Well, I'm a victim of BMW's side-case-goes-missing syndrome

fnfalman · Post by **fnfalman** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 5:29 pm

I've heard of the System Case sometimes popping off while riding and there's a fix that involves in drilling for a couple of holes and getting some cheap cotter pins.

But after a couple of thousand miles sport touring with nothing happened, I kind of trying to put off the cotter pin fix. Well, coming back from a mere 9-miles jaunt after work, got home and discovered that the right case was gone.

Double backed along the path but didn't see squat.

%$$#@$%%

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 6:20 pm

Bugger!...maybe the foot mount was not in it's slot..or did you hit a big bump?

DJ

Post by **HiOSilver** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:06 pm

HT! You've been having some bad bike karma lately!

You need to spend more time riding here in Phoenix...

Post by **mick Hoff** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 7:32 am

Boy that sucks.
If you want the link to securing the the sidecases

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/gallery/446661/4/12180864

Here are the details & pics
There was a link awhile back on the sport touring site about taping your name & phone number in the cases, it seems goofy, until one drops off

riceburner · Post by **riceburner** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 7:13 am

was anything in it??

if not why was it on the bike?

Sorry to hear it's gone though.

dhfriday · Post by **dhfriday** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 5:14 pm

I just had the same thing happen. I didn't even know it was an issue. When it came off, I thought I was going a little batty for a while. How much does a single case go for anyway?

R4R&R · Post by **R4R&R** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 4:14 pm

Mine had fallen off last year, and I felt the same. Why didn't I listen and make the mod with the pins to hold them on? Oh well, I picked up a used lid from Ebay, and was able to re-use the base with a few scratches. Now I figure I've had one fall off so my chances of it happening to me again are slim.

\\Mike_Lea// · Post by **\\Mike_Lea//** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 5:13 pm

So is this problem with the cases specific to a particular type; city or system cases?

I've just bought pannier rails with a view to purchasing system cases at somepoint once I've got the cash together.

Do they fall off when loaded, over-loaded or when empty or under-loaded?

Advice appreciated before I spend my hard earned cash. I know there's fix available, but still a little disconcerting to have cases flying around the place. Seems a little bizarre to pay money for something that you know not to be reliable.

Surely if this was a design fault, BM' would (oh dear, I feel a pun coming on) have to do something about cases being thrown at them left, right and centre.

M

fnfalman · Post by **fnfalman** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 7:59 pm

Nothing of important was in the case - just my safety hard hat and goggles.

And yes, I made sure that the slot at the bottom of the case went around the footpeg thingie.

And yes, it's a System Case mounting issue. The lid has nothing to do with it.

I'm going to see if my "connection" can get me another one for cheap.

R4R&R · Post by **R4R&R** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 10:41 pm

I only had a jacket liner in mine - maybe two pounds? My case was firmly and properly attached and the reason mine came off was a latch failure - the part that comes up out of the handle and presses against the bottom of the rail broke mid-ride. I was travelling on a highway that has some good bumps so I attribute it to the prolonged exposure to the bumps and a part that failed.

riceburner · Post by **riceburner** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:26 am

\Mike_Lea// wrote:So is this problem with the cases specific to a particular type; city or system cases?

I've just bought pannier rails with a view to purchasing system cases at somepoint once I've got the cash together.

Do they fall off when loaded, over-loaded or when empty or under-loaded?

Advice appreciated before I spend my hard earned cash. I know there's fix available, but still a little disconcerting to have cases flying around the place. Seems a little bizarre to pay money for something that you know not to be reliable.

Surely if this was a design fault, BM' would (oh dear, I feel a pun coming on) have to do something about cases being thrown at them left, right and centre.

M

Mike,
the "City" cases are merely the System cases with a different lid.

Looking at the two posts above - it would appear that being lightly loaded might have something to do with it??

\\Mike_Lea// · Post by **\\Mike_Lea//** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 2:28 pm

I downloaded a 'spec' sheet from http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com which shows both...

http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/pdfs/acce ... sories.pdf

City and system cases; like you said Riceburner, think they're the same but have different lids. The city cases having a narrower profile.

Agree on the weight thing. I would assume that without any load the wind will blow the things all over the place.

Mike.

priapismic · Post by **priapismic** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:22 pm

mick Hoff wrote:Boy that sucks.
There was a link awhile back on the sport touring site about taping your name & phone number in the cases, it seems goofy, until one drops off

Here is the thread for that (my post):

http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=7652&highlight=

riceburner · Post by **riceburner** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 5:35 am

\Mike_Lea// wrote:I downloaded a 'spec' sheet from http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com which shows both...

http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/pdfs/acce ... sories.pdf

City and system cases; like you said Riceburner, think they're the same but have different lids. The city cases having a narrower profile.

Agree on the weight thing. I would assume that without any load the wind will blow the things all over the place.

Mike.

i can confirm they're the same - I have both sets of lids.

riceburner · Post by **riceburner** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 5:35 am

priapismic wrote:
mick Hoff wrote:Boy that sucks.
There was a link awhile back on the sport touring site about taping your name & phone number in the cases, it seems goofy, until one drops off
Here is the thread for that (my post):

http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=7652&highlight=

how does a stranger get inside the case without a key???

Lion_Lady · Post by **Lion_Lady** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:12 am

Someone in our club suggested putting an address lable and your CELL PHONE number on the bike side of your system cases.

Cover it with a piece of packing tape for additional protection from road crud.

Since it seems that cases are most often lost on the way far afield. Having the cell # makes the most sense... the finder can contact you where ever you are as you're travelling.

I'd probably add a "REWARD IF FOUND" note, cause it sure sucks to go through not only replacing the stuff inside, but the case itself.

P

priapismic · Post by **priapismic** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 9:00 am

riceburner wrote:
priapismic wrote:
mick Hoff wrote:Boy that sucks.
There was a link awhile back on the sport touring site about taping your name & phone number in the cases, it seems goofy, until one drops off
Here is the thread for that (my post):

http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=7652&highlight=
how does a stranger get inside the case without a key???

Uhm, you need to look at my previous post in the thread. I made it real easy to understand - no reading, just look at the pretty pictures!

\\Mike_Lea// · Post by **\\Mike_Lea//** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 9:11 pm

Riceburner, re: city Vs system cases: Confirm they are the same...? So what differenciates the two??

M

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 10:32 pm

Riceburner, re: city Vs system cases: Confirm they are the same...? So what differenciates the two??

The BMW cases are called system cases.

The BMW system cases have three different lid options.

1...the narrow 'city lids'.

2...the normal 'large lids'

3...the 'extra large lids'.

My guess would be that the city cases are the system cases with the city lids.

DJ

\\Mike_Lea// · Post by **\\Mike_Lea//** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 3:09 am

So that implies they have different capacities?

M