Triumphrat

tyger · 10-04-2009, 07:39 PM

My panniers get damp and musty on my 05. I thought it was just a bad seal between the lid and box but as I disassembled I discovered that was not the case. Or not the whole case.

Most of the screws holding the inner bracket and various things were in bad shape. Many were rusted bad so that there was no doubt water was passing through the holes.

I ran down to the hardware store and picked up some stainless steel replacements. I could not get metric units the like the originals so I had to settle for 8-32s in 1/2", 1", and 2" increments. I grabbed a tube of silicone sealant as well. I used the silicone as the screw goes in and reaches seated position to give it a total seal.

I do believe the panniers are poor quality though they look nice. The just don't make a good straight seal from top to bottom in my opinion, and I don't see much to do except perhaps try to find a better rubber gasket. That's on my to-do list.

Medic09 · 10-07-2009, 01:16 AM

Over on the tigertriple.com forum, several folks have said how they found the panniers to be watertight.

My experience on my Sprint and Tiger has been that the bags leak a small, but noticeable, amount. Several days in the rain really shows up inside. Other Sprint owners have said the same. Since the bags are similar design, you might look and see what solutions have worked for Sprint owners, too.

tyger · 11-03-2009, 09:59 PM

I realized I should have posted an update. It's been three weeks since I had my wettest ride ever. Three days of near nonstop rain and my contents stayed dry. I'd say the screw replacement was a complete success.

If you get water in your old panniers check the gaskets and then the screws that hold the pieces together. My screws had rusted and therefore shrunk to allow water to pass.