This product has been discontinued
Joe Rocket Reactor Dry-Tech Saddlebags - DR08 Item # 725145
Description
Built with a 100% Waterproof Dry-Tech® outer frame, the Reactor saddle bags feature a simple to use roll-top design, to help maximize performance and storage capacity. The Reactor saddle bags offer up to 50L of total combined storage.
For additional weather resistance, the outer frame features welded construction. A simple to use universal mounting system is included. To help increase visibility, reflective details are incorporated throughout.
Features:
- Dry-Tech® waterproof construction
- 100% waterproof welded seams
- Universal quick release mounting straps included
- Reflective logos
- Approximately 25L storage capacity each
Part Numbers for Joe Rocket Reactor Dry-Tech Saddlebags - DR08
Reviews
Rated 4 out of
5
by
danbob from
Once hard-pannier bitten, twice hard-pannier shy.
OK so I had a close call with my hard cases. These have been fine for me because I bought them exclusively for camping. Convenience is the primary sacrifice. Durability would be another sacrifice. It's just tarpaulin material, avoid pointy stuff and take it easy on them! These are not ideal for short / quick trips because every time you open the bags and put anything in or take anything out, you need to re-strap and re-position carefully. Also, it's a bad idea to unbuckle the straps before letting the bike cool down or you'll melt through them. Not great for grocery store / commuter usage.
If you lack patience, don't bother with these. There are too many variables and it's not an easy setup. Every strap changes the way every other strap needs to be adjusted, and it takes a while before you figure out the best way to pack and mount them so they're sturdy. After a few shorter trial runs, I just finished 600+kms (400+kms over three days on a mix of active and deactivated forest service roads) north of the Shuswap carrying all my gear. At first they require lots of attention and frequent checks to make sure they don't sag / slip and touch the exhaust, then you can forget about them. I put gaff tape on the bottom of the right bag just in case, and once I forgot to synch it down and I was happy I did.
If you need accessible and handy luggage look elsewhere; for starters you have to wait for the bike to cool before you can (should) take them off. They work for me because I only use them to keep the camping stuff I need when I stop for the day, everything else goes in a backpack that I strap behind me. Unlike my hard cases, they hold the weight securely and close to centre and even on fairly rough terrain I barely notice them, plus I can be secure in knowing nothing hard and heavy would trap my leg if I crashed deep in the bush by myself.
Here's how I pack them:
Left: Sleeping bag and clothes (compression sacked), air mattress, rain gear on days I was confident it wouldn't rain.
Right: tools, pump, about 1/2 my food, wood-fuel stove, bivy sack, camp shoes. I had enough room that next time I'll add a tarp and more rope. I'm mindful of how and where I pack in case the exhaust ends up melting the bag.
Also... pack extra tape, bungees, straps etc. because if you crash don't expect vinyl tarp material to have much abrasion resistance with a motorcycle on top of them.
And finally... if I ever do have racks these will work beautifully and conveniently for commuting / grocery / whatever. I left them on the bike and hosed them down when I got home, and as expected they were 100% watertight.
Points against...
-The stupid release mechanism on the front and back is a terrible system, and if it breaks could leave you stranded with a poorly secured load. There's a work around; just undo the strap from the buckle, it's easier and doesn't feel like I'm going to break it.
-In using them rackless dust gets trapped between the bike and the bags, this will eventually wear through them, and has already scratched the plastic on my bike. Oh well. Drop $300 bucks on having a heavier and pointier bike (before you even get luggage) if you want better.
-The colour... can we cut it out with everything being black? It's a stupid colour for motorcycling. Our vanity can take the hit, I want hi-vis, I don't have to look at it while I'm riding.
Date published: 2020-08-30
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Marty from
Great medium sized bags for a fair price.
Bought these bags for the KLR650 and thought they’d be a little small. Installed them and very happy to say I can live with 25L of Storage per side. I use some universal bag stand-offs to protect the bags from the exhaust. The bags fit perfectly over these. The mounting instructions are available from Joe Rocket via a PDF. These are pretty standard over the seat strap mount bags. Really like the roller closure (like modern high end bicycle saddlebags). I’d almost say you could own two sets of these and maybe mount a couple up front off your crash bars. I also like how these bags when lightly packed or empty can be squished into the side of your bike with their straps to keep from blowing around in the wind. All in all very happy and these were very well priced.
Date published: 2020-06-22
Rated 3 out of
5
by
Sheepdog from
Inexpensive dry bags. That about it.
Purchased these for a three day back country trip. Was looking for something inexpensive as i can't justify 500 bucks and up for saddle bags. That is a lot of gas money. My reasoning is if they don't work a pair of roll top dry bags would be the same price and I would make use of them elsewhere. Mounting these things is problematic if your exhaust system is up high. There is no way to use the rear strap without it resting directly on the pipe. When the main buckles are released to access the contents the way they mount the opposite bag drops down. I suspect if you have a small road bike and commute to the grocery store these bags may be for you. ADV travel, maybe not so much. Leaving in a week and may follow up on this review.
Date published: 2020-06-20
Rated 1 out of
5
by
Mikess from
Absolute garbage
Do not buy these bags. One of my saddle bags base is not glued and has started to come apart. I'm afraid of the other 1 ripping through.
You are better off with a garbage bag and zip ties. Very disappointed
Date published: 2020-06-27
Rated 1 out of
5
by
Jaden from
Cheap cheap cheap.
Bought these a while back and they do no hold up. The slowly sag down while riding - one side found itself against my exhaust after an hour ride and melted itself. Additionally, the vibrate against your paint and essentially sand it down!!
Later, One strap and one buckle are broken under mostly normal conditions. One bag even swung into the tire which gouged a big hole in it.
Don’t buy these. Spend a little more.
Date published: 2021-04-15
Questions
so you dont need a sidecase mounting brackets for this? and should it fit on a 2018 dl1000?
There are no specific mounting brackets for it. You could mount without, but for many bikes you would want to consider some sort of tubular racks to keep the bags away from the pipes.
Date published: 2020-10-04
What kind of a mounting system is required for these bags
A simple to use universal mounting system is included with these bags. You can view the installation instructions here:
https://x.fortnine.ca/pdf/joe-rocket/jrc_mounting_drybags.pdf
Date published: 2021-04-08
What are the dimensions of these bags.
Joe Rocket do not list the dimensions, so we asked them directly and this is what they said:
"I grabbed one from our warehouse and took some measurements. I took length - 17 inches - and width - 6 inches - directly from the bottom of the bag. I measured the height from the bottom to the very top entry point - 16.5 inches - but the height in use would definitely be less when you fold the top down and strap the saddle bags securely."
Date published: 2021-03-18