Giant Loop® Riders
Pro Mountain Biker Rad Ross Schnell Rips Baja with Giant Loop Saddlebag on KTM 530 EXC
Shortly after we launched Giant Loop in the fall of 2008, pro mountain biker Rad Ross Schnell was one of our first customers. When his Giant Loop Saddlebag arrived, he almost immediately strapped it to his KTM 530 EXC and rode the full length of Baja California. This feature article, “Rad Ross Schnell: All-American Badass,” appeared in Bike magazine last year. Yet another mountain bike/motorcycling crossover – people who care about weight and performance are the first to embrace our “go light, go fast” approach to motorcycle touring. -hoc
“The trip was RAD! That’s the first serious moto tour I’ve ever done and can definitely say that I’ll be doing it again. The saddlebag worked awesome!! It was such a good size and was such a simple setup. Thanks again for all the help and quick shipment, it was definitely the setup!” — Ross
MotoSyberia 2009: 6666 km in 66 days on KTM 400 EXCs with Giant Loop Saddlebags
It made my day when the mailman delivered a package from Poland containing a disc full of photos and a copy of the 2010 MotoSyberia calendar. Motorcycling is a world of extremes, and among the extreme MotoSyberia pretty much leaves all other contenders eating their mud and dust. These guys do things on motorcycles most people would simply call crazy. For this reason, we were really excited when Mac at MotoSyberia contact us about sponsoring their 2009 trip and equipping their bikes with our Giant Loop Saddlebags (this was before we introduced the new, improved Coyote Saddlebag). Our saddlebags, they told us, were the only product up to the task of the expedition they had planned. Mac’s sense of humor is straight out of the movie Spinal Tap – here’s how they describe the expedition:
“MotoSyberia 2009 – extremely mental expedition to the unknown. First successful attempt to get to Anadyr overland in summer. The laborious southern route turned out to be too difficult. After surrender and many mental problems they successfully got through the northern route to the capital of Chukotka- Anadyr. MotoSyberia 2009 is about achieving the aim at any cost. MotoSyberia Reactivation was lead by the prince of the darkness, satan himself. The route: 6666 km in 66 days, Magadan, Omsuchan,almost Evensk, Magadan, Seymchan, Anyusk, Bilibino, Evgekinot, Anadyr. Riders: Maciej Swinarski, Miroslaw Kolerski, Grzegorz Sadowski. Bikes: KTMEXC400”
We can’t wait to see what these guys come up with next – and to put Giant Loop gear to the ultimate test! Take a look at the MotoSyberia website – if you dare . . .
-hoc
Giant Loop Saddlebag Tours Spain’s Pyreneese Mountains on KTM 525 EXC
“Hi Guys. I bought a Giant Loop Saddlebag off you for a 1000 km, 7-day ride through the Spanish Pyrenees Mountains. Can I just say what a fantastic bit of kit it turned out to be. A week’s worth of kit, plus my tools, sleeping bag and tent. Very robust, and most of the time I didnt know it was there! Thanks again, it was the dog’s bollocks, as we say here in England.” – Paul, Manchester, England
Great Basin Saddlebag Tours Alaska on BMW F800GS
“I cannot tell you how much I love the Great Basin Saddlebag – it made the trip and ride spectacular. When you said waterproof, it truly is! I rode through a rain/hail squall, getting it soaked. The bag performed better than I could have dreamed, and I can say it will truly handle anything that Alaska riders can throw at it. Here are some quick pics for you and your crew. Thanks again.”
Willie: Giant Loop Saddlebag Tours Mozambique on KTM
“Trip was great, the Giant Loop worked like a charm.”
Get the full ride report at ADV Rider
John: Great Basin Saddlebag on Honda Sport Bike
Our friend John came by with his immaculate 1998 Honda Super Hawk 996 – the Great Basin Saddlebag fits perfectly! We unlocked the seat and ran a compression strap under his subframe tubing, and he put it to the high-speed test for us – really tough talking him into opening the throttle on a beautiful, sunny, spring day with a dry country road at the end or our driveway.
Kail: California KTM 530 EXC Rider
Installed the Giant Loop Saddlebag, and to me it became very apparent that this was meant to fit on a KTM. The lines, drop and hole positions worked out just right. I attached some photos of the install and how I made an additional guard over the top of the stock KTM exhaust. I noticed if you cinch the straps tight it helps to keep the edge of the bag up.
Last weekend I road 65 miles in the back country with my new KTM 530 with your Giant Loop Saddlebag on it and it worked great! After we road to the cabin (22 miles in) we unloaded most of the gear for a day ride up into the snow. The bag was easy to pack, held way more than I expected and was easy to set up for the day ride. I had to be the luckiest guy on the planet, a new KTM on a dual sport ride with my wife. I did have to pinch myself a couple of times. Attached are few photos of the fun.
Thanks for a cool product!
Kail
Pro Mountain Biker Olivier Guincetre, KTM 950 Adventure
Pro mountain bike rider Olivier Guincetre (Santa Cruz Bicycles factory freeride and all mountain team) just sent us pics and a review of how the Giant Loop Saddlebag performed for him on his KTM 950 Adventure. Here’s what he had to say:
“Just got back from a “Giant Loop” on my KTM 950 Adventure, and I really enjoyed using your bag. I am so lucky my brother Tom offered to let me try them! I put them on before the trip, and I was a little bit anxious. Even if it was looking good and strong, I had never tried the Giant Loop Saddlebag before so I was wondering…???"
“Actually, it made the ride! These bags are the best I ever had — your design is great.”
“I left for LA for the Barstow to Vegas last Thursday, and I just got back today. I did all the course to Las Vegas, then I went to Death Valley for two days, where I camped until this morning…”
“Enjoy the photos, and thank you again for giving me a chance to ride your saddle bag. I really like it. I believe that your bags are the best for my type of adventure ride.”
— Ogee
KTM 950 Adventure
Olivier Guincetre
Santa Cruz Bicycles
5 Days in the Oregon Desert: GL Riders Teamoatmealpie & Capt. Rob
I am very much in favor of the Giant Loop Saddlebag from a performance standpoint. Let me explain why and what attracted me to it:
1. the position it sits in has several advantages, it sits behind you and below the thighs, this means no interference from a riding stand point.
2. Its position means it doesn’t hang down low by the wheels where traditional saddlebags can grap branches and literally throw you to the ground. Or they can get ripped off completely or partially and get sucked into the wheel and or/get melted on the pipe.
3. The mounting means its rock solid, nothing moves or shifts. You can see I strapped a dry bag on the bag that contains a blue tarp wrapped around my thermarest and tent poles. The straps on the Giantloopmoto.com bag are there and set up to do this. The buckles are top notch metal, nothing shifted or moved ever, and we rode our nuts off, racing and jumping stuff for days.
4. The construction of this bag is super super strong, I stuffed this thing so full, I questioned if I would blow a zipper — not! the zippers are huge and strong. The material seems to be water proof, nothing got wet or even damp.
5. The shape also means you can keep a lower center of gravity-I put all my heavy stuff in the front/down low underneath my legs. The it has cinch straps that do a great job of compressing the load. My buddy Captain Rob also took a pretty good digger in the snow and the bag showed no signs of damage.
6. I like my dirt bike to feel like my dirt bike when I ride, not some over stuffed mule with a bunch of gear that needs constant attention to re-cinch down the load — or worse losing gear on the trail, as that could be dangerous.
Don’t get me wrong other companies make good gear with good quality materials. I think it depends on your riding requirements, and what you want to pack. But in my opinion, I don’t think you can go wrong with the Giant Loop Saddlebag. I anticipate this to be a great piece of gear that I will use for a long long time.
Good Luck,
TOP
Yamaha YZ450F
Tested in Baja: GL Rider Matt from Humboldt, CA
“I just got home from my trip to Baja and the bag performed very well. A couple buddies of mine and I from ADV rider rode about 450 miles of the baja 1000 course immediately before and after the race. I took a couple of diggers; one on rocky terrain and the other in the silt beds. The bags held up very well and held all my gear securely to my bike even after mile after mile of sand whoops and incredibly rough and technical rock sections. Thanks for this great product.”
Matt
Humboldt County CA
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Doods, I can still totally get into my airbox without removing the bag. I even had it loaded with stuff on that side. I took the BRP down to the coast and tore up the dunes with the bag on.
YouTube vids of the GL bag in action:
Helmet Cam – Clip One
Helmet Cam – Clip Two
Didn’t even know it was there and I had quite a bit of stuff in it, basically everything and more I would normally carry in my backpack.
Check out Brad’s Honda XR650R installation here.
Brad21
’00 XRR
’80 KZ1K
www.benddualsport.com
Check this shiznit out:
benddualsport.com video
My Nevada Ride
Giant Loop 08
I still think that your design is the best one out there. In Baja especially I got to see a lot of different setups and yours would have worked the best by far. As far as value goes… I spent $250 for the rack and $200 for the bags for a total of $450 to get my 640 setup. I’d much rather have your bag.
I may be getting a Husky 610 and that bag would be perfect.
Take care,
Jim