BMW and Honda Restoration

Those bags, and the mounting rack, are made by Krauser. I have a set on my Honda VT500C and they are really good. Water tight, hold on securely, lock to the frame, and with a single button press, come off easily. Keys are available but are getting rare. Yours are in really good shape. Mine are a little greyer than yours. Krausers sometimes come up for sale. Your model has the capacity of 40L each. There are also smaller ones.

I took the time to find the web site (this took some searching) about Krauser history, and their pannier mounting system. It is a good read. Enjoy.

I really like my Krauser bags. They are large enough and are water tight. They are made of ABS and are worth repairing. You really should keep them.
 
Hey TorontoBoy,,,,,Thanks for the info but....

I am not sure if the bags are made by Krauser, does not say that anywhere on tem, says Made in West Germany, has BMW markings all over the place, they are only 10Kg or 22litres in capacity.

Each one has a crack in it, going to have to repair this ans they are now not water tight, when I cleaned them up last night found water inside them, but if they are ABS material, a bit of lego and acetone to make up a slurry, smear it on, the inside of course and they will be as good as new...

Ohhh and no need for keys, there is no lock, they just clamp on and that's it, bit of a bummer in that respect...

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After reviewing your pics, though the general shape of the saddlebag frames look like Krauser, there is no seatbelt buckle at the rear of the frame on each side. This is used to lock the bags into place. On mine i have a key for the seatbelt buckle lock, and then 2 locks/bag for the main compartment. You'll need to research this more.
 
I have a set of krausers with mounting frame and rear carrier rack for sale. $300 They came off a 1976 R90/6.
 
Thanks Schneller, but I don't need them....the bags I got from the previous owner were on the bike, so that is what will go back on.

@TorontoBoy - Krauser might have made the bags, not sure, there is no markings from their company, it only shows BMW and the big yellow sticker inside with the warnings and such also has Made in West Germany, the BMW logo is molded into the case as is the part number.

The bags mount to the existing frame that is on the bike already via a buckle/clasp type system, same as what is on top to close and secure the bag closed, the only thing is there is no way to lock them, as no key hole is present on the clasps.

I will take a few pictures tonight and post them to show more detail

The rain suits are in mint condition made in Finland by Rukka, too bad they are on the smaller side and I cannot wear them, European sized, one is a 40 the other a 42, I am not that skinny anymore....LOL.....old technology but the way they zip up and close I am sure one would not get wet in the least bit....

I would have gotten these

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-motorcycle-p...gs/1048263333?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

had they fit the brackets on the bike, and I probably could have welded up the tab and such, but since I have the ones that were on the bike, I informed the seller I have no need for his.....



here we go, you can see the latch in this picture I found on the web....

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so far I have not tried anything, bike is under wraps, waiting to get it into the garage so I can start the restore, but I am sure they will fit, it's what the original owner had on the bike.

I was looking at some parts fiche for the bikes and it seems I could order new clasps that are keyed and would then become lockable, preventing them from falling off and or someone getting into them as well.

But you are right, when these are put on, I would look at some sort of secondary way to secure them, strap, wire, etc.....

I only have the set the original owner of the bike gave me, the ones in the kijiji ad I did not buy, since I have the ones from the PO now.

found this as well

seems maybe the key entry is below the cover, I did not see this as being able to move on my set, but I will have to take a closer look

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found it all here

https://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=51899&rnd=04282014
 
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So it looks like the clasp that lock the bag to the frame has a keyed lock, which should be much more secure.

The photo of the keys, the black plastic part and the rivets, did you take this? Are there any id numbers on the keys? I wonder if they are the same as mine. Keys are hard to find. I also have matching id numbers on all my locks, so you could check there as well.
 
So they do lock.....

now I just need the key's.....

Back to the original owner I go.....or order them from BMW













Looks like a very simple key/lock, you could get a local locksmith to pick the lock and cut you a new key for it if you cant track down the original. I can see BMW charging you an arm and possibly a leg for the keys
 
So they do lock.....

now I just need the key's.....

Back to the original owner I go.....or order them from BMW

Near the key opening there should be a number. With this number you should be able to order you some keys. Krauser keys are/were made by Sudhaus. They are short keys.
 
Yes, Thanks

I have the number and have sent off an email to BMW in Oakville to see if they have them or can get them , found a BMW in the US, they have them, 6 bucks each, but I will see if I can get them here locally before I order them.

This restoration is at least going in the right direction.....

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The bags are made for BMW by Krauser. The majority of the keys for those bag series are NLA from BMW. However, the keys do come up for sale periodically through Ebay. If you desire originals, this is the most likely source. You could also try James Sherlock in the UK, who may have the key you're after.

The locks are coded with a number on the side of the latch. The keys are stamped with the same number. All Krauser/BMW keys have the outline; what differs is the placement and shape of the grooves on the side of the keys. If you search the K-bike forums like k100-forum.com or Motobrick.com, there is often discussion about obtaining a set of keys for the same cases made for the K-bike (called City cases). I have had keys made for my set of bags by a local Toronto locksmith, who was able to match a similar key blank from his catalog to the lock. I supplied him with the existing key I had so that he could reference the shape and a bag so he could test the new keys. The turn-around time for a set of three custom made keys was one day and cost me the princely sum of $6.00 per key. The locksmith was Sure Locks Inc., 1045 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5N 2C5. +1 416-486-5077 www.surelocks.ca.


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If you want to restore the stickers on your BMW, there is a guy in Europe who sells restoration adhesive stickers for all models of vintage BMW R-bikes and K-bikes.

http://www.motorbikestickers.eu/shop/

The reason I mention it is because I bought a set for my K-bike and they were excellent quality at a great price (I got 40% off retail during a special promotion).
 
Thanks for the info....

I was able to source out 2 keys by using the code stamped on the latches, and the BMW dealership in the US has already packed them and mailed them to me....each key was 6 bucks and shipping was 8 bucks.....

Local dealership here did not have them, could not get them, and their suggestion was to purchase a new latch that comes with a new key, only problem, I would need 6 of these latches, and at 50 bucks each, this was not something I was going to do, I thanked them for their suggestion....

So all is well, I will have keys for the bags.....

I was advised these were the last 2 keys for the code I provided, I guess I got lucky.....

I will see when they arrive, if they are the right ones.....I purchased them on a wing and a prayer......hopefully they will and I will post up a pic or 2...

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Good for you. Those are like hen's teeth.

The locks are a bit weird so don't panic if, when you try out the keys, the key will only rotate 20° right or left. That's completely normal. Clockwise is lock and counter-clockwise is unlock. It's sometimes a PITA to hold the sprung-loaded latch back while fiddling with the key in the lock.
 
Cool....

Thanks for the tip....

I was going to ask the PO for them to see if he had them, but it took him more than 6 months to find his ownership, I didn't want to see how long it would have taken to find keys....he probably doesn't even know where they are, so this was an easier way to get them, I still might ask him if the keys I get are not the right ones.....

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Well the BMW is cleaning up real nice.....this bike will not need a full restoration, and few hours of detailing and she will be ready to get on the road, new battery, fresh gas, start her up, if she runs, new tires, check the brake pads, change the fluids and get her on the road...

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