1300 GSA bags

[rossman999]

following on my thread about carrying locks on the GSA I am getting increasingly fed up with everything being bespoke to the bike.

The tank bag a givi xstream doesent apear to fit as I cant get a tank ring to fit the 1300 even though it looks identical to the 1250!
I only use a tank bag a few times a year when im on a trip so grudge the OEM BMW one - anyone found a decent alternative

Radiator cowl bags, my trusty lomo ones that was on my TC and 1250 wont fit the rings on the cowl - has anyone tried a generic chinese one or is it biting the bullet and going for OEM - they are not cheap!

 

[Frankh]

following on my thread about carrying locks on the GSA I am getting increasingly fed up with everything being bespoke to the bike.

The tank bag a givi xstream doesent apear to fit as I cant get a tank ring to fit the 1300 even though it looks identical to the 1250!
I only use a tank bag a few times a year when im on a trip so grudge the OEM BMW one - anyone found a decent alternative

Radiator cowl bags, my trusty lomo ones that was on my TC and 1250 wont fit the rings on the cowl - has anyone tried a generic chinese one or is it biting the bullet and going for OEM - they are not cheap!

I was lucky and got my GSA tankbag free because the free luggage was delayed and not available when I picked the bike up 2 weeks ago. It all came in about 10 days later . It’s a nice bag and good the way it tilts for filling the tank and then just snaps back down I like it.

 

[Asturcon]

Aliexpress is full of them. I got my flip-top one for about £40. They're good, but they are quite big (I don't mind, others may). They are just like the OEM ones but cheaper. I had to file down the lugs by about 1mm to get mine to "click in" but that's par for the course with most stuf from Aliexpress.

 

[rossman999]

Thanks for the freedback - has anyone tried the rear frame bags it looks like they may be a pain for a pillion - more money!!!

 

[grantmac]

Are you talking about the triangular ones?
I have a set and I love them. They bolt to the frame very easily and have water proof bags that come with them to keep anything dry. I have a spare set over if interested. Drop me a DM

 

[del1150]

I got the tankbag and the rear frame bags from AliExpress. Both excellent value and both were a perfect fit.

 

[Asturcon]

Thanks for the freedback - has anyone tried the rear frame bags it looks like they may be a pain for a pillion - more money!!!

Yes, I have them. Read the buyers' comments because there are many that supply the same thing. Some are better than others. I certainly gave feedback! I almost binned them because the holes did not line up by a long chalk and you can't believe how stiff they are! They will not stretch.

So I put the first one on, the left one, and it was such a struggle that I decided not to put the second one on at all. More than that I almost threaded the receiver nut on the frame because it just would not go in straight. After a few days I had a go with the other one but this time I softened it with a heat gun (you can use a hairdryer if you don't have a HG). It was better, but still not great. I did get it on and didn't come so close to threading the nut, but even so.....

I can't answer the question about the pillion because my wife doesn't like the GS as we've toppled over twice. Once she almost broke her wrist and another she almost got her head runover . I'm away from the bike, but when I get a chance and if I remember (won't be home until May) I will sit on the back and let you know. I did look at it and wonder the same but stopped short of hopping on the back to check. It looked to me as if they would probably not interfere.

Are they useful? Yes, I think so. As I've mentioned on another thread I rarely do day-rides, If I'm out on it, I'm "out-out" so I tend to carry basic get-you-home tools for me and/or others and the odd spare bungie or tie-down. Allegedly they aren't, on their own, waterproof, but they come with a waterprrof bag. I sprayed mine with loads of Scotchguard and keep the tools wrapped in ziploc bags rather than use the big old bag they supply. I estimate that I carry about 1kg total of stuff between both, but they are rated (allegedly) to 2kgs each. I seriously doubt they would hold 2kgs of stuff and stay on, though because there is only cloth around the holes, there's no reinforcement. It's no bad thing to try and keep as much weight as low down as possible and they help do that.

I imagine (I hope) that when they come off for the bike's deep clean at the end of the autumn, they will have molded themselves into shape nicely and that's when I will reinforce the holes with something.

Ride safe

 

[Asturcon]

I also bought the bags that go at the front on the "parcel shelf" of the GSA on the sides of the tank. Dont't bother. The supplied screws were not long enough for the metal frame AND the bags; it's either/or. The left one, OK (with longer screws) but the right one has the potential to catch on the cabling albeit on full lock..... and that is when it's empty!. In the end I left the metal frames because they don't look so bad, but they will likely come off and be binned in the autumn because ultimately you cannot really strap much of any use to that frame such as a bottle of water or a pencil-case with tools in it, or anything that's not flat, for the same reason, so it's just extra weight which the GSA does not need.

Ride safe

 

[rossman999]

Thanks for the replies - it sounds like the rear bags may be suitable for locks - edinburgh for bikes is scary and you can never have enough locks and cables.

I really should have gone for one of the scafolding options rather than the BMW aluminium boxes

 

[grantmac]

you are talking about these right?

 

[rossman999]

yip

 

[Asturcon]

you are talking about these right?

View attachment 495667

Yeah, but they are a fraction of the price on AE!!

 

[grantmac]

Did you see what BMW were charging for the cowling bags.