What panniers for 1200gs

[dot250]

Interchangeable Luggage GS1200 to VFRvtec

Top box & VFR luggage can be swopped over.Had to lower silencer--fairly easy mod.Supposed to be a picture attached, but it has got lost!

 

[araspitfire]

Al, How do the Micatecs compare waight-wise with the BMW expandables?

Dunno, never lifted the BMW side-bags.. they must weight quite a bit more than other plastic ones though, because of the slider mechanism and extra plastic...

These Micatechs are Aluminum and very light at < 15 pounds per bag.. picking them up is a suprise they are so light... but they are stiff too.. I feel totaly comfortable sitting on the tops, no flexing at all..

Al...

 

[Mark C]

Hi Al, how cofident do you feel the mounting system and boxes would hold up to an off/ slide. Only worry I can see is if the box distorts and the door won't close. Do you feel they are rigid enough to withstand this??

Very impressed though. Need to get the exchange rate worked out. Got me all exited

 

[st247]

Theres a thread on ADV Rider getting a lot of interest regarding a new luggage manufacturer.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102759

Dont know anything about them apart from what's on the thread but they do look quite good. Theres some pictures of them fitted to a 1200 on post 138.Have been considering these myself. I think the price with shipping comes out at about £470 plus whatever tax you'd be liable for, with availability mid to late feb.

 

[araspitfire]

Hi Al, how cofident do you feel the mounting system and boxes would hold up to an off/ slide.

Hard to say... as they have no parallel edges, they are very ridgid. If you just slid down the road, I suspect that all you'd get are scratches... They'd definately protect you from being pinned under the bike

I spent some time as I installed them trying to figure out what would go first in a crash, The bullets (2) are each held on by two small screws running through a sturdy SS piece, that would mean shearing off 4 or 8 screw diameters to get them to come off. It's possible that the blocks (on the cases) that the bullets insert into, could get pulled out of the cases, ripping a square of aluminum (backed by a stainless plate), about 3" on a side... I'm not sure of the shear stress specs for the case material...

As you can see in the images, the mounts go a long way to strengthening the bike's rear frame, that's a heafty block of aluminum clamped down the side there... (of course this may mean that the first point of frame breakage is lower on the sub-frame closer to the engine...)

One (perhaps) negative aspect of the whole system is they mount almost along a line at the top edge of the cases (the bullets are offset by an inch or two). The levering action (lifting up or pushing in on the bottom edge of the case) is resisted by a single (pretty thin) bent stainless plate (you can see it in the background of the image of the mounts), that slips over a hard point attached to the passenger foot-peg mount. (and a cross brace to the back of other case) If smashed inwards, or pried outwards with enough force, it could let go (by bending the plate or shearing off two machine screws),and the cases could then hing along the top edge, bending stuff because of the slight offset and force multipication theirin...

Having a fair bit of experience designing stuff just like this (for Oceanography)... and before that a career fixing Helicopters... without running any numbers of any kind, and with no experience with motorcycle crash dynamics... I think they are sturdy enough to take a fall on rough ground... but I have no intention of testing this "feeling"

Also, i feel that the design is very "recoverable" in the field, as the most likely breakage is some screws shearing off, bent aluminum (can be bashed out), or bent stainless plate (can be bent back)

Hope this makes sense,

Al...

 

[araspitfire]

Theres a thread on ADV Rider getting a lot of interest regarding a new luggage manufacturer.

I gave some thought to this system as I have some experience with Pelican Cases and do respect them as very tough, water-proof, and well made..

But I think they tend to be pretty heavy (even compared to aluminum?)...

Then you have the ugly mounts on the bike... And they open like suit-cases so have to take them off to get at stuff...

Al...

 

[st247]

I gave some thought to this system as I have some experience with Pelican Cases and do respect them as very tough, water-proof, and well made..

But I think they tend to be pretty heavy (even compared to aluminum?)...

Then you have the ugly mounts on the bike... And they open like suit-cases so have to take them off to get at stuff...

Al...

Would agree about the mounts, not the best looking. I didnt know about the weight and that would have to be a consideration. Thought they might be a good middle ground between the standard luggage and the more usual alluminium. Biggest problem for me is not being able to look at a set, as i'm a bit of a tyre kicker

 

[dirtydog]

Here are 3 more images:

Al...

They look like something I would take the cat to the airport in or maybe they are for transporting 'toy dogs', a sowing machine box maybe.....?

Sorry, they look feckin awful.

Each to their own I suppose

 

[Wizard]

They look like something I would take the cat to the airport in or maybe they are for transporting 'toy dogs', a sowing machine box.....?

Sorry, they look feckin awful.

Each to their own I suppose

Oh, someone thinks a set of panniers looks awful. This could get interesting

 

[Julio_Babucha]

I agree... not very nice indeed..

I use the original ones, top feld off ( my fault) and still Ok. I made a 3000 kms trip down to Erfoud in Morocco for new years eve, bad roads, tracks, pillion and weight... no problem at all. They are practical to remove and fix on the bike, so in few words:thay are fine.

I read many stories in Spanish forums about the originals.. broken, problems, lost on the motorways.. but for me they are fine.

If I had to by the bike again, I´ll maybe decide fro the Pelicases.. I know them form 4x4 off roading in Africa and they are really strong.

HAve a all GS'ers form cold Malaga (Spain)

 

[dirtydog]

I guess they're ok for an old blokes city bike'The 1200'

 

[Julio_Babucha]

PANNIERS

Your´re right Dirtydog .. old bloke (but still riding...)
Thos panniers have a bigger capacity than Originals. Is that wise?' Guess my wife putting stuff in it ??? BMW says it´s not allowed to ride over 130 km/h with panniers.. plus all the comments about broken chassis...

I still think the Pelicases are best.

 

[dirtydog]

The way I look at it Julio is that the bigger they are, the more crap you tend to throw in them.

And as for the strength of the rails, I'd sooner they broke first rather than the bikes frame

 

[gsmilleduecento]

how much should I pay for the two BM panniers? My dealer doesn't go below £406. Somebody here suggested £ 350. I can get them in Italy for £ 330. Why that difference?

 

[Thunder]

how much should I pay for the two BM panniers? My dealer doesn't go below £406. Somebody here suggested £ 350. I can get them in Italy for £ 330. Why that difference?

List price from BMW for 2006 is £370 for the panniers and £45.60 for programmable locks.

I have been looking at the options for luggage for a while now and had made up my mind to o with the BM panniers and a Hepco and Becker top box. I say had, that was until today when the H and B box and frame arrived, loved the way it was made and fitted on the bike, easy to remove and close, very secure on the rack.

Decided to go with their matching panniers.

Motobins who sell them have a 10% discount running until the end of the month so it's worth a look on their site.

 

[Mark C]

Here are 3 more images:






Al...

Al, have you got any images of the locking system inside the pannier and the lid latch. Michatech are a bit slow at sending more info but I need to order a set of units soon.


How you getting on with them, you still feel they are a solid set??

 

[the civil one]

if ye dont mind !

I would like to place these wee babies under yer noses.

 

[ericthebrave]

can you post a pic with the panniers off please...ie just the frames??

Thanks

 

[araspitfire]

Al, have you got any images of the locking system inside the pannier and the lid latch. Michatech are a bit slow at sending more info but I need to order a set of units soon.


How you getting on with them, you still feel they are a solid set??

I've not got photo's of the lock, but it is _sweet_. When you fold the lever in, the inner tab (which rotates very smoothly with the lever) compresses the door in a bit. I believe that some close-up's of the latch are on ADVRider forum. I'll endevour to take more pictures sometime in the next week or two. (I'm busy at the moment)

I've not loaded them up to the brim and gone for a ride yet, but I did make sure my Schuberth C2 helmet would go in (it just barely does). I also removed the back of the mounts to access my electrics while hooking up the lights for a new Givi top-box. There is a bit of flexing involved when just undoing the back (on my bike... but assembly, as per instructions, was a breeze), after getting it all back together again, there was still no problem with sliding the boxes on the bullets (I figured that not assembling them in the right order might skew things). It's a smooth system.

I really don't think there will be any issues with strength on the Micatechs... I'd stand on them to reach a shelf with no reservations. On the Micatech page, one of the testimonials mentions throwing them down the road (with his bike =( and they survived fine.

Al...

 

[the civil one]

frames

The Frame Follows the K.I.S. system , as does the entire pannier range.
K.I.S. Keep it simple.