Ever had your topcase some off while riding?

[grey.hound]

Just wondering. About two years ago my OEM Aprilia topcase came off while riding on the highway. I then decided to buy a GIVI topcase and the mounting plate that fits the Aprilia and have not had any problems. I now use the GIVI on my BMW (the OEM is back on the Aprlia) but anytime I get into heavy winds or travel high speeds, I have a lingering fear it might happen even with the GIVI.

 

[Sparkrn]

Had my appriliA top come off when it was brand new. I was so pissed after just waiting forever to get it and it wasn't cheap. It was the only scratches on the bike during my 3 years of ownership. Not really on the bike itself. I put it on per factory instructions and figured out that was the problem. I did some fabrication with the fasters and fixed it. It never fell off again.

 

[Skutorr]

Tolerances aren't as tight as they could be, and they BOUNCE a lot...

 

[exavid]

I give my OEM top box a good shake when I get ready to ride and it's mounted. When putting it on the bike I tug and pull on it to make sure it's fully seated. Ever since BMW came out with the service notice about the bracket bolts I check them for tightness every couple of weeks or so. So far no problem. The BMW box has pretty good sized lugs that engage the bracket, as long as the rear lugs spring out under the bracket as they're supposed to the box should stay pretty firmly attached, at least to the bracket.

 

[qualt]

This would also work to keep the box from coming off.

I drilled a 1/4" hole through the center bottom of my case and the mount and used a bolt to secure it (I used a wing nut so as to make it easily removable but a wingnut isn't necessary). Unless you bend down and look under the case, you can't tell it is there.

However, I didn't do it because I had a problem with a case coming off but rather it is an anti-theft bolt. I dislike having to always use a key to open the GIVI box so I cut off a key and leave it in at all times (I don't care if the box isn't locked). The problem then is that the whole box can now be stolen when it isn't locked, so the bolt prevents that.

 

[grey.hound]

This would also work to keep the box from coming off.

I drilled a 1/4" hole through the center bottom of my case and the mount and used a bolt to secure it (I used a wing nut so as to make it easily removable but a wingnut isn't necessary). Unless you bend down and look under the case, you can't tell it is there.

However, I didn't do it because I had a problem with a case coming off but rather it is an anti-theft bolt. I dislike having to always use a key to open the GIVI box so I cut off a key and leave it in at all times (I don't care if the box isn't locked). The problem then is that the whole box can now be stolen when it isn't locked, so the bolt prevents that.

I like this idea.

 

[Colin J Monteith]

This would also work to keep the box from coming off.

I drilled a 1/4" hole through the center bottom of my case and the mount and used a bolt to secure it (I used a wing nut so as to make it easily removable but a wingnut isn't necessary). Unless you bend down and look under the case, you can't tell it is there.

However, I didn't do it because I had a problem with a case coming off but rather it is an anti-theft bolt. I dislike having to always use a key to open the GIVI box so I cut off a key and leave it in at all times (I don't care if the box isn't locked). The problem then is that the whole box can now be stolen when it isn't locked, so the bolt prevents that.

Good idea- maybe I should be worried about theft but I am more worried on an ongoing basis about box just coming off on the highway or something. I often put my hand back at highway speeds if I go over a pothole or something just to feel that it's still there. I don't have any kind of side cases but I guess it's always a possibility of something happening with them too.

 

[JaimeC]

I only lost a top box ONCE, and that was on my old K100. The top boxes back then were only held on to the rack by a giant dzus fastener. I was up in Nova Scotia and hit a huge rock that was hidden by the sun/shade on a dirt road. I got up off the seat just before my front tire hit it and (just as the MSF taught me) I let my legs act as shock absorbers while the bike rocked and bucked beneath me. Suddenly I heard a loud "BANG!!" that I thought was my tire. I looked in my rear view mirrors and suddenly discovered my rear view was no longer partially blocked by my top case!

The snapping back and forth of the bike was violent enough to snap the top box off of the rack. The plastic cracked around the dzus fastener and that was all she wrote. I went back to get the box, and used a bungee-net to secure it to my saddle (thankfully riding solo on that trip). That night I bought some 24 hour epoxy and a pair of panty-hose. I cut up the panty hose and used the epoxy and nylon to reinforce the bottom of the top case. It actually held for the remainder of the trip.

 

[Snowdog]

I think the GIVI mount is very secure. Of course if you don't give any box a shake after putting it on, your asking for trouble. Now, when I had a Harley when I was a teenager, the saddle bag tops would fly off all the time.

 

[Sparkrn]

Though my aprillia top box popped off. I never have had problem with my GT 650 BMW brand box. Love how well it works and how good it looks. Had 4 jacket liners a helmet and a box of Krispy Kreams in it last night.

 

[grey.hound]

I forgot to mention, it didn't just come off. Part of the holding mechanism broke. There is a little tab that screws onto the scooter rack, then the case locks into the tab. Well, the tab busted from the scooter and the case fell off. When I went back and got the box, the tab was still locked into it. Anyway, I've used my GIVI on both the Aprilia and the BMW with no issues.

 

[exavid]

I like the top box attachment on the OEM BMW (Shad) box. The locking lugs look pretty beefy and have a pretty long engagement for and aft. Also the convenience of having the same key for ignition and box locking/removing the box is nice. There's no doubt that the BMW badged box is overly expensive, I'm glad to have it on my bike.

 

[James Busuttil]

I believe that I read somewhere ( in the manual possibly) that the BMW top box is wind tunnel tested up to 120km/hr.




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