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SHAD SH36 side cases By Bill Wiegand #180584 WHILE I’VE ENJOYED ALL OF THE
motorcycles I’ve ever owned, I believe my current ride tops the list. It’s got everything, including superb handling, an intoxicating engine and great looks. Plus, it’s red! Standing on its center stand just a few feet away from me as I finished the paperwork, something seemed amiss. With the OEM side cases the bike seemed to lose a bit of the allure that attracted me in the first place. The beautiful and sexy new XR I just bought suddenly appeared a little “too red” and, if possible, a bit too civilized. As I signed my name one last time I said to Tom, “It’s a beautiful bike, but is that too much red?” “Not at all,” Tom assured me. I still wasn’t sure. A few minutes later I posed the same question to Honz only to receive the same answer. The OEM side cases are beautiful and very well made, but the first time I dragged my boot over the top I knew I had to do something or they
BMW OWNERS NEWS August 2018
wouldn’t look good for long. I began looking for a solution. When I bought the XR, there weren’t a lot of luggage options for the bike. As much as I love the look and functionality of Touratech’s Zega panniers and despite BMW including the XR in their Adventure category, in my opinion the XR really isn’t an adventure bike, and I didn’t want that look. Googling “BMW S 1000 XR side cases” brought up an option from SHAD. Until that point, I didn’t know much about SHAD outside of their tank and dry bags. What I found was that the Spanish company is actually an OEM producer of the side cases for many current BMW models, as well as a supplier for several other manufacturers. I also found that their new SHAD SH36 side cases looked pretty good on the XR they had pictured online and they were black. Perhaps I’ve found what I’ve been looking for. In addition to the black base color, the cases can be ordered with four color accent options including silver, white, black titanium and carbon fiber to allow buyers to coordinate the side case color to their bike.
On top of that, the panels are replaceable, so if they do get beaten up, new panels can restore their good looks. But more than anything, what really got my attention was the cost. A pair of SHAD SH36 side cases with inner bags along and all necessary mounting hardware was only $708.57, a price more than $650 less than BMWs OEM side cases. I ordered a set with carbon fiber accents. Upon arrival, it actually took me longer to remove the OEM side case mounts than it did to install SHAD’s 3P side case brackets. The SHAD mounts use the same bolt locations as stock cases, and once installed, I found the SHAD system to have a slightly “cleaner” look than stock as the brackets didn’t extend down over the rear tire. But as much as I liked the look, I was concerned over whether the seemingly simpler mount would be as secure as the OEM version. Mounting the cases did nothing to lessen my fears, as there was still a bit of movement. SHAD’s website says their three-point mounting system was designed for slight case movement, allowing air to flow over
