Pictures of bike with rear rack?

[fhammond]

Hi all,

First post here for me. I just recently got a R1200R and love it. I've got the side cases but I'm thinking that most of the time I need a case, just the top case would be enough. However, I really love the look of the bike and I'm wondering if switching to the luggage mount that'll handle the side cases and the top case will mess that up.

Does anyone have a picture of the bike with no cases but rear rack on? I know it's silly to worry about appearance so much but it's just such a great looking bike.

Thanks!
Fergus

[fhammond]

Of course, as soon as I post, I find a picture by myself! It's about halfway down on this page:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthre ... 109&page=3

For now, I think I'll just stick with the side cases, as I think the rear luggage rack is a bit ugly.

[hass]

I think it looks better than in that picture. I will try to post some pictures in the next day or two.

[Caroanbill]

I think it looks better than in that picture.

+1

That shot makes the rack look HUGE. In fact, it tapers in sympathy with the bike and is quite nicely finished in polished alloy, black rubber inserts and (ubiquitous) roundel. Still, it does cover up the tiny rear end, alloy-look cover and tail light.

It also has good pillion grab handles, which the bike otherwise lacks (although in later life I seem to have grown my own )

Aesthecially, there's no doubt the bike is much narrower and the rear end looks more tapered and 'styled' without a rack. If you carry a pillion or luggage, though, you'll lose that look anyway.

A word of advice: choose whether you want panniers and / or the rack BEFORE you order. The rack comes WITH pannier mounts and grab handles, but the standard pannier mounts have to be REPLACED if you choose the rack later. There are plenty of cheap or free-to-a-good-home pannier mounts about thanks to folk who realised this late - my dealer stopped BMW Australia fitting pannier mounts because customers who wanted the rack wound up paying for both.

[fhammond]

A word of advice: choose whether you want panniers and / or the rack BEFORE you order. The rack comes WITH pannier mounts and grab handles, but the standard pannier mounts have to be REPLACED if you choose the rack later. There are plenty of cheap or free-to-a-good-home pannier mounts about thanks to folk who realised this late - my dealer stopped BMW Australia fitting pannier mounts because customers who wanted the rack wound up paying for both.

If only I'd known!

I did buy the bike already and it came with the pannier mounts (and I bought the panniers). If I want the top case too, as you say, I'll have to chuck the pannier mounts. Oh, well.

For now, I'll think I'll hold off until I can see the luggage rack in person. I'm glad to hear you guys say it's not too bad. I'm not worried about how it looks with the top case; it's more about how it looks without the panniers or top case. The bike really naked looks great and the nice thing about the pannier mounts is that they don't affect that naked look (well, hardly). I wish there was a way to mount a top case without affecting that look when you're not using the top case. I'll mostly be riding the bike without any cases, so I don't want to pay the price, looks wise, for the occasional times I do have the cases.

I should probably get a tank case and see if that meets most of the storage needs. Any comments about those? Brand suggestions? Comments on the BMW ones?

fh

[deilenberger]

I should probably get a tank case and see if that meets most of the storage needs. Any comments about those? Brand suggestions? Comments on the BMW ones?

fh

I have a brand new BMW one I'd be willing to part with for about 2/3rds the price of a new one.

It doesn't suit me. It fits wonderfully. It doesn't interfer with the bars. It has a nice Roundel on it. It's waterproof. It has a map pocket on top.

What's not to like? Well.. it's sort of a black-pit of tank bags. They achieve waterproofness by putting a Gortex liner inside the bag. A Gortex liner bonded to a semi-loose nylon fabric. Think of a big black bag with drawstrings - that is what the liner is like.

I like organization. I got spoiled with old Multivaro K bike bags, and then an RKA bag.

http://www.rka-luggage.com/A02%20Tankbags/tank.html

If I'm given a bit black hole like the BMW Roadster bag - I'll just fill it with crap and have no idea what's near the bottom. The RKA bag helps me avoid doing that. It has two levels to it. It has an organizer built into it. The bigger RKA bag has a nice map pocket that will take two folds of a standard US map - flat. I only use the top section to hold folded up maps - so I never really expand it. Expanded - the larger RKA Shiloh Road bag is 19L - http://www.rka-luggage.com/A02%20Tankba ... Sheet.html

I also have the 11L Shiloh Road Mini-X bag. It fits the same straps as the larger one, and is a great day bag. The 19L is a good touring bag. Both of them - together - cost less than the BMW bag.

They aren't waterproof without a seperate cover (bit of a PITA), but they do stay in place well, easily flip back to fill up the tank, and they fit the slope of the tank well - putting the map pocket level. And they are a lot of value for the $$.

If you call to buy one - say HI to Richard for me - tell him I suggested it.. If anyone wants the brand new BMW bag ($325 retail) - make me an offer. It's still in the original BMW plastic bag, and aside from test fits on the bike - it has never been out of the BMW plastic bag.

[8b]

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[deilenberger]

How do I get in touch with you?

Click the PM button at the bottom of any message from me - like this one..