• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

  • Beginning April 1st, and running through April 30th, there is a new 2024 BMW MOA Election discussion area within The Club section of the forum. Within this forum area is also a sticky post that provides the ground rules for participating in the Election forum area. Also, the candidates statements are provided. Please read before joining the conversation, because the rules are very specific to maintain civility.

    The Election forum is here: Election Forum

New 1200GS luggage system is it worth it?

bullfrog_28560

bullfrog_28560

Phil B
Hello everyone, first off Merry Christmas, I am buying a new GS after the new year and I am trying to manage costs. Are the vario cases worth it? I see other brands like hepco and becker are similar in price but are bigger, but then you lose the single key to everything option. I am stationed in Germany so getting bags only available in the states are impossible. I see the Jesse system but over here through Touratech, they want quite a bit of Euro for them. any advice is appreciated. I don't plan on going on mega camping trips but when I do go back to the states, I plan to participate in rallys and such.

Thanks
 
I tried the Varios on my camhead and found them heavy, fragile and lacking in space. I prefer top loading boxes and when it was all said and done, I was willing to pay for the Adventure cases and racks because of the single key aspect. If you can live with an extra key, the Touratech and Jesse options are less expensive. I have no experience with Holan or any of the others.
 
I have the black Vario cases on my F800GS and picked them for the size versatility and the go/fit to the bike. I am familiar with many of the other systems out there and each has it's merit. Even if you said specifically what you were going to use them for, I would still suggest looking at the different brands mounted to the same bike that you have. If your not in a rush, a motorcycle event is a great place to take a peek and see what may best work for you.
You may get some ideas by looking through the Hexhead/Camhead bike pictures area. When you decide, perhaps you can post up a picture of your purchase.
OM
 
I had the Vario bags on my 2005 GS. They were nice. Quite stylish in appearance, and I liked the ability to expand and contract. Over time, though, I began to wish I had a bit more capacity. I was also concerned that if I tipped over, the plastic attaching tabs would break, as that had happened to others.

So, I sold them and picked up a set of Jesse Safari bags. This took care of any concerns about capacity or not being able to attach the bag again if I fell over.

i-7sBdPqd-M.jpg


I liked them so much that when I got one of the new LC GSes, I picked up a set of Odyssey IIs.

i-PGMQbT7-M.jpg


Looks like the vendor for Jesse bags in Europe is here: http://www.adventurebikeshop.co.uk/brand-manufacturer/Jesse-Aluminium-Luggage

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
I had Varios for a while on my '05. They did not survive. My biggest gripe was the lack of space on the exhaust side unless expanded. I replaced the Varios with original Zega bags. They took all kinds of abuse and sometimes had to be beat back into shape. All-in-all I was happy with everything but the price. :deal

On my GSW I mounted Holan Nomada Pro panniers. I went with the Holans over all other choices as when I ordered them they were the only company to have bags in a size I desired (not too big) with a cut out for the exhaust allowing them to be mounted close to the bike. I am happy with these bags.

i-2cWHKHj-XL.jpg


i-KswfnGz-XL.jpg


FWIW I didn't go with the Jesse system because they are a touch larger than I like.
 
I have the Vario cases on my GSW and like them a lot. I find the ability to keep them small until the expanded capacity is needed very useful. My only concern is durability. I'm just not sure how sturdy they will be in the event of a fall. If you don't do a lot of off road riding in rugged conditions they should work out very well.
 
Phil
Went through a situation similar to yours. I moved from an RT to a GSW in Aug. Now I needed panniers, but which ones? First on the list was the Zega Pro, then BMW Vario (but BMW had delivery delays) and then the rest. As I was prepping for a 6000 miles trip, I needed something fairly quickly. After talking with many GS riders and the dealer, a GS guy, I opted for the Jesse Odyssey's. Not the most attractive, but these are a quality product. They lock but require a separate key. And they carry more than I was ever able to take with the RT. I especially like the top opening feature. I can pull over and open the case to retrieve rain gear, different gloves... without getting off the bike. I did opt for the BMW top box, which is keyed to the MC. For me the Top Box is where I but all the misc stuff one carries.

Best of luck on your new ride.
 
I also really like the versatility of the expandable Vario side cases. For me, day rides are with a tail bag without cases.

When I go on trips and attached the cases I think they were great. The only issue is on hardpack dirt or gravel backroads, they really shake around a lot----and I worry they could come loose. Since most of my trips are solo weekenders, I started using the large BMW Sportbag attached to the backseat and luggage rack.

Bottom line, if you don't do any off road-----even minor backroads, the Varios are really nice.
 
I have the Varios on my 2013 wethead. I love the one-key for everything! They did well on 350 miles of gravel roads fully loaded with camping gear in their extended positions. No shaking, bouncing, leaking dust, etc.....no issues. They are my everyday commuter bags right now. I don't think they will survive really really vigorous off-roading though or survive well in a crash. I have Happy Trails aluminum panniers on my F650 Dakar and they survived well in South America. The Dakar started off with the Varios as well before I switched to the Happy Trails and the Dakar's varios also did quite well commuting in the rain and on easy gravel roads. With what I've seen and you being stationed in Germany I'd recommend the BMW bags for "road" riding and Touratech for more rugged riding. The Jessie's I've seen also seem to hold up ok off-road.

Have a good New Year!
 
I appreciate all the great advice for bag choice. I do believe I am going to stick with the BMW varios cases, because 1. I get 29% off when I buy them at the same time as the bike, 2 - I still have to buy crash bars elsewhere, BMW is too expensive for those, 3- I don't think I will be doing a cannonball run through the desert or jungle anytime soon. When I go back to the states, I plan on participating in rallys and such but that is not for another 14 months. Jesse cases are ugly, but have a lot of room, I was opting for Hepco and Beckers but that would be 980 Euros out of pocket. I figure Ill just finance what I want with the bike and spend loose cash elsewhere for the bike. About 15 days I will be ordering my bike...YYAAAAY
 
I have always had BMW system cases in my prior GSs and find the side loading very convenient for access on the road when one also has tent and other gear sideways across the passenger/luggage area. Top load bags would be blocked. I have ordered the Varios for my new GS which will be here in Jan.

That said, if I were in Europe, I would look into the balance Metalmule system. The side cases mount on relatively traditional looking ovaloid racks and the balanced system comes with a narrow muffler - when the bags are off, the attachment rails look more BMW old school. They're made in England and would sell for a hefty 1K sterling plus shipping. http://www.metalmule.com
 
I bought the Vario cases and have no regrets. On my 1150 GSA I had the aluminum lunch boxes but my goals are different for this bike and the various really do work well and I love the expansion capability.
 
Eap said:
I have always had BMW system cases in my prior GSs and find the side loading very convenient for access on the road when one also has tent and other gear sideways across the passenger/luggage area. Top load bags would be blocked. I have ordered the Varios for my new GS which will be here in Jan.

That said, if I were in Europe, I would look into the balance Metalmule system. The side cases mount on relatively traditional looking ovaloid racks and the balanced system comes with a narrow muffler - when the bags are off, the attachment rails look more BMW old school. They're made in England and would sell for a hefty 1K sterling plus shipping. http://www.metalmule.com
Click to expand...

I had the Metal Mule Balanced system on my F800GS. They were the best panniers I have ever found. Anodized finish, 2mm aluminum with rivet and adhesive seam construction, and the best top seal in the industry. Very stout mount frames that tucked in nicely made these a wonderful bit of gear. Now I have the Touratech Zega Pros on my 1200GSW. Metal Mule had not built the setup when I needed it. The Zegas are good, but the Metal Mules were the best out there. You just had to pony up the $$$$ for the privilege. After paying I forgot the cost and enjoyed the product.
 
AKsuited said:
They no longer carry Holan, but offer another brand in its place.
Click to expand...

Yep, they carry Globescout. Globescout may well be a better pannier :dunno However... Globescout does not (yet?) make a bag with the cut-out for the exhaust. I prefer bags with a cut-out. Also, globe scout come in 35L/28L or 45L/35L combinations. The 35/28 is smaller than I like and the 45/35L is much larger than I like. I don't think they are as close in to the bike as the Nomada, either.

Lastly, the Globescouts have "GlobeScout" embossed into the side of the case. No thanks.
 
Does anyone know what the empty weight of all these setups is? I found some numbers that are quite shocking - the Caribou setup weighs 37 pounds. The Vario cases also seem heavy to me. I know from a freind's bike that the Jesse's are very heavy also (that is an 1150 so I don't know where that stands now).

How heavy is the Holan setup? The BMW ADV cases? Anyone know? The weight issue is why I am considering soft bags like the Wolfman bags...
 
Holan specs state < 5 kg/bag. I figure that my two bags plus mounting racks are about 30 lbs give or take a little.
 
marchyman said:
Holan specs state < 5 kg/bag. I figure that my two bags plus mounting racks are about 30 lbs give or take a little.
Click to expand...

Thanks marchyman. That appears *relatively* light.

There is a thread on ADVRider that says the BMW ADV cases are about 14 lbs each and the brackets are estimated at about 10. Someone on the F800 forum stated that the Jesse bags are 15 pounds each.
 
gr8ridn2 said:
I had the Metal Mule Balanced system on my F800GS. They were the best panniers I have ever found. Anodized finish, 2mm aluminum with rivet and adhesive seam construction, and the best top seal in the industry. Very stout mount frames that tucked in nicely made these a wonderful bit of gear. Now I have the Touratech Zega Pros on my 1200GSW. Metal Mule had not built the setup when I needed it. The Zegas are good, but the Metal Mules were the best out there. You just had to pony up the $$$$ for the privilege. After paying I forgot the cost and enjoyed the product.
Click to expand...

Are they leak proof? What litre size did you get?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

H
New to the MOA - Considering my first BMW
2
Replies
34
Views
5K
22600
22600
8
The perennial question: R100 new alternator system - Omega or Enduralast (or other)?
Replies
8
Views
4K
RPGR90s
RPGR90s
Emoto
Accessorizing the R1200GSW: AltRider Luggage Rack System
Replies
8
Views
14K
kurt_wahtera
K
icy_
Trans Labrador Expedition of 2015 Aug 8 - Aug 15
Replies
2
Views
4K
henzilla
henzilla
bobframe
Show me your Tail Bag.
Replies
8
Views
6K
John M
J
Back
Top