Top Box R1200Rt 2013

[Paul In Australia]

Hi

In Australia the BMW 49l Top Box is over $1200.

I want one only when I go camping and therefore that cost is prohibitive.

I am looking for the NEXT best alternative and mounting plates ( if any are needed).

Anyone who has something else, would you mind please giving me opinions on yours for, value, ease of use, camping gear packability, mounting plate difficulty etc. I am really only interested in Top boxes as I have plenty of soft bags suitable but security is the issue.

Thanks

regards

[Guest Kakugo]

Givi E55 Maxia3. I had its predecessor which was a tad larger (62 liters). The box itself is rock solid and will last a lifetime. The mounting plates are not as solid but Givi aftersale service is excellent and will swap it in no time.

 

Shad SH50 Shad is a tad below in Givi as a product but they are also cheaper. However Shad shares with Givi the job of supplying Honda with hard luggage so you know the quality is there.

Just be very very careful not to lose your keys: Givi will sell you blanks, Shad will only sell lock + keys combo.

 

Krauser K5 . Back in the days Krauser was the luggage to have: better than Givi, better than Hepco & Becker. Then they fell on hard times, probably because they refused to cheapen their products to cut prices. Now they are back, though they still lag behind others in brand awareness. The good thing is they support all their old products with spares and assistance so they are likely to do the same with these new products for many years as well.

 

As for prices (mounting kit excluded)... here the Krauser is 215€, the Givi 200€ and the Shad is about 190€. Mounting kits are all around 70€, the difference being more the seller than the brand. And extra 50€ will buy a top rack (but not for the Shad).

 

Since the difference in price is really small, it's be a close call between Givi and Krauser.

[areyouolsen]

Check this out...

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=929654

 

Dude is selling some Givi topboxes for cheap.

[g_frey]

Security? there is no such thing. Two screwdrivers open most top boxes in less than 30 seconds. A top box is pretty but a yellow waterproof bag of the type used by kayakers is safer (visibility), holds more, cost about a tenth the price, is useful for other adventures, and makes a useful pillow to lean against at stops. I put all my camping gear in mine, tent, bag, etc.. I have used mine for over 100,000 miles with no complaints. It is possible to use steel cable net to lock the bag to your bike also. A box does work better for fragile gear such as cameras and electronics. Another possibility is a military surplus aluminum box. These come in a variety of sizes and shapes and are usually very well built and lockable. some drilling with 4 bolts and nuts and you are set. Either wire brushing or sand blasting the outside (very attractive if done well) or painted to match the bike. A small section of carpet protects the bike under the box. The one I use is a surplus box that use to hold mine detection equipment.

[Paul In Australia]

Givi E55 Maxia3. I had its predecessor which was a tad larger (62 liters). The box itself is rock solid and will last a lifetime. The mounting plates are not as solid but Givi aftersale service is excellent and will swap it in no time.

 

Shad SH50 Shad is a tad below in Givi as a product but they are also cheaper. However Shad shares with Givi the job of supplying Honda with hard luggage so you know the quality is there.

Just be very very careful not to lose your keys: Givi will sell you blanks, Shad will only sell lock + keys combo.

 

Krauser K5 . Back in the days Krauser was the luggage to have: better than Givi, better than Hepco & Becker. Then they fell on hard times, probably because they refused to cheapen their products to cut prices. Now they are back, though they still lag behind others in brand awareness. The good thing is they support all their old products with spares and assistance so they are likely to do the same with these new products for many years as well.

 

As for prices (mounting kit excluded)... here the Krauser is 215€, the Givi 200€ and the Shad is about 190€. Mounting kits are all around 70€, the difference being more the seller than the brand. And extra 50€ will buy a top rack (but not for the Shad).

 

Since the difference in price is really small, it's be a close call between Givi and Krauser.

 

Thanks for that . very helpful. I will take your advice and start to wittle down the selection from those 2 brands although I think Givi is probably the only one available locally.

regards

[walton66]

I put the shad on my '13' here because I could get it through Amazon. It was listed there for a yahama. I ordered the mounting kit directly from the shad distributor. I like the looks. The key operates a bit clunky but the box is nice, easily holds two full face helmets and assorted bits, Installation was easy.

[WestyLancs]

Security? there is no such thing. Two screwdrivers open most top boxes in less than 30 seconds.

 

I have to agree, but taken to the extreme, three or four men and a van can make a whole bike disappear in the same time frame, but,

without actually opening a topbox, an opportunist thief has no idea what, if anything is inside, so would be inclined to walk by.

I know of a few people that have had camping, and other gear stolen, when just strapped to the bike, but none that

have lost anything from locked hard luggage.

 

It's personal preference and I prefer to keep stuff out of sight.

 

Getting back to the thread, FWIW my choice is the Givi Maxia 52L for my '06 RT. Solid, stable, wife uses it as a backrest, hard wearing

and room for two full face helmets.

[John Bentall]

Givi E55 Maxia3. I had its predecessor which was a tad larger (62 liters). The box itself is rock solid and will last a lifetime. The mounting plates are not as solid but Givi aftersale service is excellent and will swap it in no time.

 

Shad SH50 Shad is a tad below in Givi as a product but they are also cheaper. However Shad shares with Givi the job of supplying Honda with hard luggage so you know the quality is there.

Just be very very careful not to lose your keys: Givi will sell you blanks, Shad will only sell lock + keys combo.

 

Krauser K5 . Back in the days Krauser was the luggage to have: better than Givi, better than Hepco & Becker. Then they fell on hard times, probably because they refused to cheapen their products to cut prices. Now they are back, though they still lag behind others in brand awareness. The good thing is they support all their old products with spares and assistance so they are likely to do the same with these new products for many years as well.

 

As for prices (mounting kit excluded)... here the Krauser is 215€, the Givi 200€ and the Shad is about 190€. Mounting kits are all around 70€, the difference being more the seller than the brand. And extra 50€ will buy a top rack (but not for the Shad).

 

Since the difference in price is really small, it's be a close call between Givi and Krauser.

 

What he said +

 

I notice that there is an optional remote-control opening for the Givi E55 and V47 cases.

[Doug_Baliko]

Givi E55 Maxia3. I had its predecessor which was a tad larger (62 liters). The box itself is rock solid and will last a lifetime. The mounting plates are not as solid but Givi aftersale service is excellent and will swap it in no time.

 

Shad SH50 Shad is a tad below in Givi as a product but they are also cheaper. However Shad shares with Givi the job of supplying Honda with hard luggage so you know the quality is there.

Just be very very careful not to lose your keys: Givi will sell you blanks, Shad will only sell lock + keys combo.

 

Krauser K5 . Back in the days Krauser was the luggage to have: better than Givi, better than Hepco & Becker. Then they fell on hard times, probably because they refused to cheapen their products to cut prices. Now they are back, though they still lag behind others in brand awareness. The good thing is they support all their old products with spares and assistance so they are likely to do the same with these new products for many years as well.

 

As for prices (mounting kit excluded)... here the Krauser is 215€, the Givi 200€ and the Shad is about 190€. Mounting kits are all around 70€, the difference being more the seller than the brand. And extra 50€ will buy a top rack (but not for the Shad).

 

Since the difference in price is really small, it's be a close call between Givi and Krauser.

 

What he said +

 

I notice that there is an optional remote-control opening for the Givi E55 and V47 cases.

 

+1

I have a Shad SH-50. Works very well and is very good quality. One advantage to Shad is that you use the key much like the BMW hard cases. You can leave the case unlocked so you don't need it every time that you want to open it. I believe the GIVI needs the key all the time. Other than that both brands are relatively the same quality from the reviews that I have read over the years on this board.

 

Doug

[Dave_in_TX]

I have a 52 liter Givi (the predecessor to the E55) that has over 150k miles of use between my 07 and 11 RTs. I've been very happy with it.

[Firenailer]

There's a guy selling one in the classified section here with a top rack , maybe you can work something out. The BMW top box is really nice, I love mine, keeps everything safe and dry and goes on and off in seconds without any mounting plates same as the side cases.

 

Really nice set up

[R1150RT_MLC_Response]

The guy who asked the questions originally is in Australia. Not exactly one of the mainland USA States. Freight charges from USA are prohibitive. I have purchased through the classified section of the site but as I travel to USA a couple of times a year I normally pick them up and bring them back as luggage. Manages to get a full RTP conversion kit this way.

[macx]

Not an immediate fix for your need, but one that I hope to have prototyped by next late spring.

 

I don't like a big bulky top box cuz at my age it blocks me from the old classic "throw my leg" over the saddle way of mounting.

 

But I do occasionally need to haul "stuff" so took a fairly large soft fabric bag and attached it a base plate attached to my luggage rack. It's one I had and it just happens to have twin zippers that can be padlocked together with a small padlock and end pockets. But of course no real security and not rain proof.

 

Not chick or suave or anything to show off with, but extremely functional! Holds a huge amount of groceries (at least as much as both my side cases together) etc when unfolded but most of the time is only about 3" or less high when collapsed and held in place to keep from ballooning up from the wind with a soft bungee. And I can still swing the old leg over it.

 

But that's not my idea.

 

I like the idea of a waterproof, more secure hard box, large enuf to hold a meaningful quantity of goodies (case of bottled beer is an absolute must and minimum!)so have been fiddling with how to make a collapsible, weatherproof, lockable hard trunk. My bag can be removed (easily done with a screwdriver in about 3 minutes)but has to be removed to get the seat off. Not good, so to the drawing board.

 

Basically have found some thin but strong black plastic type of sheeting in McMaster Carr that's relatively inexpensive and can be worked (cut and drilled). Have figured a way to size the sections (front, top, sides, rear) so when assembled with piano hinges they all fold down onto one another with the collapsed trunk only about 3" high. A little weatherstripping and a padlock hasp (or fancier type of lock) and voila! Of course could also be lined with thin foam and fabric, or whatever.

 

I'm going to go to work on a prototype this spring early. Will of course brag about it if it works, with photos and all that.