Pannier Protection Bars

[mw3230]

I’m about to take delivery of an RT and despite having one in the past and not having pannier protections bars fitted, I now find myself a little more concerned about dropping the bike and damaging the panniers. However, I will only fit the panniers when touring and would prefer any protection bars not to be fitted when the panniers are not

Does anyone know of bars which are designed to be easily removable (I think those made by Iliumworks are but at around £450-500!!), and also has anyone any advice on how feasible it is to fit and remove the likes of Wunderlich bars (or does the faff preclude this)

 

[Oldrat]

Sorry, no idea.
But you might want to think about paint protection film for protecting against ordinary everyday scuffs and scratches anyway??

Really easy to DIY, but obvs not a replacement for bars

 

[mw3230]

Sorry, no idea.
But you might want to think about paint protection film for protecting against ordinary everyday scuffs and scratches anyway??

Really easy to DIY, but obvs not a replacement for bars

Good idea, thanks

 

[beemerboy9]

Good idea, thanks

The other thing you can do is fit BMW's own pannier protection strips - or car door bump pads from Halfords etc for 1/10th of the price.

 

[Steptoe]

Is there a prize for guessing which model/year of RT..

But no matter, I know of two people who had serious leg/calf damage caused by rear protection/crashbars on their RT.
One put his foot down at very low speed after getting a nudge from a car and the protection bar went into the back of his calf and caused serious leg injury and

 

[mw3230]

Is there a prize for guessing which model/year of RT..

But no matter, I know of two people who had serious leg/calf damage caused by rear protection/crashbars on their RT.
One put his foot down at very low speed after getting a nudge from a car and the protection bar went into the back of his calf and caused serious leg injury and

It’s a 2024 model. Your comments have sounded a warning, perhaps the earlier suggestions for different protection are better (and less expensive)

 

[Steve398]

Or a set from Aliexpress which are a straight copy and far cheaper.

 

[mw3230]

Or a set from Aliexpress which are a straight copy and far cheaper.

I’m not against that idea although I do wonder if the copies are as strong as the originals

 

[casbar]

It’s a 2024 model. Your comments have sounded a warning, perhaps the earlier suggestions for different protection are better (and less expensive)

The answer is the rear bars supplied by illium works. They are easily removable and are lower, so they do not interfere with the pillion calves. I have had them on my 1250 and we have them on our Blood Bikes as well. I quite often have the bars off and use the bike without the panniers and just the top box. The UK importer is sportouring.com - They are expensive though.

 

[mw3230]

The answer is the rear bars supplied by illium works. They are easily removable and are lower, so they do not interfere with the pillion calves. I have had them on my 1250 and we have them on our Blood Bikes as well. I quite often have the bars off and use the bike without the panniers and just the top box. The UK importer is sportouring.com - They are expensive though.

Thank you. I had seen the Ilium bars and agree they look to be ideal, but as you say, expensive for what would be a limited use on the occasions I had the panniers fitted

 

[big fella]

Hi, I used heed bars front and rear on my 2021 bike. I never tested them but they looked well made and from memory were not hard to fit.
Bf.

 

[Morety]

I was tempted to fit pannier protection bars on mine until advised not to by our blood bike techy...appaenty most of the bikes involved in spills fitted with them ended up with cracked frames so he advised leaving them off (and not dropping the bike in the first place! )

 

[mw3230]

I was tempted to fit pannier protection bars on mine until advised not to by our blood bike techy...appaenty most of the bikes involved in spills fitted with them ended up with cracked frames so he advised leaving them off (and not dropping the bike in the first place! )

That’s sounds to be good advice. I think I’ve given up on the idea

 

[Neil W]

Saw a r1250rt at a dealers , it was one of their hire fleet and was fitted with the rear pannier protection bars , the hirer had clipped something with the bars and done a shed load of damage , including the bars , panniers and I believe the rear sub frame and bodywork . Staff reckoned that without the bars it would have just resulted in a scratched or cracked pannier

 

[adventuredon]

£500 quid for a pair of bars. £500 quid for 1 new pannier?...I'd go bar less...

 

[casbar]

I was tempted to fit pannier protection bars on mine until advised not to by our blood bike techy...appaenty most of the bikes involved in spills fitted with them ended up with cracked frames so he advised leaving them off (and not dropping the bike in the first place! )

So, not sure who your blood bike techy is, but has he consulted the authority bike team. The main reason for pannier protection bars is to protect in drops and low speed spills. In a major accident, I doubt if a bike will be coming back from a cracked frame. That is interesting advice, I will get our safety rep to raise it at the next NABB safety meeting and I will also get in touch with Avon FW and SFW to ask where the data comes from and their views. We have bars front and rear on all our fleet. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Morety]

I can only report what we have found on our bikes which used to have them fitted. We don't fit them now as a damaged pannier is cheaper to repair/replace than a knackered frame. Almost all bikes dropped which had pannier bars fitted resulted in damage to the frames. Put it this way, I wouldn't fit them to my own RT.