Hard Luggage

[rowbike]

I live in Sydney, Australia & I'm trying to decide whether hard luggage is practical for my 2002 Blackbird. I've been looking at the Givi gear which I'm impressed with, particularly the E52N Topbox & E36N Side Cases. My concern is that the side cases protrude a long way from the bike. Does anyone have experience of this luggage? Do the side cases cause excessive wind buffetting? I'd appreciate any comments, negative & positive. Are there any photos of the setup?

 

[richard]

Welcome to the madhouse m8y...No probs with the Givi stuff at all, just watch ya weight you are carrying and its worth doing a couple of local runs just so that you get used to it... Wind buffing no problem I got some extended mirrors from http://www.jaws-motorcycles.co.uk/ :yo: ya just have to weight for the gap or make sure you have plenty of room when filtering


R

:beer: R#? :beer:

 

[Speedy]

Givi is the best luggage but I found the Wingrack obtrusive and fitted an SW-Motech set up.

Works well and, I think, looks better when the luggage is off the bike.

 

[rowbike]

Thanks for that. The pictures are very helpful. By the way, what size is your topbox & the panniers?

 

[Bob Pinder]

The top box above is an E 52 and the panniers are E 41's.

Read all about them here under "products" - "cases and boxes"
http://www.givi.it/home/frame.asp

 

[trophychap]

Richard

Our Givis are bout the same size as Mr Pinders (I thought they were E42's not 41's tho) with a toprack on the topbox to carry even more junk lol eg tent chairs beach umbrella etc. It's ok tho you know we don't go ever so far loaded up like that - we only did bout 1500 miles in France this year as opposed to 2500 last year. Plus a few weekends/long weekends in the UK but I don't think they count. Do they?

(Now if only the carp equipment would shrink to bike-size, I know a Birdman who would be really happy!)

Are the extended mirrors now the same width as the panniers?

Pete don't have any trouble seeing round the panniers its just that he has to keep remembering the back of the Bird is wider than the front whereas the Trophy mirrors are wider than the rear - yes even with me on the pillion before some wit makes any comments!

Going to the bash last year we had a bit of a moment when someone who wasn't used to his panniers passed us a bit (too!) close and brushed pannier to pannier - fortunately we were stationary waiting to take up the rear of the group and Pete had his foot planted very firmly at the time! - so you do have to make allowances for them.

Jen

 

[RHINO]

Always used soft luggage in the past and had no problems until ASSEN, one thing after another with the throw over Oxford bags. First a clip snapped causing a bag to touch the o/s pipe then the damn things just kept slipping :bang: . Once back in GB i decided that the soft panniers had to go and so i bought a Kappa rack & boxes off Gypsy and was given an old GIVI box for the top (i'm not loaded :B )

I rode from Derby with the boxes fitted and Emma felt safer having something solid to grip onto :blush: ooo errr..

 

[kflynn]

Variable Height Screens

Hi Folks, Has anyone got one of these Vario Touring Screens. The look quite good, see them here: http://www.bikehps.com/acatalog/Vario_Touring_Screens_for_Honda.html
I'm hoping to go to Italy this summer with the wife. She's very reluctant to go on the bike with me, not least because she thinks she won't be comfy. I plan to get a custm seat, back rest for the top box and one of these screens to stop the wind blast. Has anyone any experience of them? Also, any advice on how I can convince the wife that seeing the world from a bird is the only way. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[sebjones906]

Corbin Beetle Bags are excellent. Been using them for 2 years with no adverse wind effect and they fit in close to the body. Using them with a tank and seat bag and I am good for 5 days on the road. See http://www.corbin.com/

Adding a seat bag that expands is a real luxury see http://www.rka-luggage.com/

Also I have added an Laminar Lip to the wind screen. It reflect wind and creates a more quiet area when laying down behind the fairing. See http://laminarlip.com/applications.htm
Sam

 

[ROVERT57]

Hi
I used the givi hard luggage on my cbr 1000 and they were fantasticly conveniant just clipping them off & on the only trouble I noticed was that with the top box fitted there would be a wobble at low speed (around 30 - 40 mph) and this was with or without the panniers fitted,as soon as i took the top box off the wobble disappeared,must be due to the wight being possitioned so high up but at speeds above those mentioned noproblems at all

 

[chaserkeywest]

Corbin Beetle Bags/hard luggage

All hard bags have limitations, the givi's are top gear but, my opinion is that
they turn the Bird into a Goldwing with their size.

The Corbin Beetle bags have issues also no doubt but, look at the web page and demo at www.corbin.com.

I have seen these on the Birds, Kaw zx11-12's and they are very well made and
not only look good they are not making the Bird's ass as wide as a Trike.

i will have these on my Bird this summer

Chaser

 

[Duck n Dive]

Rowbike there is annother option depending on how much room u want.

I saw Hornblowers bike earlier this week and he uses the small top loading panniers from Givi. They don't stick out any further than the mirrors.

I use the Givi keyless panniers (42l i think?) - have to say they do stick out a lot and have to be very high 'cause the exhaust. Think if I'd seen the one's Hornblower uses before I'd got mine I'd have gone for them.

Only use the panniers when I need them otherwise leave them off the bike. You just need to load them sensibily. I've never had any stablity issues with the panniers. Even when loaded and at speed.

I have a (36l I think?) top box which I really only use when giving my kid (11 yrs old) s spin on the bike as it gives the pillion a bit of security.
When I've tried the bike at speed without him I have to say the top box certainly can affect stability (even when empty).


If you have a chance to see some other birds wearing the kit u like it might help.

:yo:

 

[KEITH V]

Luggage

I am a new member and have just joined in the last couple of days. I am interested in anyone with Givi luggage rack and also after market cans. As I have read that the original cans are part of the sub frame structure. Has anyone had any problems with after market cans and rack. Does anyone know the maximum weight for this rack, with or without a pillion.

 

[Barrie]

The 'bird's OK with luggage but dont take your hands off the bars. Shakes its head and lets you know not to do it.

 

[gypsy]

Speeding and taking your hands off the bars?
Have you ever considered the IAM ?

 

[Stealth Rider]

Just arrived back from Fowlers in Bristol, they have a 2005 Bird with Honda luggage,Yes Hondapanniers with a CBR XX badge on them. Looks the business :lick:

 

[Duck n Dive]

Just arrived back from Fowlers in Bristol, they have a 2005 Bird with Honda luggage,Yes Hondapanniers with a CBR XX badge on them. Looks the business :lick:

Hate to disagree M8 :dunno: , I saw them at last years NEC and thought the rack system in particular looked poorly finished. The piece to move the indicators back looked pretty rough compared to the Givi wingrack. The panniers did fit closely but seemed a bit of an odd shape to me. I came away with the view that at the price the Givi stuff was better quality.
Honda actually did a mailshot quite some time ago to say the panniers were out with a pretty little picture of 'em.

 

[Stealth Rider]

Hate to disagree M8 :dunno: , I saw them at last years NEC and thought the rack system in particular looked poorly finished. The piece to move the indicators back looked pretty rough compared to the Givi wingrack. The panniers did fit closely but seemed a bit of an odd shape to me. I came away with the view that at the price the Givi stuff was better quality.
Honda actually did a mailshot quite some time ago to say the panniers were out with a pretty little picture of 'em.

I agree about Givi being No 1, and I did not make a close examination of the componants just that it looked the dog's bo**ocks and the box's were a funny shape, but other bikes have them like that Q BMW

 

[Barrie]

Speeding and taking your hands off the bars?
Have you ever considered the IAM ?

Considered yes, went out with them once..............nah! not for me.

 

[Nige J]

Just come back from a trip down through France. I have a Givi Wingrack, with a Kappa K52N 52 litre top case and Kappa K961 44 litre panniers (all of which were full to their recommended maximum weight). I also had my Baglux tank bag (also full!).

The bike handled impeccably, with no bar shakes (even hands off), and still returned around 40mpg at an average speed of about 90mph (2-up).

I decided on Kappa over Givi cases, as they are the same cases, but slightly cheaper (they're even manufactured at the same factory).

The only downside is the look of the Wingrack on the bike without the luggage fitted. I would also say that with the big panniers, the bike becomes VERY wide (around 3" past the mirrors on each side) = extra care needed when filtering through traffic !

I found that the lower Wingrack mounting bolts (where the Wingrack bolts to the exhaust/footrest hanger) were about 5mm too short, so I bought some 55mm stainless Allen bolts from a local fastener stockist.