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Can you make a safety argument for the Vario side cases?

shalperin

shalperin

New member
Trying to rationalize a $1000+ purchase. Would the side cases keep the bike off your leg or something in a tip over?

I also remember in Long Way Round, when Ewan and Charlie got to New York, Ewan got hit by a car. I think he said the cases, where he got hit, prevented a major calamity.

Can't rationalize the spend on myself unless it helps keep me out of trouble.
 
I think maybe. For a more definitive guess, the tip-over considerations are situational.

I have found that when a bike goes over, something always gets banged up. Full crash/protection bars front and rear are the best protection but may look out of place on an F-Twin.

OM
 
I think hard side cases are worth the money just for the convenience.
If BMW cases cost more than you want to spend, there's less expensive options out there like Givi, Shad and Hepco & Becker.
 
I do not think side cases offer much in the way safety. Many off road riders choose to use soft luggage because a hard case can caused foot, ankle and leg injuries in a tip over. We've run Jesse bags on our bikes for many years and they have prevented damage to the bike in low speed tip overs, but doubt they would offer much protection in a high speed accident or when hit on the side by a cage. If safety is what you are spending money on then spend it on good gear including an air vest, and some good training.
 
I find fall-over protection an odd make-or-break reason for buying hard bags, but we all have our priorities. I really like my Givi aluminum cases, and they come at an excellent price point compared to the BMW-branded adventure cases. Compared to the Varios, one feature I wouldn't do without is the ability to load from the top. I always hated how things would want to tumble out when opening the Vario.
 
injury due to side cases

In a low side accident my vario cases caught my foot and caused a severe twisting strain on my knee. It took a long time to recover.
 
Last year I had a low speed tip over in the dirt. Ankle trapped under stock GS bags on 2006 F650GS. But still think some benefit from them, maybe some safety but i think packing them is easier.
 
I think there's some situations which would be worse and others better with side cases. This probably also changes whether you're riding on or off road. I also don't think it's possible to know which situation you'll find yourself in, but hopefully none. That being said, I prefer side cases. They provide storage, which is lacking on a motorcycle. If and when a bike does go down, I think the cases provide protection for the bike, and the cases are less expensive to repair and/or replace than many motorcycle parts.
 
88bmwjeff said:
I think there's some situations which would be worse and others better with side cases. .
Click to expand...

Here's an example of a hard bag making things worse.

<iframe width="911" height="683" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b424iGkWe0Q" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Lee said:
Here's an example of a hard bag making things worse.

<iframe width="911" height="683" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b424iGkWe0Q" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Click to expand...

Unless it happened twice, I think that was a bike from the press fleet used by BMW to unveil that model to the press.
 
Indeed not the same incident. But BMW did have a "journalist" ride a demo bike off a dock - I am thinking it was an 1150 model but it might have been a 1200.
 
Definitely an FJR1300.
Side cases are going to get rashed up in a tip over. Spend money to repair/replace cases or repair/replace bike parts. It's a wash. On the other hand, crash bars can be bent back in place, if needed, and painted to look brand new.
Anything beyond a low speed tip over, parts are going to be destroyed.
 
Yes

My 2013 F800GSA has had a few low speed tip overs. The Varios barely suffered. I did clip a steel post with the left one in Peru and made it a trapezoid. It was repairable by sitting on it and bending it back to a rectangle. Be advised though. My F800 bags mount from the rear and if you do clip something, the latch will bend and the bag will come off. This is what you want. My new F850GSA, the bags mount from the front. If you hit something with that there will be much worse damage to the bags and mounting racks. I think this was a terrible change by BMW
 
Hard Bags and tip over

My last major low side was FJR 1300 with hard bags.
Yes, the bags got scraped and I twisted an ankle but don't what world have happened if no hard bag.

Got my new 2022 F750GS and had Vario side case added Cost about $1,300.
They are hard for protection and expandable for added luggage and smaller for normal use.

My thoughts are if you can get them.
 
I was thinking the same thing, side cases save my legs. Last summer a low speed get off in the dirt, leg was trapped under bag, hurt my ankle, not bad, but this summer no hard bags in dirt.
 
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