Told BMW 1200 Panniers Leak - By BMW

[Deleted account 211025001]

I try to stay away from Hurricanes, Monsoons and the like but after 2 years mine have not leaked yet.

However .... my wife bought me the inners last Christmas and after initailly thinking she had wasted her cash, I now find them indispensable. The larger one I now use as a briefcase (laptop, lunchbox, etc) - when you get to the office, meeting, etc, take it out, put helmet in. The smaller one is good for gym kit, rain suit, etc.

Wether Mane event, BMW or one of the other makes, they do make life much easier if you commute with the bike. One negative... they do rob you of some useable space so if you have LOTS of stuff to carry then leave them at home (ie not good for RTW trip).

Dale

Spot on the money and my experiance exactly (apart from the fact your wife didn't buy mine for me, I had to buy my own )

Andres

 

[birdseye]

Here's a tip - treat what your dealer says with a pinch of salt, just as you would treat what posters say on this website. People really enjoy telling others what its all about - even if they dont really know. Ever had a dealers salesman say "dont know"? I havent.

And dont forget he has a financial incentive to sell you the inner bags.

My BMW topbox (same system as the panniers) never leaked a drop and was never off the bike through 2 winters. I used the panniers rather less but they have never let any water in anyway. Nevertheless, if I were going touring in Scotland, I would still do what I do when I go sailing - put all my clothes in batches in bin liners before packing in the panniers. If you dont, then all you need is something like a shoelace trapped in the lid seal to give you wet socks. And there's little more unpleasant.

 

[ChasMill]

My panniers and top-box have been left out in the garden since the end of June. I jet-washed them yesterday to get leaves / general crud off and they did not leak at all. I would have thought that a prolonged jet wash would be more than nature could throw at them!

 

[iangough]

Not sure whether i've joined the party too late here, but a couple of points.

1. About 18 months ago i can remember a thread saying that dealers took top boxes and panniers (BMW system) back if the leaked.
2. The BMW inner bags are not the best option. IMHO mane event bags ar e the ones to have. Used them on many a trip. They expand as well. 1/2 the price and you can get so much more in them.

http://www.maneevent.org.uk/bmw.htm

 

[marcus]

BMW do refund top boxes. Especially when they fly off down the road for no reason, repeatedly.

 

[streaky]

Darling Boy
Let's put an end to this bickering, fun though it has been! Let me state one final time for both you and your intellectually challenged friend Chaz; Chiz; Whiz, whatever.

1. I never said the dealer was shite.
2. I am by nature a rather contented little sod.
3. Now both of you f**k off and play with yourselves.

Many thanks to the rest of you who actually had something of interest to say.

Now Now maddypick no need to get upset,i appoligise you said the salesperson was shite,and if its who i think it is your 100% wrong,but thats what this site is about peoples oppinions and if you dont like some of them ,your problem

 

[paddymick]

Now Now maddypick no need to get upset,i appoligise you said the salesperson was shite,and if its who i think it is your 100% wrong,but thats what this site is about peoples oppinions and if you dont like some of them ,your problem

O.K. Let's try this one last time, and I mean last time! It's like teaching a donkey to speak English; I'd probably have more luck.

This is my initial post:
I called into my local dealers to ask about panniers for my new 1200gs. I'd read on a couple of threads that they can leak.

I was told by the guy in the dealers that this is a fact and that the only way round it is to buy BMW pannier bags at £50 each!

I'm amazed. Surely BMW can make panniers that DON'T leak! The impression I got was there's no way round this problem. The dealership did say that it was the luck of the draw. You could buy a set of panniers that remain dry but then again you might get a set that leak.

Wouldn't I have recourse to bring a leaking set of panniers back for replacement? I'm getting the feeling that BMW aren't the design God's they once were, why the hell would I pay £195 for a pannier that doesn't keep the rain out?

Now take your time and if you have problems get your Mammy to read it slowly to you. You'll find that at no time did I call either the dealership or the salesperson anything, especially shite! In fact I found the guy very helpful and honest!

Something that obviously can't be said for you! Now please go back to pulling the wings off flies, or whatever it is you do for a pastime and leave this thread to people who have something relevant to say.

By the way there's only one 'p' in opinions! There you've learnt something new today, good boy you get a gold star! The name 'Streaky' wouldn't have something to do with your underwear would it?

 

[melegsareboney]

I've got a set and have not experienced ingress of water. The holes in the bottom of the pannier are, probably, where the rubber feet have fallen out. That's what's happened to mine ( I've been trying for months to get replacements ). Now why don't we have a massive punch-up and sort our differences like adults!!

 

[jonothan]

I bought new panniers and inners (I love 'em, they look the part) and find that they haven't leaked despite being on the bike in heavy rain.

That'll do me.

Paddymick, yours seemed to me to be a reasonable and intelligent post.

J

 

[GSmonkey]

The 1200 vario panniers were spot on. These and the topbox never leaked. I didn't try submerging them in water I have to admit. But for the heaviest of heavy rain, the contents stay bone dry. Only wish they'd fit on the gixxer!!

 

[mandoonsouf]

Outies and Innies

Not only do I rate the BMW panniers and inneers the GF does as well, and as she is the onewho packs them, then thats good enough for me.

Question - is is sad to put stickers of places visited on the panniers?

 

[The Bede]

... Out of which end was the dealer speaking?

... When they claim they're not water-proof

... Checked out the original brochure that I had when I bought my 55/2006 in January. Clearly states Vario panniers are 'waterproof' and the top-box is 'equally waterproof'

... Which explains why, even in the most inclement conditions, my stuff has remained dry and toasty without factory liners, or even plastic carrier bags (except for the coffee ... goes everwhere if left loose). This is exactly what the salesman at the dealer told me would happen.

... Methinx Paddymick (me ol' china) that your dealer is simply trying to sell you a set of liners and isn't too choosey about how he parts you from the contents of your wallet ... give him a good slapping!

 

[Vern]

I don't know if this is any use to you all,but in my books (regardless of whether you're buying jackets,gloves boots,tents or anything else for that matter) there are only two lines that you ever need to hear,and they are:-

1 Waterproof

2 Not waterproof

There is absolutley no middle ground at all. Shower proof is used by two groups of people,those who think it's waterproof,and it's not,and those who don't think it's waterproof,and it sort of is.

 

[streaky]

O.K. Let's try this one last time, and I mean last time! It's like teaching a donkey to speak English; I'd probably have more luck.

This is my initial post:
I called into my local dealers to ask about panniers for my new 1200gs. I'd read on a couple of threads that they can leak.

I was told by the guy in the dealers that this is a fact and that the only way round it is to buy BMW pannier bags at £50 each!

I'm amazed. Surely BMW can make panniers that DON'T leak! The impression I got was there's no way round this problem. The dealership did say that it was the luck of the draw. You could buy a set of panniers that remain dry but then again you might get a set that leak.

Wouldn't I have recourse to bring a leaking set of panniers back for replacement? I'm getting the feeling that BMW aren't the design God's they once were, why the hell would I pay £195 for a pannier that doesn't keep the rain out?

Now take your time and if you have problems get your Mammy to read it slowly to you. You'll find that at no time did I call either the dealership or the salesperson anything, especially shite! In fact I found the guy very helpful and honest!

Something that obviously can't be said for you! Now please go back to pulling the wings off flies, or whatever it is you do for a pastime and leave this thread to people who have something relevant to say.

By the way there's only one 'p' in opinions! There you've learnt something new today, good boy you get a gold star! The name 'Streaky' wouldn't have something to do with your underwear would it?

aint got no problems ,i am a very honest person,unlike you,was your last bike a black 1150 gs,

 

[JNC]

I called into my local dealers to ask about panniers for my new 1200gs. I'd read on a couple of threads that they can leak.

I was told by the guy in the dealers that this is a fact and that the only way round it is to buy BMW pannier bags at £50 each!

I'm amazed. Surely BMW can make panniers that DON'T leak! The impression I got was there's no way round this problem. The dealership did say that it was the luck of the draw. You could buy a set of panniers that remain dry but then again you might get a set that leak.

Wouldn't I have recourse to bring a leaking set of panniers back for replacement? I'm getting the feeling that BMW aren't the design God's they once were, why the hell would I pay £195 for a pannier that doesn't keep the rain out?

sounds to me like your a bit off a !!!!!!!!!!!!!! you have read on threads that pannier's can leak ,from people that have used them ,the dealer tells you that its a fact and the only way around it is to spend 50quid a bag, or you might get lucky(lucky,lucky,kucky) that you get a set at all,because umteen people on this thread have told you they haved stayed perfactely dry inside ,so why the hell would you want to pay £195 for a pannier that leaks but stays dry inside

 

[paddymick]

And now the girls are ganging up! LOL

Aren’t forums great! Boys get to call men names when in real life they'd shite themselves if you looked sideways at them.

All a bit infantile and boring, I know I really shouldn’t answer at all as it only seems to encourage them. So this will be my last word on the subject. Sorry to those who've had to read all this nonsense, there is some good stuff on the thread, just ignore the bickering.

 

[paddymick]

F**K ME!
At last I understand! I couldn't work out why my wee pets Steaky and JNC were getting at me, now it is all clear.

Steaky and JNC are now the unnoficial cheer leader for Hursts dealers in Belfast. Seemingly they ride out with one of the guys who works there. They decided that I was having a go at Hursts - which I'm not - they've on the whole been civil to me whenever I've had dealings with them.

The best of it is Steaky posted recently very annoyed not by the service at Hursts but because someone didn't acknowledge him as he walked out of the place; what a sensitive little darling:

STEAKY:
hursts today
________________________________________
Called into hursts today to see alan ,Spoke to a guy on the way in ,But he just stared and never spoke back So went ahead on in ,Spoke to alan,who again looked after me Then went back out to my work vehicle ,got in ,alan brought a nice looking silver 1200 gs round to the above guy,I then drove off,then it occurred to me who he was,he knew who i was because of the vehicle i was driving,manners dont cost anything ,and there was me thinking all bikers were freindly.

And as for JNC? Well these are his views on Hursts selling practices:

JNC
is that all twins like vee twin,parallel twin,flat twin ,japanese ,italian or is it just the german ones that cost so much more than the others to buy ,then cost so much more than the others to maintain,seems to me hurst's taking the piss out of each and every one of its customers again.like the saying go's fools and there money are easily parted .i was lucky only had to pay for consumables on my first service so when i pointed out the fact that they had missed two noticeable defacts on my bike i was told we only change oil and filters on first service ,each and every customer is told a differant story so belive what you will.

Now what will ? have to say about that? Notty boy JNC, and for everybody else for God's sake say hi to Steaky when you see him lurking outside Hursts; he'll cry if you don't.

God this is addictive, I'm off to buy some panniers!!!! LOL And yes I'll be buying from Hursts.

 

[Paul Wakefield]

I don't know if this is any use to you all,but in my books (regardless of whether you're buying jackets,gloves boots,tents or anything else for that matter) there are only two lines that you ever need to hear,and they are:-

1 Waterproof

2 Not waterproof

There is absolutley no middle ground at all. Shower proof is used by two groups of people,those who think it's waterproof,and it's not,and those who don't think it's waterproof,and it sort of is.

What a great post.

Paul

 

[jonothan]

What a great post.

Paul

Agree with that!

The only thing that I have that is absolutely totally 100% waterproof is the scuba case for my Fuji F10 camera. And that's waterproof down to 40 metres (I took it to 36 metres and it was fine).

The panniers are, shall we say, rainproof. They keep the rain and road spray out. "Ewan and Charleying" them through deep rivers might see them leaking.

J

 

[NorthernBoy]

I bought new panniers and inners (I love 'em, they look the part) and find that they haven't leaked despite being on the bike in heavy rain.

That'll do me.

Paddymick, yours seemed to me to be a reasonable and intelligent post.

J

How much, may I ask, did you pay for yours?

I have just been quoted the RRP, but wondered if they can be had for a bit less.