Attachment points on Vario panniers

Has anyone put luggage tie down points on Vario paniers? Dont want the various bags you can get to go on the top, but want to attach tent and such like to top of panniers. I am guessing that the fact that the panniers are expandable that this may be a bar to such a thing.

Cheers

Richie

not done it on BMW panniers (yet) but I put some stainless steel cupboard drawer handle on my Givis to use as tie down loops and it worked a treat for ataching my tent etc.

I think they were about £10 for 6 from B&Q so two packs did the panniers and top box.

RichieS said:

Has anyone put luggage tie down points on Vario paniers? Dont want the various bags you can get to go on the top, but want to attach tent and such like to top of panniers. I am guessing that the fact that the panniers are expandable that this may be a bar to such a thing.

Cheers

Richie

Click to expand...

I did see a post years a go that made some sort of mod to the 1200GS vario panniers to do exactly this BUT I am not sure that it is a good idea to do anything that significantly increases the load on the pannier mountings - they don't look super robust and are only rated to whatever it says in the manual.

Engineer said:

I did see a post years a go that made some sort of mod to the 1200GS vario panniers to do exactly this BUT I am not sure that it is a good idea to do anything that significantly increases the load on the pannier mountings - they don't look super robust and are only rated to whatever it says in the manual.

Click to expand...

I posted ages ago about mods to my vario panniers.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106665&highlight=vario+panniers

Since then have made further mods including adding another set of HG Tie Downs on the top of the panniers. Attached a doubled over Elastic Net to them and this proved invaluable on a recent month long trip around Europe for attaching easy accessible stuff like waterproofs and food/drink, plus a Pacsafe Lidesafe on each side. Also attached (using small white plastic P Clips) more elastic Chord to the inside of the pannier lids for keeping stuff organised in them and at the back of the left hand side pannier to keep two FusionGillette Bags in place. These bags were ideal for a First Aid kit and the other one for a whole bunch of adaptors and chargers. Both then fitted the awkward space above the cutout for the exhaust. Used clothes cubes (Great Fit) from Lakeland to organise stuff in the panniers and this made packing and unpacking miles easier.

On the outside of the panniers I have added a couple of Bumper Protectors (Poundland) and these have saved my panniers from a few scratches in their time Some velcro attached near the bottom of the panniers for quick attachment of Bullet cameras and some more velcro just above the pannier forward attachment assembly to attach Disk Locks to.

Are these what you are after ?

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237814

I'm now very wary of the plasic HG tie down points , I have them fitted below the Givi rack on my 1150 and one let go this year when putting a bungee on, the metal hook on the bungee then hit me in the knuckle on my little finger and took a chunk out of it and bruised the bone.
Dread to think what would have happened if the bungee had got me in the face !