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Another Bandit luggage question... Givi E21's?

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rockitcity

rockitcity

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Still trying to decide on luggage for my K7 Bandit 1250S. Been thinking about the Givi V35's, but thinking they might be too wide. Anyone have a picture of the Givi E-21'S with the PL539 racks? I know the cases are a lot smaller and narrower, but are they really that much narrower on the bike when mounted with the racks that stick out farther than the PLX539 racks? Anyone have the width installed compared to the V35's? I could install bigger cases on the PL539 racks if I wanted to tour, but the V35's are pretty much one size only.

Thanks for any help.
 
Don't have info on the cases you are asking about, but..... on a 2007 Bandit

My Givi PLX racks with V35 cases are aprox 36 inches wide when on the bike.

My Daytona Bikemaster handle bars are aprox. 32.5 inches wide. I would not worry about a couple of extra inches if you're concerned about lane splitting.

Can't remember what I paid but I looked around and ended up getting the racks from Twisted Throttle and the cases from an E-Bay guy in Canada. Added an SW Motech Alu-Rack, I have no top box.
 
Thanks, Rollinrob. That's not too much wider than my Courtech soft bags. Lately, I (and the cager next to me) have noticed (ahem) that my handguards are a bit wider than my mirrors. Guess I'll have to check that measurement as well.
 
I have run E21s on a DL650 but they are small and look a bit odd to me. The V35s look great. There's a choice of racks: Suzuki OEM (the widest setup), Givi PLX 50mm narrower, SW motech remove ambles and others. I have run the PLX racks but like the OEM ones because of better turn signal placement.

The bags aren't that wide. In fact you bars and guards will be wider. I have lots of pics on my blog: http://kewwibike.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/can-you-fit-givi-topbox-to-gsf1250-oem.html
 
Hey Kewwig, thanks for the reply. I have been on your blogspot quite a number of times. Great info there, and lots of great photos. My Cortech sport saddlebags are 31 inches wide. I hardly know they are there in normal riding. My stock bars with the V-Strom handguards are about 34" wide, so going with the V35 setup would not be too much wider, although I expect I would "feel" them more.

I like the look of the higher-mounted signals from the OEM side racks as well. Looks like I might be able to mount them to the OEM top case mount bar if I went with the Givi side mounts. Don't know if that's feasible.
 
I have a 2008 GSF1250SEA (Canadian version) and it came with a full faring, taller shield and V35 side bags factory installed. A V45 (i think??) top bag is an option. I received $500 Suzuki Bucks and purchase the top bag and a few extras. Side bags will hold one full face helmet each and top will hold two full face helmets. (to give you an idea of size) I have not had a problem with any of the bags, and I like the size of the V35's. I would not go any smaller myself. I will send photos if requested.
 
rockitcity said:
.......I like the look of the higher-mounted signals from the OEM side racks as well. Looks like I might be able to mount them to the OEM top case mount bar if I went with the Givi side mounts. Don't know if that's feasible.
Click to expand...

Try LED signals mounted in place of reflectors on the number plate bracket too
 
kewwig said:
Try LED signals mounted in place of reflectors on the number plate bracket too
Click to expand...

Any pics of that!? Mine with the GIVI adapter in the moved location bounce around like its sitting on a Harley! :doh:
 
Lots of pics on my blog http://kewwibike.blogspot.com

The pic with the LED turn signals is at http://kewwibike.blogspot.co.nz/2011/12/fitting-led-taillight.html

I mounted them to the reflector tags on the plate mount (some markets have a different mount without reflectors). It was pretty good, certainly better than the bouncy Givi bracket. You can tighten that up with removal of a small amount off the spacers, but it still moves. The Suzuki OEM racks mount them much better. See also http://kewwibike.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/can-you-fit-givi-topbox-to-gsf1250-oem.html
 
Thanks! Any pics of them from the sides!? I'm wondering if my US plate mount is different from yours will have to check as this might not even be possible on the US models! :(
 
Nothing from the side, sorry. I run the OEM factory rack signal setup now. If your plate mount has red reflectors on the sides, you can use this for turn signals. Some markets have a smaller mount and tag light spacer and no plate reflectors.
 
I do have red reflectors! Another thing to do during winter ie can't ride have to work on bike time! :)
 
After months of deliberation, I finally decided to add the Givi E-21's to my K7 B1250s. I bought it with the Suzuki top box and mount already installed. It seems to be a very sturdy mount.

I wanted a narrower profile than the Givi V35/PLX rack combination (or the stock Suzuki equivalent). Did a lot of research, and got great feedback from people here. Looked like the Givi PL 539 with E21's would be just the ticket.

So I spent this weekend installing the racks. It was a much bigger hassle than it should have been, but that was mostly from the previously owner cross-threading a mushroom cap allen bolt which required some drilling and screw extraction. I did have to find some spacers to fill the gap where the Suzuki grab handle was removed when the Suzuki top rack was installed. Here's a picture of the solution I found at the local hardware store:

IMG_0824.jpg


These are chrome steel spacers that are almost the same thickness as the supplied ones. Over all it's a very solid mount, although I agree with other posters here that the turn signal relocation is less than ideal. I ran the wires under the tail light lens to avoid having to extend the wiring. The wide angle accentuates the wide look; it's really not wider than the handlebars.

IMG_0838.jpg


So here is what it's supposed to look like. I say supposed to because... there are issues...

IMG_0841.jpg


With the topcase installed you can't open the E21's. Major problem, and totally unforeseen. Seems I need to move the topcase back about 4 inches to give me enough clearance. This would not be bad, since it would also provide more passenger room.

I'm thinking I can get a spare mount plate and attach it to the Suzuki rack to offset the topcase. Anyone done this?

I went for a ride with just the E21's today, and did not feel they were too wide. They are about 31" installed. My soft bags were about 28", so it feels about the same, although more secure. Here's one more picture of what I hope it will look like soon.

IMG_0840.jpg


Didn't have to lower the Yosh pipe either, as there was plenty of clearance.

I'm too far in to give up now...
 
Keep in mind that if you move the topcase rearward you put a lot more stress on everything as well. It also tends to make handling worse as well.

I don't know if the E21 ended up much narrower than other options (if at all). I never considered them as they were way too small for me. I have E41s on mine and I have never had an issue with their width.

Now if I lived in California and was lane splitting all the time I'd end up riding with no sidecases while in town.
 
I run 21's on my klr for daily driver stuff, theyre good enough for around town but a bit small for multiday trips. so I switch to the 36's and im good. Ive got a plate made for the rear givi box(one of the 36's or a 45 depending on need) to add capacity on long runs or if im going to be out of town on the bike for a week or 2 or more.

I do like the top open/no stuff falling out design of the 21's just need them to be maybe 30 litres.
 
Max get the bags that go inside that will help with the falling out headaches! I got them with my used bags that I bought from another forum's member they help tons!
 
probably what i need to do, some 2 section like carla keiffer used to make for bmw/concours would be best, I dont think my chain lube and spare quart of oil would mix well with the groceries or my clothing. I generally put the clothing in garbage bags for road trips so the grime and funk in my bags dont get into them but a more permanant solution would be better. that and making some external storage for the spare tubes/oil/lube would help matters even more but im lazy when im not working 6-7 days a week. maybe over break this winter Ill find something to do with it.
 
Givi makes them that fit the boxes not sure on name/part number or limit but they came with my used ones! :)
 
Tazman2 said:
Givi makes them that fit the boxes not sure on name/part number or limit but they came with my used ones! :)
Click to expand...

Liners for E-21's? I guess that would be kinda cool. I have some carrying bags that came with some Sketchers shoes that seem about the right size. And the price was right!

So I got my new Givi top plate mount yesterday and got it mounted to the Suzuki rear rack. The mount plate is made of plastic, but seems sturdy enough. I was able to move the top box back about 3 inches to allow the E-21's to open. The installed width of the E-21's on the bike is 31". I do find that they are tall, and will probably get boot-scuffed in no time.

I'll be riding to work this week, so will put them to the test for lane-splitting. Should be about the same as my previous Cortech soft bags. I just hope I don't find I liked the soft bags better!
 
Just thought I'd finish this project in case anyone looks for it in the future.

I got the Givi top box plate mounted to the Suzuki rack. It was fairly straightforward, but somewhat difficult due to the existing holes in the rack I decided to use. Hard to get the nuts to go on the long-ish bolts. Probably would have been quicker to just drill a few more holes in the rack, but the install is clean and sturdy. Here, you can see the top plate as mounted, and can see that it has moved the top case back around 4". This gives me clearance so the E-21's can open. The dimpled plastic merely covers the mounting holes in the top plate to the rack.

Givitopplatemounted2.jpg


While I was at it, I decided to test if a larger side case could be installed on the existing racks. I used the top box as a test subject.

TopboxsidewithE21other.jpg


Here's another shot. You can see the difference in bulk between a larger case and the E-21's. If I were going on a multi-week trip, I might spring for something like the Bestem or JC Whitney cases for the sides.

Anyone know if Bestem/Whitney cases fit the standard Givi mounting system? I know from my old V-Strom they are similar, but don't know if they are an exact fit. This presumed compatibility was one of the reasons I went with the E-21's and the Givi rack instead of the PLX system which only allows the use of the V-35 side cases.

topboxonside.jpg



Overall I'm pretty pleased with the results. It's a compromise between functionality, practicality, cost, and appearance. I really preferred the look of the Suzuki V-35 side bags with the red covers, but really felt they would not be practical on LA freeways, nor did I really want to spend the cash to get them. I figure with the more generic E-21's I can always sell them if this arrangement doesn't work out, or if I move to another bike in the future. So I have the size of the soft bags with the security and water resistance of the hard luggage.

PS: I got the lock kit from Twisted Throttle to key all three bags alike, so I only have two keys on my key ring. This does make a difference when the keys are mounted in the ignition switch and bouncing around. They were easy to install and reasonably priced, so I think I am done with this project. Well, I might put some reflectors on the bags, but that's no big deal.

Bob
 
be careful trying that out at high speed suzuki doesn't offer a monokey mount for these bikes for fear of high speed instability with bigger boxes and heavier loads. Moving the center back could make. Any existing instability worse. I have givi lugs added to the stock Suzuki rack with a 36 or 45 liter box and can feel it go out of sorts above 85 or so. Not terribly but its there. Be careful testing it out.
 
max1138 said:
be careful trying that out at high speed suzuki doesn't offer a monokey mount for these bikes for fear of high speed instability with bigger boxes and heavier loads. Moving the center back could make. Any existing instability worse. I have givi lugs added to the stock Suzuki rack with a 36 or 45 liter box and can feel it go out of sorts above 85 or so. Not terribly but its there. Be careful testing it out.
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean. Here the GSX1250FA is offered with the Kappa V35 equivalents plus a monokey topbox, and the GSF was offered in the UK as the GT and in Canada as the SEA with the same setup (albeit V35s and a V46 equivalent). No manufacturer recommends speeds over 80mph with bags
 
I've had my set up of PLX Givi sidecases and monokey E45 topbox for the last two years on the PLXs and one year on the E45. Have been up to 126 mph with them fully loaded with no problems. This is with a loaded tankbag also in place. Wanted full touring load for test. This was just slowly bringing up the speed to test stability for the bike and not my normal travel speed. I just wanted to not have a surprise in the future. Bike was very solid at this speed even weaving it around a bit.
 
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