Bespoke panniers Interest | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Bespoke panniers Interest

Do you want custom panniers and racks?

  • Yes, I will be in contact for design and fitment

    Votes: 1 9.1%
  • Yes, but not yet

    Votes: 3 27.3%
  • No

    Votes: 4 36.4%
  • No, this does not suit my bike

    Votes: 3 27.3%

  • Total voters
    11
Looks like you have skills and initiative, congrats!

I would say to start, don't reinvent the wheel. 99% of aluminum panniers are minor variations of simple army ammo boxes, that's probably for a reason. Figure out how to make a good variation of the usual at a good pricepoint. Most brand pannier systems price out to about $1000-1500 with the rack. If you can figure out something that works, $500-600 would be a fair pricepoint.
 
Boutique manufacturing is doable ( I like bespoke, but I'm a dandy) , but its going to have a steep curve. I have experience in small production runs, challenge 1 is getting volume to get to a price point and finding a sub contractor that takes your 50 part order seriously. Under estimating start up costs and prototyping stalls a lot of businesses before they get going.

Best of luck , its a very fun project.

I've been rethinking this and crankcall said it well. BTW if you can do a set for $350 someone can do them for $340 and then you drop to $330 and they come back at $320. A race to the bottom of you go price based.

Your quality looks good and if you make some latching and waterproofing headway you can concentrate on making custom or purpose units for people that want them and are prepared to pay for the quality.

What would be more satisfying? Making 500 sets a year or making 50 sets both clearing the same annual profit?

Liability: Mention motorcycle and the rates go insane IMO. If your company is limited it protects personal assets. Rent tools and space from yourself etc. Consider skipping insurance.

Try getting accepted as an OEM. Discounts are huge compared to over the counter.
 
1. do not skip insurance
2. do not skip insurance
3. see 1 and 2

don't need to be labeled the tinfoil hat guy but there are business basics to be followed. If you cant afford/get product liability insurance and liability ins on the business itself, its a hobby, not a business.
I even insure my receivables so if customer X goes tits, I'm not holding the bag. It lets me sleep at night.

Product insurance actually isn't that bad and the pricing can be tied to output of product. It can also cover recalls ( which may not be your problem ever, but consider VW deisel.....)

Do your homework and have fun with it, but dont lose 10 yrs wages or a house because you didnt get good advice as a startup.
 
... Might be best to figure out a good starting market and build exclusively for that, like KLR's, GS's or bikes that would typically want this rugged looking paneer.

That may be the case but consider the possibility that the KLR and GS market is probably already quite saturated.

I currently use a Fazer8 for touring (on pavement) and I only have soft bags which always end up pissing me off. I'd be definitely interested in a cheap, durable solution for that bike even if it looks super rugged.
 
That may be the case but consider the possibility that the KLR and GS market is probably already quite saturated.

I currently use a Fazer8 for touring (on pavement) and I only have soft bags which always end up pissing me off. I'd be definitely interested in a cheap, durable solution for that bike even if it looks super rugged.
Thread jack! Did you see these on Kijiji? Pretty good deal for your fz8s.


Please view this ad:

FZ8s Givi luggage rack,
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-sport-touri...aign=socialbuttonsVIP&utm_content=app_android

Price: $*100

Download the application from the Google Play Store.
http://goo.gl/Hs9Yg

Sent from my SM-A500W using Tapatalk
 
I love this idea. A couple of ideas from the ADV / sport touring camp...take them for what they're worth, if you're aiming at that market (and you should be).

Someone mentioned in an earlier thread that Jesse bags are the standard - they absolutely are, though there are other good hard bags out there. I had a set of Jesse's on my '13 GS, and I just ordered a set to replace them (the bike was totaled).

Cost is clearly not our primary concern; it's value and customer service. With the Jesses they cost an arm and a leg, but they're well made, battle proven and the internet is full of stories of above and beyond customer service where the customer is in the middle of nowhere. Don't expect to just sell a product and never have to pick up the phone and chat with a dude who has a bent latch in Columbia. It'll happen, and that story will be a part of his ride report... People should be looking at your bags thinking "they're less expensive than Jesses and I won't look like every other adv wannabe" not "those are just a little bit more expensive than ammo cans, I'll just try this myself".

The Jesse bags crash well. I put mine through hell before I was hit head on at 100 kph. While a lot of ADV guys just ride to starbucks and pose, some actually go places and do things and sometimes the bikes just want to take a nap. The mounting system is a key part of how the bags will stand up over time, and some mounting systems are better than others. It's unhelpful to have a hard bag survive only to have the mount break, or even worse to have the impact force transmitted straight to the subframe of the bike and then have that snap.

The failure modes of the bags / racks needs to be considered as well. If something goes wrong, can it be repaired in the field? Can a dent be banged back into shape? Is the hardware all easily available, or is it some specialty nonsense I can only order from you?

The bags absolutely, without question, have to be waterproof. That's the lowest expectation. Will you sell a removeable liner or pannier bag?

Some others talked about the placement of the hinge, and gave some very good reasons why the hinge should be at the front, if there's only one. One feature of the Jesses is that they open sideways, which is a non-catastrophic failure mode.

Are locks available for the bags?

I'll echo the others' thoughts that you did a great job, and if you're serious about this there's room in the market. You just need to pick the segment you're going to start with and get it right. The adv market is full (I wouldn't say saturated) but it's mature, and therefore ripe for a newcomer to steal a sliver (of a HUGE market) of business away from the big guys. One thing to keep in mind about the GS / adv market is that almost without exception, every bike sold is going to have a set of bags on it...

Good luck!

(and make sure that stickers can go on the bags easily. They add horsepower.)
 
I could not answer your poll because you are missing a catagory that I fit in, "No, already have a set" - in other words I might have been interested but I don't need a set.

Also laugh at some of the comments from "business advisors" who recommend you forget going into business as 'your costs will escalate because you need to hire people bigger warehouse, etcetera...'. Hell ya, that's called success, cause if you need to do that, you are selling a whole lot more, which in turn brings the per unit cost down, and over the long term generates higher profit. It's called CAPITALISM or ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

It's like my father's friends who said he got "lucky" in his business, to which my father laughed them off responding, ya it was luck created by the opportunity of hard work. Anybody else disagreeing wants government handouts, a huge inefficient and costly social umbrella and is basically lazy.

Ah, that feels good, a good conservative rant feels good sometimes.
 
I'd be interested in a set of these and a top box for a 2014 Honda NC750XA. Here's my e-mail: scott@creatibly.com let's discuss!

I think this is where the trouble will come. How do you design the mounts for bikes you do not have access to? There is no universal mounting system that will fit all bikes and the time to measure out and get right on individual models will kill any profits that could be made unless of course you could make it work with other mounting systems so you do not need to make the mounts at all.
 
I think this is where the trouble will come. How do you design the mounts for bikes you do not have access to? There is no universal mounting system that will fit all bikes and the time to measure out and get right on individual models will kill any profits that could be made unless of course you could make it work with other mounting systems so you do not need to make the mounts at all.

This is correct. It's not the boxes...it's the mounts. Boxes are two a penny but often it depends on what rack and therefore what mounts you can get for your bike that dictate which boxes you use. The most innovative bags/boxes I've seen recently have been a combo soft/hard bag that's lockable by the way. Example, I have a bike that has a Touratech rack available for it which means I can use several different box types on it. However, I can't use Givi bags on the Touratech rack and vice versa (An adapter will allow different topboxes but only topboxes).

If you have a relatively inexpensive and robust mount system for your bags that will adapt to multiple commercially available racks with cheap adapters you'll be really in business.
 
That may be the case but consider the possibility that the KLR and GS market is probably already quite saturated.

I currently use a Fazer8 for touring (on pavement) and I only have soft bags which always end up pissing me off. I'd be definitely interested in a cheap, durable solution for that bike even if it looks super rugged.

I managed to fit a set of the Shad SH36 Side bags to mine without too much hassle. They have worked great.

OP: The workmanship looks good, styling isn't really my thing. But I like the fact you weren't happy with the products available and went your own way. Good on you. Sorry for the hijack.
 

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