So, I don’t actually own a Stelvio but I have taken one for a test ride and the bug has well and truly bitten, even to the extent that I am planning modifications to a fantasy bike! Which brings me to the panniers - they are ridiculous! The problem seems to be that the left hand frame has been constructed to stand the pannier off the complete width of the substantial end can and the right hand frame has been constructed the same way because…well symmetry is important right?
The end result is a rear end the width of a Fiat Cinquecento most of which is full of air. Surely something can be done about this? I looked up after market items products and found a pannier/frame set in which the left hand pannier was cut away for the end can. Presumably this would tighten up the rear end a fair bit. So, has anyone been playing with their hacksaw and MIG welder?
Oh, come on now Richard, it’s Italian, form over function every time. Besides, there is then tons of room to add an extra fuel tank inside the RH pannier for when you take the bike across Mongolia or somewhere. Yes, they are stupidly wide, aren’t they.
Brian UK2014-03-06 22:53:55
you could fit the plastic panniers which I think are narrower it is only the NTX which comes with the aluminium TRAX panniers. on my NTX we made a new cross brace and support bracket and fitted a 5 litre fuel can behind the right hand pannier. OR you could make a storage box and fit that instead as the new Stelvio’s are not short of fuel capacity.
ps the trax panniers are only as wide as the handlebars 8 Valve Eagle2014-03-07 07:53:12
If you are really obsessed about a narrow bottomed pannier equipped Stelvio. The current pannier rails are already drilled with the mounting points for Givi monokey luggage. Add the Givi top and lower mounts and the skinny little 21L Givi panniers could be fitted.
Then your bum won’t look big in those…
I’ve unbolted the trax mounts and added the Givi mounts to allow use of my own E36 Givi panniers. Slimmer than trax and (so far) 100% waterproof.tomcat2014-03-07 08:45:50
Just as I thought! You have all been looking at that rear and and thinking, “Yes it is beautiful but soooooo wide!” Are they really no wider than the bars? Squinting at the rear and of the demonstrator I rode suggested they were at least a couple of inches wider. This seems to be confirmed by all the pictures I can find on line. The Hepco & Becker panniers on my Cali are handle bar width and thus filtering is OK when they are fitted.(Plus they are well below car wing mirror height - unlike those on the Stelvio!)
Although I haven’t had my tape-measure out I think that my NTX is narrower than my old GS with Adventure panniers fitted and certainly when filtering today I didn’t have any particular concerns.
Of course you could replace the 37L NTX panniers with the 45L Trax panniers but then you would be even wider.
I measured my NTX this morning and the widest point with handle bars and mirrors 102 cm the widest point on the panniers is 106 cm ,20mmm pre side wider I don’t see how that is a issue
Keith
I agree that the Trax panniers on the NTX are unnecessarily wide, plus I thought the locks were a bit cheap. Last year when I had an NTX, coming back from Harwich and filtering round the M25 in the rush hour was a nightmare, they were just too wide. Since then I’ve swapped the bike for a Stelvio 1200 8V and have had the MG aftermarket panniers fitted. They are much closer fitting, take 60 litres between them, operate on the ignition key and are really nicely finished.
As for the bike, it doesn’t have those hugely expensive and hard to clean wire wheels but very smart alloy ones in their place, nor the spots which I never used, a shorter screen which just happens to suit me, and a plastic instead of alloy bash plate. It’s also somewhat lighter, and that feeling is possibly exaggerated by the fact the panniers are much tighter to the body.
So if you don’t like the panniers on the NTX, have a look at the 8v ABS, add the MG panniers, colour matched, add any other bits you want, and enjoy!
Thanks for getting your tape measure out Keith. I guess it all comes down to the environment in which you ride. Yesterday, I had to filter through the queueing traffic on the approach to the blackwall tunnel both Northbound and then, on the return journey Southbound. This is the kind of really close work where you have to periodically stop, put both feet down and tilt and waggle the bars to avoid the mirrors of the side by side transit and steroid packed SUV so every cm counts. If my bum was wider than my bars I would be in trouble! Chris, I have been thinking that the standard Stelvio might be the way to go and then I can add on any NTX features I want.
Thanks for all the info and opinions boys.Richard632014-03-09 20:13:18
Ridden over 60,000 on NTX standard panniers, Done many miles
filtering all over Europe, Many times on the
M25. As Keith says “not an issue†Space on the right is great for storage. Mike
from South Wales reduced the pannier frames
20mm each side. Now they are same as handle bars. Biggest problem if any when
used a lot as seats, they will leak, Protect against water any internal content.
Many of you know I love the Stelvio, The 2011 is a big improvement over the earlier
2008 bike.What will they do in 2015?
Just put a reply on the other NTX thread but copied a relevant passage for inclusion into this thread.
Other Mods are matching locks for the panniers & top-box (being an optional extra the Trax top-box does not come with a matching lock to the panniers so I have replaced them all), restraining wires for the top-box & pannier lids (seen how these plastic hinges can break on the old GS Adv panniers and restraining wires are the way to go, expensive though), Trax luggage bags (very nicely made) and when they arrive, wall brackets for the panniers to allow me to hang them on the garage wall to free up some floor-space.
You mentioned that Mike reduced the frames by 20 mm each side. Do you have any idea how this was achieved? I can see there is plenty of room on the right but it looks like any reduction on the left will foul the end can. On my fantasy Stelvio (I have started a Stelvio savings account!) I have replaced the exhaust system with a custom job which routes it under the pannier. I’m just not sure how “adventure” it looks now!
hi richard 63 done various mods to panniers the orginal clam shell type fitted left hand box from a norge , had to put a lower pipe on to fit silencer , clam shell type are very pretty , but not good for loading , the standard trax boxs sit quiet high cutting down leg down room for passenger , final fix was to buy boxs and make frames up boxes are narrow than handle bars and can be used as seats , not as pretty but very useful, stelvio is a ideal bike for touring
hi will be clocks weekend , will try to sort out pictures , i am not a great user of computor but will try , live south east if thats any good for you , and use and enjoy the stelvio peter
Hi Peter, I am in Lewisham SE London so most of the South East is easily accessible. Maybe I could see your mods in real life? My Stelvio is still a fantasy bike. I currently ride a Cali.Richard632014-03-24 22:01:15
hi richard , i live in orpington which is just down the road , would be glad to show you the bike , but will warn you i am a bit of a anorak for stelvio,s send me a private message and i will give you my num , or give me your num , had ev calli for a while and done some good trips on it , do not use computor every day so sorry for slow answer … peter