Well it is warming up here....mid 30s and not even summer yet. My left pannier was warming up as well...but not because the ambient temperature, but because of the closeness to the muffler. If I place my hand inside and touch the base, the heat is immense. Is this normal?
I did carry a small plastic bottle which contained additive for valve lubrication in this pannier and I couldn't work out why it kept leaking out. Now I know..heat.
Your thoughts would be helpful. I have had one suggestion..to turn the pannier into an esky (chill or cool box) but that could be going too far.

Have you got a heat shield on the muffler? Would take some searching but I do recall someone using insulated foil on a pannier, the self adhesive kind in a thread a year or so ago, remember that one mate?

The R1150RTs have a foil heat shield on the bottom of the panniers.  I've seen pictures of panniers where the foil has  fallen off and the panniers melted very badly.  It may be worth while to add your own foil heat shield.

There is a heat shield on the muffler, but you blokes talk of a foil sheet...does it go on the inside or outside of the pannier?

Keep moving Stan. Faster the better.
Airflow.

Sounds a little like there is no heat shield on the exhaust/muffler. Or is part of it missing? Photo?

Its essential to stop overheating the pannier. When you park it also directs the rising hot air away from the pannier. Foil on the underside of the pannier may help, on the outside.

I put some foil on our Ks on the outside and on the Givi boxes it worked a treat.

I have that problem with my panniers as well.  Reflective foil sounds like a good idea. 

I see that the R1150 heat insulation goes for $22 a piece.  Might have to try some of that aluminum foil tape that is used on HVAC ductwork.  I wonder what the heat will do to the sticky stuff that holds the foil in place?

The oem foil heat shield goes on the outside of the pannier. The original foil on my R1150RT came off within the first year.  It was replaced under warranty and has been on now for about 10 years.

FYI, the part number for the heat foil is 46542316611.

kioolt wrote:FYI, the part number for the heat foil is 46542316611.

$26.42!!!

$9.99 per 3" X 25' roll.

http://www.findtape.com/product687/ISC-RTAF-High-Heat-Aluminum-Foil-Tape.aspx?cid=47&idx=12&tid=1&info=Aluminum%2bFoil%2bTape

Description says it can be used to protect plastic motorcycle parts from exhaust heat.

These are the views below...not much room at all.

Gees Stan they are close, the Givi bags I use have a good 2 inches and they even get hot.

Strewth that is a close fitting muffler, I'd be temped to use the double sided tape and use the exhaust wrap or muffler banding stuff to lay a protective layer of it to the pannier, or even bond the muffler heat shield so it cant transmit heat.

Are all the panniers for the various ks the same size and shape..with the locks being the only differences?

Something not right there...when I had the BMW panniers on the RT the gap was wide enough to slip my hand through, a bit more than the diameter of the exhaust hole.

The bike is an 83 basic...maybe not really designed for panniers?.
The brackets are in the right spots and I could not lift them as the panniers would not fit around the rear blinkers.

ainsjac wrote:Are all the panniers for the various ks the same size and shape..with the locks being the only differences?

there seems to be some differences stan ....not only the locks ...but the sealing type variations of lid to main body of the 3 versions of pannier  ...wouldn't  mind guessing in the size ..(slightly) as well

ill try and post a pic of the series one panniers tomorrow
I would be thinking some kind of adhesive backed silver foil type stuff might help on the bottom of the pannier

but a question ?

do you have the standard footrest plates ...cant see them in the pics mate ..for the year model - eg 83 - 84

and another question about the muffler retainer insulator ...(from the foot rest plates to the muffler )

is it the original ? I believe there are different versions ...which may bring the muffler closer to the pannier ?

im sure some may confirm or deny this

just trying to help out mate

Charlie, will take photos tomorrow and post them. Thanks for your suggestions so far.

Charlie, I believe that the foot brackets are the ones for the 83 and all seem aligned.

This is my 87 RT and would you believe...not much room either. Either bikes around here are well hung, I mean the panniers are low or they were designed that way. Haven't noticed any heat inside, but then again I don't carry much in it. On longer trips I put on the topbox to hold fluids.

Hi Stan, I stuck silver sisulation insulation on the bottom of mine, using the joining sticky silver paper that comes in a roll. Has worked extremely well over time. I even had the exhaust heat shield off for a while and no damage. Good luck.
I have a heap of it left over if you want me to post it up.

Thanks for the offer Bob. I have been working for last couple of weeks and have one to go. Real exploration of solutions will happen then when I pull a few things off. At the moment there is a snake(little one..one metre long) that thinks that my garage is his home, therefore not a good time to be under a bike.

I just use grandchildren as bait for snakes so they leave me alone, tell them it's a hose.

For what it's worth, here's a shot of the RS' clearance.

and another pic with gerty and the staintune




just a thought stan
if you loosen the flanges around the front of the muffler .... and loosen the holding bracket to the foot rests .....undoing the z brackets as well ......so the whole thing is floating ....wiggle the muffler so that it actually moves on the exhausts ...possibly you might get a few more millimetres drop ....you might have to release the foot rest plates as well ....then bolt it all up again with a little more drop ....long shot but you might get 3mm or so more ? 

but looking at some of the other pics, seems pretty normal gap to the panniers

good luck

From the various photos it looks as though the panniers are at normal height. Blakey has less clearance than me. Will play silly buggers in about a week, after I am SURE that snakey has gone and do adjustments and possibly tape. Thanks to all for the help.