Vario Pannier "Hanger Brackets"

[haditlowered]

I'm surprised to find, given their cost, and weight that they have to carry that the Vario Pannier mounting brackets are moulded plastic, not as they appear to be - i.e. cast Aluminium, and this goes for the clamp on the tubular frame too. It will make me think twice when i am loading them up in future. One of mine snapped of on a trail ride at the Dent gathering this weekend (Yes yes yes i know i should have taken them off - but i didn't realise we were doing that level of off-roading) Anyway - beware when loading them, I'm tempted to put a ratchet strap around them now, until i can get a set of "proper" panniers.

 

[Bendy toy]

The GSA carrier frames are all carried on that plastic underseat panel with M6 bolts. Not exactly confidence inspiring.

 

[autogs]

The GSA carrier frames are all carried on that plastic underseat panel with M6 bolts. Not exactly confidence inspiring.

er they are not actually they bolt through the plastic using spacers and bolted to the rear frame,but never let your crusade about bmw bad design get in the way of the facts eh.

 

[Popell]

I seem to recall that the stated maximum load was only of the order of 5 kilos - certainly is for the top box, panniers probably have the same sticker too!

 

[haditlowered]

I seem to recall that the stated maximum load was only of the order of 5 kilos - certainly is for the top box, panniers probably have the same sticker too!

10kg each

 

[Popell]

I sit corrected - think I had rather a lot more than that on the last blast to Monaco!

 

[haditlowered]

i can feel a few modifications coming on, til i can get a proper set!!

I sit corrected - think I had rather a lot more than that on the last blast to Monaco!

 

[Bendy toy]

er they are not actually they bolt through the plastic using spacers and bolted to the rear frame,but never let your crusade about bmw bad design get in the way of the facts eh.

The plastic plate side lugs that carry the vario cases are used to carry the GSA top case carrier and its extension carrier that sits under the top box. Don't even think about putting anything of useful weight in that top case.

The side frames indeed bolt though the plastic using one M6 and one M5 screw on each side. There are also clamps to the frame and pillion footrests but the M6 and M5 screws look woefully under spec. The M5 and M6 fasteners and captive nuts are the same as used for the bodywork.

GSA carrier frames are over weight, over fussy afterthoughts, carried on under weight mounting points.

So I rest my case M'lud about the poor design.

 

[haditlowered]

The plastic plate side lugs that carry the vario cases are used to carry the GSA top case carrier and its extension carrier that sits under the top box. Don't even think about putting anything of useful weight in that top case.

The side frames indeed bolt though the plastic using one M6 and one M5 screw on each side. There are also clamps to the frame and pillion footrests but the M6 and M5 screws look woefully under spec. The M5 and M6 fasteners and captive nuts are the same as used for the bodywork.

GSA carrier frames are over weight, over fussy afterthoughts, carried on under weight mounting points.

So I rest my case M'lud about the poor design.

Don't know about the GSA mountings specifically, but i was really surprised to find that the hanger bracket and clamps are all plastic on the GS - they look and feel like alloy - when it snapped off in Dent the guys there thought it was alloy, we all assumed a bad casting..., i won't trust them again - the design works i guess but the material spec i.e. Plastic - is shite!

 

[Bendy toy]

Plastics can be very tough but the GSA carriers look like a lash up that got passed for production.

On the other hand, maybe the carrier frame fasters and brackets will fail before the rear subframe gets bent. But it all looks accidental** rather than deliberate design.

** No pun intended (sort of)

 

[Greenman14]

I'm also surprised these brackets are plastic. However in a crash its best that they break rather than transmit excessive load to the subframe and cause that to bend. I'm also thinking that if this was a widespread issue we would have seen it on the forum regularly so maybe the OP's failure is an isolated case.

My bracket snapped when I slid down the road and although the pannier was badly damaged it protected the silencer and, said the dealer who repaired the bike, saved the subframe.

 

[Time Traveller]

Don't underestimate how strong quality plastics can be - ABS is tough as old boots, and no more likely to fail than aluminium castings. (all to do with the length of the polymer chains...apparently). I mean your bike trundles along on rubber things with polymer thread running through it - you trust your life to those bits.

Yamaha cases are 5kg top box, 10kg per side case, as was the Hepco and Becker OEM KTM side cases, so its hardly a "BMW thing".

You'll just have to learn to travel light. Perhaps leave your make-up bag at home?

 

[haditlowered]

You'll just have to learn to travel light. Perhaps leave your make-up bag at home?

it,s not the make up silly... that doesn't take up much space, its the "just in case" pile that i always seen to accumulate!!

 

[Popell]

Credit card, toothbrush and CN insurance is all that goes 'just in case'

 

[Greenman14]

It's not my stuff it's the fuel pump controller, spare FD and suspension units and full socket set. And of course spare pannier brackets as that little lot is way over 10kg.

 

[autogs]

bendy the op was on about pannier brackets was he not?,the gsa pannier rails do not hang off the top rack do they.

 

[haditlowered]

bendy the op was on about pannier brackets was he not?,the gsa pannier rails do not hang off the top rack do they.

but non the less, i doubt it's a "different plastic" and i wouldn't trust that anymore either - that is common on both the GS and GSA so I'm happy to "share the post"

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

I'm surprised to find, given their cost, and weight that they have to carry that the Vario Pannier mounting brackets are moulded plastic, not as they appear to be - i.e. cast Aluminium, and this goes for the clamp on the tubular frame to

I think we need to be clear that the part that has been smashed off is not load bearing. The bracket just acts as a place for the bobbin to sit so the pannier can be secured to the rear sub-frame. Likewise the front of the bracket is a second locating point to tension the pannier to.

I believe Bendy's comments may have misled you into believing that the GSA has the same bracket that has broken on your bike. The GSA doesn't have Vario panniers or brackets as a standard fitment although you can retro fit them. As standard they have metal frames and usually aluminium panniers.

As a preference I have Vario's fitted to my own 06 GSA. To offer up some balance and fairness I can confirm that my bike suffered a rear end impact sufficiently hard enough to snap the rear mounting hook from the nearside pannier yet the bracket that retains the pannier to the sub-frame was undamaged

Were your panniers fitted to the bike when you binned it?

 

[ianran]

Well I've had vario's on several gs and gsa bikes, about 50k never had one break. If thats rubbush build quality I will learn to live with it