The Case of the Missing Case

[ShinySideUp]

On my way into San Francisco to work, I hit a deep pothole, went 6 more blocks to my first stop, and realized my right side case was missing!

I backtracked the entire route from home and couldn't find the case. (The pothole was very near a busy bus stop).

Besides the expense of the case and its Cee Bailey liner, it contained my Zumo 450, prescription sunglasses, my FastTrak pass. summer Kevlar mesh gloves, seat cover, Rokstraps, 12V tire pump, tire plug kit, tire irons, and that sexy $50 set of folding torx wrenches I just got a couple of weeks ago. OUCH! And the other case just had papers for work in it.

The sad thing is that, except for the Zumo, hardly anyone would want the rest of the items, and they'll probably have to destroy the locked case to get into it.

The huge puzzle in my mind is: How could this have happened? I've read of this happening on earlier BMW cases, but not on ours.

Lacking any clue, I plan to install bungie anchors to the top surfaces, fore and aft of both cases (when I get a replacement) and tie the two together across the seat.

[NCGS]

Wow.. that's quite a loss.. I hope your insurance will help cover it.

I know that it's not unusual for BMW's side cases (and especially the top case) on the GS's to pop loose, but I've never heard of one of "ours" coming off the bike. Yours is a first.. I'll be interested to see if anyone else has heard of similar incidents.

[celticus]

Bill, Dang ! You have my most sincere regrets. On my older K1200RS bags I drilled holes through the case tabs and the metal holder mounts and inserted a small tractor type lock pin.
Mark

[AllanCook]

Keep an eye on Craigslist. A guy on another forum lost a case a little while ago in SoCal and, lo and behold, someone picked it up and put it in lost and found.

[Dan-A]

That really sucks. If they pop off that easily while riding, what keeps anyone from lifting them off in a parking lot. Don't they lock down?

[deilenberger]

They DO lock down, and this is the first I've heard of one taking flight. The locking hook sticks out the back of the case. There were some early cases where the hook didn't clamp as tightly as it should, resulting in the case being able to move a bit.. and there was a dealer fix for this. My cases seem quite secure, even when I overload them. Adding a latch-pin to the bottom mount isn't a bad idea, would require a bit of accurate work with a drill..

[famousperson]

Besides the expense of the case and its Cee Bailey liner, it contained my Zumo 450, prescription sunglasses, my FastTrak pass. summer Kevlar mesh gloves, seat cover, Rokstraps, 12V tire pump, tire plug kit, tire irons, and that sexy $50 set of folding torx wrenches I just got a couple of weeks ago. OUCH! And the other case just had papers for work in it.

Ouch!!! Sorry to hear of it. I know how much that hurts. Any chance of insurance picking up some of your loss?

I've never trusted my laptop in the side cases--I worry too much about vibration--so I carry my stuff in a backpack. Yes, it's a bit top heavy, but I know where it is.

[ShinySideUp]

Thanks for all the co-miserating! I'm over the upset. As I learned 8 years ago, recovering from a near-fatal bicycle accident, STUFF just ain't that important! It's the good people around us that makes life valuable. The rest is just toys and spreadsheet bullbleep.

I've got an ad up on Craigslist and will post flyers around the spot today offering a reward. I'll wait a week before I start ordering stuff.

And yes, my cases were somewhat loose at the top, but I never figured they'd come off. Didn't know about the dealer fix.

I like the idea of lock pins. I'll have to start snooping around the cases, drill in hand!

[taosports]

Sorry to hear of your loss. Hopefully you'll be able to track it down. I pinned mine a few months ago. easy mod to do and no more worries about missing luggage

[bmwk100]

Years ago my top case fell off my K100RS (user error) and I backtracked with negative results. I called the Highway Patrol (NC) and they advised one of their troopers had recovered the case. I met with him at a predetermined location and got my case back. Lucky me.

Last year while riding near Albany, NY I hit a pot hole and both side cases opened up and emptied their contents onto the highway. (Triumph Sprint ST) I noticed it a mile down the road and backtracked and was able to recover most of my items on the side of the highway (windy day). My MacBook slid down the highway at 80+ mph and survived with just some cosmetic damage. My satellite radio was crushed.

Now I am constantly checking to see if my cases are on the bike and not popping open. No incidents since.

[Motomo]

Wow, that is such a bummer! I will definitely make sure to check my bags on a regular basis. Hope that your bag is recovered. Will you insurance pay for it?

[ShinySideUp]

That giant safety pin looks great, Michael. Just before I saw your message, I was in the garage looking at my remaining case and scoped out a likely place for a pin: The projection from the passenger foot peg appears to me a good place and that looks like what you did but on an R1150. Great minds think alike, or, as my Dad used to say, "Two minds with but a single thought... a half a thought apiece."

And, no, mkomara, I have no insurance... living on the edge!

And yes, famousperson, the laptop was safely stowed in a packpack on my back, for the same reasons you keep yours there.

I have an ad on Craigslist and posted a couple of flyers offering a reward at the bus stop. Hope springs eternal...

[Lost Rider]

Bill, sorry for your loss...
If you need another case, mine are just sitting at me Dads and I wont be using them for at least 6 months for sure... Be happy to loan it out to you, if it would help with the recovery of having to replace all that stuff.

-Joe

[celticus]

Is there a possibility that all (4?) of the mounting points were not seated 100%? One time leaving a rally and being in a hurry on our K1200RS we left one of the mounting point un-secured and within a couple of miles in the bag was laying on the exhaust canister melting.
Mark

[ShinySideUp]

Thanks for the kind offer, Joe, but I think I'll wait a week for any possible return and then bite the bullet and start rebuilding the case and contents. I keep thinking of things that were stashed in there like a nice never-used German first aid kit and an antique nickel flask with some vodka in it (strictly for medicinal purposes!). All spilt milk.

Mark, I'm reasonably sure that the case was making good contact with all its mounting points. What MAY be a possibility is that, as I unlocked the case that morning, I momentarily turned the key the wrong way and released the locking handle. But I'm sure I would have noticed that IF it were fully opened, because the handle pops up showing the orange signal on its edge. I suppose its possible that it was only partially released and then opened all the way with vibration.

However it was such a deep, abrupt pothole, and there was considerable play on the top mounting posts, that I really think it bounced off. Local dealer says he doesn't know of any bulletins on fixing the play in the case mountings. Moot point now, and I'm definitely going to pin them in place, using McMaster-Carr Part No. 90026A120, a stainless steel Coiled Clip Retaining Pin.

[Lost Rider]

No problem Bill, if you don't get it back and want to help offset the cost of replacing all the stuff at one time let me know, like I said I won't be using them for quite a while, and with my new packing setup maybe never...
not that they are all exactly the same but if they could come off, I'd have thought mine would have come off when riding on rough trails..... mine have lots of play in them too when locked....
Again, sorry for the loss but like you said it's just stuff....

-Joe

[DrD]

I will also look into a retaining clip, since I have been concerned with the slight movement of the cases on the mount. I will also place a name tag with contact info on the inner aspect of the outside of the bag; inconspicuous while the bags are mounted, but obvious if someone picks up a stray one.

[Shortpower]

Michael: Where do you get those pins/clips? I've seen them before--even had a couple--but my old mind can't remember where.

Bill

[taosports]

Michael: Where do you get those pins/clips? I've seen them before--even had a couple--but my old mind can't remember where.

Bill

Got mine at Orchard Supply...imagine Home Depot, Lowes, etc. will also carry them.

[ShinySideUp]

Michael: Where do you get those pins/clips? I've seen them before--even had a couple--but my old mind can't remember where.

Bill

I tried my local Orchard Supply and they didn't have them. So I ordered these online:

McMaster-Carr Part No. 90026A120, a stainless steel Coiled Clip Retaining Pin

Prolly the cheapest insurance I've ever bought!