Compiled & edited by Jesse # 1583, standing on the shoulders of the people who made the Classic/GS FAQ's so incredible!, 1 December 2004;
Last change
07 September 2006
, Guilty:
Dinskeep
Please read the Disclaimer before
attempting any work in this FAQ.
The BMW tank bag seems to have been included with most CS' at time of sale. In a recent poll in the BB forum 28 out of 30
people responded that their CS came with the BMW bag. Not sure what the reason/explanation was for the two that did not come
with the tank bag.
There seem to be two versions of the bag, differing in the off-bike carry strap. Some came with two straps to be used like
a backpack, some came with a diagonal courier-style strap. Otherwise, they're pretty much the same. The bag has a draw-string
cover and a zipper cover on top of that. The zipper cover has a map-size clear pocket on top of it.
General consensus on the BMW bag is that "it'll do", but could use some improvement. It's not terribly large and the drawstring
cover gets in the way pretty easy. Most probably would not go out of their way to buy the bag if it hadn't come with the bike in the
first place.
High quality, expandable, bag made specifically for the CS.
General consensus is that this bag puts the stock BMW tank bag to shame!
from ziggyz and jesse #1583
It's not waterproof, only waterrepellent. I have a sack made of soft plastic (meant for garbage) inside all the time. I love the Marsee bag! - Liv,Norway
...expandable/durable/waterproof/black...I've treated it with NIKWAX Tent and Gear Waterproofing, it's been through downpours and the contents stay dry. - Jesse #1583
There is no problem seeing the gauges with it fully expanded. I'd venture to say that the Marsee bag almost can be used for an overnite touring bag - MI Jester
The Marsee is way better than the stock bag. Doesn't do as well in the rain. Has tendency to dump water into the bag when you open it. Maps tend to leave map pocket at 80mph+ - Harmon #40 BBG
Wunderlich makes a cover similar to the BMW cover. It is part number 8160535 at www.bmwsantacruz.com.
Here is the text from their web site:
The F650 CS is certainly a unique motorcycle and the "Stuff Bay" offers many different options for the owner. The "Bay Cover"
from Wunderlich gives you yet another option. This cover easily slips into place and stays on with a lockable latch, providing a secure place
for small items. The styling is also changed with the addition of this part, especially when the grab rails are removed. The cover is made of
a high quality silver ABS plastic. The finish of the plastic is so smooth that it does not require painting to look good. If you do want to
paint it to match the rest of your bike, it can be painted.
Pictures from Wunderlich:
Opinions from forum members:
I store the original small BMW napsack under the stuff bay cover, such that if I need to carry any gear etc I can load it or the
stuff bay up. I haven't tried to fasten this or any other bag to the rails over the stuff bay cover, but from what I can remember it
should work (without having anything securing the front of the bag though). It just might look a bit awkward.
The Wunderlich cover is silver and very close to the color of my bike, so I just bought some automotive clear coat for it.
Unfortunately the "clear" had a slight tint, so the final color is noticeably off (but still tolerable). I thought about ordering some
matching paint from Color Rite, but in the end just bought the BMW stuff bay cover (which is the same "white aluminum" color as the
instrument dashboard cover). - Cloner
Wunderlich makes a rail removal kit to plug the holes left when you remove the rails around the stuffbay.
Pictures courtesey gothmom (with BMW stuffbay cover):
Opinions from forum members:
The RR Kit was, I thought, a tad pricey at first...$49.95 for four pieces of plastic and four bolts? Those covers turned out
to be metal...aluminum probably, as they're very lightweight...and while it still cost a bit more than I would have liked to spend
(about $60 after tax and shipping) the effect was more than I hoped for. I can always put the rails back on if I really need to, but,
for now, this eliminates the "what are the handrails for?" question. - gothmom
I bought the rail-removal kit as well (actually it came free with the Wunderlich stuff bay cover), but in the end I liked the look
better with the rails on. To me the stuff bay cover with no rails looks as if a toilet seat lid was put on the bike. - Cloner
I have the stuff bay cover as well, but I'm not impressed by the fit and finish. It's made of a lightweight, flimsy plastic and at
bottom (near the seat) are two small holes on each side of the tab where it doesn't quite fit snugly--I'm always worried about water
getting into those holes so I keep everything in the stuff bay in ziploc bags. It is rather handy for small items though. - ChumOne
How quick is it to mount/dismount incase I decide to use a hardcase later on? Is it easy to switch from one to another? - amullo
Twist the key and just lift off.
The BMW option just has a tab that slides under the flap near the seat and the lock at the other end. Once you 'twist the key and lift off'
the bay is exactly the same, so I'm assuming you would then just drop the other cover right in. I wasn't worried about the helmet as I also
have a top box.
The great thing is that it's compact and things like rain gear, maps etc lay in there nice and snug and don't flop around like they did in
the top box. - XPatriot
The cover does lock...I had mine set so I can use my ignition key...but I'm sure if someone really wanted to get into it,
they could...they wouldn't get much though...all I carry is my registration and insurance card, and a bottle of water,
and lipstick (hey, I'm a GIRL lol) and the rest goes into the pockets in my jacket.... it isn't watertight either...gonna have to
figure something out next winter. - gothmom
The cover can be painted, but it was a close enough match to my silver that I haven't even thought about it...the stock
finish is a light-grey matte. - gothmom
Theft Deterrent for when you leave your helmet in the stuff bay. Requires BMW lock assembly extra.
The body of the spider sits in the stuff bay with my marsee bag on top. 8 months so far and no discernable wear to the rubber bottom of the bag. I keep the loose strap in the bag, and when I stop, helmet off into bay, strap out of bag and away I go. It's not perfect, but it works fine. I haven't taken the spider out of the grab rails since day one - ZiggyZ
I used it at Dodger Stadium a couple of weeks ago with my riding suit spread over the helmet and the spider cinched down tight. Worked great. - kloewen #44 BBG
That's the only place I keep my helmet. No problems... yet. However, sinxce it's not exactly foolproof, I have been considering other options lately. - Vancouver650ST
When I use my Spider, people are scratching their heads, - and I love it! - Liv,Norway
They mount more closely
to the CS than do aftermarket hard panniers. The panniers are narrower than
my 'bars, so lanes splits are still easy with bags on. The GS bags expand
for touring.I have deliberately fitted the panniers as far forward as possible
- I wanted the pannier as forward and as low as possible. This means I will
have to take the right one off to fuel up. I've kept enough clearance to allow
a pillion to get her/his feet on the pegs. Total cost of my panniers and frames
was about $2000AUD, including fitting. Possibly a second set would cost less,
given my engineer spent a fair bit of time working out how to do this.- CaroanBill #67 BBG
from Kreinke Big, lots of straps for tie downs, good quality construction. No Pillion
I believe that the WOLFMAN Beta is higher quality for the same price (as BMW Soft Bags) and doesn't require seat removal for the straps. Only disadvantage in the Beta bag is that you have to unstrap it on one side to get at the fuel filler cap. The water resistance of the bag is pretty good. Dimensions:32"L X 11" W X 9"H - 11" Seat Channel. About US $150 - Kreinke #53 BBG
All I do to get to the gas fill is release one buckle and slide the bag forward on the seat. Will hold a HUGE amount of stuff and the outer snug down straps make it easy to keep everything. - Lionlady
Overall Cost: CDN$320 (about
US$240) Pros? Very easy to install. Great locking system. Cons? A real pain
to get if you live in Canada. Comments: Only used this case for about a month
now and don't know how I did without it! Also, they are available in (what
I think) are better colors/color combinations than others. Brake light kit
also available. - shaneroy
with AUX Brake light
Now, this is just a brake light,
yeah? Took me almost an hour to install! It comes in a severe kit form. Remember
those tiny plastic models we used to build (well some of us) many years ago
... that was training for this task! I have to admit is was a real pain, but
now that I have it working, I am very happy with it. Heres a picture I took.
LHS no brake, RHS with brake on. For the $50 (Canadian ... about $35US) I
think it's well worth it - shaneroy
Givi E33 33 L topcase,
mounted on the metal part of the carrier on the wife's CS. Basically, we took
off the original plastic part of the carrier and substituted the "universal
topcase mounting hardware" that came with the case. To do some longer
trips and camping we sprung for the Happy Trails sidecase and topcase mount
assembly ($422 Canadian, with taxes and shipping!!) We added two E360 40L
black sidecases (can't find the bill). Pros: Looks good, holds lots of stuff,
the mount is solid! Cons: Looks crude with the sidecases off. The E33 is a
bit small for a topcase, it'll hold a helmet but we're going to replace it
with something bigger. The Happy Trails mount is solid but kind of industrial-looking
with the bags off.- Daver
Water resistant bags which zip together.
A strap is required to mount the bags under the seat but this strap must be ordered separately.
See Forums thread BMW Seat Bag Problem.
GS Softbags - they fit the CS and are black/grey. Pics of the Orange/Blue CS Soft Luggage are needed.
They attach in less than a minute. Do not get in the way of the gas tank cap. Have tons of space. The rack bag is expandable onto the seat, so if you need a little more room but don't want to use the seat bag it's great. Bags are resistant with built-in pack straps and attachment loops. - Becca
I have the back seat bag, which is great...packs plenty and straps down secure, only thing is no passenger - Ridefast
...lotsa rain... No problems.That BMW soft luggage works, fits, goes on and off easily - is good stuff. Difficult to mount/dismount the bike? You're d*mn right it is harder at my age. I step up to the bike and kinda raise the right leg as far as I can and kinda half hitch forward and fall on the thing. Then I look around to see if anyone saw me and if not, well, then I'm cool again. You have a certain amount of that problem with saddle bags also - County #1318
