Long-term review of the Adventure Spec Magadan MK3 Panniers

First, here’s a fun lil video I shot of the Magadan Panniers MK3.

Downsides?

Ok, sadly they are not self-packing, but otherwise they are pretty damn brilliant. I’m a fan of providing balanced reviews, so even a raving report should probably provide a couple of downsides, and I’ve been racking my brain for some. But honestly, I’m clutching at straws here. I thought maybe over time, the saddle bags would sag and become annoyingly unwieldy and frustrating to use, but they didn’t. They’ve held their shape brilliantly over 33,000km of tough terrain all around South America, come rain or shine!

Then I thought, maybe they’d be all torn and tattered, given Maria’s propensity to crash on gravel and rocky loose stuff. I mean, the idea of the 1000D Cordura fabric outer was that it was easy to sew up, but so far we haven’t managed to crash a single hole into them. Just as well, cos Maria’s mending skills with a needle are mediocre at best. And definitely more functional than pretty!

So the only mildly crappy thing about these panniers I can think of, is that they don’t lock securely like Aidan’s aluminium cases, and they have to be lugged inside the hotel for safety every time, while Aidan might just bring a few items from his, and conveniently leave his panniers on the bike. But that’s the case with all soft luggage. And the soft- vs hard luggage question is a whole other topic. For now I’m going to assume you’re reading this because you’ve decided soft is the way to go for you. 

Quick and Easy

By the way, Maria got really good at quickly and easily detaching the Magadans from her bike and carrying them inside. They are mainly held by two heavy duty velcro straps across the seat that attach the bags to each other. Maria leaves the velcro and just detaches the clips she uses to hold the bags in place on the bike. Then she swings the bags over her shoulder, the velcro now resting on her shoulder with one bag hanging down her back, the other down her front. She finds it super easy to carry the weight that way, rather than holding one in each hand, feeling her arms getting longer and longer…

Oh, and thus left in place most of the time, the velcro has never weakened or become unnecessarily dirty. It’s tough and durable, but if you ever did manage to render it useless, you could just sew a fresh strip of velcro onto the strap…

Durability

Apropos durability and holding their shape: With the large, heavy duty buckles closed, the straps completely encircle each bag, distributing the weight. Not all saddlebags do that. Maria’s last ones tore off where the throw-over strap was attached to the top of the bag only, because that point had to hold the entire weight.

The Magadans have a rectangular shape with sturdy side walls, so they are as easy to pack and find stuff in, as solid hard cases. Use and time have failed so far to squash or crumble that set-up.

Waterproof

So, if they’re canvas, are they waterproof? Yep, if you want them to be. Adventure Spec provide super tough dry bags that fit exactly inside. Or you can just use your own, if you want. The genius thing about this is, that if you do manage to crash a hole into the canvas outer, there is a good chance that the inner dry bag remains unscathed and waterproof.

Before, we had single-layer waterproof panniers that were said to be super tough, but Maria managed to scrape a hole into them within days. And then the patch (designed for that bag) got a hole, and then the patch on that did, and before we knew it, it was all a sloppy, sticky mess, precariously held in place with copious amounts of duct tape.

Capacity

At the start of the Canada to Argentina trip, Maria had the great idea that if she took smaller saddle bags, she would take less stuff. Yeah right! She just ended up strapping it all over the bike. And you can imagine what fun that was, having to unstrap it all again every time we stayed at a hotel. The hassle! With 32 litres capacity each, the Magadans were a game changer! Suddenly everything fit neatly into the panniers, where it was sure to stay dry and dust-free. No more using up valuable drinking time at beer-o-clock fussing over a million straps and knots to retrieve sleeping bags, camping mats and other randomly attached stuff.

The Molle Pouches

Oh, while we’re on the subject of attaching stuff: The Magadans come with the molle system to hold various pouches at the front and back. Molle? It’s used by the army too. Basically a system of interweaving straps into loops that doesn’t come undone, no matter how tough and bouncy your ride. Hehe, Maria didn’t trust it at first and reinforced the hold with a carabiner hook. That must be the most idle carabiner in the world, cos the straps never moved an inch.

Adventure Spec have different options, like a stove bottle holder, first aid pouch and different size bags, so you can set it up however works best for you and your bike. Aidan carries the stove and kitchen, so Maria opted for two large pouches at the back: one for wet rain gear, the other for the potentially wet and dirty bike cover. On the little Honda NX250 there wasn’t really any room to attach more stuff at the front.

Fits any Bike

Because of the throw-over straps, the Magadans fit pretty much any bike. Technically they are designed to attach to a frame, but Maria specifically didn’t want a heavy frame, so she made her own, with dual functionality. On the right hand side a tool roll, a small aluminium heat shield and a minimal frame made from balcony flower box holders keep the bag from touching the exhaust. On the left a cut-off crutch that doubles as paddock stand for tire changes (the NX does not have a centre stand) is strapped between luggage rack and foot peg and neatly keeps the saddle bag from sagging into the rear wheel. Sounds fussy? Perhaps it’s not elegant, but it does the trick.

These days companies have clocked on to the desire to avoid big, heavy frames. There are a variety of small bits that provide just enough support and keep soft luggage away from the exhaust. Adventure Spec provide a range for the more common motos. But I suppose the NX250 is a little more rare, so Maria will keep her bodged rig for now - it works a treat.

Of course we’ve noticed the luggage systems that have a sort of u-shaped canvas base, and then waterproof stuff sacks slot into the side and a duffel-type goes on top. And some are even a single horse-shoe shaped dry bag. I love how these systems work with most saller and dual sports bikes with minimal to no frames or heat shields required. Maria had the pleasure of trying one out in Ecuador. And to be honest, she hated it. The long and deep shape of the dry bags were a hassle to use and she much prefers the open, easy-to access wide pannier style of the Magadans. Personal preference and ability to keep things organised I suppose…

Now, where did I leave that whisky?