Panniers and speed

[Deleted account 210609001]

My handbook ('03 1150GS) recommends staying below 80 mph with standard luggage fitted. (Only noticed this when I was looking to check the recommended weight each side).

I intend to take a cavalier attitude to this warning, and view it solely as a lawyers' limit. Am I actually risking anything by doing so? Panniers will be well within the weight limit.

I'm off to the abroad soon (but not soon enough) and had intended to spend the first four hours at a steady ton on the autoroute to get to the more interesting roads more quickly. I don't think my last BMW (a K1200RS) had a similar speed warning.

Any views?

Thanks,

Robin.

 

[Ming]

dont worry about it . spent a few hour well over a ton two up with fully loaded panniers . the only issue is blowing a hole in the pannier with your exhaust

 

[Strangelove]

Put them through a "series of tests" last year two-up in France. No problems at the speed planned... or over it for that matter.

But what we're really looking for here is someone with a really scary story to tell!

Fortunately it's not me.

 

[gazza]

dont worry about it . spent a few hour well over a ton two up with fully loaded panniers . the only issue is blowing a hole in the pannier with your exhaust

Burnt a layer of silver heat resistance paper off left hand pannier with Remus Revolution fitted. Around an hour at high speed really seems to generate a fair amount of heat. Someone melted an indicator, but not heard of anything really bad.

 

[Rushy]

Solo, lightly laden panniers 100+ miles per hour almost all the way, except for 50mph thru' roadworks on M6 and M42, from Sandbach in Cheshire to Ruislip in Middx. Mileage 171 door to door, time taken 1hr 57mins.

Slight rowing motion around 105 - 110 but otherwise no problems.

If any rozzers are reading this then I made it all up just to sound cool.

Ian

 

[adamski49]

spheniscidine

All BM's (AFAIK) come with an 80mph limit when using panniers - even the plod bikes. I'm sure it's to avoid BM being sued in case anyone loses control of an overladen bike.

I've taken a fully loaded (panniers, top box, tank bag and pillion) K100RS 16V around autoroute bypass sweepers at 145mph and it was steady as a rock - I'm sure the GS is a better handling bike.

My S gets a gentle weave when I use the top box with the panniers but it's nothing you can't accelerate through

With the French hotting up on speeding I'd worry more about getting nicked and paying a big fine (or worse) than any weaves I might get.

Adam

 

[Foto John]

With the French hotting up on speeding I'd worry more about getting nicked and paying a big fine (or worse) than any weaves I might get.

Adam

Ditto that for Belgium, from the 1st march 2004, motoring fines go up significantly..........with the power to imprison in certain circumstances!
(More than 40km's over the signed limit is now a ban and a fine from 1100 euros !)
Go carefull everybody!

 

[Ned Flanders]

Burnt a layer of silver heat resistance paper off left hand pannier with Remus Revolution fitted. Around an hour at high speed really seems to generate a fair amount of heat. Someone melted an indicator, but not heard of anything really bad. [/]

Someone recently posted piccies of their panniers with melted holes in um

Regards

Tim

 

[(RIP) maverick]

Personal preference is 80-90mph as I am supposed to be "touring".
Think if something goes wrong with a full load i.e. flat tyre or whatever can go wrong you going to have one hell of a time trying to stay on that bike with all the exta weight.

Of course it ain't easy creeping along at those speeds if you know the bike can do another 20mph faster easily with all you stuff and pillion.

Cheers

 

[Strangelove]

When I said that I didn't have a scary story to tell I meant about the panniers. Unfortunately three of our group of six did happen to get nicked by the local bill and fined €835 each.

That had nothing to do with me or my panniers though!

 

[Big Al Litch]

This is just a standard get-out clause.

My old Krauser's (a pair of 40-litre items and a 2-helmet topbox) came with exactly the same warning when I bought them over 20-years ago. Throughout a succession of bikes over the years the only time I ever experienced any difference in the high-speed handling was when I fitted the topbox to one of my Jota's, the panniers themselves never caused any handling problems.

Hi speed or low speed, I don't feel the Adventure panniers are on the 1150 even when they are fully loaded and the tent etc is perched on the back.

 

[BlackBetty]

I was mildly impressed and mortified to find that on the last trip SWMBO and myself went on, the silly bint wasn't latching the RH (hers) pannier down, let alone locking it. I know, I know I should have checked, but there you go, 2 days into the trip and 600 miles later the bloody thing did eventually fall off, but then, only when SWMBO decided to dismount from the wrong side and caught her great big ass on those sticky uppy things used as tie down brackets.
Next time I marry it will be to a bikers moll......
and I won't be telling her about the intercom neither!

 

[Vendome 41]

Panniers

Panniers at speed not a problem unless they open as seen on a french motorway a couple of years back : tha faster you go the longer the trail you are likely to leave behind.

 

[bgd]

Years ago, late 70s early 80s (I think), the NZ traffic police had a few high speed accidents and the cause was put down to instablity at speed. BMW (not sure what bike) trotted out the line that, with the extra weight (panniers, radios, etc), they didn't recommend exceeding 80.

So that line has been around for sometime.