Givi ST609 Panniers (Pair) - 50 Litre Total Capacity

Givi ST606 panniers.
Top quality and robust these panniers really enhance the look of my BMW F800GT. So easy to assemble and remove from the bike rack.
Great service as always from SBS.

The Givi ST609s are good value, lightweight panniers, and a decent size. I like the small inner mesh compartment which is handy for clutter like phone charger cables etc.

The locking mechanism is good, although I had to file down the plastic clips a little bit to get them to slide on to the pannier mounting rails (and yes I have the matching Givi rails on my bike!) - after having done that small mod they are easier to mount and remove.

However, be aware that these panniers are not waterproof, even with the supplied covers in place. Without the covers the zips will let the rain in pretty quickly, and even with the covers on water can still get in - spray off the back wheel hits the backs of the panniers and runs down the moulded grooves and gets inside the covers, and then the water seeps in through the zips.

This may be a problem specific to my bike (2014 Honda NC750S) as its "mudguard" is mounted very high thus letting the spray hit the panniers - but it's something to bear in mind.

On two trips to France I got caught in heavy downpours on the autoroute and on arrival found that water had got into the panniers. One time it had actually formed a big puddle in the bottom of the rain covers!

I am now using waterproof bags inside the panniers so that my clothes will stay dry - I may fit a hugger to the bike's rear wheel as well.

Overall I am still happy with the ST609s as I only do one or two long trips a year so can't really justify the cost of upgrading to panniers with better weather-sealing. But don;t expect these to perform as well as panniers at twice the price when it comes to weather-sealing!

Matched these with Givi pannier rails on a Tracer 900 2016. They are brilliant and look great. They can be locked onto the rails and expand further for touring. Good Givi quality. Excellent service from Sportsbikeshop again. Thank you :-)