BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Hi all,
I have just this minute signed up to this forum after reading through few posts and being impressed with the overall level of help offered.

I bought a 2005 R1200RT from a dealer 2 weeks ago and am loving the bike.
Yesterday I went out for a ride through some picturesque and twisty lanes and came upon a slow moving Tractor which I overtook. I then came to a t junction which I could see was clear and turned right onto the main road. While making this turn I hit a pothole with my front tyre going at about 30 mph. The pothole was about 5 inches deep and about 12 inches in diameter. I managed to keep hold of the bike but only just, my back wheel then went over it and my right pannier flew off and bounced down the road. The tractor driver thankfully pulled up short of the pannier while I parked my bike and ran back to get it so that nobody else would hit it.

My questions are

1: Are these standard BMW panniers known to come off after a hard bump. I had made sure before my ride that they were on properly and that the handles were pressed down fully and that the red marker was not showing. When I retrieved it the pannier handle was up in the carry position.

2: On my other pannier (the one that didn't come off) one of the locking pins that runs through the handle keeps coming out. Can these be replaced or is there a fix.

Sorry to make my first post a question. Over all I am happy with the bike and am loving the attention the bike gets when parking it up in my small town.

Thanks for your anticipated help.
Shelly

Well firstly you are Ok, and hello.
I am not aware of this happening, but then my experience is limited, but someone will have a more experienced view I am sure.


It may well be worth revisiting the scene armed with a ruler, and take pictures of the offending hole, and putting a claim in to the appropriate council authority.


glad you enjoy your RT, I am also smitten with mine 

Welcome. No they are not known for flying off. The red locking markers can however get damaged by owners trying to push down the handle with it in the locked position. Once damaged they need replacing. Its also possible to lock them in with the bottom lug by the footrest not slid in. Most bits are replaceable. Go to Real OEM enter your bike details then Browse Parts. Under Frame and Mounting Parts you will find the pannier and all necessary part numbers.

Thank you Tango and RTman10 for the info.
I will definitely check out the Real Oem site and my tape measure is poised and at the ready. I live in Monmouth and Monmouthshire council will be getting the bill, I also have details of the witness so I will let you know how I get on.

Check you rims as well, they don't readily crack but they do deform.

I am assuming that you are talking about the Hexhead.
No, they do not just fall off.
Plenty of bad potholes here in Aussie land and I ride my bikes fairly hard up the mountain range....never lost one yet.

Hi I have heard of this issue in the past from other RT owners normally due to the tabs being damaged. However I have experienced a BMW 49 litre top box coming off after hitting a pot hole. This was a top box that had been fitted from another bike as it had a different key. I never trusted that box again. The panniers were fine.

They do not fall off, usually, but on the older models 05-07 they can become loose due to wear. I had an 06 and the right pannier was looser than the left, a lot more movement in it, but asking at dealer they do have a kit that extends the uplift bar, that bit that presses against the fitting under the side panel, but on getting the part it did not fit! The dealer then did some investigation and found that some 05-06 models had the same fitting but some 07 had a different fitting, which as it happens is also on my 63 plate !


There was talk on the fjr forums of panniers coming off and some riders drilled a hole through the pannier catch and the lug, fitted a locking pin, so never has a chance to fall off.