BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

So, I've done 7 or 8 tours over the past few years, UK and Europe, and I've always been disappointed with the capacity of the rear panniers. Beacause of the way they open, you really need a set of pannier bags, otherwise stuff falls out all over the place when you open the lids. The pannier bags seem to be shaped so that you can fit one pair of shoes and a couple of sets of underwear only.
However the top box seems to swallow vast amounts of kit.
Anyone come up with a system that works for them?

I use tool bags, and they work great, (see the video).

Steve

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I use good 30L dry bags for the following reasons:

• They fit quite well in the panniers when stuffed with gear.

• They compress, so can fit (relatively) more stuff into the same space.

• I can remove them to take with me easily.

• If I need the extra space, I can dump the contents into the pannier and use the dry bag on the rear seat or on top of the panniers by strapping down with Rok Straps.

Lynxfixer wrote: ↑Sat Jul 13, 2024 7:03 pmAnyone come up with a system that works for them?

Genuine BMW inner bags and the elastic straps used to retain them when the lid is open.

The bags are fairly rigid, keeping their shape when packed means they will fit properly into the side case.

And I just happen to have a set of BMW pannier bags for sale

I've done thousands of miles with these panniers on three different bikes and find them great

Get a set of cheap pannier liners off the bay, I've had the original ones but they were about £200+, and the ones I now have were about £50 and just make is so easy to carry your kit to the hotel room. The panniers have elastic bands in them to stop your stuff falling out, and they are very large, I don't think larger ones would be any advantage on the bike as I'm sure they would make it harder to ride and maneuver.

TBH - I find this quite a strange post, these must be some of the biggest and best panniers around

I agree with the OP. They are not particularly big and pannier liners take away a lot of that space. They have an overcomplicated latching system and are VERY heavy. From a practical point of view side loading panniers are a pain but I guess they at least look ok on the bike.
I rarely use them because of this but will be fitting them for a trip to Ireland in a few weeks. Thankfully they will take a full face helmet but sticking the shopping in there is a balancing act involving the left knee holding the lid partially open so that nothing falls out while loading. The elastic bands are completely useless for anything that I put in them

It must be possible to design a top loading pannier that works. They would be easier to make weatherproof and wouldn't need the double skin thereby giving a larger interior for a given external dimension. No dropping the shopping on the floor at Sainsbury's either!!

RTP panniers are top loading.

Yes, but you lose the ability to carry a passenger and they are too narrow to take a helmet.

NETS4YOU, manufacture motorcycle pannier nets, https://www.nets4you.com/product/metal- ... cm-x-36cm/

"As these nets are custom made, we can make them to fit the exact dimensions of your pannier."

I got a cheap, generic pannier and top box bag set from the bay in 2015 for £30 to use on the GL1800 I had then. Have used them for my K1600 that replaced it and now on my RT that replaced that. In MY side I can fit 1x shoes, 5x socks,5x underwear, 4x T Shirts, 2x going out shirts and 1x going out trousers or jeans. Documentation for the bike goes in the zipped pocket on the side. The bag is slightly bulging by now but I can still close the pannier lid easily. Strangely enough, there never seems to be any room in the other side or the top box.....

Lynxfixer wrote: ↑Sat Jul 13, 2024 7:03 pm So, I've done 7 or 8 tours over the past few years, UK and Europe, and I've always been disappointed with the capacity of the rear panniers. Beacause of the way they open, you really need a set of pannier bags, otherwise stuff falls out all over the place when you open the lids. The pannier bags seem to be shaped so that you can fit one pair of shoes and a couple of sets of underwear only.
However the top box seems to swallow vast amounts of kit.
Anyone come up with a system that works for them?

I'm selling a set for the oil cooled RT's that will at a push fit the LC variant?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126573539947

So I do agree that side opening panniers are a pain, and yes I have had stuff kamikazi out of the pannier as I open it.

BUT...

I can't complain about the size or the weather proofing of them (mine are factory ones on a 2015 model).

Personally I've gone for the cheaper option of keeping things together - Being ex' forces I've got some bits of spare kit laying around. Of that kit was 2x laundry nets. Literally just mesh bags that we used to send our laundry away in when on tour. They are BIG, so you have to mind how much your putting in it, but they have a draw string top which stays closed once yanked tight. So: fill net, close draw string, clip the elastic retaining bands together, and away you go. When you get to the other end you open the pannier and nothing moves.

Just a suggestion. They can be picked up fairly cheaply online.

I can fit all my clothing,boots etc for a two week tour. Inner bags from eBay inner bags made for an RT. My top box also from Fleebay cost £25 and is 56lts. It takes 2 large full-face helmets with space to spare. I converted the large reflector on the top box to be a brake and running light.

We flew to rent a RT for a week with flea-bay pannier bag and helmet bag. The top box was used only for daily stuff (water, cameras, rain pants, snacks, sun block, visor/windshield cleaning). And we still found we brought too much with us. An elastic peg-less clothes line was an essential and saved us a lot of space in our bags.
The pannier bags secured with the elastic band can be accessed from top. And the panniers are the largest I've every had (and I had one type before). So coming from smaller to RT is a luxury and I didn't manage to fill them yet. But I haven't been to a multi-week tour, I don't travel with laptop nor multiple cameras. Just tablet and two phones, my partner had two phones and compact camera.