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side cases available?

badactual1 said:
Found them... Ordering now.



nl.aliexpress.com

Voor BMW C400GT C 400GT C400 GT SHAD SH23 SH36 Motorfiets Bagage Side Case Box Rack Beugel Carrier Systeem - AliExpress 201355758

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
nl.aliexpress.com nl.aliexpress.com
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1) Nice find! I had looked at AliExpress myself yesterday, but didn't see any.

2) I hope they work, as they're fairly expensive: $69.30 + $109.12 shipping = $178.42.

3) I have the same (apparently unanswered) question that appears twice on that page: "How doesn’t [sic] the lower support connect to the passenger footrest?" I think the intent was "How does ...".

Nevertheless, as at least part of the bracketry connects under the grab rails -- which have very large bolts -- it's probably solid enough.

4) If you'll be getting Shad side cases, as shown in the sample pics, you might want to peruse my Shad 59X purchase:

wspollack

Thread 'C 400 GT: Shad 59X -- With Room For A Passenger! -- Mounted On BMW Luggage Rack'

Recently (just before a couple weeks' non-moto vacation), I installed a Shad 59X top case on my '23 C 400 GT. I had the OEM luggage rack and the OEM top case already on the bike, as part of my original purchase, but wanted more room (for two-up helmet storage for day trips, or just generally, for solo multi-day out-of-town trips) than the 30L of BMW's case.

For those interested in this subject:

1) I started out by following HedOpp's instructions for mounting the expandable Shad on the stock luggage rack: see www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJCL0Euh2L0

That worked out okay ... if you never...
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While you won't be adding a 59X, my point here is that I paid right around half of what ShadUSA wanted, by purchasing that top case from Motostorm, a reseller in Italy.

==> I THINK <== that the cases shown in the bracket ad are Shad SH23.

These are $229 minus 20% off for Black Friday (code BFSHAD, with an unspecified expiration date) plus shipping: https://www.shadusa.com/products/d0b23100?_pos=1&_sid=2a6d5d2eb&_ss=r

Or $250 at Amazon (with free shipping, at least for Prime members): https://www.amazon.com/SHAD-D0B23100-Side-Cases-Black/dp/B072WDVRKP

Or €167,00 ($174, but always deal in Euros when shopping at an EU site) + €60 shipping, for a total of about $236: https://www.motostorm.it/en/accessories/luggage/shad-sh23-side-cases-black.html . My experience is that if you visit Motostorm's site several times, over a day or three, you may get a coupon code, or a lower price, or both.

Edit: I just looked again, and they're now €156,72. But then, at checkout, even less, about USD 196 total:

Screenshot 2024-11-22 at 7.34.29 PM.webp

The differences here are nowhere near as dramatic as was the case with my 59X, but I thought I'd point all this out, in case you were interested, or perhaps if ShadUSA charges an exorbitant amount to ship to HI, etc.

5) IMO, 23L is a nice size for side cases. I have 22L Givi side cases on my Meteor 350, and they're serving me well (although they certainly can't hold a full-face helmet).

Good luck with your project, and I expect to read updates from you as it moves along.
 
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steveknight603 said:
Does anyone have an update of attempting the side mounts from AliExpress? I am tempted to buy them, but would really love to hear about quality & fit first
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Steve,

Member @badactual1 just posted his finding side-case mounting brackets earlier today, and said he just ordered them. And since it doesn't appear that anyone else had reported finding such mounts for a C 400, it looks as if we'll all just have to wait for his report after the brackets arrive (which might be two or three weeks from now), and he's had a chance to buy hard saddlebags and get everything mounted on the bike.

I'm halfway tempted to get them myself, as the brackets and the picture in the ad, with the Shad cases in place, look pretty nicely designed. And the overall cost -- brackets and cases -- seems reasonable.

However, I think my days of two-up multi-day trips are over (given that my wife and I are both past 70). This is a pic from 14 years ago, when we rode two-up from New York State for a vacation in Gaspe (about 1,000 miles, two days, each way):

2010-07-14-11-14-17 2.webp

That was on a Burgman 650, and you can see that we added throw-over soft saddlebags for needed storage space. Hard saddlebags would have been MUCH better.

I still do multi-day trips, but by myself these days. This year, for instance, I did a ride from NY to North Carolina (also about 1,000 miles, two days, each way). As this was a solo trip, I had more than enough storage with just a big bag across the passenger seat. This is what that looked like (and this was a few months before I swapped out the stock 30L top case for the Shad 59X):

2022-08-05_07-06-36 2.webp

So my situation is that already owning the large Shad and a large traveling bag and only doing day trips when riding two-up, I don't really have a use-case, i.e., a good reason, to add hard side cases; I already have enough multi-day storage for myself.
 
@badactual1 :

1) Certainly looks like you're going to be the guinea pig on adding hard bags to a C 400.

And also looks like there is definite interest from some folks awaiting reports of the quality and your progress.

2) If you're planning on getting Shad's SH23 (default black) cases, I verified my numbers this morning:

- Amazon: Now on sale for $239 (https://www.amazon.com/SHAD-D0B23100-Side-Cases-Black/dp/B072WDVRKP), free shipping with Prime ... although I don't know if that holds true for HI.

- ShadUSA: I put these in a cart, and pretended to ship them to the Hilton in Honolulu, and used the code BFSHAD:

Screenshot 2024-11-23 at 11.10.27 AM.webp

(Shipping was $22 to my house in NY, vs. the $75 to HI.)

- Motostorm in Italy: still the same as I posted yesterday: €188 / $196, including shipping (based on entering USA as the destination country).

Good luck with the project.
 
badactual1 said:
Thoughts about the 35? Looks like the mounts are the same.
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Well looking at the dimensions of both of them ...



Dimensions

Width: 49.2cm
Height: 34.5cm
Depth: 26.5cm



Dimensions

Width: 49cm
Height: 38cm
Depth: 30cm


... I was surprised to learn -- if I'm interpreting the information correctly -- that the SH35s would make the bike only 7cm (2.75") wider than the SH23s: (30cm - 26.5cm) X 2. I would've thought that the increase would've been more.

On the other hand:

1) Either set will make the bike wider than it already is ... I believe. So do you want to make it even wider?

(I was conscious of this when I replaced the stock 30L topcase with the Shad 59X. It turns out that the side-to-side width of the new topcase is still NOT wider than some panels, handlebars, etc.)

2) Do you feel that the extra space would be useful?

As I mentioned earlier, I'm quite happy with the 22L per Givi case that I added to my Meteor. Well, aside from still not having a place to put my helmet for lunch stops. But I'm assuming that you have some topcase on your C 400 GT, correct?

3) The SH35 is about twice as expensive as the SH23, I think, so that may be another consideration.

If I were the first one doing this project, I think I'd wait to see how the AliExpress bracket actually mounts on the bike before ordering either case (unless you're in a particular hurry to complete this). That way, you can add those "depth" figures to the bolted-in-place brackets, to see how wide the bike will actually be with the cases mounted (assuming the cases mount pretty flush to the brackets). And then also look at your needs and wallet.

Good luck.
 
wspollack said:
And maybe measure the total installed width?
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Yes, of course - I'm going to take it slow, as I don't know what the fitment is going to look like, and I'll likely need a few fashioned pieces for fit and finish. I'm also going to paint the Shad sh23's and the Givi V58, and wire them both for led / marker / turn signals.

Just ordered the SH23's (Black) from Motostorm, shipped to HI for 209.22
SH23.webp
 
badactual1 said:
Yes, of course - I'm going to take it slow, as I don't know what the fitment is going to look like, and I'll likely need a few fashioned pieces for fit and finish. I'm also going to paint the Shad sh23's and the Givi V58, and wire them both for led / marker / turn signals.

Just ordered the SH23's (Black) from Motostorm, shipped to HI for 209.22
View attachment 5315
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I hope this works out for you -- ordering from Motostorm -- or I suspect I'll be on your shitlist, big time. Here's hoping you get some package tracking info in the near future.
 
wspollack said:
I hope this works out for you -- ordering from Motostorm -- or I suspect I'll be on your shitlist, big time. Here's hoping you get some package tracking info in the near future.
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Don't jinx it.

Anyway - Thoughts on this? least expensive price I could find with shipping. I would have to purchase some of my own electrical components to get the lights working since Givi is approximately 6mo over on their projection for releasing the electrics kit for it.

EM_MOTO_GIVI.webp
 
Ok unpacked - First impressions.

Box damaged a bit - not a big deal. sufficiently wrapped in cellophane. would have been better to have them cast in expanding packing foam; Their method got the job done.

Steel is thick and will definitely hold side cases with no bending issues. Isn't powder coated, which is fine - If I need to make changes, i'll hit it with a can of rustoleum if I bend it a little for fitment. I live right on the ocean, and everything rusts quickly, so I'll be hitting it on the inside regardless. The welds are adequate and will definitely hold a case, and 23L of content.
Surprisingly, the paint does not smell highly carcinogenic. The "L" shaped angles are symmetrical, the two base pieces are not, and seem to be congruent with the attachment points. because of the thickness, I am already worried that I might have to grind a couple notched out of each side of the OEM BMW frame for the top case. I should have taken more pictures but wanted to get you all something to look at. More to come.
photo_3_2024-12-05_20-27-46.webp
photo_4_2024-12-05_20-27-46.webp
photo_5_2024-12-05_20-27-46.webp
 
badactual1 said:
Don't jinx it.

Anyway - Thoughts on this? least expensive price I could find with shipping. I would have to purchase some of my own electrical components to get the lights working since Givi is approximately 6mo over on their projection for releasing the electrics kit for it.

View attachment 5318
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Looks fine to me, and a good price.

I had large (55L?) Givi top cases on both of my former Burgman 650s, and they worked well, solid, no malfunctions.

The only thing that really annoyed me with those Givis is that the passenger backrest pads were a joke: very small, very hard, and badly placed. On my first Burgman 650, I eventually had a local upholsterer fashion a one-off, i.e., custom, backrest:

2010-09-15-11-24-33 3.webp

In contrast, the folks at Shad seem to have given some actual thought to the backrest pads, in terms of size, density, placement, etc. That is, they are actually useful, according to my wife.

The other thing I like about my Shad case is that I typically ride around with it in its smallest configuration. I think it looks a lot better that way, and I don't typically need that kind of room, i.e., its size when maximized (only when we do two-up trips, or I do multi-day trips).

But aside from those nits, I'm sure you'll be pleased with the Givi. And the lighted aspect -- yours or Givi's -- is all the better. (I added Skene extra brake and turn-signal LEDs out back, attached to the license-plate area, but higher up is more in keeping with the eye level of cagers.)

So, your choice seems fine to me, just not my particular cup of tea anymore.
 
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