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Need Side Case Liner Recommendations

phalcon51

New member
I'm buying an '05 R1200ST in a few weeks and driving it from Chicago to L.A. I'd like to buy some side case liners for it before the trip. There seem to be several available from Kathy's, CeeBailey's and RKA that I've found so far as well as the BMW models. I haven't had the opportunity to see any of them other than on the web so I'd like to get your opinions on any or all of them if you've had first hand experience with them. Interested in build quality, features, capacity, etc.

Thanks for any help.

Gary
 
I'm buying an '05 R1200ST in a few weeks and driving it from Chicago to L.A. I'd like to buy some side case liners for it before the trip. There seem to be several available from Kathy's, CeeBailey's and RKA that I've found so far as well as the BMW models. I haven't had the opportunity to see any of them other than on the web so I'd like to get your opinions on any or all of them if you've had first hand experience with them. Interested in build quality, features, capacity, etc.

Thanks for any help.

Gary

I have the Kathy's liners and they are well made, waterproof (after seam sealing) and they fit well. I don't have the same bike but the construction quality seems first rate. I have not used them on a really long trip yet.
 
I now have two sets: BMW and Kathy's. On my R1150RT I had the Cee Bailey's. The biggest difference among them is that the BMW version more or less retains its shape whether filled or not. The others are just sewn fabric and don't retain their filled shape. Because of that they can be filled half way, for example, and then they leave room in your sidecase for jackets, camera cases, food, etc., jammed in on top of the liner bag. They all have lots of pockets and are well constructed. Capacity-wise they all are about the same because they're designed to fit the specific sidecases. The BMW bags are quite a bit more expensive. On my last "big" trip I used the BMW liners, but the Kathy's (or Cee Bailey's) would have been fine too.
 
I was riding without liners for few years with no problems.
I 2001, coming back from the Rally, I was pulled over by Georgia State Troopers.
My bike was searched by troopers and 2 police dogs. Everything was out of the site cases on the grass.
I made a decision that I will never ride loaded bike without liners.
I did buy Kathy's liners and I do like them. :thumb
A few years ago I got an LT and was looking for the liners.
The BMW liners priced way out of line for the LT bike.
I started to look at all my options and found CEE BAILEY'S liners for my 2006 LT.
After reading the reviews about those liners I got the SET (sides and top).
I am impressed with the quality and the price of those liners.
I would go with CEE BAILEY'S liners before I choose Kathy's bags.:thumb:thumb:thumb
For $79.00 (set) you can not go wrong. Here is the link.
http://http://www.ceebaileys.com/bags/bmw_bags.html

Good luck.
 
Bag Liners

I have the Kathy's liners on my RT and I like them very much, I've had them for over a year and they make packing for traveling and traveling in general much easier.

Don
 
Go for Kathy's liners. You won't be disappointed!

The stitching and zippers are high quality and the bags are made to last. We have had three sets for various bikes and they are worth the money. I also have Kathy's small gs handlebar bag which I've had strapped to the tail bar of my 650 GS. I kept odds and ends in there and rarely removed it. The bag looks almost new after riding in all weather conditions for over 24K miles.
 
I have a set of Kathy's "inside the fairing" bags for my R100RS, so I'm sure that's a good source for bag liners.

Other options include going to a Target and a Walmart and looking for a relatively inexpensive duffle bag. I've actually got a freebie from a vendor show that fits perfectly inside my sidecases. You could also consider a cloth or canvas bag with handles that are used for groceries. Are these as good as the custom made types? No, but they're also very inexpensive to acquire.
 
RKA liners here. My wife bought them for me this past Christmas and they work great.

BTW, I don't know the person selling them, but there's a super deal on a pair of RKA pannier liners in the classified section right now.
 
Rka

I received a set of RKAs for my RT as a gift a few months ago, and I'm pleased with them. Build quality seems to be very good. They fit inside of the case perfectly and mostly hold their shape if full or not. Great for traveling and for carrying random stuff to work.
 
I use a duffle bag and surplus dry bags that cost around $5-10.
 
RKA For Me!

I was out in Sonoma, CA over the winter and drove by RKA to see the product before buying. Richard was great, showed me everything, and I brought them back to MA. They hold their shape, fit perfectly, and are more than I expected.:thumb
 
Kathy's bags get it done

I bought my '07 RT used, and the previous owner sold me the Kathy's side bags and the 49l top box bag. They work quite well, and always seem to hold more stuff than you'd expect. The soft construction definitely makes it easier to squeeze other stuff into the saddlebags. Construction quality is good, and they have a lifetime warranty.

Bob's BMW, who sells the bags, gets a thumbs up for their customer service. One of the seams came loose on the trunk bag. I called them to ask about repairs. Since I bought the bags used, they could easily have said no. But they took care of me anyway, and I had the bag back fairly quickly...they even covered return shipping.
 
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