Anyone with factory panniers?

[scott_m]

Hi Scott, when I purchased my V100 it came with two barrels that matched the ignition, then when i bought the panniers I put the new barrels in them. Yes the panniers came with barrels so I have enough bits now to open up a locksmiths.

Hi Kevin,

Yes, they all did or at least that seems to be the case with those who bought their motorcycles brand new from a dealer.

Also, many people, like myself, acquired their V100, “used” with all sorts of mileage and histories.

There seems to be all sorts of circumstances for matched and unmatched tumblers. I have like 3 sets of locks too!

Also, I haven’t got to make it yet but I am going to make a rekey video where you can rekey a bag to make if addressable with the ignition key but missing the reciprocal.

You can do this by keying one or more of the inner tumbler indexes to nothing. The ignition key will match the outer indexes, and the inner indexes of the ignition key, will be ignored by the bag key.

It looks similar like this if you assume 5 indexes with 4 possible heights (0-3)


Position. 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 ———>
________________________
Ign. 1 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 1
Bag. 1 - 0 - 0 - 3 - 1


In this particular instance, the Ign. key would be able to operate the Bag but not the other way around.

The ignition “2” in the 2nd position and the “1” in the 3rd position would be ignored by the “Null 0” values of the bag, thereby allowing the bag tumbler to turn with the ignition key.

However, the bag key would have the wrong indexes in the second and third positions, so the bag key would be prevented from operating the ignition.

I just need to sit at my bench and make a movie.

 

[Clifton]

Thanks guys. I thought I'd update that I ordered the factory panniers. While I prefer top load, aluminum bags overall, the plastic ones Guzzi offers for the V100 do have some advantages and I like that they do mount solid not loose and wobbly.
1) They look pretty good on the bike, and when not on there aren't brackets and mounts left exposed. 36"width isn't too wide.
2) I'd prefer 70 or so but 59 liters will be ample capacity.
3) Unlike with top loaders the contents are easily accessible with a pack across the top.
4) The bike came with tumblers already keyed to the bike so no extra key to carry along.
5) Price. Aftermarket aluminum panniers with mounts will likely be over $1,000 plus shipping. The factory ones list for $850 minus a discount at the dealer (when they come in, in a few weeks).

I'll be careful to fit them on correctly and that the seat is latched as Kevin pointed out, and file the tabs as Moparnut mentioned (and I did on my V85) to enable the key to not be held captive, so it can be latched and unlocked or when desired, locked.

 

[Raiderfan]

Thanks guys. I thought I'd update that I ordered the factory panniers.

Let us know how you get on with them, Clifton.

 

[Clifton]

They're on and I give them 2 thumbs up (for factory plastic panniers)!

They are identical to the Mandello. In fact they came with two sets of brackets which attach to the passenger foot peg mount, one for the Mandello the other for the Stelvio. Guzzi accessory division has a glitch because they came with 6 locks (and two keys for them), yet each pannier only requires 1. And the bike already came with 3 which are keyed to it.

The locks have nothing to do with the very nice over center lid latches (which themselves do not lock). Instead the lock engages a separate hook in the lid which hooks to the pannier. So no need to fool with locking and unlocking the lids every time you access something in them, unless you want to.

Like the Mandello they look good on the bike in fact to my eye this might be one of those bikes that look better with them on. I gave the mount hooks, receiver slots, and lower mount by the foot pegs a good spray of silicone and they snap right in and secure with a moderate shove forward. Putting the passenger seat on fills the slot that the tabs need to use to slide back off which secures them very well. They mount solidly on the bike with no wobbling around at all.

 

[SC_Goose]

I'm also impressed with the fit and how the bike looks with them on. I have had mine for a few weeks now, and more
than a 1000 miles of rough ass South Carolina roads. The panniers are still firmly mounted with no movement at all.
Still waiting for my dealer to get the 52 liter top cases in so I can get one of those too.

 

[Francis Lukesh]

I'm also impressed with the fit and how the bike looks with them on. I have had mine for a few weeks now, and more
than a 1000 miles of rough ass South Carolina roads. The panniers are still firmly mounted with no movement at all.
Still waiting for my dealer to get the 52 liter top cases in so I can get one of those too.

As a word of caution, the 52L topcase is kind of a piece of shit. I can't believe I paid whatever I paid (like a grand+ ) for it. It's flimsy, the interior screws just randomly pop out of the backrest material, the base lining just sort of sits over the bottom and flops around, and the plastic parts on the interior floor are completely vestigial from Shad or whoever actually makes this thing gutting it. Maybe the higher end white label includes lights or something. I was completely blown away by the poor quality. Given the aftermarket situation, I still use it, and my passenger appreciates the backrest, but it is absolutely not worth the money, and I'd definitely like to upgrade it at some point.

 

[SC_Goose]

As a word of caution, the 52L topcase is kind of a piece of shit. I can't believe I paid whatever I paid (like a grand+ ) for it. It's flimsy, the interior screws just randomly pop out of the backrest material, the base lining just sort of sits over the bottom and flops around, and the plastic parts on the interior floor are completely vestigial from Shad or whoever actually makes this thing gutting it. Maybe the higher end white label includes lights or something. I was completely blown away by the poor quality. Given the aftermarket situation, I still use it, and my passenger appreciates the backrest, but it is absolutely not worth the money, and I'd definitely like to upgrade it at some point.

Thanks for the warning. I will definitely look at them closely, if or when they ever arrive. If they are as crappy as you say, then I will
not be getting one. Hard to believe MG did such a good job on the side cases then totally fumbled the top case.

 

[scott_m]

I have the factory top case and I would never agree that it is crappy Not one iota.

 

[Francis Lukesh]

I have the factory top case and I would never agree that it is crappy Not one iota.

Do you have the big one (52L) or the small one? Maybe that’s the difference? After 5K miles, the rubber seal came out, three plastic screws fell out, the inner carpet just sloshes around on top of the unnecessarily uneven base of the box, (that little 4x7” plastic cover btw is just a vestigial bit of plastic that covers nothing but air)… Do we have the same box, Scott?

 

[scott_m]

That probably explains our difference in opinion.

I was actually unaware that there are 2 versions!

Apparently I have the smaller one.






I’ve never even seen yours before. That would look huge on the skinny V100. Please post a picture of more of your setup. Pretty sure they integrated that air foil on yours to compensate for the size of the box in the wind.

The issues you say seem very simple to rectify.

A few drops of RTV sealant under the rubber seal and it will never move again.

Same thing with loose screws. A dab of RTV and screw it back in and it will never fall out again yet can be unscrewed if need arises.

A few pieces of self-adhesive Velcro loop on the plastic bottom and the carpet will remain perfectly in place yet also removable.

True, quality components are not what they used to be but the tail section of the V100 is nowhere as solidly built or stable as say my Stelvio NTX so they have to be careful with the size and weight of the bag they sell.

Americans never follow the weight guidelines for top-boxes anyway. Back in my BMW days, we often had broken top cases come in with 60# or more in a box rated for like no more than 17# of gear. The customers got all mad that the mounts broke or the box broke but they simply are not designed to carry all that weight with minimal structural attachments, sitting at the highest and furthest outlying point on the bike. Every single vibration is amplified by an order of magnitude way up and out there.

 

[Francis Lukesh]

The issues you say seem very simple to rectify.

They are, except for the plastic screws. They actually screw right into the backrest material, and that stripped instantly. I could use a thicker screw, but I still think it's bad design. I think there should be some kind of fixed nuts in the backrest and use machine screws and not plastic screws.

Also, the carpet is not large enough to use Velcro, I tried. I don't have a picture handy of the inside, but my longer term plan is to remove the vestigial plastic part and make the bed of the box as flat as possible, and then make a new liner myself to permanently affix. It's totally doable, but for a thousand bucks, I would have hoped for better.

True, quality components are not what they used to be but the tail section of the V100 is nowhere as solidly built or stable as say my Stelvio NTX so they have to be careful with the size and weight of the bag they sell.

The Stelvio tail section seems incredibly robust, although to your later comment, I still don't intend on over-weighting it. I like to go moto camping, and I like using the wider top box for lightweight camping gear like tents, sleeping rolls, etc. That frees up the sides for the heavier bits.

Another advantage of the big top box is that if you're just cruising with a passenger, you can keep it empty, and when you're parked, you can stow 2 full-sized helmets in there and keep them secure.

Here's a couple pics I have of my setup, one when putting it back together after getting it repainted, and another on a weekend ride.

 

[scott_m]

I totally understand. I found prices around €600 so I think you got hammered a bit.

Still for that kind of money, I do agree with your frustrations.

FWIW: As I suspected, that case looks positively massive on the tiny tail of the V100. As I said, that is a huge amount of mass to be that high up and far out from the motorcycle. I bet the dynamic load on that thing is just huge.

I’ve enjoyed the information you have shared. Thank you very much.

You should post follow up photos of your eventual modifications.

 

[Francis Lukesh]

I totally understand. I found prices around €600 so I think you got hammered a bit.

Still for that kind of money, I do agree with your frustrations.

FWIW: As I suspected, that case looks positively massive on the tiny tail of the V100. As I said, that is a huge amount of mass to be that high up and far out from the motorcycle. I bet the dynamic load on that thing is just huge.

I’ve enjoyed the information you have shared. Thank you very much.

You should post follow up photos of your eventual modifications.

BTW, I used to have this FJR1300, and the topcase on that thing was massive as well, and I guess I just got used to the utility.

 

[scott_m]

BTW, I used to have this FJR1300, and the topcase on that thing was massive as well, and I guess I just got used to the utility.

Yes but that mounting looks way more solid in the construction.

 

[Francis Lukesh]

Yes but that mounting looks way more solid in the construction.

The subframe was a bit thicker on the FJR, yes, although if you're loading it up enough to crack a subframe... you'll have other issues. The mounting plate on the Stelvio seems like it will do an adequate job for how I'm planning on using it. As you said, the more you weigh that thing down, the more you're absolutely going to feel it as you ride.

 

[Francis Lukesh]

I totally understand. I found prices around €600 so I think you got hammered a bit.

Still for that kind of money, I do agree with your frustrations.

FWIW: As I suspected, that case looks positively massive on the tiny tail of the V100. As I said, that is a huge amount of mass to be that high up and far out from the motorcycle. I bet the dynamic load on that thing is just huge.

I’ve enjoyed the information you have shared. Thank you very much.

You should post follow up photos of your eventual modifications.

As requested: I removed the plastic spars and supports for the center vestigial compartment, smoothed the surface as much as possible, cut the (very dirty) fabric in a way that it would fit the contour, and then mixed a boatload of epoxy to fasten it down. It feels really great and while still dirty from my last trip, looks good too. Rough math tells me I gained about 1.7L of storage space, and the flatter bottom surface will help maximize space utilization when I toss gear in there.

 

[scott_m]

I wish you had posted a picture before you did that.

Those ribs were not some afterthought or mistake or any other such nonsense and most certainly NOT vestigial. Why would you think that?

Those ribs were structurally reinforcing ribs to provide stability, rigidity and structural support to the PLASTIC case due to its enormous size.

They were specifically cast in the mold for plastic injection forming to reinforce the area of your $1,000 top case precisely where the maximum load is being taken.

You’ve now destroyed them.

Unfortunately, I will bet you money that your case will crack apart in the base within 6 months or less of constant use and within a year no matter what.

Quite honestly, I fully expect it to crack the first trip you have with your passenger leaning against it.

 

[Francis Lukesh]

I wish you had posted a picture before you did that.

Those ribs were not some afterthought or mistake or any other such nonsense and most certainly NOT vestigial. Why would you think that?

Those ribs were structurally reinforcing ribs to provide stability, rigidity and structural support to the PLASTIC case due to its enormous size.

They were specifically cast in the mold for plastic injection forming to reinforce the area of your $1,000 top case precisely where the maximum load is being taken.

You’ve now destroyed them.

Unfortunately, I will bet you money that your case will crack apart in the base within 6 months or less of constant use and within a year no matter what.

Quite honestly, I fully expect it to crack the first trip you have with your passenger leaning against it.

*offers Scott a drink*

I did think about that, pretty extensively. They provided very little in terms of actual structural reinforcement for the box, and there are a bunch of other weaker points where it could/would fail before torsional forces would affect that area. Additionally, the layer of epoxy and fabric create another layer where its shear force resists torsion as well. Finally, as I said I have no intention of dropping a 20lb weight in there, either.

That all being said, I’m open to being wrong and will let you know how it holds up over the next 5K miles.

I’ll take you up on your bet. If this case cracks within a year, I’ll buy you a $100 gift card / credit to anything on the GuzziTech store. Scout’s honor.

Edit: Oh, to answer your question of why I might think they were vestigial / why a manufacturer might have included them in the first place: because the center compartment looks to have housed electronics for another brand that had white labeled this box, and those ribs did allow a bottom layer to sit there and gently flow into the left and right wells. Without them, it would have been super weird and awkward to use the box at all as the bottom would have a 1” box jutting up in the middle.

 

[scott_m]

I’ll take that bet.

 

[scott_m]

Edit: Oh, to answer your question of why I might think they were vestigial / why a manufacturer might have included them in the first place: because the center compartment looks to have housed electronics for another brand that had white labeled this box, and those ribs did allow a bottom layer to sit there and gently flow into the left and right wells. Without them, it would have been super weird and awkward to use the box at all as the bottom would have a 1” box jutting up in the middle.

Well if I’m wrong, you’ll have $100 and bragging rights.

Although I have been exposed firsthand to the CAD design software at an injection and blowmolding plastics factory in Milan that provided numerous types of dashboards and other plastic housings for Magneti Marelli during my MBA exchange experience in Italy.

I’ve seen the computer modeling program lay down those ribs in a design, based upon its strength of materials modeling computations that exist within the software.

I truly hope for your sake, I am mistaken but I seriously doubt it.