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[flynnstig82r]

I received the WL900 semi-rigid side cases and some sliders from Energica of New England.

The WL900 is quite a bit smaller than the Trekker 33's, and feels a lot smaller than the 8L decrease would suggest, but they can still carry a useful amount of stuff and they seem to have a lot less drag. My first ride showed efficiency similar to what I would expect without the side cases, which is what I was hoping for. So far I'm glad I made the switch!

Anyone in the market for some Trekker 33L's should PM me for a good price.

[BigPoppa]

Looks good! How do the WL900s compare to the OEM side cases? Are they bigger or about the same size? If they’re about the same size but more aerodynamic I may have to consider getting Todd to modify my OEM side case rack for monokey cases as well. Since I don’t carry a passenger, I don’t need the scalloped shape for a passenger’s legs. That scallop is my only complaint with the OEM side cases.

[flynnstig82r]

My semi-educated guess is that it's about the same. The 25L capacity is the same, although the shape is slightly less irregular than the OEMs. I never had the OEM soft bags, but I did ask to see the inside of one fairly recently so I have a slightly fuzzy basis for comparison. I would guess the WL900's might have slightly less drag, but I don't think that I would personally go to the trouble of converting the racks and getting WL900's if I already had the OEM bags unless you wanted the zipper-lock for a little bit (not a lot) of extra security. I'm very happy with them, though, and I like that I can put them on an Experia if/when I ever get one.

[BigPoppa]

Thanks for the feedback. I currently use TSA luggage combo locks on my OEM side bags which has worked well. Of course I still don’t keep anything of real value in them since all it takes is a decent pocket knife to slice them open but they do keep me from forgetting to zip them up and losing the contents on the road. Don’t ask me how I know…lol.

I’ll stick with the OEMs for now since the top case has solved my commuting “problem”. Again, thank you so much for your efforts here in the Bay Area of seeking luggage solutions for our bikes.

[DonTom]

My semi-educated guess is that it's about the same. The 25L capacity is the same, although the shape is slightly less irregular than the OEMs. I never had the OEM soft bags, but I did ask to see the inside of one fairly recently so I have a slightly fuzzy basis for comparison. I would guess the WL900's might have slightly less drag, but I don't think that I would personally go to the trouble of converting the racks and getting WL900's if I already had the OEM bags unless you wanted the zipper-lock for a little bit (not a lot) of extra security. I'm very happy with them, though, and I like that I can put them on an Experia if/when I ever get one.

What is wrong with the stock Experia sidecases?  Why would you want to transfer them?


-Don- Crescent City, CA

[ultrarnr]

One of the problems on the Ribelle side cases is the zippers are not very durable. After two years the zipper on my left side case is coming apart and not sure how much longer it will close completely. Carrying a strap to wrap around the side case in case it completely fails.

[BigPoppa]

What is wrong with the stock Experia sidecases?  Why would you want to transfer them?


-Don- Crescent City, CA

I don’t think anything is wrong with them per se but if maximum efficiency is your goal, the WL series of cases weigh half of what the Trekker cases on the Experia weigh. Also, the WL series are a bit more aerodynamic.

I had the Trekker cases on a Moto Guzzi Stelvio and I loved them. The hat trick of the side cases having a “top” lid made it possible to load some items without having to completely open them up clam shell style.

I think it’s just a matter of what your goals are with your luggage. If you don’t have a need  to regularly stuff your cases full then IMHO the WL series make better sense.

[flynnstig82r]

What is wrong with the stock Experia sidecases?  Why would you want to transfer them?


-Don- Crescent City, CA

For my mostly-highway riding, the Trekker 33's just took too big of a bite out of my range. Especially in a strong headwind, my efficiency with them was absolutely shocking, on the order of ~280 Wh/mi @ 70 MPH. I started leaving them off on most of my rides, which left me with insufficient cargo capacity to stow my helmet and jacket and still carry enough for an overnight stay. So far, it seems like the WL900's have almost no impact on my riding efficiency compared to riding without side cases, but that's a very preliminary finding based on a single ride and word of mouth from others.

The Trekker 33's might not be so bad on the Experia because it looks like they're positioned farther inward compared to my SS9 and can hide in the airstream behind the Experia's fairing. We'll see when the long-term tests come out. As BigPoppa said, the Trekkers are very nice cases, well-built, easy to access, and can store plenty of stuff. I would recommend them to anyone who isn't constantly testing the limits of their bike's range like me.

[Skidz]

Thanks for the feedback. I currently use TSA luggage combo locks on my OEM side bags which has worked well. Of course I still don’t keep anything of real value in them since all it takes is a decent pocket knife to slice them open but they do keep me from forgetting to zip them up and losing the contents on the road. Don’t ask me how I know…lol.

Been there, done that, picked my underwear from the road

[wavelet]

What is wrong with the stock Experia sidecases?  Why would you want to transfer them?


-Don- Crescent City, CA

For my mostly-highway riding, the Trekker 33's just took too big of a bite out of my range. Especially in a strong headwind, my efficiency with them was absolutely shocking, on the order of ~280 Wh/mi @ 70 MPH. I started leaving them off on most of my rides, which left me with insufficient cargo capacity to stow my helmet and jacket and still carry enough for an overnight stay. So far, it seems like the WL900's have almost no impact on my riding efficiency compared to riding without side cases, but that's a very preliminary finding based on a single ride and word of mouth from others.

The Trekker 33's might not be so bad on the Experia because it looks like they're positioned farther inward compared to my SS9 and can hide in the airstream behind the Experia's fairing. We'll see when the long-term tests come out. As BigPoppa said, the Trekkers are very nice cases, well-built, easy to access, and can store plenty of stuff. I would recommend them to anyone who isn't constantly testing the limits of their bike's range like me.

I'm not surprised. I really hate the stupid trend of putting adventure-type rectangular metal bags and topboxes on every bike.

The Givi E360 is superior in every respect, and although no longer made, is still available in some places. Far cheaper, 40-liter capacity each side, usable also as a top case, looks much better and aerodynamic so much less buffetting and better range. They're also much more usable than the V35/V37 abominations which have such a weird shape inside that almost nothing fits.
For people who need a bit more space, there's the E460.