My thick post of the week...

SteveH says...

Add the weight of 3 boxes YTC. Also, have you seen the position of top
box and panniers on a ZZR1100C2. The top box is about as high as my
shoulders and the panniers sit a long way back and make the bike about
as wide as a Mini.

3 large boxes stuck out in the breeze again, none of which are
particularly aerodynamic in design. With the just rack and pannier
rails on I noticed no difference to the way the bike handled.

I still ride quicker and safer, even on a bike that handles like shit
and is down maybe 70Bhp on yours. So who has the mind problem?

 

Bear emerged from their own little world to say

 

This seems to be moving the goalposts a tad. You don't have to leave the
boxes on unless they're needed. Of course 3 ****-off big boxes will have
_some_ sort of effect, but if it's an issue, take them off.

Quicker, I'll give you that.

Safer is open to debate.

 

Pah, I'll see your paltry 124 litres & raise you 220 litres!

 

SteveH says...

No you thick thick ****. YOU moved the fucking goalposts so don't try
turning it around on me, you fucking retard. I said that "The Nonfango
hard luggage I had on the second ZZR11 really fucked the handling up,
even when empty." Where did I say I that just the rack alone fucked up
handling?

So I go out to pick stuff up on the bike, do I send the empty panniers
on beforehand by Securicor, or do I put them on the bike and take them
with me?

Answer that one Einstein.

 

It does depend on the bike though. My brother's CBR600 wasn't happy
with a top-box, but my Tig doesn't seem to suffer apart from a weave
from about 110mph, even crossing the extremely windy dyke across the
north of Holland.

The increase in surface area presented to cross-winds is fairly minimal
on a big trailie given their size, and the naturally more stable
steering geometry tends to keep things calm. I doubt Dan will have too
many problems with hard luggage on his DL.

 

Maybe I cover too many miles with a pillion.... even riding the VFR solo
with a full set of empty luggage makes it feel completely different.

 

Different, yes - especially in cross-winds & when passing lorries on
the motorway. But not different enough to be a problem, & certainly not
dangerous - at least not on the Tiger.

I would expect it to be more noticeable on a VFR as they have less
surface area to start with, & are fairly aerodynamic compared to the
small bungalow profile of a big trailie.

 

Krusty emerged from their own little world to say

I've just looked at some pics of the Vstrom. The twin exhausts seem to be
positioned very high up. Not very good for a bike sold with touring
pretensions. I'm not surprised he's struggling to fit the soft luggage. Any
hard panniers will probably need heat shields like the left hand one does
on an R-GS.

I agree with your generalisation about the top box and big trailies. I only
really notice the weight of the top box at very low speeds as it makes the
bike feel an ickle bit more top heavy

 

Ballast is the answer. If you're running with the panniers empty, fill them
up with water to give you a nice, steady roadholding weight. Then, when you
want to put stuff into them, you simply dump the water. Sorted.

 

Mine's the old twin-can Tiger, & they're high up too. It does make
throw-overs hard to fit, which is why I sling mine over the tank
instead when I use them. This has the added advantage of keeping the
weight further forward, & keeping the weather off your legs.

Add the rear panniers, top-box & tank bag, & there's enough space to
keep the SO happy for 2 weeks of touring.

 

Savour it - I only have one a year

 

Wind speed increases with altitude. The weight will compress the
suspension, thus lowering the bike's profile and getting it down into calmer
air. It'll also tend to damp out any aerodynamic flutter.

 

The whole argument seems to be centered around 'hard luggage fucks up
the handling'.... this may be true with all the luggage fitted, but, if
you have the cases themselves fitted I'd sort of assume there was a
reason for it. If you don't need the luggage you remove it and the bike
will feel more or less the same as a bike without a Wingrack.

It's a trade-off..... I'd assume that on a Sunday afternoon hoon you're
not going to take a full set of empty luggage. IMHO, the advantages of
having a Wingrack outweigh the disadvantages to a significant extent.

A Wingrack itself makes sod-all difference to the handling of a bike.

 

It would be seen as a come-on.

 

Onlookers would think it was Michael Howard.

 

But if you do that, you'll miss out on my witty & amusing repartee.
Oh...

<killfiles self for 364 days>

 

Are you mad? That would completely screw up the aerodynamics.

 

Fair enough. When they hang Blair, you can nail Howard to the gibbet.

 

Funny that. On my next bike I am not going to bother with the
wing-rack, as I hardly ever have a need to put the panniers on.