Panniers for XR 2020 - Alternatives

[PaulS1000XR]

Are there any alternatives for panniers for the Gen 2 XR that utilise the BMW fixings? BMW are nice but what a price!! Looked at Givi but you have to undertake major surgery and end up with a nasty rack on display.

[Salem]

I reckon BMW has an agreement with Shad for them to stay at least a few years out of aftermarket alternatives. In return Shad charges BMW more and that we pay increased with margins for BMW, importers, and dealers. For others it will be expensive to design the same mounting for the limited potential volume. You're right they are expensive (think 20% more then the 2016 cases) but got them anyway. Managed to get away on two one week holidays, needed luggage.
You can easily shed £100 on an ugly short term solution, I just got the BMW ones.  The fit is perfect, they sit rock solid, and I like how they sit closer to the tire compared to the earlier XR's. For this reason I read you can't fit a tail tidy, the indicators interfere with the cases. I got 10% off with the keying free of charge

[PaulS1000XR]

Originally Posted by Salem

I reckon BMW has an agreement with Shad for them to stay at least a few years out of aftermarket alternatives. In return Shad charges BMW more and that we pay increased with margins for BMW, importers, and dealers. For others it will be expensive to design the same mounting for the limited potential volume. You're right they are expensive (think 20% more then the 2016 cases) but got them anyway. Managed to get away on two one week holidays, needed luggage.
You can easily shed £100 on an ugly short term solution, I just got the BMW ones.  The fit is perfect, they sit rock solid, and I like how they sit closer to the tire compared to the earlier XR's. For this reason I read you can't fit a tail tidy, the indicators interfere with the cases. I got 10% off with the keying free of charge

Thanks, guess I will probably end up buying the BMW ones, at least I can get a 10% discount which reduces the pain a little

[RyanGTXR]

Originally Posted by Salem

I reckon BMW has an agreement with Shad for them to stay at least a few years out of aftermarket alternatives. In return Shad charges BMW more and that we pay increased with margins for BMW, importers, and dealers. For others it will be expensive to design the same mounting for the limited potential volume. You're right they are expensive (think 20% more then the 2016 cases) but got them anyway. Managed to get away on two one week holidays, needed luggage.
You can easily shed £100 on an ugly short term solution, I just got the BMW ones.  The fit is perfect, they sit rock solid, and I like how they sit closer to the tire compared to the earlier XR's. For this reason I read you can't fit a tail tidy, the indicators interfere with the cases. I got 10% off with the keying free of charge

Shad also made the O.E panniers for my KTM GT, and over 5 years down the line you still cannot get any other but KTM panniers to fit the standard mounting points, so totally agree with all but the "a few years" bit. They will probably never make non "BMW" panniers to fit the BM standard system.

[esso_sa]

I had also considered Givi option, since I already have Givi V35 panniers from my old bike, but in the end I went for the OEM.
Couple of reasons - Givi hasn't released the rack for 2020 XR and V35 panniers yet, and I really wanted to avoid the hassle of fitting and removing the rack every time I go on tour.
OEM's are much more convenient, they fit nice on the bike and are well made.

You can save some money on the OEM's like I did. Since you pay separately for panniers, locks and painted pannier trims (painted trims are almost double the price than unpainted), I went for the unpainted trims and painted them myself. I also went for the repair kit cylinder locks and keyed them myself. This way I saved close to 250 EUR in total

[wessie]

Givi will have a Quick Release kit for the 2020 bike in due course. Details are shown here https://www.givi.co.uk/my-motorcycle/bike/bmw/s-1000-xr-20--21 but not yet available.

I have the QR kit on my 2016 bike and it takes just a couple of minutes to remove the frames when not in use.

[PaulS1000XR]

I guess the BMW ones are the best but clearly excessively costly compared with other panniers which do not utilise the original BMW attachments. Bit like the BMW Navs which are probably twice the price they should be.

[esso_sa]

Originally Posted by wessie

Givi will have a Quick Release kit for the 2020 bike in due course. Details are shown here https://www.givi.co.uk/my-motorcycle/bike/bmw/s-1000-xr-20--21 but not yet available.

I have the QR kit on my 2016 bike and it takes just a couple of minutes to remove the frames when not in use.

I see on your link that Givi has published installation instructions for their V35 racks... Setup is pretty much clumsy and ugly, even with racks removed. And the pannier bridge is screwed to the rear number plate carrier (using number plate bolt holes), which is ridiculous. I was a Givi user for years, but how they did these racks for 2020 XR is really disappointing.
Now I'm even more glad I went for the OEM panniers

[Salem]

Originally Posted by esso_sa

Setup is pretty much clumsy and ugly, even with racks removed. And the pannier bridge is screwed to the rear number plate carrier

Yes that license plate attachment does look ridiculous. And the support structure remains on the bike with panniers off, like on the pre 2020 but even less integrated. Looks like they have an additional  'quick' release but I stopped reading. By the time you purchase all that, not having one key, and the potential future sales value, the BMW ones are not that more expensive, in the right color, and much easier in on/off
As for me when on holiday and more than one night in a hotel (I don't camp anymore) the panniers come off, and into the room (and into shower). Thus I have a lighter, good looking bike for the next day, and clean panniers.
Where you can save money too is on the inner bags. I use dead cheap Nike rectangular sports bags. To me easy to put my clothes in there, all folded to same size (made a template), and the space around it is used for flexible stuff (socks, underwear, sandals on the outside bulge, etc) in plastic bags.

[herveyw]

SW-Motech on mine because I already had the ADV panniers.

Photos show what is left when the carriers are removed, fairly simple to remove the brackets up by the seat but I don't really care. With a UK plate, which I think are bigger than the ones over here, the rear bracket may not show much.