Hepco and Becker soft bags

Hi Journeyman
What Mr Pix means is that there are a number of fixing options (4 times 8mm) into the rear frame that can be used for a pannier bracket . Triumph use 2 for their panniers and 2 for their backrest and rear rack. H and B use 2 for theirs but they use the backrest holes not the ones Triumph use for the pannier brackets. This means that holes in the under guard (the plastic cover that effectively acts as a rear mudguard (fender) would be exposed and let the crap get in. However when you buy the pannier kit you get an extra under guard pre-drilled for the bracket fixings. You can then use the original one for the H and B bracket fixings. If you haven't got the Triumph pannier kit then your under guard will not have any holes in it anyway. You are going to have to drill it for the H and B fixings.

The strength issue comes from the fact that with both the Triumph pannier brackets and the H and B brackets you are relying on all the weight in each pannier being supported on two 8mm bolts which fix upwards into the rear frame (by far the weakest type of fixing for load bearing). I believe that this is why both Triumph and H and B only rate their panniers at a paltry 5 kg load. Incidentally the huge Corbin bags only use 3 of the 8mm fixings and they do not specify a load for their bags (I know this because I asked them twice and they didn't reply!) I don't know how heavy the Corbin bags are but they must pretty heavy to start with.

I have H and B bags and fixing but I have added an extra support for the brackets using one of the free 8mm holes. It was quite a job to make the extra brackets, but I'm now confident that my bags will take a bit more weight without issue.

You asked about the Orbit bags, I have not seen those (I have the C-Bow Buffalo bags), What I can say is that the quality from H and B is excellent so I would imagine those would be fine (if a little small). I don't like the look of the C-Bow brackets and they get very scratched quite quickly taking the bags on and off. I like to have the bags on the bike all the time so it doesn't bother me.

Hope that helps

Steve
Most excellent- thank you!
 
Sounds like someone needs to duplicate the female side of the bag brackets (Triumph or HB) so we can mount whatever bags we want. Unfortunately, that is outside of my skill set.

Update: Found this, the "female" part of the HB C-bow system. $120/pair and you could mount any smaller bag/shell you'd like.


For example, maybe?
Screen Shot 2022-01-29 at 8.56.26 AM.png



I doubt there is an equivalent for the Triumph bags, but someone here could surely replicate the receiving plate on the back of their bags. I'd like to see a photo of that.
 
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I have H and B bags and fixing but I have added an extra support for the brackets using one of the free 8mm holes. It was quite a job to make the extra brackets, but I'm now confident that my bags will take a bit more weight without issue.

Did you get any photos of the brackets supports you made? I'd like to see what you did there. THanks
 
Here are some pics of the brackets. After I painted them black they didn't show up in the pics. I don't have a welder which is why they are bolted together.
Getting the shape right took a lot of work, lots of compound angles needed to get them to clear the H and B brackets without touching the bike paintwork.
I am very happy with the result and feel it adds quite a lot of extra support.
DSC02413.jpg
DSC02406.jpg
DSC02409.jpg
 
Here are some pics of the brackets. After I painted them black they didn't show up in the pics. I don't have a welder which is why they are bolted together.
Getting the shape right took a lot of work, lots of compound angles needed to get them to clear the H and B brackets without touching the bike paintwork.
I am very happy with the result and feel it adds quite a lot of extra support.
DSC02413.jpg
DSC02406.jpg
DSC02409.jpg
Great work there!
 
I doubt there is an equivalent for the Triumph bags, but someone here could surely replicate the receiving plate on the back of their bags. I'd like to see a photo of that.
Disregard- I just ordered some......

Can someone share a photo of the back of one of the Triumph bags + a closeup of the lock connection? I'd imagine that the lock would be the hard part to replicate, or is it just a glorified seat lock mechanism?
Screen Shot 2022-02-01 at 7.16.29 AM.png

Disre

 
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For what it is worth, I just never got around to adding extra supprt brackets (although I did buy the metal required to fabricate it) and have used my H&B bags on many a journey without any problems. I don't think I've gone over 10kg in each bag but I have definitely breached the supported 5kg limit, I have a back box on sometimes too on the back rest and have loaded that up beyond specification too. I guess I was sceptical at the start given the warnings Triumph supply and the cast frame at the back being the only cantilever type support for fixing to. Maybe I have been lucky!

I do loathe the look of the H&B brackets when the bags are not on and as @SPWL says, they do scuff easily. In hind sight, I would probably put the 25L watertight new panniers on the stock pannier brackets if I had not got the H&B's to hand from a previous bike, I may still bite the bullet and do it this year if my numbers come up!
 
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