I know it's been covered before but, last Friday evening rush-hour, A12 Newbury Park (East London) flowing well at 40-50mph (but very busy) when I heard what sounded like a box tumbling, rapidly followed by the sound of metal sliding on tarmac, and much hooting of vehicle horns...
The more astute will have guessed that the Vario topbox on my 74,000m 2006 GS had decided that was the moment to self-eject into the path of following traffic.
Fortunately (for me, for my luggage, numerous following drivers / riders) I was in the nearside lane rather than lanes two or three, the box stayed intact and slid into the nearside gutter whereupon a pedestrian kindly picked it up... it was piddling with rain and clearly the whole episode could have ended oh so very badly.
As it is, the pedestrian handed me the box (he seemed happy not to have to carry it any further; he indicated he had decided to take it to the nearest Police Station
), and the topbox has suffered no more than the disappearance of the upper backrest and a significantly scuffed aluminium top panel.
Yes, the pathetic layer of plastic that holds the metal securing hasp in place had split. I've now added a piece of 1.5mm galvanised steel plate held in place with some 6mm bolts and washers which seems to have made the fitment rather more secure. OK, in factory original finish the topbox has lasted 74,000m albeit on tarmac rather than off-road but why couldn't the bods at BMW have come up with a more robust design?
Meantime, if you have a Vario topbox, it might save you a similar experience by checking for cracking and even if there is none, do consider fitting a reinforcing plate. (I wish that I had
)
The more astute will have guessed that the Vario topbox on my 74,000m 2006 GS had decided that was the moment to self-eject into the path of following traffic.
Fortunately (for me, for my luggage, numerous following drivers / riders) I was in the nearside lane rather than lanes two or three, the box stayed intact and slid into the nearside gutter whereupon a pedestrian kindly picked it up... it was piddling with rain and clearly the whole episode could have ended oh so very badly.
As it is, the pedestrian handed me the box (he seemed happy not to have to carry it any further; he indicated he had decided to take it to the nearest Police Station
), and the topbox has suffered no more than the disappearance of the upper backrest and a significantly scuffed aluminium top panel.Yes, the pathetic layer of plastic that holds the metal securing hasp in place had split. I've now added a piece of 1.5mm galvanised steel plate held in place with some 6mm bolts and washers which seems to have made the fitment rather more secure. OK, in factory original finish the topbox has lasted 74,000m albeit on tarmac rather than off-road but why couldn't the bods at BMW have come up with a more robust design?
Meantime, if you have a Vario topbox, it might save you a similar experience by checking for cracking and even if there is none, do consider fitting a reinforcing plate. (I wish that I had
)
