5 reasons to use soft luggage on your adventure bike

The hard versus soft luggage debate is like the big bike versus small bike debate: everyone thinks they’re right, and that’s because they are. There’s no ‘correct’ way to do adventure biking, and if your set up works for you, that’s all you need.

Personally, I prefer smaller bikes that are easier (and more fun) to handle off-road, and I think soft luggage is more versatile and lightweight. I also think soft luggage looks cooler – which, in my opinion, is a big factor.

Having said that, I adore jumping on a GS or a Multistrada and blasting around mountain passes and dirt roads, and I massively appreciate the practicality of hard luggage: easily lockable, spacious, and protective. Easier to add stickers, too.

So, if you’re considering a new set of luggage for your adventure bike, which should you choose?

Modern soft luggage, such as Givi’s Canyon range, can offer the benefits of hard luggage while also featuring the pros of soft luggage, which makes it harder to choose.

Let’s take a look at five reasons why Givi’s canyon range offer some of the best soft motorcycle luggage we’ve ever seen.

Durability and resistance

While you might think that metal panniers are stronger than soft bags, that’s not always the case.

Aluminium luggage may offer better abrasion resistance than a cheap pair of soft panniers from Amazon, but quality soft luggage can easily go head-to-head with hard luggage.

Plus, quality soft luggage is more resistant to drops and falls, completely waterproof, and more repairable: once hard luggage gets damaged, it’s usually impossible to fix.

Flexibility and expandability

One of my favourite things about soft luggage is the fact that it adapts to how much – or how little – you put in it.

For example, I’m not taking much with me when I’m commuting, so my soft luggage can be tightened and slimmed to let me filter through traffic easier, unlike hard panniers, which are the same size whether I’ve got a tent or a toothbrush in them.

But if I am going away on a trip, I can fill them up, and if that’s not enough space, it’s usually pretty easy to add extra volume. Givi’s Canyon soft panniers have MOLLE straps which makes it dead easy to securely strap extra bags, which is useful for carrying things like tools or fuel bottles.

Easy to store

If you’re like me and your available garage space is already filled with bikes and bike gear, it can be a real struggle finding somewhere to store big hard panniers and a top box. I’ve even resorted to storing them in the bathroom at one point, much to my girlfriend’s displeasure.

Soft luggage, on the other hand, simply folds away, making it easy to store. While this isn’t the sexiest of reasons to choose a certain type of luggage, it’s actually a really important real-world consideration.

Crash protection

If a bike falls over with hard luggage attached, there’s a chance that the impact will transmit through the panniers and bend or damage the frame, which can be a much bigger problem than just having some dented metal boxes.

Soft luggage is much better at absorbing impacts, protecting the luggage itself along with your bike. And although it may not strictly be as protective for the gear inside, the energy dissipating properties of soft luggage can actually be very effective at protecting your valuables, especially with items like cameras which are prone to vibration damage.

Better handling

Because soft luggage is lighter and tends to mount closer to the bike than hard luggage, it has less of an effect on a bike’s centre of gravity, and therefore its handling.

This matters riding both on and off-road, where weight distribution and centre of gravity are the key to controlling your bike, cornering swiftly, and keeping your bike balanced and upright on gnarly trails.

Plus, soft bags tend to be literally easier to handle when you’re removing them from your bike, especially when they’ve got handles like Givi’s Canyon bags.

Is soft luggage right for your adventure bike?

Hard luggage has plenty of benefits, and there are good reasons to choose it. But if you’ve thought about the factors above and decided that soft luggage is the way to go, consider checking out Givi’s Canyon range of soft luggage.

Of note, the Canyon range uses Givi’s Monokey system allowing you to securely lock the bags to your bike on pannier and top racks, affording you one of the main benefits of hard luggage.

Plus, with compatible racks mounted, it also makes it easy to switch between hard and soft panniers so you can always have the best luggage for your adventures.

The Canyon range is also abrasion and crash resistant, waterproof, durable, and modular, so it’s a great choice whether you’re touring or trail riding.

You can check the Canyon range of soft luggage at Givi’s website here.