Saddlebags for a 77 r100/7?

Is it sacrilegious to put hard bags on a 77 r100/7?

Does anyone know if the brackets from an 83 r100rt will fit? Any other variables that I should be concerned with? Is there any compatibility guide for this?

I would hope not! I happen to like my configuration on my /7 with a Luftmeister fairing and Wixom bags. But then what owner doesn't step back and loving stare at their bike!!

It's your bike, you can do anything you want. Here's some bags that were offered over the years for various models of BMWs, though some of this is for earlier than the /7:

w6rec.com/aftermarket-accessories/

http://w6rec.com/1214-2/

Here's info on accessories offered by Reynolds:

http://www.w6rec.com/duane/bmw/reynolds/index.htm

jps357 said:

Is it sacrilegious to put hard bags on a 77 r100/7?

Does anyone know if the brackets from an 83 r100rt will fit? Any other variables that I should be concerned with? Is there any compatibility guide for this?

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I had them on my '78 R100/7.

However, be careful, as the original BMW brackets to hold on the Krauser bags are basically junk! They couldn't handle the weight of the bags very well, and every one I have seen has been hacked or welded or brazed in some way. When I purchased my /7, the originally chrome plated brackets were painted (terrible job with a brush) and many of the cracks and joints were hidden.

Once I started stripping the paint off, they had been terribly brazed and the joints looked like gobbelty gook.

A good place to purchase if you are interested is called (I think) RePsycle (probably not right but close) and is located near Columbus Ohio in a city called Lithopolis. They had quite a few there the last time I visited there.

To my admittedly biased eye, an airhead isn't a real motorcycle unless it has saddlebags on it. People who have saddlebags actually go places on motorcycles; people who don't have saddlebags, don't really go very far on motorcycles.

It's probably a bit strong to call the OEM bag mounts for the twin-shock /6 and /7 bikes "junk", but they are readily over-stressed by owners who easily overload the bags, either the Krausers or the later "touring cases", and used examples of the OEM mounts typically feature re-welded lower mount legs, etc. I have a set of Reynolds bag mounts (for my touring cases, and the parallelogram rear rack), and while they are much stronger than the OEM bag mounts, most would describe them charitably as "utilitarian" when not covered up by the bags. Reynolds is out of business, but bag mount sets show up occasionally on the IMBMWR site, etc. If you tour "lightly", the OEM mounts are adequate and still available new.

Your '83 OEM bag mounts will bolt onto your 100/7 without any problem. There are at least two variants and some compatibility issues:

(1.) OEM bag mounts designed for the earliest Krauser-style bags, have welded on tabs on the rear-most portion of the bag mount's "hoop" on each side, that are used to bolt on the "male end" of the "seatbelt" latch, that fastens into the "female" seatbelt latch built into the earlier Krauser-style bags; or
(2.) a "plain-hoop" OEM bag mount, that accommodates either of the two styles of "claw" bag latches on the "Touring case" bags, or the "claw" latches that, I think, were built into later repro editions of the Krauser-style bags.

You can't use a bag with "claw" style latches on a bag mount that's designed to carry "seatbelt" latched bags--the "seatbelt" hardware interferes with the "claw". But you can use a "seatbelt"-latched bag on a "plain-hoop" bag mount, if you also find a set of the handy-dandy clamp-on adapters that let you attached the "male" end of the seatbelt latch to the plain bag mount. This may be very confusing; Snowbum or someone else may be able to explain it more clearly. Photos of the bag mounts and bags you have, particularly of the their mounting latches, would be helpful to clarify.

jps357 said:

Is it sacrilegious to put hard bags on a 77 r100/7?

Does anyone know if the brackets from an 83 r100rt will fit? Any other variables that I should be concerned with? Is there any compatibility guide for this?

Click to expand...

Nothing at all wrong. If you need the storage, they make it a good functional tourer. Besides issues with the earlier brackets needing to be welded, the early latches, even when properly aligned, were prone to jettisoning your bags, so if you go with BMW bags, the newer latches are better. Also, folks tend to overload the bags and luggage rack which can cause the sub frame to fail. Not sure about fitting the 83 hardware but if you have it, give it a try.

Saddlebags

I have a 1978 R100/7 looks right with Krausers

bags and mounts

To safely answer your question, all later model brackets will fit your bike. It will look just fine with whatever you decide to mount. There were, I believe, two style large Krauser bags that will fit your bike and look correct. The early style uses a lid latch that is opened by pressing in on the end. The later style opens by pressing a square button on the top. Both use the "seat belt" style latch to hold them onto the rack. There was a one piece rack assembly available that included a small rear rack that was also available. Check the MAX BMW parts list to see the different options.

I don't think it is overdescription to call the original brackets as junk. I have heard the defense that they worked well as long as the bags weren't overloaded. Well, the recommended amount of weight must have been a couple of pounds - but anything more than that? The bags were probably overloading the brackets!

Also, if you do use them after strengthening them, be sure to use some extra straps to support and attach straps to bike, not the brackets. I made up a set of straps from the local ACE hardware store that sold the 1" wide braided strap along with the other parts to make latches and adjustments. I have seen people drill holes in the bags and install eyehooks and then use a bungee cord over the seat from eyehook to eyehook. Looked like H@#$#@@%%!!!

I used the Krauser-style bags for years and routinely exceeded the bags’ fairly paltry weight rating (perhaps something like 5kg?), but didn’t experience the spontaneous bag-opening problem. I did have one bag fall off the bike at highway speed (an issue I didn’t notice until a gas stop many miles later). The Siebenrock improved repro-Krausers claim to have a “claw” latch, presumably similar to the mounting latches on the “touring case” bags. Anyone with experience using those?

khittner1 said:

The Siebenrock improved repro-Krausers claim to have a “claw” latch, presumably similar to the mounting latches on the “touring case” bags. Anyone with experience using those?

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I bought a set of the new improved bags for my 81 R100RT. They do have a better rear catch and improved top locks.

1074 said:

To safely answer your question, all later model brackets will fit your bike.

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To clarify, later model twin shock brackets. The monoshock brackets ('85-on) will not fit.

Hepco and Becker

Bought set of juniors for my /6 and have been pleased with them. They are relatively inexpensive and have held up well. Also believe they have some suitcase looking retro bags last time I looked
https://www.ebay.com/i/301573913661?chn=ps