike can be collapsed in this manner, keeping the bike narrow.

 

 

Each bag also comes with a stiff, wide U-shaped plastic panel designed to be inserted inside the bag to retain it's fully expanded/fully loaded shape. While this panel is nice to have and should also protect the bottom and lower sides of each bag from any sharp edged or extra heavy contents, I didn't install them for this test fitting because with the panels in place compressing the bags from each side for narrower or changing load sizes while on the road wouldn't be possible. Two full size soft, removable bag liners are also provided, a feature I've found in the past to work well for me each night on the road. While the (likely muddy) panniers remain on the bike, each clean liner containing my gear will be lifted out and carried into my tent or hotel room, then reinserted the next morning.    

 

I'll be testing out this set-up next week during an overnight trip, and from what I've seen so far I'm very impressed and pleased with my selection. It appears a lot of thought and detail has gone into the design and production of these panniers, and there was nothing I found lacking for my needs. To top it all off, the black/grey panniers go quite well with my T7's black paint job!         

[DT675]

Very nice! Im going to go check out if they have the same bags but in a smaller capasity.  I'm running 100% rackless but have recently decided I might be going to a rack.  I was thinking about going with hard (plastic, the aluminum ones are so expensive!)  panniers but your leg trap deal has me thinking...  Is that a thing that happens often to people??

[Ray Ride4life]

I had my leg trapper under aluminium panniers om my Crosstourer and i felt that for a couple of months.

Same happened with my Mosko Moto Backcountry 35L (also available in 25L) and that just rook a week to wear off.

[Tenerider]

Thanks for the detailed review @jdub53 , much appreciated.

Despite their size, they look quite cool imho.

I think you have put on some protective mylar or so on the back, looks good, too! Could you provide some details on that?

[jdub53]

9 hours ago, DT675 said:

Very nice! Im going to go check out if they have the same bags but in a smaller capasity.  I'm running 100% rackless but have recently decided I might be going to a rack.  I was thinking about going with hard (plastic, the aluminum ones are so expensive!)  panniers but your leg trap deal has me thinking...  Is that a thing that happens often to people??

 

It was actually a hard plastic pannier that trapped me with my ankle twisted backwards under it. Thankfully my buddy came upon me about 20 seconds later and lifted the bike off. Quite sure no such drama would have been involved with soft bags. Yeah, better tires would've helped a lot here too but that was the only spot where the bike went down and I made it through (2007 in Big Bend National Park, west Texas). 

 

 

[jdub53]

8 hours ago, Tenerider said:

Thanks for the detailed review @jdub53 , much appreciated.

Despite their size, they look quite cool imho.

I think you have put on some protective mylar or so on the back, looks good, too! Could you provide some details on that?

 

Good eye. Shortly after buying my T7 I'd decided I was going use rackless luggage, so I bought a roll of clear 3M paint protection film. I measured and cut pieces of film to fit the entire rear of the bike (all of the rear side panels plus the area behind the pillion seat). Unfortunately, my film application to the side panels looked like something from a horror movie (my fault, not the film's) and I tore it off. I kept the small rear piece of film as it turned out well. Since they'd come with my bike, I installed the Rally Raid racks when I tried that rackless system. Loved the racks, but not the system.

 

I recently bought a Black Dog Cycle Works Helo Pad which I'll likely use when a duffle bag, etc., is mounted between the panniers, as the Helo Pad extends an inch or two beyond the tail light and will keeping anything from drooping over and obscuring the light. Don't really want or need a full blown tail rack on the T7.  

[jdub53]

A follow-up on the Hurricane panniers after a great 600 mile trip over the past two days. Riding most of it with my cousin on his 890 Adv, the trip included lots of off-road with rocks, mud and dust. The last 30 miles to home were through a heavy thunderstorm with wind and rain bad enough that cars were sitting it out on the side of the road, but I was determined to put the panniers (and my riding gear) to the water test. No "spray it with a garden hose" stuff here, and the bags did much better than some of my gear.  

 

 

The panniers worked perfectly, with zero dust or water making their way inside. After my initial fitting last week to the T7, reinstallation for this trip took under two minutes to the Rally Raid racks. Dropping in and then removing the lightly loaded inner liners (one had my things for an overnight stay at my cousin's house, the other side was packed with towels for shape) was as easy as I'd expected. Rolling down and securing the three straps/buckles on each pannier's top opening took all of ten seconds each, as did opening a pannier for access to its contents. 

 

My cousin has a Mosko Moto 40 set-up for his KTM, and like me has past experience with other soft pannier systems as well. While he really like his MMs, he was very impressed with these Nelson-Riggs bags as well and said they were very stable while following me. Unlike the soft bag system I'd tried immediately before buying these Hurricanes, removing the bags from my T7 after arriving home last evening revealed no evidence of movement/rubbing against the racks. 

 

Having proven their simple but effective design and features, I'm very happy and impressed with these panniers for my purposes. 

[AZJW]

@jdub53 Reviews like this are what make this forum so valuable.  My son is currently in the " Paralysis by Analysis" mode in trying to figure out what luggage system he wants for his new T7.  Your review is very timely,  thank you for your efforts!  

[Boondocker]

@jdub53 Excellent Review! Appreciate the detailed fitment and product descriptions, but I had to go to the Rally Raid site to get a look at the racks beneath the bags

Thanks for returning for a post-use follow-up, adds a lot of credibility to the whole review.

 

I'm still figuring out my luggage solution. Being spoiled for choices is not the worst problem.

 

P.S. Corks rule!

[jdub53]

I'm glad this information is useful, and another quick follow-up on these Hurricane soft panniers.

 

I was out this week with a full camping load when I managed to drop the bike due to poor line selection while climbing a multi-layered rock shelf. I'd almost made it to the top, but because of how difficult it would be to get the bike up and then start again from there due to the slope I spun the bike around by the front wheel. Once pointed downward, I got the bike up and rode it back down the slope. 

 

 

The only marks on the panniers from the drop and subsequent spin on the rock were scratches to the right side front buckles, which doesn't at all affect their functionality. Being able to simply lift out the loaded inner bags at night and reinsert them in the morning without pannier removal reconfirmed my overall satisfaction with selecting and using these bags. I also found 28 oz. bicycling water bottles (can be seen in below pic) to be a perfect fit into the pannier integrated bottle holders, handy for me as I have many of these water bottles around the house.  

 

     

 

 

As a bonus, I also discovered on this trip the real reason Gatorade bottles have that wide, handy groove around their middle:

 

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by jdub53

[jdub53]

7 hours ago, Boondocker said:

@jdub53 Excellent Review! Appreciate the detailed fitment and product descriptions, but I had to go to the Rally Raid site to get a look at the racks beneath the bags

Thanks for returning for a post-use follow-up, adds a lot of credibility to the whole review.

 

I'm still figuring out my luggage solution. Being spoiled for choices is not the worst problem.

 

P.S. Corks rule!

 

Here are a couple of unadorned pics of the excellent Rally Raid racks, taken the day I brought the T7 home. I'm really glad the PO had bought these. Because I prefer a bare bike when possible, I only install the racks when I use the panniers. Four bolts per rack, so just a couple of minutes to put on/take off. If you have the OEM muffler installed, the right side rack also has a bolt-on brace strut to reinforce the muffler hanger.

 

 

 

[jdub53]

Thought I'd post a follow-up on my continuing experiences with these Nelson Riggs Hurricane soft panniers after another outing using them. I just returned from a three day, 730 mile ride following the excellent Pennsylvania Wilds BDR-X route, which included one night camping and one in a hotel. While no rain was encountered on this trip (I lucked out with gorgeous weather all three days), there were lots of water holes and mud from bad storms a few days prior and, of course, the ever-present rocks on all of the BDR-X expert sections.

 

I'm happy to report that the more I use them, the more pleased I am with my selection of these panniers. Because I normally run my bike bare and I now have experience doing it numerous times, fitting the Rally Raid pannier racks to the bike for a trip takes about five minutes and then loosely attaching the panniers to the racks takes about three more. I stuff each N-R internal bag as full as practical, then insert them into the panniers which still leaves about 15 to 20% of empty space inside each pannier. Note that I don't use the wide internal plastic stiffeners provided by N-R with the bags, which would likely provide even more internal empty space. I like to limit the width of the bike as much as possible, so without the stiffeners installed once each bag is loaded I cinch each of the four external side straps per bag tight. Along with each bag's wide top strap, these straps compress each bag and also hold it tight to the rack to ensure no flopping while on the trail.

 

As shown in the below pics from my arrival home, with a full internal bag inserted there was still room to stuff an Aerostich fleece jacket into one corner. Once at the campsite or hotel, it was simple to loosen the side straps, remove the clean and dry internal bags and carry them into the tent/hotel room while the panniers themselves stayed on the bike. Perfect.

 

Other than the scrape marks on two metal buckles noted in a post above from where I spun the downed T7 around while it was laying on a large rock, there is no visible wear or other damage anywhere on the panniers or straps. The integral bottle holder on each pannier very securely held a 28 oz. bicycling water bottle during the trip. Great product and highly recommended if this type of set-up interests you.

 

As a side note, I also used BDCW's excellent Helo-Pad on this trip for full length support of the waterproof duffel bag. I don't use a luggage rack, so popping on the Helo-Pad in place of the pillion seat works great and takes all of 10 seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2023 by jdub53