Which Saddlebag liners??

[tcshooter]

I am trying to figure out which saddlebag liners work the best the the K1300GT/R1200RT saddlebags and 49L trunk? I have been looking at the BMW bags(very expensive), Cee Bailey, and TLC. Who has what and how well are they made and fit in the bags? Also have tried to find the Kathys but nothing yet for these bikes.

[johnlt]

The BMW bags are best by far IMO, they retain their shape and are of very high quality (but at a price).

[Firefight911]

Go look at either Kathy's Journey Design bags or RKA.

 

Both are very nice and MUCH cheaper than BMW OEM.

 

The Kathy's Journey Design 49l actually is a dual compartment bag. His and Hers, clean and dirty, clothes and tools, etc. Very versatile.

 

Here is the Kathy's link - LINKY

 

And here is the RKA - LINKY

[bmurphypdx]

I had bag liners and gave them up in favor of "packing cubes" from ebags They fit nicely within the side and top cases and allow for easy separation of clean and dirty clothing, toiletries, etc. Very affordable and I use them often when traveling without the bike.

[RTinNC]

The BMW bags are best by far IMO, they retain their shape and are of very high quality (but at a price).

+1 for Kathy's Bags. Have had BOTH The Kathy's Bags and the BMW bags. While I too thought the BMW bags would be better since they have a stiff "structure" versus the softer Kathy's bags what I found was the BMW bag stiff structure resulted in having to somewhat force the bags closed since they are not designed to conform to the irregular shape of the inside of the bags. Therefore, I sent the BMW Bags back (got them as Christmas gift) and landed a like new set of Kathy's bags on the MOA site.

 

As far as the packing cube solution .... I too like that concept so what I end up doing is using one Kathy's bag and in the other side have separate tool cube, bike cover cube, rain gear cube, etc. I do like being able to have on case packed with a Kathy's liner pretty fully packed. I also pack most of my stuff in Zip-Lock bags not to keep dry but to ease packing.

 

Hope this helps.

[AZgman]

I had bag liners and gave them up in favor of "packing cubes" from ebags They fit nicely within the side and top cases and allow for easy separation of clean and dirty clothing, toiletries, etc. Very affordable and I use them often when traveling without the bike.

 

What size(s) did you go with?

 

[wbrissette]

I bought the Cee Bailey bags for my older '04 RT. When I sold that bike, I sold the bags. I liked the construction and price of them, so I bought another set for the '09 RT. The only problem is they don't make a bag for the newer 49L topcase. I opted to continue using the one they make for the 33L topcase. It works fine and gives me some additional room to put odds and ends (tools, notepads, etc.) in the topcase.

 

It's really hard to beat the price of the Cee Bailey bags and the construction is very nice.

 

Wayne

[tomk99r11]

I use Kathy's on my R1100 but I like the ebag suggestion too. Would seem easier to take out only what you need, assuming some rhyme or reason to your packing order.

[allikanbe]

I bought a couple of thin waterproof stuff bags from a sporting goods store for about $10 each. They conform to most any shape and the bags have carrying handles. I don't fold anything. It's a stuff bag so I stuff it in.

[Albert]

I've had these from Bestem since the bike was new. I'm sure their quality is not the same as the others but at roughly half price I couldn't pass them up. They fit fine are still working good.

 

http://www.bestemusa.com/index.php?cPath=1_17

[marcopolo]

I use Kathy's bags in the side cases and they work well. I did not want a Kathy's for the 49L topcase because I did not want two separate compartments as I wanted to put "better" pants/shirts across the entire width of the bag. I got the BMW bag for the topcase and it too works very well.

[tcshooter]

Does anyone have the 51L BMW Sports Softbag that fits on the rear seat? Any pics of it on the bike?

[Fightingpiper]

Love my Cee Bailys and are a great value

[Scarecrow]

I opted for the CeeBailey's for my 04 1150RT as they were expandable and I sometimes use the deep lids when I camp. They are a good construction. However they are stiff (as RTinNC states above) and have to be forced into the cases. I find the extra pouches built into the luggage don't really match the reality of my hard cases. More cramming... I also would like to have zippers on either side. The way these are set up, you can't open them once they are in the case without removing them from the case. I would probably go with Kathy's next time.

[tchap]

I've had these from Bestem since the bike was new. I'm sure their quality is not the same as the others but at roughly half price I couldn't pass them up. They fit fine are still working good.

 

http://www.bestemusa.com/index.php?cPath=1_17

 

Ditto. They're not fancy for sure. Not bulky either. I need the packing volume for payload....not style!

 

A pair is around $60 w/shipping.

[Eric the Blue]

I have the CeeBailey bags for my 12RT. I've used them on several week-long trips and they work great, the quality seems really good, and the price was right.

[alkar]

I like the BMW bags best but, as good as they are, they're not worth anywhere near what they cost. Using the long-term search on ebay will generate some opportunities, but the bags tend to sell quickly and they tend to sell for a pretty high price, though well below new, of course.

 

I have the BMW soft dry-bag duffel. It's great, though also a complete rip off. It's held up very well, and it's been dry, but I've since found MANY options for similar dry bags at REI-type camping and river-running outfitters at a small fraction of the price.

 

Digression warning: I don't mind paying for value when I can afford it, but BMW always delivers a sound thrashing on price, and it's NOT always worth it. I had a K1600GT ordered until recently. I finally cancelled the order after 6 months: I asked what it would cost to get the BMW top case for the new GT. The answer? $1,600. I'm not kidding. The similar Givi case, color matched with brake light and alarm system installed, was less than one third of the cost. Same for the Kawasaki hard case or the "Coocase". I've owned BMW bikes for about twenty years, and I still own a GS, but that kind of price beating drove me to buy a Kawasaki Concours instead of the K16GT when I wanted a touring bike with a little more giddyap. (The K16GT is an incredible bike, though -- absolutely fantastic. Incredible, really. I'll own one if I win the lottery and no longer care about money at all. ) :-)

[ryan_a1982]

I had bag liners and gave them up in favor of "packing cubes" from ebags They fit nicely within the side and top cases and allow for easy separation of clean and dirty clothing, toiletries, etc. Very affordable and I use them often when traveling without the bike.

 

+1

 

I have the OEM BMW bags for the side cases and the trunk. I don't really use them. We got some of these from REI in various sizes. I find the OEM cases reduced the size of the cases too much. Eagle creek also makes something they call a mud bag or something. It is great for wet/dirty clothes.

 

-Ryan

[lvmyks]

RKA, all three in Black. When I ride with friends and stop for the night at a Hotel, they tease me that I have matching lugage... Only a BMW rider would have something like that.. Then they see how nice they are and I don't hear a peep in the morning. I like the RKA, zippers, material and fit...

[dirtrider]

Evening Mark

 

No designer bag liners for me, mine say Hefty on them & come 90 to box. Water tight, very thin, don’t interfere with any of the storage nooks or crannies, & I put my trash in the old one to throw out then deploy a new one for the next time.

 

[FLrider]

Evening Mark

 

No designer bag liners for me, mine say Hefty on them & come 90 to box. Water tight, very thin, don’t interfere with any of the storage nooks or crannies, & I put my trash in the old one to throw out then deploy a new one for the next time.

 

Man you really went all out. I use the plastic bags the groceries come in...

[Little Joe]

I got the Cee Bailey's when I got the tall windshield. They don't allow me to use all the space in the side cases, so I stopped using them except for the one that I keep my cooking gear in. It's easy to just throw it in a side case and know I have everything.

 

I got a large North Face waterproof duffel at REI for clothes, sleeping bag, tent, etc. and I bungee it across the pillion. That leaves the top case for need-to-be-handy items. When the wife comes along, I dispense with the duffel and cooking stuff because motels and B&B's are part of the deal.

[BerndM]

Evening Mark

 

No designer bag liners for me, mine say Hefty on them & come 90 to box. Water tight, very thin, don’t interfere with any of the storage nooks or crannies, & I put my trash in the old one to throw out then deploy a new one for the next time.

 

Man you really went all out. I use the plastic bags the groceries come in...

 

A BIG +1 on the HEFTY heavy duty black bags with the tie lanyard in the top hem.

I am firmly entrenched in the camp of "the cheapest thing on a BMW is the rider" mentality.

I have ZERO need to waste money in this economy.

 

[K12LTS]

I use the RKA bags on my 12RT. I used RKA bag liners for 11 years on my LT and they looked as good as the day I got them.

[kltk165]

I just received the 3 piece liner set from Cee Bailey and they're great. Especially for the price.

 

However, I was at the dealer last week and had a chance to see the BMW Motorad bags. They are REALLY nice! Granted, they're three times the cost. If/when I get the right deal on a set I may go for a set of them and sell the Cee's.

[Lmar]

I have the two Cee Bailey liners also. The price was right.

[AZRTRDR]

Bestum. They are on their 12th bike and still holding up.

[Chip]

+1 on Bestum.

 

Hard to beat their cost and they work just fine. What else do you need in a saddlebag liner?

[Sailorlite]

The ones that are actually best are the BMW ones IMO. I like them because they're semi-rigid as compared to CeeBailey's, Kathy's, etc. This makes them easier to load and to transport to/from the side cases and top case. Once I had them, I sold off my Cee Bailey's and Kathy's and haven't looked back.

 

However, the non-BMW ones were fine and were certainly better values.

[betty]

lol old thread.

 

I paid 50 or so dollars for used BMW bags. They were as new and work perfectly. Keep an eye on the classifieds.