Went out for a first long ride for 45 minutes to school but when I got there I was missing a pannier. Just a warning to others to secure those down. I have a Reynolds rack on the back to so it makes it pretty hard to even get them off by hand and I double checked that it was secure when I left but somehow it came off and I'm worried it caused an accident . The odo/mile counter stopped working on the way home too gotta fix that. Anyway I had fun and it was smooth otherwise. Have fun riding the weathers finally warming up

Wish it was an action shot but static is fine too

yep for sure ....all those panieers have a death wish lol

just make sure that they fitt up tight without rattling ....and "lock" them to the frame.

many of the locks bounce open after many years of service

looking good ...thanks for the pic

Really annoying James. Charlie said it all! eBay is your friend for finding a replacement.
Good you got out though - I like the naked look of your bike!

Yeah charlie they rattled a lot, and RI has horrible roads. They just laid an inch of asphalt over the bad spots, a horrible job. I'm really hoping I'll spot it tomorrow morning. I'm bolting the next ones on for sure!

Thanks, yeah I couldn't ride with that RT fairing it was soo hot and the PO dropped it on both sides bending the bars all weird. Plus it makes it a lot easier to work on and respray, the windscreen is usually off too.

I'm thinking

. . . a short lanyard between the rear grab handle and saddlebag handle. If a bag comes loose it will rattle around as it dangles, but you won't loose it entirely. These can be removed after a week or so of riding after you're sure the panniers are secure.

I was thinking about tethering it but I'm not sure if it would get caught in the back wheel. I'm pretty sure I lost it at about 60-80 mph and didn't even notice until I got off the bike.

I was also thinking about putting a block with a hole in it in the hole where it latches and then putting a combination lock through that if that makes sense. But I think just drilling a hole through the mount and bag would be easy and work. It would help the bags shaking about too.

I've been told an old saying about BMW panniers a few times.

There are two types of BMW panniers, those that have fallen off and those that are waiting to fall off.

I have had a couple part company with the bike, usually if the mounts are worn.



Al

james we did a bit of a post in here about some of the latches and suggestions for stopping that rattle etc

its not really hard to do ...and to date ...fingers crossed ...mine havent taken the big leap

but i have found the frame locks open a few times in the past ....and im sure they were planning an escape somewhere along the path .

ill try and find the thread for you ......be back soon ,,,it may help some .

or use the "search" feature in the top right of the box above

I have one latch that is completely buggered and just lets go. I had to do a quick fix and I think it is pretty good in the end. I used a piece of low density polyethylene (LDPE) cutting board and cut a piece to fit. it is slightly angled on one side, and has a bump on the other that "clicks" into place. it is basically just an interference that keeps the latch in place, and with the angle and bump it holds itself in there as well. I don't have exact dimensions, I just made it a bit too large at first and took shaves off the end to make it tight. 



here is how it sits in the mount



eventually I may add a tether of this block onto the pannier itself so that I don't lose it when the boxes are off.

I picked up a pair of brand new Krauser k2 42 litre panniers on eBay. They lock on much more securely and don't have issues with hinges or wateer leaks. I used to tread my lock through the BMW pannier handles in case of detaching.

I made some straps from seat belt style material (camping shop had that) and put velcro strips on the ends. I just wrap it around and tighten them up. So far it has worked really well. Even with no heat shield on the exhaust there hasn't been any sign of melting, and it makes for a stress free ride.

James wrote:I was thinking about tethering it but I'm not sure if it would get caught in the back wheel. I'm pretty sure I lost it at about 60-80 mph and didn't even notice until I got off the bike.

I was also thinking about putting a block with a hole in it in the hole where it latches and then putting a  combination lock through that if that makes sense. But I think just drilling a hole through the mount and bag would be easy and work. It would help the bags shaking about too.

James my panniers were rattling about as well. I locked them on the frame by simply drilling a small hole in the frame latch and putting a grub screw in there. This prevents the latch from coming open. 

I have just returned from a week long road trip and they are still hanging on!

add some soft rubber to the panniers ...it stops ...or restricts them moving about on the frame to start with



hope that helps

James I have a set of the flat lock panniers for sale, if you are interested, with keys, PM me

Bob

Charlie's idea about the foam patches works a treat; he set me up a couple of years ago and the bags don't move around at all. Very secure. Latch the bags to the frame and lock them on.

I have seen a post where an owner has bolted the bags to the plastic frame using 3 per bag. Mount the bags, drill a hole through the bag and the frame and hold it there with a nut and bolt.

And for mounting the rider it was a self tapping screw (and two nuts) ?

enough nuts around here already inge ...hehe !!

 

I'll guess so..............from another Aussie............since the topic is nuts.

He's from Melbourne, the further you go south the stranger they get.