Just completed 800 miles in east Oregon with the Great Basin on my R1200 GSW. At least half the time we were riding dirt & gravel. It felt balanced & secure on the bike. Great. I enjoy not having racks - on other (road) rides I will use my vario-panniers. I believe the saddlebags greatly improved the feel and handling of the bike on rough terrain.
It fit well. Though the pillion rider handles are a bit wide, it was not problem. Heat shield not needed. I could have added the 'vario' top-box but decided not to - I could feel the high weight. Instead I strapped a 25 liter drybag behind, using the Great Basin cinch straps.
The 'one-big duffle' concept was not a problem. Camp gear including tent & sleeping bag fit ok. I sometimes sat backwards on the bike to load it. Day gear was in the tank bag or 25 L. bag. I may add two Giant Loop 'Possibles Pouches'.
While dealing with Brian on this purchase it became obvious I was dealing with a highly knowledgeable, old school motorcycle guy. It reminded me of the guys I would talk with 30 years ago who knew the products, all the products. Tell him what you want and he'll tell you what you need. And it will likely be just that. There's value in this service. The SG12's are a heavy duty boot. To the point I was asking myself " do I need this much protection?" After breaking my leg at the ankle waring my old boots the answer was clearly yes. There are going to take some getting used to no doubt about it but you will have THE best protection money can buy. I can't compare to the Tech 10's because I haven't worn those. The Klim helmet Brian recommended is fantastic as well.
Brian suggested this helmet for the large opening, light weight and ventilation. It performed as advertised. Did my first race with it and had no issues. I didn't even notice it and that's what I want
Replaced my tech 10s with the Sg22s. By far the best boot I’ve had right out of the box and the option for half sizes is nice. Atomic moto was a great company to deal with and I will be making my next purchase with them.