R1200 GSA side cases/paniers advice... - Horizons Unlimited

**Ness** · #1 19 Nov 2011

I've narrowed my choice to the 3 following side cases:
1-Touratech - the ones built for and sold by BMW
2-Jesse
3-Micatech
What is ur experience - both pro AND con with these cases?
I'm actually more interested in any problems u might have had, and how the manufacturer supported you!
Thanks, Ness

**Quandary** · #2 19 Nov 2011

Hey Ness

I ride a 2005 1200GS here in OZ and a 2004 1200GS in Europe. On my bike here in OZ I run with both the GS vario panniers and the GSA aluminium panniers. I change them to suite the area/conditions. In europe I use just the GSA aluminium panniers as I use them as my luggage when flying.

I find that the GSA panniers are easier to pack as all edges are squared off, unlike the vario panniers.

I bought my panniers from BMW Zentrum in Hamburg while there in september and had great service from them. I fitted the racks and panniers in the carpark out the front in about 20 minuites and the only problem I had was that one of the stainless steel bolts and nuts gawled up and had to be cut off. This was done by friendly technician all with no cost and they supplied me with a new bolt.

While coming home from europe the airline broke one of the plastic protectors on the corner of the lid when they threw it through the oversize/unusual shape luggage hatch. I obtained a replacement from a BMW dealer here in OZ and all is good.

I recomend the BMW GSA (touratech) panniers.

Cheers
Marty

**Mike K.** · #3 19 Nov 2011

Hello Ness,

i have the BMW panniers for the ADV and the are very easy to use.But never i have used them off road.Maybe with sand and dust the closing mechanism will make some problems.On my other bikes i used allways the Zega panniers,even in the Sahara.The problems with them was only that i had to open the panniers to take them off the bike.

Mike

**bbuerner** · #4 20 Nov 2011

I have the original BMW panniers.
You have to consider that the original BMW panniers are built by Touratech but are not the same as the Zega or Zega pro.

The locking system is more or less the same. After a week in Morroco in the sand it still works fine. The top cover of the original BMW is plastic the Zega is Aluminium. Maybe easier to repair.

Anyway a car hit me in Morroco and the BMW system is still working. I guess the biggest advantage of the BMW is you could take them off when closed.

After 43000km on myR1200GSA the original BMW are still fine.

**iainnic** · #5 20 Dec 2011

I've the BMW Alu ones currently and they are quite good. In the past I've had TT Zega panniers, and I'd most certainly say that they are more substantial than the BMW ones, however the BMW ones are not weak in any way. The plastic parts are purely "caps" on the corners, the cases are all alu.

Long trip or long track work I'd use Zega's, otherwise the BMW Alu panniers seem fine

**TurboCharger** · #6 21 Dec 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ness

I've narrowed my choice to the 3 following side cases:
1-Touratech - the ones built for and sold by BMW
2-Jesse
3-Micatech

What is the reason for not considering Hepco&Becker more closely?

We've been around the world with them on our 1200GS '07 model and couldn't be happier. Espeically when our mates TT's and Jesse cases started falling to bits!!

**HendiKaf** · #7 22 Dec 2011

On my GS I first had the oem and they OK but not for very long trip , I had the jesse and they very good built with a narrow profile and very resitant to shock and simple to put on or off the bike . The only problem with them is that the narrow openong make it difficult to load and you end up having to fight your bag to put all your stuff in.

The touratech are great as far as quality and size but to me they need a little reinforcement to be more resistant .

Happy trail is a very good choice for a lower price.

**Lucky Explorer** · #8 23 Dec 2011

I have used Jesses on KTM 950's, Elefants, and 1150GSA, and in all the typical back country places. Indestructable! A friend T-boned us in China, had it pounded out and still works and still waterproof. I use Helen Two wheels liners and they work quite well with the narrow styling of the Jesses. The narrowness of the bags is one of the more important points. As is the simplistic mounting systems.
I do have a 1200 GSA with BMW's Alu system. I do love them and the BMW liners (very drybag like). They came with the bike or I would have put Jesses on it. No complaints on the System's functionality, but do feel the cases are vunerable in a crash (not done since I got the bags in '06!). The alu is much lighter weight and might crush, but like my Jesses could be pounded back, but maybe not so straight???
Allen.

**Juliet_Papa** · #9 18 Jan 2012

I would like to say that people can get too paranoid about a pannier that is "very strong" and built from thick material. Rigid structures can fail before a flexible one, if the structure has a little bit of flex in it and designed correctly it it will have a longer life because the stress if dispersed. Look at airplane wings for instance and lorry chassis.

I use the BMW ally panniers on my GSA with their inner bags and I think its a great system and user friendly. On a recent trip I was hit from behind and one pannier took the full force, yes it deformed, but absorbed a lot of the impact force so I stayed on the bike, a rigid box pannier may have seen me and the bike on the deck !!

To repair the pannier all I did was remove the lid, get the box somewhere back to normal shape, then clamp the lid back on with the latches. Job done, not too pretty but the inner bag kept everything dry so no problems.

Just my thoughts

Juliet_papa

**barry1616** · #10 19 Jan 2012

I just went through all this last year.I ride a 07 r1200gs.I looked at all options
and went for happy trails tuton panniers.The are very well made waterproof
and the cheapest.I went for the free: powder coating and lid locks and premounting.They have great support and mounting was good.They are updating their install sheet.They had poor pictures but were very helpfull on the phone,They are aware of this and probably have fixed them by now.The first day I had to ride through a monsoon for 4 hrs.I thought this will be a test and I
had 0 leakage.
Barry from Vancouver Island