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Thinking about some add on luggage

Joined
Feb 19, 2004
Messages
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Location
Conroe, TX
Right now I just have a back pack and a tank bag. I would like to take a trip this summer to see the folks in Northern Oklahoma. I'm trying to decide what will be the best thing to do. Triumph luggage (tail and saddle bags) are nice but, very expensive and I hear so-so reviews on them. The Givi stuff looks good but, don't know much about it. I haven't heard anything about the soft sided tail and saddle bags.

My oldest daughter wants to do a two up ride to have a picnic some time. I'm almost thing of just getting a Givi hard tail case. I hear they have lots of room but, how do they do in rain? I thought it might also be nice for her to use it as a back rest.

How hard is it to remove the Givi hard cases when not in use and what id the fit and finish of them.

Thanks
 
Lots of people around here have Givi top cases and speak highly of them (in fact I imagine that a few will come here to follow). The matching saddle bags for the Viffer are OEM from Givi and I really like them. Easy on and off and really pretty water tight so far, although I havent had them on in one of those torrential Texas downpours yet. Dont think you can go wrong with the Givi.
 
Howdy,

:tab I run a full GIVI setup on the VFR 800 using a Wingrack II. I love them! They work superbly in the rain. I have never had ANY water get in any of the bags even in torrential downpours for extended periods of time. They are very rugged (mine are the matte black). I bang them around, drop them, and generally abuse them and they still look good. I have been using mine daily for the last four years. Well worth the money!!

:tab The topcase makes an excellent backrest and the passengers that I have carried over the years have all said how much more secure they feel having it behind them. If you can make it up to Montgomery this evening for the bike night, you can check out my setup. What a lot of ST folks do is use the pretty Triumph side bags and then get the GIVI solo topcase rack and bag.

:tab Soft luggage is okay if you just cannot go the hard luggage route. However, even with the rain covers, stuff will still get wet. We always packed our stuff in big ziplock bags before putting it in the soft luggage. Also, the GIVI locks to the bike so it is a lot harder for someone to mess with it.

:tab There are pictures all over this site with our VFR's and the GIVI luggage. Many of the banners at the top of the page include our VFR's. Also, if you read any of the trip/ride reports there are tons of pics there as well.

:tab as far as removing or installing... On the VFR, it is six bolts that are all easy to access. Takes me all of five minutes to completely remove the Wingrack. However, I use it so often that I just leave it on all the time. The bags themselves detach from the rack with the push of a single button, very convenient.

:tab The GIVI is a little more expensive obviously, but like I said, it is well worth it.

Adios,
 
The triumph soft throwover panniers are top quality, and the side panel protectors they come with really work well. I had them on my ST and sold them to another ST owner that still uses them. They are well worth the $.

The triumph rear rack is expensive, as is the topbox, but they are good quality. You can also get a givi adapter plate to put on the T rack to use a givi topbox. My triumph topbox leaked a little, until I put silicone around some of the screws (you have to assemble it yourself).

On the VFR, I have givis, and they are waterproof and much cheaper than the Triumph stuff was.

Also, Jack Lilley's in the UK is your friend.
 
I've got a Givi Monorack with the E460 46 liter topcase on my VFR. I ride it daily to school and somtimes that includes flood warning amounts of rain. The case is about a watertight as a frog's hind end, so no worries about getting your stuff wet. That was the main reason I the case. I spend quite a bit of money each semester on text books, and I didn't want to risk damaging them in a downpour. I got mine from Arizona Motorsports as they had pretty decent prices and they had the Monorack on closeout which basically cut the price in half. The VFR list discount of 10% was nice too. You really can't go wrong with the Givi stuff.
 
Oh yeah, to answer your question about ease of use, the topcase has two grooves at the front that slide over two retaining tabs on the rack. Then the back snaps onto a locking tab and the case is then locked to the rack. It comes with a keyed lock, so it stays locked to the bike unless you unlock it and press the release button. Very secure and easy to use. I hope that clears up any confusion. Feel free to ask if you have any more questions. :-)
 
I've gone the Ventura Pack/Rack route with my last two bikes. I have the system on the SV now. The whole shebang is about three hundred bucks. You get a "sport rack", ordinary every day rack. You can get a grab bar to take its place if you don't like the looks or something or for track days it's less obvious. Then you have the rack/pack. This rack has a tall sissy bar like thing that sticks up to accept one or a zip together pair of 48 quart capacity water proof packs sorta "T bag" style. If you run one pack like I do, you have the option of reversing it to face the rider, take up the pillon and then you can use the rack to strap stuff on.

I have combined this system with rather spacious soft bags and a tank bag to have more capacity than my friggin' Gold Wing! Neat thing is, it slides right off to go in the hotel room and you can carry the passenger rail along, just use the handy tool provided to remove the rack, install the grab rail in far less time than it took me at 50WPM to type this. The down side to the system is lack of security if you have a two thousand dollar camera or something in it. It is a very sturdy rack, though, and I've been using them since 1995 now.
 
Ventura Pack/Rack

Jack,

Where did you get the Pack/Rack? I'm interested in it for my R1150RS. I went to their website but thought you could give a heads up on where to look or go.
 
Re: Ventura Pack/Rack

Greeves TFS said:
Jack,

Where did you get the Pack/Rack? I'm interested in it for my R1150RS. I went to their website but thought you could give a heads up on where to look or go.

I got the number from a magazine and called them and ordered it the first time. The second time I found their web site, got the phone number, and ordered the stuff on the phone. I don't know any shops that carry the Ventura stuff. It was easy to order and install, though, and talk about HANDY! The mounts for the SV looked a little light duty, but once mounted, they're strong as an ox. I've been impressed with the system, quality stuff and very versatile.
 
I just bought the Ventura Rack/Pack and installed it on my Suzuki 03 VStrom last night. I didn't buy the bags, I was hoping to use what I already have. The installation took 20 min tops. This is the email info with the order confirmation.

Amy Murphy
CycleVenture, Inc.
407 Howell Way
Edmonds, WA 98020
www.cycleventure.com
amy@cycleventure.com
Tel: 800-688-6439
Fax: 425-771-4246
 
Just my 2 cents.....

Just to toss this out-I have used RevPack soft luggage for years. I have never had anything get wet inside one of them either. They have rain covers, but I've never used one. http://www.revpack.com will let you see their stuff. It is all lifetime guaranteed also. No affiliation with them other than as a happy customer.
 
BRD

Thanks! that helps. I'm still intersted in how the E21's look and I think thats what Tourmeister has on his. I also want to know how much they can hold.
 
Howdy,

Here are some pics of the 01 with the E50 Maxia topcase and the E21 side cases installed.

DSC01166.jpg


DSC01169.jpg


DSC01174.jpg


DSC01188.jpg

The BMW behind my VFR is what I want... :twisted:

scott&deb.jpg

Here's me and Debbie. This is before she realized she did not have to maintain a death grip on the bike to keep from falling off. She has since moved on to riding her own bike! Even with all three bags and a passenger, the VFR still handles great and is comfortable.

The E21's hold 21 liters :-P Seriously, one person's idea of "a lot" and another's are often very different. I can go indefinitely with all three bags on the bike. I have room for all my tools, repair stuff, etc,...

Adios,
 
Howdy,

:tab You planning a big trip soon? :-P

:tab Well let me see... For a weekend trip only, I will pack a single pair of jeans and socks, a few underwear and t-shirts. I always carry my first aid kit, roadside repair kit for flats and minor stuff, rain suit and extra visor and glooves. Normally, all this goes in the E50 topcase with room to spare. I also usually strap a cable lock and my bike cover to the back seat with my web bungee. Keeping the bike covered at night seems to help keep folks from messing with the bike. I guess it is not as enticing looking :shrug:

:tab For the long trips, I have used only the E50. We did 10 Days running around the Four Corners area in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. All I used was the E50. However, I was not carrying the first aid and roadside repair stuff at the time. Now I never leave home without it. That being the case, I now will use the E21's with the top case. I put stuff like the rainsuit, extra gloves, repair kits, first aid kit, etc, ... in the side bags. I put all of my clothes and personal affects in the top case. This way, at the end of the day, the only case I have to take off the bike is the topcase. Although, I generally take all three anyway so the cover will fit over the bike.

:tab As far as clothes on long trips, I pack two pair of the biker shorts. I wear these under my jeans and riding pants when it is cold out. If it is real cold and I will be out all day, I wear longjohns over them. When it is hot, I will wear them alone under my riding pants. Each night, I rinse out the pair I just wore and let them dry in the hotel room. I will pack one pair of jeans again if hot weather and two if cold. I pack about 1.5 shirts per day. Somewhere in the middle of the trip we will do laundry. I'll take a few pair of shorts for relaxing in the evenings. I might take a pair of tennis shoes. Although, my boots are so comfortable that I generally wear them all day, even after getting off the bike.

:tab The first few times you take a long trip, you will be inclined to take everything you can think of!! I did this and I had the E50 with two E360 side bags!! Everytime I pulled away from a stop or got on the gas hard coming out of corners, the front end would come right up :shock:

Resting after a blitz through the Cherohala Skyway!

My partner in speed... R.I.P. for such a pretty bike... another victim of Lime Creek Rd.

:tab You'll notice the topcase is mounted backwards. This was to bring the center of gravity a few inches back towards the front of the bike. It prevents a passenger from using the rear seat though. However, it does make a difference on the wheelie proneness of the bike, hehe.

:tab After you do a few trips, you'll figure out what you like to bring while still being able to travel relatively light. Everyone is slightly different.
 
1) Always pack cold weather riding gear if you're going to a mountainous region like Colorado. I've been snowed on July 4 weekend there, before.

2) One pair of jeans to wear while you wash the other, couple of pairs of undies, T shirt and sox for each day I think I'll be out without a laundromat. Tees and sox pack tighter than jeans. This is my method, anyway. I can wear a pair of jeans several days, at least until the dragonflies start to rot and stink.

Of course, you can always just take what you're wearing and hit a robowash each day... :mrgreen:
 
Tourmeister

Yup, Have a trip planned this summer to go see the folks in Northeastern Oklahoma.

I noticed you had the BIG Givis and are now using the E21's are the BIG ones too big?

I don't suppose you know a place that is notorious for great deals on Givi's do ya?

May start with the top box and see what I need from there.
 
Howdy,

:tab IF I were on a bigger bike, say an R1150GS, then I would be more inclined to use the E360's. But for the VFR, I really think it is just way more than what is really needed. It is not that they really impact the handling, they just look too big, stick out pretty far, and kill your gas mileage because of the added wind resistance. With the E50 and the two E21's I can easily pack everything I need for an extended trip.

:tab I bought my stuff here:
http://store.azmusa.com/index.html

But I don't think they do any Triumph stuff :-? You might want to pay a visit the to Sprint ST/RS mailing list and ask them what you need and where is the best place to buy it.

http://www.triumphnet.com/st/mail.htm

They are nice folks and are a great source of info for the ST's and RS's.

Adios,
 
Tourmeister said:
:tab I bought my stuff here:
http://store.azmusa.com/index.html

But I don't think they do any Triumph stuff :-? You might want to pay a visit the to Sprint ST/RS mailing list and ask them what you need and where is the best place to buy it.

http://www.triumphnet.com/st/mail.htm

They are nice folks and are a great source of info for the ST's and RS's.

Adios,

The best place to buy Triumph stuff by far is Jack Lilley in the UK http://www.TriumphNet.com/st/lilley

That's where I bought all my Sprint luggage: topbox, rack, and soft panniers. You can buy a "membership" for 20UKP that gets you 10% off every purchase for a year. Well worth it if you go with a luggage deal from them.

I bought my givi stuff from Azmotorsports. I haven't noticed that the E360s affect my gas mileage, but they are big and bulky. I also notice that the more space I have to fill, the more stuff I pack. :shrug:
 
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