DL1000GT Pannier problem

[Matthew Gardiner]

Has anyone had any problems with the panniers on the 1000GT?

When I first got the bike, the barrel broke in the top box after using no effort to turn it. Then on Saturday morning, I was just putting on the panniers for a surprise weekend in Canterbury for my other half. Turn the key in the barrel, and it just falls out. Needless to say, we left about 4 hours late. My dealer done a quick bodge on the lock and it saw us through, now I'm ordering another two locks for the panniers. This is really starting to get annoying!

They are now telling me to bring them in so they can locktight the barrels in but I did not pay over six and a half grand for glued panniers. Any advice? or should I just cut my losses and fork out for a half decent set of panniers and put it down to poor quality control by Suzuki.:mad:

P.s. The weekend was nice, I proposed and she said yes.:mrgreen:

[steve barf]

hi mathew, congratulations on your future wedding, I have a 1000 but its not a GT, i bought a givi back box and kappa panniers and i'm extremely happy with them. I was talking to a guy who works in a bike shop who had a GT and he said he also was very dissappointed with the suzuki panniers, so much so he changed them for givi, he said the one pannier leaked and
apparently they seemed to warp under pressure if you tried to pack them solid, he didnt mention anything about locks though, hope the wedding goes well

[Matthew Gardiner]

Thanks mate. I think I'm going to have to look around and save a few pennies up, (another thing on the list oh well). :-D

[Stillneon]

Congratulations!!!

I've got a GT and although I don't have problems with the panniers, I can't get the topbox off! Bit wary of overturning the key and snpping it off. I kinda wish I'd gone for the standard and added aftermarket luggage. Heated handgrips tho are a godsend in this weather at the moment....:rolleyes:

[Matthew Gardiner]

Thank you for you're congrats!
My grips are constantly on, I don't know how I lived without them before. I will be looking for new panniers now as I don't have much confidence in these. Not sure if I'll go for the givi syle or the metal type yet though.

[PonchoV]

Have you considered the pelican for hard plastic. They are like crash bars on your rear. I have the 1430, top open pair. A wee bit on the slight side but damn fine material & will truly take a fair wac on the hard stuff w/o breaking.
The come is many sizes & never heard anything bad from those that actually have had them. Only one colour, ash grey, well more on the black side.
Best in your search in your search.

[Matthew Gardiner]

They sound good, do you know where I could get some info, pics and prices?

[SchizoBorric]

....and so far no issues with the panniers, 4k miles in 3 months and panniers used daily to carry laptop and stuff for work and shopping. Have loaded the top box right up to the brim so hard to close several times. Never had a problem of any kind, in saying that the quality is a bit naff, as in cheap and cheerful.

So for me all is good on the pannier front.

[mysticknight]

hi matt, had no problems with mine,including letting the beast lie on them the first morning i took it out, forgot to put the sidestand up rolling back of a kerb, and also they stopped locked after meeting the side of a mad dutchman,while filtering through traffic in holland last year,if you put a set of engine bars on they save alot of damage if you drop it as the bars and panniers take the impact, you must have caught for a friday set anyway good riding,hope we meet on the road oneday

[jackdlthou]

Congratulations!!!

I've got a GT and although I don't have problems with the panniers, I can't get the topbox off! Bit wary of overturning the key and snpping it off. I kinda wish I'd gone for the standard and added aftermarket luggage. Heated handgrips tho are a godsend in this weather at the moment....:rolleyes:

Am a noob too the site but spent most of last year on a K7 Wee-strom in London as a Courier/Despatch Rider, sounds like you had the same problem i had with removing the topbox which i found was the small switch that "turns off" the option to remove the box. If the switch is not fully rotated then the key jams when attempting to remove the box, The round switch i am refering to is on the inside of box just behind where the box latches, it kinda looks like a mini oil-cap if i remember correctly. As for panniers i was told by the shop where i bought the bike to avoid them like the plague! Almost all aftermarket offerings are supposedly a lot better. Jack :D:D:D

[Banjo]

As above although I wasn't told to avoid them like the plague :)