Has anyone mounted old school krauser luggage?

[Goetz]

I may be getting a set soon, comes with sidecases and the mounting hardware, looks to be mostly all there.

[Anti-Dive Dave]

Yessir - I have...

And if I can get to figure out the gallery system, I shall show you what mine look like.

But, this bloody modern technology has gotten the better of me tonight.

Currently drowning my technical sorrows in a rather large bottle of malt. 

[Goetz]

careful, that stuff can do bad things to your brain...

[Goetz]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Yamaha-Hard-Bags-Saddle-Bags-Made-in-Germany-/271111379951?item=271111379951&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:X:AAQ:MOTORS:1123&vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=9UiKa8covSS8BdirEt4fQ%2FByscE%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557


These now belong and are on their way to ME. Which will give me something to do next week other than sort out my new external petcock/filter system, and work. I look forward to not needing a backpack every day and the ability to bring my cold/wet weather gear with me.

[movenon]

They look nice. I had a BMW with those type of bags. That's one thing I really miss not having on the FJ. I guess it's only money . Goetx is right it will give you a head ache engineering to the FJ but it can be done. What's winter for anyhow...

[Anti-Dive Dave]

I will admit, yes, they DO look nice.  They have nicer flowing lines than most Krausers.  I dunno if they were made specifically for yamaha, or if someone has fitted 2 yamaha emblems to the boxes.  They are definately Krauser panniers, and the wing rack confirms with the large embossed "K".

But, I'd say they were BMW pattern. (having the briefcase style flip locks on them).  I had an old ex-police R80 (BMW) and had these same design boxes fitted.

Don't let that put you off! If you are a dab hand at fabricating brackets and manipulating metal, you should get this luggage set to fit your FJ.

There are fitting kits available from a UK company called "Riders of Yeovil".  Here is the link to their Krauser page (boxes/kits etc)

http://www.ridersmotorcycles.co.uk/scripts/prodlist.asp?idCategory=8

Krauser themselves went bust years ago, so spare parts (as I am finding) are as rare as hens teeth to find.

I reckon with some soap and water, and then some plastic car bumber black spray, these boxes will come up a treat, and will look bloody nice when fitted to your bike!

[Goetz]

  yeah, there are bumper refresher kits available here at auto parts stores that dont use paint I think, and getting the rack mounted to the subframe wont be TOO difficult. I did some research on BMW forums and read that Krauser bags from this era had a nasty habit of popping open/off. Going to have to come up with a fix for that as well, most likely friction straps for starters.

[fjmick]

Yep, best mod I've done. Mine came as Yamaha factory option from the early eighties. I had to fab the brackets from steel strap. Have about 100k with no breakage.][img]

[Alf]

I bought my present FJ with a set of those fitted. The cases vibration broke all the chassis fittings in 3 travels and there was no solution. I finished using cargo nets in each side to hold in place the cases, built stronger fittings... nah!. The top case was the worst part and one day it decided to live its own life and I lost it...

Buy Hepcko & Becket cases. These are the best that I´ve used. Take a look to my experiences in my web if you like

[Tiger]

  I picked up a set of black Krauser hard side bags a few years back, from my local bike wreckers...removed them from a Yamaha 920 Virago.

I fab'd up new brackets and ran with them on my XZ550 Vision for a few years. When I got my FJ last summer, I transferred them over...after remaking new brackets once again. I do have a quick release type strap around each bag...but only as a precautionary measure.

My top box is a Givi...which carries our rain gear and a few tools and spare fuses/bulbs, etc.

They have several years and several thousand trouble free miles on them...However, a good friend of mine just happens to have a complete set of Krauser 42Lt bags...in White!!! Given that my '85 FJ is factory 'Silky White' with Red & black stripes, a deal might just be on the cards

...welcome to the 'Krauser Club'

John.