BMW Panniers/Hard Cases

[celticus]

I reckon this is my fault and I wonder if anyone else has done the same thing to themselves.
There is a little plastic sort of bracket that the strap on the inside of the OEM BMW side cases that the strap attaches to.
I think I have the older type case. My bike is a 2007 model that I brought home in Dec. of 2006.
The straps are like two Vs laid on their sides point to point like a bow tie. With a snap in the middle with a red button.
I got too greedy I guess and tried to put too much in the case behind the straps and the little strap bracket broke.
It is too small a piece to try to glue. It would be too weak.
I wondered if this had happened to anyone else and how you fixed it or if anyone had an idea as to how I should proceed?
Mark

[Don C]

I would probably start with a big paper clip and some needle-nose pliers to try to bend a replacement.

[celticus]

What??? Maybe I wasn't clear in that it is the plastic part up in the top right hand corner (as you face it) that is broken.

[deilenberger]

Take a visit to a boating equipment store. Look under "fairleads" (which are designed to guide lines around) - you want one that's flat with a screw-hole in each end. Dunno how much clearance there is in the case at that point (if any) between the inner liner and the outer shell, but if there is enough, you can probably drill a few holes and use the plastic use (linear thread - same diameter except for the very tip) self-tapping screws to hold it in.

Or you might make a flat sort of strap device ___/--------------\___ With screwholes in the two ends. With a bit of aluminum sheet it would be very easy to fabricate one..

I'd love to change those straps on my left bag to what I have on my right bag (bought last year after a club member banged into me from the back and broke my bag) - the later models have a much more useable strap setup that doesn't get caught in the case when closing it. They're elastic so they won't pull the plastic out of the shell.

[celticus]

Thanks Don, I had in my mind "Something marine might work" but I didn't know what the name of the piece might be. Suggestions from other riders is what I was after. Thank you for yours.

Mark

[Mister Moo]

I'd use JBWeld epoxy; fix the broken loop on to a flat piece of polyethylene plastic stock. If the broken piece is too small to make a good loop, build up the flat piece with a few dots of glue (left first to harden) and plastic filings. Rough up the inside of the pannier and both sides of the flat stock before gluing on the loop and regluing to the inside of the bag. You savvy?

[celticus]

I am pretty sure I can fasten whatever I use with Aluminum rivets. I used them on some older double wall cases on another bike.
Some aluminum panniers like adventure types use might be nice also. Top opening.

[celticus]

Does anyone have a picture of how the newer system cases straps are configured?

[garr2]

Is this what you mean?
This is from a 2012 R1200RT. I don't know if the 1200R's are the same

[celticus]

That's it! thanks. Mine are different. Where your straps make two triangles top and bottom. Mine make two left and right.

[deilenberger]

Having one of each, the new design with elastic straps is hands down better. No more closing the case cover on a buckle even if the straps aren't fastened together. I gotta order a new set for my port side case (starboard case was taken out by a club member on a ride when I did a Crazy-Ivan stop..)

[celticus]

http://s133.photobucket.com/user/celtic ... sort=3&o=0
Well I finally fixed my side case. Not hard at all. I found a purse with a small rectangular ...well it's like a D ring but rectangular. Then I cut a piece of 4 or 5 inch nylon strapping (I sealed all the ends so it would not unravel) and ran it through the purse piece rectangle and got my lovely wife to sew it on. Then I taped the piece in place in the case and drilled two 1/8" holes in the inner wall of the case and then attached 2 rivets with washers in through the straps into the case wall to hold it securely. It worked like a charm.
I suppose a more fashion minded rider could have used a black rectangle.
You can see the new addition in the upper right hand corner.

[deilenberger]

Thanks for taking the time to post your fix.. I'm sure you're not going to be the only one looking for an answer to that failure..

[Snapping Twig]

Just a FYI.

When I used to repair sew-up tires on my bicycle, I used dental floss - it was a known trick.

If you ever need to sew a strap, hand sewing with dental floss for thread is muy strong.

[celticus]

Is this what you mean?
This is from a 2012 R1200RT. I don't know if the 1200R's are the same

Although this the new manner of running the straps looks better than the way the first ones were ran it makes me think of the older generation panniers which always seemed to end up with stretched and slack straps. Does the elastic material seem to be made to last?

[garr2]

.... it makes me think of the older generation panniers which always seemed to end up with stretched and slack straps. Does the elastic material seem to be made to last?

I've had the older cases (on an 1150) so I know what you mean about stretched and slack.
I just had a look at the straps on the 1200 system cases and I think they will eventually end up stretched and slack too. That's the bad news.
The good news is that you can buy OEM replacement straps -


It would also be easy to make your own out of a stronger more resilient elastic - as long as you keep the little plastic bits that are easily detached from the original. With the help of my local boot maker & haberdashery I repaired the elastic strap that fastened my BMW 1150 tank bag to the tank.

Ian

[celticus]

$15.88 is pretty cheap.

Thanks

[celticus]

Does anyone know right off the top of their heads how much one of these panniers weighs?

[garr2]

Does anyone know right off the top of their heads how much one of these panniers weighs?

The parts fiche seems to be saying that the complete case weighs 12.88 lbs

See http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/fiche/ ... d=04302013

Ian

[celticus]

Thanks.