Why do you think BMW (Krauser) bags fall off?

[easter85]

I have a set of the original BMW (Krauser's?) that came with my R80/7 when I bought it new on February 1979. I have never had any problem with my bags falling off. I have 77,000 miles on this bike most of which are on trips with the bags really loaded. I always make sure I hear a loud click and give them a good tug when I am putting them back on the bike.<p>Does anyone know exactly what causes them to come off? Is is pilot error; or are the bags defective?

[Isamemon]

I too have a 78 80/7 wiht bags. I keep the lock mechanisms lubed, and like you said, hear them click and pull on them, and lock them too so no one can accidently bump the latch

[lkchris]

They fall off if you don't lock the lock.

Vibration, I suppose.

And, almost everyone overloads them.

Maximum load is supposed to be 22lbs and max speed 80mph.

[BradfordBenn]

I thought they fell off cause of gravity. ;)

Actually most stories I have heard have been of operator error. A friend of mine has put bungee cords around them to keep them both closed and on the bike.

[Boxerkuh]

I suppose it is combination between wear and tear, operator failure, not being locked, gravity and time... During one of my very long 10k inspections I noticed by left bag mount did not look right... When I took the bag off I noticed a hair line fracture, eventhough they are always looked in place when on the bike. I replaced the lock and decided it was my good forture that this occured in my garage and not on the road. I now have luggage strap on both bags as a safety precaution. Our Airheads do vibrate and time and wear and tear do take their toll.

[Motorman]

Why do you think BMW (Krauser) bags fall off?

Uh I know...... It's a combination of things. Poor design compounded with gravity, vibration, wear and tear and the passage of air at speed.


OK what do I win and don't tell me it's a set of krauser bags found by the side of the road.......... :nono

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Going thru the locking mechanism twice a year may prevent the bags from dropping of the bike. Like with all mechanical things an ounce of prevention.... :blah
Good luck keeping them on. :thumb

[Mika]

When asked why his Krauser bags kept falling off a friend responded -
Gravity sucks and so do the attachments for my bags.
:dunno

[tuber1]

..it is not necessarily the lock. you can lock the bag ,and still have it fall off. the latch that attaches to the bag frame has to be positioned properly,so the bag fits tight. One trick is to add thim foam to the bottom of the bag, wish I could show you a pic of mine. it makes the bag fit more tightly. many ppl use lashing straps, as used in camping, around the bags. I would not use rubber stretch bungies...

[kbasa]

Um, cuz they're crap? :ha

[pmdave]

Don't hold back, poobah. Tell us how you really feel.

pmdave

[kbasa]

Don't hold back, poobah. Tell us how you really feel.

pmdave

Hi, Dave. :wave

I think I'm still bitter from 25 years ago when my Krauser opened up and dumped a sixpack of St. Pauli into a road somewhere in central Massachusetts.

[pmdave]

Seriously folks, the main problem is that the front mounting tab is located about halfway down the bag, so it can't support the bag at the top. The tab is cast into the plastic, and the bag bends, and eventually cracks. There were two styles of latches on the BMW bags, one with a "seat belt" style latch, the other with a curved metal arm that wrapped around the tube.

The fix is to provide some supplemental support that holds the top of the bag against the support rack. On my R100 I added some stainless steel slotted brackets to the upper shock bolts, and added a stainless steel hook to the upper front of the bags. When attaching the bag, the hook is inserted in the slotted bracket, then the bag inserted in the frame and latched.

For those racks with a hole in the angled reinforcement tabs, note that a timing plug rubber will fit in the holes to help reduce rattle.
Many riders have successfully used a fabric strap from the bottom tube to the subframe tube, pulling the bag in tight. Other types of supplemental support come to mind--the point is, don't depend upon the stock setup to stay put. The bags are pretty decent--it's the mounting that sucks.

BTW, I have it on good authority that cheap beer never falls out of saddlebags. :nyah

pmdave

[easter85]

Dave,

When you get time how about showing us a photo of your bag modification. I don't like the idea of having to mess with the straps. Thanks.

[Na Cl K9]

One of the slickest safety locks for these bags I ever saw is the addition of a
simple hardware-store barrel bolt; the type that looks a bit like the bolt from
a bolt action rifle. It was mounted on the back of the bag (side next to the
wheel) in such a way that when it is moved into the locked position, it sits
behind the rack frame tube and prevents the bag from jettisoning itself if the
key lock fails or is only partially engaged. (And I completely forgot about this
untill just now!)...

ILLUSTRATION (of sorts): []0o,

Where [] = bag, 0 = frame and o, = bolt with handle in locked position.
Note: in the attached photo, the door frame fixture is not used.

When the bolt is in locked position, gravity keeps it in place. Mounting it high
to the rear on the back of the bag helps to offset the lack of support at the
front. It can be shimmed to tighten the bag on the rack too.

Otherwise, it's my opinion that all other things being equal the bags fall off
mostly when you put things you don't need to loose in them. Beer for instance.

(Thanks to Steve Prokop...One of the best BMW mechanics around. His were
the first Krauser bags I had seen this done on and it works as well as straps
and looks nicer too).

[Rod Sheridan]

I think that the bags falling off are a BMW scheduled item. You know, it's the "we will make you visit the dealer and spend some cash like a good consumer" ploy.

[BubbaZanetti]

I think I'm still bitter from 25 years ago when my Krauser opened up and dumped a sixpack of St. Pauli into a road somewhere in central Massachusetts.


funny you mention that cause i once, many years ago, found a 6 pack of st. pauli girl out on rt 2 just east of orange, they were all fine although about 15 years expired, it was quite a find for a bunch of high school kids...............

[SheRidesABeemer]

the bags were obviously built in China... :bolt

I noticed that my GT bags can be dislodged by a bungie hook! Swell...

[easter85]

Paul,

That is a cool idea with the latch. I understand. I would be nice to find a quality latch like the one in your photo. Thanks.

[pmdave]

Dave,

When you get time how about showing us a photo of your bag modification. I don't like the idea of having to mess with the straps. Thanks.


Sorry, I sold the bags to a friend in Texas, so I don't have anything to shoot.

pmdave

[bobdu]

Here is my story. I had a R100RS with Krauser bags. The bag on the right side kept falling off so one day I figured it out.

Remember on my bike the right side bag has to be removed in order to raise the seat so the locking mechanism got a good workout over the years.

I removed the bag and removed the mechanism from the plastic cover and proceded to examine it very very closely. Whenever I locked it I heard the click and sure enough the little doo-hickey came out, BUT it did not come out all the way. When I poked on the side of the doo-hickey it would come out all the way. I figure it was because of more use.

So I switched the locks from one bag to the other. The bag on the left never got removed and now the one on the right was ok. Now the lock on the left was defective so I made darn sure the doo-hickey was all the way out permanently.

That there is my long winded story my friends.

Now I need a beer.

Bob

[larrylarry75]

Hmm....when this happened to me I thought it was because I'd not latched them all the way. Now I see the cause is directly related to the quality of beer being transported so that's a fairly easy fix, get rid of the cheap beer and go with something better... :blah

[Pat Carol]

I have an original pair of Krauser's on my 78rs. So far I have been lucky not to have one fall off or open up.
One drawback is the fact that I have to remove the beer from the package. I cannot get a 12 pack of beer in either bag.
I strongly feel that when bag's are designed for motorcycles, the engineer's should build them around at least a 12 pack of bottled beer. Beer was only meant to drink from glass not can's. :buds :beer
Make sure you lock your bags. I know that if I am traveling long distances, I make sure my bag is locked up. I also make sure my Krauser pannier's are locked properly to their mounts.

Take Care & Ride Safe
Pat Carol :doh :jawdrop

[paulfinney2]

86 R80RT with BMW bags. Just noticed a tiny crack developing in the plastic that latches on the frame. Actually on both locks. Can the plastic locks be replaced separate from the bags?


Hey Larry, haven't heard from you for a while. Been OK/

[26667]

Mounting w drilled holes, fasteners and rubber gaskets? On the "back" of the bag, right? That is, the side that faces in toward the wheel w/o a bmw roundel? As opposed to the part that a driver following you sees. So that the post, rather than sliding into the barrel of the lock, slides behind (near the tire) the bag mount and prvents it from moving away from the bike.

If the typing sounds confused, it's because I am.

[Na Cl K9]

...you have the concept correctly interpreted. The bolt slides to the rear of the bag and fits behind the bag mount itself. Thus, when it is engaged, the bag will be held in place should the lock fail, by the bolt against the inside of the bag mounting frame tubes...Let me illustrate, a picture being worth 10,000 misspelled words. I drew the bolt in two different positions on the back of the bag although the top position is probably best.

[easter85]

Wow! You are an excellent artist! I can barely write.