Black System Panniers

Work your way up the lid, smoothing as you go.

You will reach the lashing points. Same as before : smooth the vinyl to the inside edge at the top, cut onto the lashing point approx 1mm inside the edge and work your way round the lashing point in this fashion. There will be excess that is sticking up and this can be trimmed using knife (very, very sharp) and a plastic card as a guide.

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This will all take quite a while and it'll be quite stressful. Take your time.

Walk away and have a fag or a brew, and then come back to it.

Make sure the unstuck surface is lubricated with your detergent mix and do not let the exposed adhesive surfaces of the vinyl stick together. This stuff has been designed to stick for 10 years :eek

Slowly you will start to get there

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Slowly work you way around and sooner or later, you will come to trimming the excess round the edges

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This is best done with your card.

You can either use the card as a guide for your knife, or you can use the card to smooth the vinyl down the the edge of the pannier seal, the peel the vinyl back and use a pair of scissors to cut along the mark that has been left there.

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Work your way round the edges, and now you're starting to feel a lot better cause it's nearly over

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The final bit is the rivet head for the lid cable.

Smooth the vinyl down as best you can and cut a small cross over the head of the rivet. Gently force the vinyl around the head of the rivet and then it can be easily and carefully trimmed using your very sharp knife.

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The final result

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Now it's Guiness time :beer:
 
After getting a new set of GSA panniers from BMW due to 'corrosion damage' I briefly considered doing the same as you, but then decided instead to sell them and get powder coated Metal Mules.

I don't think I would have had the patience that you are showing, though it would have been nice to have panniers in the colour of one's choice.

Tim
 
After getting a new set of GSA panniers from BMW due to 'corrosion damage' I briefly considered doing the same as you, but then decided instead to sell them and get powder coated Metal Mules.

I don't think I would have had the patience that you are showing, though it would have been nice to have panniers in the colour of one's choice.

Tim

It was only because the bike came with a system topbox that I opted for the system panniers. In hindsight, I probably would have gone for a set of Civil's.

The colour choice of vinyls is quite extensive : http://shop.grafityp.co.uk/frameset....uk/ko-kat/01-VINYL/10-GRAFICAST/011001-378mm They even do pink (although it's called Magenta :ymca)

The purpose of the thread was to show that MikeP's idea could be applied to BMW System Panniers and if a ham-fisted buffoon like me can do it, well anyone with a bit of patience could easily do this and prevent the inevitable corrosion of their panniers. :thumb
 
where's the rest of the panniers :augie;)
looking good.:thumb
 
Looking good Pog, been wondering how this would look having read Mike's threads. :thumb

Thank you kind sir :thumb

where's the rest of the panniers :augie;)
looking good.:thumb

Bloody hell, that's as far as I've got so far :P

A very tricky business that requires patience and calm - and also SWMBO being out so that I can make full use of the workshop...errrmmm the kitchen :D
 
if a ham-fisted buffoon like me can do it, well anyone with a bit of patience could easily do this

I was having trouble putting a face to the name but now all is crystal clear:D
















:hide
Good to meet you in Wales:thumb
 
Looks pretty good,but does seem an awful lot of work.

My panniers are nearly 2 years old and have no signs of corrosion whatsoever.
 
anyone ever thought of strippin em an plastic coating?

Looked into that... the rivets and seals are a problem. Easy to drill out but a bugger to get replaced professionally...and expensive :augie

All the locks, seals, corner pieces would need to come for it to be heat treated prior to powder coating. This is cheaper and probably easier ;)
 
Round 3 Ding Ding

It's really best to to take the lid locks off... makes life a lot easier and that's what we all want :thumb

Wee torx and 8mm spanner, they're a bit stiff (looks like they've been locktited on :rolleyes:

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You'll be surprised at the amount of corrosion underneath the lock.

I couldn't get the mounting lock off, screws too tight and one of them started to round off, so I left them be and will cut round them.

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Then (you guessed it:augie) it out with the Autosol and Elbow Grease, more Autosol and Elbow Grease, and finally a bit more Autosol and Elbow Grease :o

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You are aiming for a finish that's smooth and free of corrosion, as near to the day you got them out of the box at the dealers. Not easy I know, but this effort now will make a far nicer finish once the vinyl's on.

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And then a wee dunk in the sink with washing up liquid to remove the traces of Autosol and sweat

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