A closer look at HippoHips™ 30L universal type "over the seat“ motorcycle saddlebag

Removable waterproof/dustproof inner bags

Each side makes use of a roll-top inner bag which are water and dustproof with an IP66 rating. Leave the pannier bags on the bike and only take the inner bags to your tent or into a hotel.

It has a light colour on the inside to allow you to easier find contents when searching for your stuff on the inside of the bag.

Water might still come between the liner and the outer bag, but it will not penetrate the inner liner. If the worst happens and the liner is damaged it can be replaced without the need to replace the entire bag. When used with Turkana modular packing cubes it is easy to find what you are looking for as each cube has a different colour and makes packing the inner bag easy.

The HippoHips™ fits in with the Turkana philosophy of finding that balance between great quality, lifelong durable tough as nails soft luggage and importantly, value for money. Hopefully, we are doing less better.

Unique Cross-over seat support.

Our load-carrying cross-over straps disperse weight evenly and compress the bags to allow access into tight places when riding those dual sport off-road trails.

The crossover straps ensure the total width of your bike is kept to a minimum and keeps the weight centred. The cross-over straps further assist with ensuring the outside of the bag does not droop and remains at the height level when initially fitted, eliminating the tendency to sway into the rear wheel of the motorcycle.

These bags are made for enduro-adventure bike style riding and that is why it is so popular among many 1000cc+ Adv bikers, as it fits on most motorcycles and suits many different riding styles and preferences.

The wide, over the seat support strap, connect with hook & loop to secure the bags to the motorcycle, yet it allows for a pillion to ride comfortably. Depending on your specific bike, this strap may also be installed underneath the seat.

M.O.L.L.E.

It is important that your saddlebags can be configured for different trips or adventures. What better system to use than what Chuck Norris and the military are used to? M.O.L.L.E. is perfect for this application, making it possible to add and use different pouches fitted with PALS to add more storage space to the saddlebags and allowing you to configure the system to your needs for the trip ahead.

Each set of HippoHips™ comes standard with 3L OxPacker™ and 5L BushBaby™ accessory pouches, which can be fitted on all four sides of the saddlebags.

Impact Protection all round

The HippoHips™ offers additional impact protection all around. The front is padded and double-layered to protect gear.

For additional protection, there is a Hdpe/high-density polyethene impact protection plate. The plate is inserted at the back on the inside of the panniers to ensure it remains flush and close to the frames. Drops, spills, muddy and rocky rutted goat tracks, deep water crossing, tree branches the combination of the wear and tear fabrics and protection plate will be able to protect your gear. 

The outer layer is made from durable fabrics, namely Rhinocote™ and 1680 Tuffstuff™. These fabrics offer a high tear, wear and abrasion resistance and can take a lot of the abuse associated with adventure type travel. The outer shell is water-resistant with double stitched seams which makes this luggage perfect for gritty offroad use.

Field Repairable

Field repairable saddlebags mean that most damages should be repairable by anybody with a sewing needle in most places around the world. No need for welding or special tools is required as the case may be to fix hard panniers.

We know the HippoHips™ might be dragged to hell and back and that riders may have to make repairs now and then, as accidents are part of enduro-adventure riding. So, you do not have to throw your bags away due to cuts or tears. Just replace or repair what is needed.

HippoHips™ Saddlebags set includes:

• 2 x Turkana HippoHips™ Outer Bags 2 x Waterproof 30L Inners
• 2 x Plastic Backbones
• 2 x Cross Over Straps (150cm)
• 2 x Turkana BushBaby™ Cannister Pocket
• 2 x Turkana OxPacker™ Bottle Pocket
• 4 x Compression Straps (60 cm) to fit OxPacker™ and BushBaby™ pockets
• 2 x Compression Straps with quick connection buckles (50 + 70cm) to fit horizontally on and around each main HippoHips™ Bag
• 8 x D-ring Tie-down Straps (40cm) to attach the bags to the frame
• 2 x Extra-long Tie-Down Straps (150cm) Additional straps to attach bags to the frame

Why do we believe in over-the-seat soft luggage?

Simply - they work!

The beauty of it lies in the simplicity of its design. It is one of the many reasons why so many seasoned experienced overlanders, adventure travellers and hardcore adv-enduro riders choose a lightweight design as preferred motorcycle luggage over aluminium panniers.

"Over the seat" styles are easy to fix and repair on the go. They are kind to motorcycle subframes and pannier racks and won’t easily damage or crack the subframe when continuously subjected to thousands of kilometres of rough dirt roads when heavily loaded.

With HippoHips™ the subframe and pannier frame carry the load which is further distributed over the seat with the main hook & loop belt. As a result, potential damage and cracks to the frame are minimized.

These bags perform well in crashes and drops are not likely to damage the bike. Plate mounted or "hardback" soft luggage systems that are fitted to pannier racks, in essence, substituted aluminium for fabric.

These systems may still apply the same forces to the pannier frame and sub-frame points as full metal panniers.

Using a soft luggage design without a plate system, like the HippoHips™, should reduce the risk of a broken pannier frame or cracked subframe during a fall. Soft luggage also decreases the risk of a broken leg or sprained ankle, when you get stuck underneath your bag. 

A plate mounted system makes the bike wider and therefore more difficult to get into tight spaces, which is an absolute no-no when riding adv-enduro trails. Or trying to get through tiny hotel room doors in South America.

A set of HippoHips™ weighs only around 4kg and plate mounted systems can be more than double or even three times that.

Weight on a motorcycle will always be a ball-and-chain and we believe having lightweight gear is the key for when riding off-road, enduro and adventure motorcycles. Lightweight can still be bulletproof and HippoHips™ is a testament to that.

When we updated the design of these saddlebags, we stuck to the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) philosophy. HippoHips™ are easy to fit and remove, using a few straps to tie down the bags to pannier frames and the bike.

It is not a problem for weekend riders or commuters to leave the panniers on the bike as the waterproof/dustproof inner bags are removable and can be used to carry gear to a campsite or into a hotel.