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Cases for 2012 BMW G650GS

kantuckid

New member
I'm asking for a "review" of the Vario pannier cases from BMW compared to the Givi Trekker cases? I'm not seeing much online from owners & the Givi are a bit cheaper but not bargain basement prices there either-who discounts Givi?
 
I'm asking for a "review" of the Vario pannier cases from BMW compared to the Givi Trekker cases? I'm not seeing much online from owners & the Givi are a bit cheaper but not bargain basement prices there either-who discounts Givi?

I am rather prejudiced to BMW accessory quality so take my words with a grain of salt. Givi makes a good product but the quality doesn't begin to compete with BMW. I do have more personal experience with the BMW clothing line. Although priced higher than most the quality seems to always be outstanding. If it say's waterproof it is waterproof. Perhaps we as people think backwards; if other folks priced their goods in the BMW price range they would be able to afford to put the quality back in. So it's not so much BMW is overpriced it's the fact that so many others prefer to leave true quality out in order to meet a price point. A price point will not make one comfortable when riding in rain for 8 hours straight.

Having ridden thousands of miles in the rain I cannot tell you how pleased I am when I arrive totally dry in whatever BMW clothing I own. Worth every penny!! In short, buy the BMW cases as you won't be sorry. Even if you need to save up longer in order to make the purchase.
 
FWIW,and a bit off my purpose as OP here,I bought a Shad top case (I understand they mfg BMW cases) & it had a bad lid which didn't seal properly. It was taken care of by the retailer but still there's the question of quality that lingers for me. I'm looking at the Givi Trekker cases as compared to the Vario's which are at a much higher price point, new or used. I also wonder how the Vario "adjustable feature" works & if that's a good useful feature? I really don't want the "ride around the world" rectangular, welded alu cases that are indestructible for my rides.
I was just figuring that if I were to get a 20% discount on new BMW Vario cases that makes them a tiny bit less expensive than the Givi Trekkers-so it's a head to head competition as to which is better to own?
 
FWIW,and a bit off my purpose as OP here,I bought a Shad top case (I understand they mfg BMW cases) & it had a bad lid which didn't seal properly. It was taken care of by the retailer but still there's the question of quality that lingers for me. I'm looking at the Givi Trekker cases as compared to the Vario's which are at a much higher price point, new or used. I also wonder how the Vario "adjustable feature" works & if that's a good useful feature? I really don't want the "ride around the world" rectangular, welded alu cases that are indestructible for my rides.
I was just figuring that if I were to get a 20% discount on new BMW Vario cases that makes them a tiny bit less expensive than the Givi Trekkers-so it's a head to head competition as to which is better to own?

In an effort to save money we frequently hurt ourselves. Yes, branded equipment will almost always cost more and sometimes substantially more. Typically you will end up with quality product however. After 30 years in this business I can't tell you how much junk I've seen. I don't want to own junk. I want it to work and I expect it to work properly and do whatever it is supposed to do with ease and hold up over the course of time.

There is a company in the photography business called "Really Right Stuff". And, their "stuff" costs more than like-product in the marketplace. However, the like-product from others doesn't begin to equate to Really Right Stuff (RRS). You buy a RRS product and not only is the quality exceptional you'll be taking it to the grave with you. A one time purchase with no disappointment. On top of that 100% of their products are made in America. Is it really expensive when you are forced to buy like-product 2 or 3 times over the course of time because somebody forgot to add the quality in? Or, it simply doesn't work as advertised frequently right out of the box.

As to the Vario, they work extremely well and will hold up over time. Is the feature useful? Only if you make use of it and given the limited amount of space on a motorcycle you will probably make use of it over and over again. I am personally not a Vario fan but the product is excellent in my opinion. I prefer the look of the big aluminum boxes as they are pretty cool looking if you ask me.

A 20% discount will bring you pretty close to dealer cost so good luck with that. After you take dealer net and add overhead that 20% discount is probably less than dealer cost. Remember product does not cost the dealer the invoice price. Take that invoice number and add approximately 10% to 15% and you have a very realistic true dealer cost. Many dealers don't even seem to understand that as evidenced by so many going out of business. This goes back to a comment I made recently: People (including many dealers) do not understand the true cost of operations whether it be their home or their business.
 
All three Vario cases on my F800GS. They are the right cases for the bike IMO. I like the overall versatility and of course, as they are made for the bike, the fit is/has been excellent. I have developed some "bag safety straps" for the side cases that are pretty neat. OM
 
PICS? thanks! Why choose Vario's over a Pelican type of case, other than adjustibility ? How does a Vario "handle" a tipover? Dents or no longer water/dust proof, etc.?
 
PICS? thanks! Why choose Vario's over a Pelican type of case, other than adjustibility ? How does a Vario "handle" a tipover? Dents or no longer water/dust proof, etc.?
I guess mainly that they are the ones that belong on the bike. The most scratched up the cases have got came from the BMW boots with the metal toe protector. Once I removed the toe protector, getting on and off was much easier as I didn't have to worry about dragging a piece of metal over the cases. Like your sig line says.........get what you like. If it's an issue of expense, you don't have to get them all at once.
Good luck. OM
 

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We have the Vario cases on our G650GS. The adjustable-width feature has been relatively hard to operate, recently made much easier by the application of some silicone spray.
Last weekend my wife came to a stop on new, fresh pea-sized gravel. Her foot slipped and over went the bike, with the lower portion of the side case being the contact point with the ground. Nothing was harmed, save for a handful of very small "gravel dents" in the area of contact. The wife still cried a bit, though.....
The cases seem to be a bit more robust than they first appear. As far as the value placed on having expanding cases, that is entirely up to you and whether you ever require the extra space.
 
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