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Which Luggage set?

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Barnoe
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Joined: 17 Aug 2014
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PostPosted: 10:48 - 09 Aug 2020    Post subject: Which Luggage set? Reply with quote

I need to buy a decent luggage set for my BMW 1200 GS - 2017
I need to carry camping gear , clothes the usual

I see 2 choices here
Go with the type that fit onto existing mounts that are built into the bike... such as the extendable vario set.
Or
Get a new fixing kit and buy cheaper Givi or SW Motech
i am after the square aluminium variety

Obviously the first kind has the cut out for the exhaust and the second are on frame that make the bike wider for filtering?

Has anyone had experience of both, and can advice whats best and why?
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NJD
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PostPosted: 14:37 - 09 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Personally I'd go for the budget option: buy used top-box from eBay, a Kriega US-30 / US-20 (or just one) and some Rok Straps / cargo net for other little bits.

Luggage sets for that bike look expensive, and I doubt you'd get your investment back when it comes to selling the bike. Idea being you could take the box off and sell on and transfer Kriega to new bike.

I've ridden with panniers on the CBF1000 perhaps a handful of times for the novelty, and each time I accepted I'd turned the bike into a barge and was always had to be mindful to leave extra room for parked cars etc. I never needed to filter, but did need to pull over to let faster bikes by on favourite local roads (mainly because I'd not adjusted rear pre-load and was struggling for usual pace).

Luggage sets are great, but top-box's are the most convenient (for parking in various places, convenience, leaving on the bike most the time etc).

Its not the question you asked, but an extra option perhaps.

Whatever you do shop around on eBay, facebook market place (especially) using various terms such as "luggage / fitting kit / side cases / panniers etc" as you get some donkies that hide bargains under strange names. Facebook market place may surprise.

Sticking with your original ideal I'd go with whatever is cheapest. Used or new.
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Barnoe
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PostPosted: 15:26 - 09 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hear you on the price.

Having always had sportsbikes or off road bike (trials etc) ive never needed to even consider luggage, i am truly shocked at the prices for little boxes lol

I have friends who have always travelled long distances and camped, until now i never joined them.
I needed another bike for the job and luggage capacity.

after looking on sports bike shop, ive realised its going to cost over £1000 for a 3 set with fittings.
if i do opt for the BMW ones, then they wont transfer to another bike after this one, which is another plus for other brands.

They sell Givi PLR5108 pannier frames which look like they hook into the BMW ready made holes for quickly removing panniers and frames when not in use... which would be handy.

Top box as you mention will be used mostly, i had my eye on a big one
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/401715

A friend recommended https://www.motorworks.co.uk
saying they do second hand stuff for all BMWs i have messaged them, but had no reply yet. They are closed at weekends which is probably why.
on that website they do used aluminium panniers and top box at £180 each?

I ordered the BMW sat nav too... my wallet isnt happy this week Laughing (neither is the wife)
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A100man
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PostPosted: 12:05 - 11 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Barnoe wrote:
.. ive realised its going to cost over £1000 for a 3 set with fittings.


Save the money and stay in a B&B. Camping - at your age?
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c_dug
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PostPosted: 13:57 - 11 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know if the newer GS's are the same, but I recently sold a 2009 model with BMW luggage and I have to say it was probably the best hard luggage I've owned so far - possibly a bit on the small side (particularly the top box) but more than adequate for camping and the way they expand is genius.

What really makes them great is that (I presume by design) when you remove the pillion seat, the top of the boxes lines up perfectly with the tail of the bike, giving you one great big luggage space wide enough to strap camping chairs to easily.
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Freddyfruitba...
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PostPosted: 14:15 - 11 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Personally I reckon OEM kit (and I'm talking in general terms rather than about GS luggage) is best as it's designed for the specific bike so complements it better; eg, luggage will tend to hug the frame/exhaust better as it's not generic. But you pay for that benefit big-time in terms of the extra cost, and with BMWs that's in spades.

Have you looked at https://www.ukgser.com for used OEM kit? (Unfortunately you do have to pay for access to the buying/selling subforum but it's one of the best places to find used BMW accessories)
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Skudd
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PostPosted: 15:39 - 11 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

BMW luggage is bloody small, My Varadero 1000 luggage was massive on the inside, but nor much bigger on the outside, BMW laggage is over engineered.
I have the Vario luggage on my bike and it's ok, The tin boxes are more trendy though.
As for prices, oh my lord...... and they are self perpetuated by the owners who sell stuff from their old bikes at stupid silly prices, quite often 5 year old stuff only has 10% reduction in prices. Very over priced for the same sort of item on other brands. But I keep getting told it's a prestigious brand and that's why.

If you haven't got any luggage, then go for the cheap option and when you sell your bike, take the boxes off and sell them for almost what you paid for them.
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ZebraDriver
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PostPosted: 17:06 - 11 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another vote for the bike manufacturers luggage, purely because it tends to fit properly onto the bike, without adding excess width. My 650GS has Givi panniers and frames, they stick out at least 6"beyond the width of the handlebars. Guess who forgot about the extra 6" when coming through passport control off the ferry at Newcastle recently.....
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Freddyfruitba...
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PostPosted: 17:46 - 11 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Skudd wrote:
As for prices, oh my lord...... and they are self perpetuated by the owners who sell stuff from their old bikes at stupid silly prices

You're quite right of course - but the flipside of that is that the kit does hold its value very well, so if you buy it used you can sell it on in a couple of years for more-or-less what you paid for it
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Skudd
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PostPosted: 07:53 - 12 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Guy on the UKGSer forum is selling all the boxes and frames for about £800.

I was in Ghost Riders a few months back and they had the full tin box system for about £600.
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Barnoe
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PostPosted: 10:30 - 15 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Im off for a drive round today to see some of these in the flesh rather than images online.

Only ones ive seen up close are the Vario ones on a GS.
they look ok and the expanding idea is good, but in practice the exhaust side pannier is useless tbh

having never filtered on a bigger bike than a sportsbike before, i am conscious of the width too
i keep getting flashbacks to the online video of the guy hitting a post and dropping off the dock into a boat Shocked

I love the look of the square aluminium boxes, but have to admit they look a bit crap when tarnished a few years on, so maybe black ones are the way to go?

So first stop is Sportbikeshop, Jordan, J&S and i may whizz over to Ghostbikes too at Preston
Hopefully by then i will have come to a decision Smile

Must say though, im loving the new bike. Its actually better than i expected.
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arry
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PostPosted: 10:36 - 15 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Barnoe wrote:

i keep getting flashbacks to the online video of the guy hitting a post and dropping off the dock into a boat Shocked


He was just a bellend.

It does make the bike a bit harder to get through gaps because you can't lean it over to squeeze the front through without the possibility of tagging something with the rear - you'd not have that issue so much if you weren't wearing the panniers, but if you're off camping somewhere hopefully you're not lining yourself up to do 3 hours of M25 filtering anyway.

I've had my entire camping setup strewn over the rear seat of the Enfield in a 60L rollbag before so don't go nuts buying panniers you'll use once in a blue moon for the sake of taking a load of extra stuff you'll quickly discover you didn't need on tour anyway Smile
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Barnoe
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PostPosted: 16:25 - 15 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just got home, still none the wiser

None of these shops have panniers on display
J & S had one set of givi cases and thats it.

Ended up coming home with some new Knox gloves and the optimate 4 with BMW din plug
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 20:29 - 15 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bike specific luggage is good but expensive. On my new bikes (Triumphs) I always bit the bullet and got the stupidly expensive Triumph stuff. It looked good, fitted well and just seemed the best option.

I had a full Givi set on an old 900 diversion. The quality was superb. All mono key. It snapped on and off really positivly and I couldn't fault it, except it was obviously aftermaket and didn't really mtch the bike.
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Barnoe
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PostPosted: 11:12 - 16 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ive took the plunge.

Ive bought Givi PLR5108 removable pannier holders so i can remove them when commuting

Givi TRK46N Trekker Monokey Pannier - 46 Litre for left side
Givi TRK33N Trekker Monokey Pannier - 33 Litre for exhaust side
Givi OBKN58A Trekker Outback Top Box - 58 Litre with extra backrest for the misses Wink
also bought the Givi SL103 Triple Lock Kit for better locks and all under 1 key

hopefully thats me sorted.

I was tempted by the LOMO bags
https://www.lomo.co.uk/acatalog/waterproof-motorcycle-soft-panniers-set.html
For the money they look great, but i needed hard cases i could lock up while camping.
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arry
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PostPosted: 12:28 - 16 Aug 2020    Post subject: Reply with quote

Barnoe wrote:

I was tempted by the LOMO bags
https://www.lomo.co.uk/acatalog/waterproof-motorcycle-soft-panniers-set.html
For the money they look great, but i needed hard cases i could lock up while camping.


I have them; use them mainly on my Enfield. They're really good and easy to use. Yeah, you can't lock them, but I rarely take anything exciting away with me anyway.

I have always pondered what happens if I come back to my tent one night and find someone's had it away with all my luggage carrying ability but it's never happened yet Laughing
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