Hi Guys, planning a bit of a trip in August around some parts of Europe with m mate for 2-3weeks. We are now in the initial planning stage. My bike is a 2004 XT660R. We are on a budget so I dont want to spend a fortune on panniers etc. At the moment I am thinking about soft luggage which I have found on ebay. See links below.

http://cgi.ebay.ie/BUFFALO-MOTORCYCL...1%7C240%3A1318

or

http://cgi.ebay.ie/NEW-OXFORD-1ST-TI...1%7C240%3A1318

I know that there are protectors on the exhausts but would these prevent the soft luggage from melting etc? Will I have to get rails to keep them away from the exhausts? If so what do you recommend? Would I be better off buying the rails for a hard luggage set and if I want to upgrade at a later stage to hard luggage I would have the rails already. So far thiniking of Hepco and Becker's Explorer range of panniers and top box. http://www.hepco-becker.de/_eng/pdf/...20Info%20E.pdf Anyone have any wexperiance with these? Either?

Any help appriciated

Sambo