** Hard bags:
+ They lock
+ They are trivial to get in / out of
+ They don't tear, well not that easily!
+ You can put stickers on 'em if you in to that sort of thing
+ Are spendy, buying used helps
+ Often have available liners
+ You can bolt stuff to 'em if you want, lights, bottles, etc
- Are often bike specific
- They are always the same size, even if they are mostly empty
- They don't give when you fall, could be an issue for you or the bag
- They add weight, including both the case and the brackets
- Can be hard to fix, sometimes to the point of needing replacement
** Wolfman Expedition Bags w/ hoop racks:
+ Very secure to the bike (attachment, not entry)
+ weight is low on the saddle bags
+ Pack down to nothing if you don't need them. I often carry an extra small duffel 'just in case.'
+ Adjust to what's in them. When they are half full you tighten the straps, nothing shifts
+ Give a little, nice in a fall, tip, or when they catch your leg
+ Really water proof, patchable
+ Bags move from bike to bike
- Easy to steal, the bag, or what's in it
- Fiddly to get in and out of, really fiddly to get off on the bike. Not hard, just takes time, lots of straps etc
- They are moving away from the hoop racks, I don't think you can get them for the S10 any more
** Giant Loop Coyote/Great Basin:
+ Very secure to the bike (attachment, not entry)
+ weight can be kept low by putting heavy stuff in the 'feet'
+ Adjust to what's in them. When they are half full you tighten the straps, nothing shifts
+ Give a little, nice in a fall, tip, or when they catch your leg
+ water resistant, patchable, can have dry bag liners
+ Bags move from bike to bike
- Easy to steal, the bag, or what's in it
- Fiddly to get in and out of, easy on/off the bike
** Under way, grab something out of a bag:
Hard bags- open bag, perhaps via key, reach in grab, close (seconds)
Giant Loop - unzip, maybe move strap, maybe undo inner bag, maybe move some pods around (seconds -> minute)
Wolfman Expedition Saddle Bag - remove top strap, open bag latch, unroll, reach in grab, reverse (10 seconds -> minute)
** At hotel
Hard bags - open bags, pull liners, close bags, walk away (10s of seconds), reverse on departure (10s of seconds)
Giant Loop - three straps, walk away (10s of seconds), reverse on departure, some adjustment (<1min)
Wolfman arrive - open saddle bag buckles (2x side), remove from hoop (4x buckles / side), unstrap top bag(s), stash straps, etc (2 minutes)
Wolfman depart - reverse above, with bits of adjustment, finding right straps, double check, realize you forgot to put your xyz in the bag, etc, etc. (for me, even with days of practice, 5-10 minutes to get moving)
** At lunch stop, or the store, or the movies ...
Hard bags - walk away, all secure (well as secure as anything is these days)
Soft bags - hmm, nothing secure, keep bike in sight, safe area, eat lunch wondering if someone is taking your stuff
** At the camp site
Hard Bags - open, grab you stuff, ... similar to hotel. Can be removed from bike and used as seat, table, etc.
Soft Bags - same as hotel, but you can leave the Wolfman saddle bags on the bike and save a minute or too
** After a fall
Hard bags - may be just fine, may be destroyed, may need a welder
Soft bags - much more likely to survive, field fix is duct tape
Some folks say hard bags are more likely to break your leg in a fall. I think properly packed soft bags with all the weight concentrated low can be just as much of a problem. My take is you should wear MX boots off pavement, and even on if you expect to fall a lot. That will help.
In general, minutes vs. seconds doesn't seem like a big deal, and it's not if your patient, have nice weather, etc. Fiddling with Wolfman straps in pouring down rain get's tedious fast.
If I had ~ $100 to spend I'd strap on some canvas duffles and hope for dry weather
If I had ~ $500 to spend I'd buy a Giant Loop.
If I had ~ $1000 to spend I'd buy the Yamaha hard bag trio
If I had ~ $1500 to spend I'd get both
On hard bags, I've had BWM OEM top loaders on a GSA, BMW OEM slide loaders on an RT1200, and K1600, Givi on a Vstrom, Pelican top case on my Husky, Jesse's on a KLR, and the Yamaha OEM bags on the S10. My favorites from that set are the BMW OEM toploaders on the GS, and the Yamaha. They are more or less the same design. I like the Yamaha mounts much better, and prefer the BMW latches and locks. The BMW setup is nearly 2.5x the price! I hate side loaders. Forever struggling to keep the stuff I want in them, and get the stuff I want out, out. Liners help, but not nearly as functional as top loaders.
On soft bags, I've had the Wolfman Expedition setup with hoop racks, and the Giant Loop Coyote. I like them both, they are well executed. The Giant Loop win hands down for getting on / off the bike, and for not needing a rack. I know you can run the Wolfman stuff without a rack, but the Giant Loop fit's better. You can keep the weight lower with the Wolfman, but not by much.
Across the board you can score used stuff and save a bundle if you are patient.
Some folks say hard bags are more likely to break your leg in a fall. I think properly packed soft bags with all the weight concentrated low can be just as much of a problem. My take is you should wear MX boots off pavement, and even on if you expect to fall a lot. That will help.
Finally, for hotel trips or camping both, a little bit of careful thought usually can cut your load significantly. At the end of any trip I think about what I didn't use and why. Sometimes that turns in to it staying home. I cut my camping volume by 1/2 last year do that, and by changing by sleeping pad / bag to a big agnes setup where the bottom of the bag is the pad. Hotel wise 2 up we used to struggle to get into three hard bags. Now it's a breeze, a lot of that has been just practice.