Cycle News Staff | October 12, 2019
There are several companies out there making soft luggage for dual-sport and ADV bikes, but none with the pedigree that GIVI can boast. GIVI has been making motorcycle luggage for over 35 years. They’re known best for their hard top cases and panniers, but with the ever-increasing popularity of soft luggage for adventure bikes, they created the Gravel-T lineup. Featuring Italian design and craftsmanship, the GRT709 35-liter saddlebags are made from high-resistance 1200 W/R polyester. They also incorporate a high-density polyethylene backing, which keeps the bags rigid and provides a mounting point to attach to the included nylon plate for mounting on common loop-style ADV pannier racks.
Each saddlebag features a removable inner bag made from Hypalon, which is a waterproof synthetic rubber material engineered to be resistant to chemicals, extreme temperatures, and UV. A convenient document pouch is included within the inner bag. Additional features of the GRT709 include, Duraflex buckles, an exterior water bottle/cargo-carrying pocket, Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment (MOLLE) system in the front and on the bottom with fasteners included along with D rings. Elastic straps and universal hooks complete the MOLLE goodies that come standard. A shoulder strap is also included with each bag.
The Lowdown: High-quality soft panniers loaded with extras.
Stand-Out Feature: Waterproof bags with highly versatile storage options inside and outside the main compartment.
List Price: $699
Rider Analysis GIVI Gravel-T GRT709 35-Liter Saddlebags:
Soft panniers offer lots of advantages for those of us who take our large adventure bikes off-road or around the world. They’re more versatile than hard panniers in that you can cinch them down to almost nothing if you have a small load or stuff them to capacity, leaving just enough room to fold over the top and buckle them up. From a safety perspective, soft panniers are far less likely to pin your leg under the bag than traditional hard cases.
With all of that in mind, it’s easy to see why soft luggage is quickly becoming the number-one style of adventure luggage—and the GIVI GRT709s are some of the absolute best luggage options we’ve ever used. They’re loaded with features and thoughtful details that make packing them almost as fun as riding with them. With all the cool MOLLE components that come with these bags, you can let your imagination run wild. MOLLE is also used by military units all over the world to increase carrying capacity on backpacks and web gear. Needless to say, there are tons of items that can be purchased separately so that you can personalize the luggage system to fit your needs.
That said, GIVI has done an exceptional job designing the GRT709s, and they are a fantastic system right out of the box. Each saddlebag has a main compartment and a secondary outer compartment. The outer bag is stylish and sturdy, and comes complete with its own waterproof fold-down inner bag that provides enough room for a tool roll and tire repair equipment—a fuel canister or water bottle would also fit nicely. The main compartment inner liner is also a super-strong removable bag that provides additional waterproofing and includes a document pouch for your important papers. The entire system is locked in place with a keyed lock, so removal for carrying them into a hotel or to your tent site is super simple.
We did a lot of rough washboard off-road riding with these bags loaded down for a week-long trip. Stopping for pictures, dialing in suspension, it seems like we’re always stopping for something. We love how you can attach things like camera tripods, a screwdriver, or whatever else your heart desires to the outside of these soft bags using the cinch straps to hold it in place. It makes life so easy when you can get to items without digging into the main bag. Since we didn’t encounter any rain during this test, we pulled out the garden hose at the office and drenched the bags, partly to wash off all the dirt from our trip but mainly to see how waterproof they really are. When we were done, nothing inside showed any signs of water intrusion, and we were very pleased with how well the bags cleaned up after a long and very dusty trip.
For us, there’s no question—the GIVI GRT709 35-liter soft bags will be our luggage of choice for all future ADV backcountry excursions. They’re simply the best, most versatile luggage system we’ve ever used.—Keith Dowdle
For more information, visit giviusa.com