Max speed rating of system cases?

[Grey Thumper]

I guess I'm doing something wrong; couldn't find this pretty basic bit of info in a search.

(Incidentally, I bought the cases used, without a manual, in case the info happens to be on it).

So, do they have a maximum speed rating?

[omg1010]

BMW "recommends" a max speed of 130 km/h with the cases. But that is only a recommendation. If you ain't got them fully loaded (weight) they will most probably hang on to your bike even way beyond that speed ...

I have gone full speed with them and had no problemo. The bike just started to wobble a bit which is also due to the fact that I don't have a steering damper and a slightly modified geometry.

Brgds
Oliver

[Dr. Strangelove]

There are methods to secure them with additional hardware, like pinning through the subframe tongue.

126, on GPS, without issue, solid, planted, stable, NO wobble, south of Tucumcari on NM 109--a GREAT road and beautiful.
Re the wobbling...after I am loaded, I mean the bike is loaded, at moderate hwy speed ( 70mph +-) I "bounce" the front a LITTLE with side to side motion of the handlebars. If the load is less than well secured a wobble will be felt in the front, settling down in a second or less. Tightening the load strapped down on the back seat totally eliminates any wobble. Totally. 100%
To put it another way. ANY wobble with that test tells me to strap the duffel or whatever is back there down more tightly.

I try to equalize the weights of the two panniers, but I am not real anal about it...close is good enough in my experience, but there are some who advocate having each pannier within a pound of each other. I don't do that close. That said, I usually put heavier items in the left, smaller case, and clothing in the right, larger case. That usually makes it close enough.

Strapping down the pillion weight tightly is the key, and by doing so there should be NO wobble.
If I felt a wobble at any speed I would stop and make that go away.

John

[Grey Thumper]

I try to equalize the weights of the two panniers, but I am not real anal about it...close is good enough in my experience, but there are some who advocate having each pannier within a pound of each other.

Thanks guys. Wow, that IS anal (and I wonder if there's a point in being so precise, since I assume the right side is slightly heavier anyway).

[MIXR]

206 kph measured by GPS. 210 another time.

Both side cases loaded. 11 kg left side and 12 kg right side (standard load). Left case was full size due to canectomy. Top box also fitted. Givi E45. Light load in that at about 6 kg (not measured). Larger than standard fly screen fitted. GS handguards fitted.

Bike was stable. No wind. Cool day. Road quite rough. Held speed for about 10 minutes. Used LOTS of fuel.

Oh - Just to make the necessary legal statements - The road was in the days that preceded the Northern Territory shift to 130 kph limits instead of 'unlimited'.

The bike is very stable at high speed but jeez things are moving fast either side of you. And for comparison, My R1150GS Adventure is such an unerodynamic pig and has such a short 6th gear that it tops out at about 180 with a similar load.

[GSGeezer]

GT;
I once heard a story:
In South Dakota a certain 2001 Mandarin GS ran 117 mph into the wind.
Aeroflow screen; large lids; canectomy; 5 gal aux.fuel on pillion. NO WOBBLE. Would not pull
6th gear; above mentioned; 5th gear at 7200rpm.

"If you not having fun going; you're going in the wrong direction."

[Dr. Strangelove]

206 kph measured by GPS. 210 another time.

Wow. 126 = 202 kph
Mine too was loaded down as yours. Tall screen. Don't remember exactly, but I do not think I was hitting rpm limiter, but rather "bouncing" against it.

Solidly stable though. No way 10 minutes of that though. The bike may have been able to do it, but my nerves couldn't. Interesting that 90 (144) seems so slow after such a run.

I can say that I have gotten that out of my system, but no way near maturity yet.

[NoRRmad]

I think that empty cases are more in danger of wobbling, or popping off at speed.

As I remember, I've seen a recommended limit for the cases in the manual -- 80 MPH.

YMMV.

[GypsyRR]

I agree with NoRRmad. I read that in the system case manual. However, I have also tested the cases at sustained speeds over their recommendation with no problems. (I'm so over those speeding days now though).

[Sunbeemer]

I've run sustained 80mph with sprints to 95mph with them fully loaded, but mine are pinned to the passenger foot rests using Cyclerob's modification. No wobble and they came home with me.

[TicTac50]

I think that empty cases are more in danger of wobbling, or popping off at speed.

As I remember, I've seen a recommended limit for the cases in the manual -- 80 MPH.

YMMV.

NoRRmad is absolutely correct on this one.
Empty cases and High speed do not mix.
I did try it one time, only one time and I will never do it again.
The biggest AeroFlow screen, empty/extended RT side cases and E52 empty GIVI case.
Got very close to 125 mph and almost lost the bike due to the "WOBBLING".
Fully loaded 2-Up going 100 mph my bike does very well, so do I, if I don't count the speeding tickets.

[towerworker]

I tapped 100 couple of times with cases on. Don't remember if I had stuff in them or not. I think I was running late for my annual antifreeze/coolant change.

Wayne

[grwrockster]

Flat out (1-up) on autobahn in Sept with gusting wind and bow-waves of air off trucks and Mercs doing 140 mph while loaded with side-cases, top-box and tank-bag with MRA Vario bar-mount screen - the bike was on a knife-edge of (in)stability, and started to get quite a shimmy on over 110mph that meant I had to back off to settle it.

So, grip tank hard with knees, keep very loose relaxed hands on the bars, and ease her back up again to wide open (somewhere just over 120mph on the clock on the day) and I could run flat out without tank-slapping into oblivion.

Have also dashed for a ferry in France similarly loaded but with my 5', 50-ish kilo (112lbs or so) better half on the back at a steady 100 - 105mph with no stability issues whatsoever.

Could it be that the added weight in cases/pillions etc. helps because the weight sits the rear down a bit, and in doing so opens out the steering head geometry which introduces more inherent straight line stability and a greater reluctance to turn perhaps? Also it's harder to induce a frequency the heavier an object is, so added weight (like bar-end weights to reduce vibration) just makes it so much harder for the air to push the bike around?

In general though I don't have any issues at all with 'normal' riding, and the bike is usually rock-steady with side cases at any speed up to say 100mph (my usual cruising speed is a compromise between speed and fuel mileage of between 80-90mph where the bike feels happy and so do I).

[ron prior]

**Mercs doing 140 mph **

?? Mercs in Germany?......how long ago? They ceased production here.

[grwrockster]

**Mercs doing 140 mph **

?? Mercs in Germany?......how long ago? They ceased production here.

Er... about 2 and a half months ago.

Well, big executive cars with big germans in suits with lead right feet then! I'm pretty sure I saw the occasional car with the 3-pointed star in among all the equally fast-moving BMW's and all the other cages.

I'm sure they permit vehicles not produced in Germany to use the roads there though (or my mate's Honda would have been shovelled off the highway ).

[Dr. Strangelove]

I am thinking "Merc" = Mercedes Benz.

[grwrockster]

Yes Dr S, you're right.

'Merc' (spoken with a hard 'C', in exactly the same way that the shortened name I've heard on a certain genre of American Movie for 'Mercenary' is pronounced). Merc is a commonly used UK abbreviation or slang term for Stuttgarts finest with the 3 pointed star on the bonnet (hood?).

See also 'Beemer' or even 'Bimmer' widely used instead of B..M..W.

Why? Just (be)cause there's less syllables to chew on I suppose, and why 'Chevy' replaces 'Chevrolet' etc.

[mikes]

I forget what the speed spec are for panniers and top box on the R1150R but I wouldn't go too hard over the speed limit. I did test mine out fully loaded on a great stretch of dead straight road. the weather was perfect and hardly a breath of wind so I gun it and the last time I looked at the gauges I was doing pretty close to 190Kph. All good straight and solid until I hit a slight hump in the road and unsettled the rear end and the whole thing out the wobbles. I got to say that scared the bejesus out of me and I will never do that again. Fully load 100 to 110KPH will do me just fine. Of course the bike will happily do much more with no problems it just when the unexpected happens then it could all go pear shaped fast.

[mikes]

sorry should also mentioned freeway/motorway conditions it really doesn't matter much provided heavy stuff is a low as possible and consideration has been given to weight distribution between panniers. As for a top box I have always used it for the light stuff that requires easy access. I did once overload the top box because I wanted to ride without panniers. I really did notice the extra weight at rear.

[Xdot]

You in a hurry or something?