1200GSA Panniers Now look Like Crap

[the civil one]

Fit for the Purpose !

The Purpose of Panniers , however expensive is to carry luggage.keep your contents dry and secure . To look good is optional , regardless of price.
There are better cheaper variants on the Market .
Bare alluminium will mark very easily ,
after all its a Bare metal.
I just had a look at the pictures and they dont look too bad , not good i will
admit , but not that bad all the same.
you have several options open to you at this juncture of the Panniers life.
1 try your BMW dealer for a replacement ,and remeber the new ones will do
the exact same unless they are coated.
2 Clean your Panniers , i use Cif kitchen cleaner and a large dose of elbow
grease.
3 Have em coated , again several options open to you here ,
you could have em , Painted , Etch primer and 2 pack ,lovely finish.
Powder coated , Lacqured , hard annodised , or as the gents have suggested
you could apply Vinyl stickie. This works well and its the cheapest option.
For me the Rufty tufty "used " look matches the Supposed "Hard" image the
GS portrays for me .

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Anodise or powder coat?? The best answer...........but it will cost you and a replacement set of untreated ones will be the same after a couple of winter rides

Did you not realise this

What else would you expect on bare alloy

Most bare alloy sumpguards go the same way

After all it's cosmetic...............blame the Highways Dept

What about the rest of the 1200GSA bike if your panniers are like that

 

[wilbjr21]

This is a fact of life with unpainted aluminium panniers - they will corrode with salt. I don't agree that they are "not fit for pupose" it's just a chemical reaction. That's why some people do not use their bikes in salty conditions, others wash them immediately in cold water and yet others don't want unpainted aluminium panniers. I agree that they will all go that route. I bought powder coated ones that also stop the contents going black with rubbing. Don't see what BMW can do about it.
The rest of the bike is no problem as it's painted.

 

[Andrew Lodge]

I would suggest use of the phrase "not fit for their intended purpose" and quoting the sale of goods act

If it were me I would be getting my money back and buying something different.

 

[Robbo1200ADV]

alu panniers GSA 1200

Hi Mine oxidised even just left in the garage! But good old solvol autosol got them good as new ,then use Motorex protect + shine as reg as possible good thing I grew up with H1 a kawasakis and Suzuki T500's from the 70's those things corroded in front of your eyes in the winter!!! Try it on the underneath panel,wipe with the "grain" or in straight line as any swirling will show.Hope this works for you

 

[LiquidLAN]

Anodise or powder coat?? The best answer...........but it will cost you

Not as much as it would cost if they were made to a better spec in the first place.

If it had taken a couple of winters riding to get to that state, that would be one thing, but there suggestion here it that these are 3 months old and only been out in the salt once.

Interesting to see the responses... I wonder who he is Jo Public and who's from BM... personally I'm, Jo Public.

 

[wilbjr21]

Not as much as it would cost if they were made to a better spec in the first place.

Well not really - many stainless steels rust in the presence of salt. They are no better or worse than any other unpainted aluminium pannier. You want bare aluminium panniers - then be prepared to look after them. It's part of the buying decision.

(I'm also Joe Public but a realistic one I hope).

 

[LiquidLAN]

Cool, I understand what you are saying, I used to be Boats Officer for a Scuba Diving club, I know just how stainable stainless steel is...

just taking this posting at face value, I think the guy should be able to reasonable expect them to be in a better condition after such a short period of time.

If they can't are they the right product to be selling in this country?

 

[EasySushi]

Cool, I understand what you are saying, I used to be Boats Officer for a Scuba Diving club, I know just how stainable stainless steel is...

just taking this posting at face value, I think the guy should be able to reasonable expect them to be in a better condition after such a short period of time.

If they can't are they the right product to be selling in this country?

I got these panniers from SPC, 2 months after the bike. Upon installing and reading instructions manual no where in the instructions did is say that you should not use the panniers in winter or on wet roads. I appreciate that all metal corrode over a period of time but not after 1 day of winter riding.

If I do get them replaced I will get them painted or something, perhaps BMW should put warning on the inside of the pannier lid explaining when you can or can’t use them.

Ty

 

[Dabba]

My touratech top box went the same way and I was apalled, I put it down to being a poor product (now I know why). Even worse, trying to polish them up was a nightmare. I didn't realise the GSA ones would do the same thing but I haven't used them enough to notice. Looks like I'll be trying some sort of protectant.

Did you get them changed yet?

 

[Blackal]

My touratech top box went the same way and I was apalled, I put it down to being a poor product (now I know why). Even worse, trying to polish them up was a nightmare. I didn't realise the GSA ones would do the same thing but I haven't used them enough to notice. Looks like I'll be trying some sort of protectant.

Did you get them changed yet?

I think the BMW ones on the GSA are the standard Touratech ones with bits of plastic stuck on the corners?

Only advice I can give, if there is no result from BMW, is to get them professionally painted.

Al

 

[MikeP]

At what point does corrosion become staining or staining morph into corrosion?

These things are "adventure" panniers. I think that their main purpose is functionality, i.e. they will hold a lot of stuff and not fall off or break as easily as more aesthetically pleasing panniers might (mind you the early ones didn't do that too well).

Now I'm one of those that likes a clean and polished bike. I don't mind when it gets filthy and I don't leave it like that when it does. What I've never believed is that I can expect that it won't take some effort from me to keep it in good nick.

I've owned BMW's for years but have never fallen for this myth of uber-build quality (I still can't find any BMW claim to it either).

I don't understand the mentality that "BMW should warn users that their panniers might stain if exposed to road salt" either.

Some of us have suggested different ways to deal with the problem. Any of them are from experienced owners who have offered practical ways to help.

If your beef is with BMW, fine. Why not take the problem to your dealer and see the response, either live with it or not but if you bought a 1200 GSA to maintain it as a 'concours' example and then ride it on salted roads, it's hard to stump up any sympathy.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I've owned BMW's for years but have never fallen for this myth of uber-build quality (I still can't find any BMW claim to it either).

I don't understand the mentality that "BMW should warn users that their panniers might stain if exposed to road salt" either.

Some of us have suggested different ways to deal with the problem. Any of them are from experienced owners who have offered practical ways to help.

If your beef is with BMW, fine. Why not take the problem to your dealer and see the response, either live with it or not but if you bought a 1200 GSA to maintain it as a 'concours' example and then ride it on salted roads, it's hard to stump up any sympathy.

Well said

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Not as much as it would cost if they were made to a better spec in the first place.

If it had taken a couple of winters riding to get to that state, that would be one thing, but there suggestion here it that these are 3 months old and only been out in the salt once.

Interesting to see the responses... I wonder who he is Jo Public and who's from BM... personally I'm, Jo Public.

Jo Public here...........specs fine for carrying lots of gear and adventure touring

Just wait for the bike's forkbrace/front engine cover/crashbars etc to corrode too (just 'cos it's painted doesn't mean it won't)

 

[dronning]

ACF-50

Aluminum will corrode no way around it if it isn't protected - annodized/powdercoat....

I'm surprised no one has mentioned ACF-50. I ride year round and Minnesota uses tons of salt in the winter. I have been using this for several years now and it works great- I even spray it on all the electrics and no corrosion. I suggested it to my friends in Florida who now use it to help with the ocean salt spray - they won't go without it.

ACF-50 is a state-of-the-art anti-corrosion/lubricating compound that has been specially designed for aviation and aerospace use. It is a clean, clear, non-toxic, ultra-thin fluid compound which leaves a non-greasy atmospheric barrier to protect metal surfaces. ACF-50 will kill corrosion cells on contact and completely remove the moisture from the metal surface. It actively penetrates into seams, lap joints and even beneath rivet heads, expelling moisture and saline solutions (salt water).
ACF-50, with a dielectric rating of almost 40KV, can be used to great effect on all your electrical connections too.
It will not only ensure a water proof seal, but stop the dread green coating often seen in plugs and sockets.
In addition, it can be used on all types of plastics, paints and seals without fear of damage. Of course the upside for us motorcyclists is that it works as well on our bikes as it does on aircraft !

Some links:
http://www.jaws-motorcycles.co.uk/acf.htm
http://www.skygeek.com/10013.html
http://www.corrosionauthority.com/

Dave
Should BMW replace them I'd hope so but good luck! - I bought anodized Metal Mules!!

 

[Deadskin]

I got these panniers from SPC, 2 months after the bike. Upon installing and reading instructions manual no where in the instructions did is say that you should not use the panniers in winter or on wet roads. I appreciate that all metal corrode over a period of time but not after 1 day of winter riding.

If I do get them replaced I will get them painted or something, perhaps BMW should put warning on the inside of the pannier lid explaining when you can or can’t use them.

Ty

Ty
i'm with you on this one
seeing bmw don't make plastic or painted versions of the panniers and it's alloy or nothing, the dealer should have warned you what would happen to the panniers when ridden in salty conditions

 

[GSmonkey]

I'm not quite sure why everybody is surprised. Ali will oxidise. I've owned quite a few exhaust cansthat were ali and they would go exactly the same way. To live with them looking nice, you require elbow grease + auto solvosol. They will however look shite again the minute they get moist.

Solution is change the material e.g. top-spec stainless steel (super duplex), titanium, or more commonly PLASTIC - or coat.

 

[EasySushi]

At what point does corrosion become staining or staining morph into corrosion?

These things are "adventure" panniers. I think that their main purpose is functionality, i.e. they will hold a lot of stuff and not fall off or break as easily as more aesthetically pleasing panniers might (mind you the early ones didn't do that too well).

Now I'm one of those that likes a clean and polished bike. I don't mind when it gets filthy and I don't leave it like that when it does. What I've never believed is that I can expect that it won't take some effort from me to keep it in good nick.

I've owned BMW's for years but have never fallen for this myth of uber-build quality (I still can't find any BMW claim to it either).

I don't understand the mentality that "BMW should warn users that their panniers might stain if exposed to road salt" either.

Some of us have suggested different ways to deal with the problem. Any of them are from experienced owners who have offered practical ways to help.

If your beef is with BMW, fine. Why not take the problem to your dealer and see the response, either live with it or not but if you bought a 1200 GSA to maintain it as a 'concours' example and then ride it on salted roads, it's hard to stump up any sympathy.

I bought my BWM because of the versatility of the bike, I have no problem with my bike at all in fact I am 200% pleased with my purchase and could not recommend it highly enough.

I am disappointed with the panniers that after one day of riding in bad weather they look as bad as they do. I use my bike both off road and on, never the less I still like a clean good looking bike and put the necessary time in to keep it looking so.

I should not need to care if a road has been salted or not all I won't to do is concentrate and enjoy riding my bike and not think the road ahead might be corroding my panniers. If I thought they would corrode like this in one day then I would have got them painted or some like. However I do maintain that perhaps BMW should warn you that this is likely to happen or have lacquered them first.

Ty

 

[Davy F]

I would suggest use of the phrase "not fit for their intended purpose" and quoting the sale of goods act.

I would suggest the dealer would laugh at you. They are obviously 'fit for purpose', ie fit to carry stuff in. Just coz the surface has marked in this way does not make them unfit for their intended purpose.

 

[EasySushi]

I would suggest the dealer would laugh at you. They are obviously 'fit for purpose', ie fit to carry stuff in. Just coz the surface has marked in this way does not make them unfit for their intended purpose.

Yes, but the corrosion would also attack welded joints which would then lead to leaks


Ty