Hard luggage experiences and recommendations - 5th Gen around Australia

I've been on this forum for about a month now and have found it a great community with a friendly vibe (unlike some other forums!). This is my first question post so please be gentle. I've done a search on this topic and unfortunately haven't come up with anything that directly answers the question, so hopefully I'm not doubling up a topic!

I am planning an all-around Australia tour for later this year or 2014 - solo trip, sealed roads with some inland routes. No set schedule, it will be open ended as far as duration is concerned.

I am thinking of getting the Hepco-Becker Junior hard luggage set - 40L panniers and 55L top box. They are pretty much the biggest you can get in that range. I want to go big so I can carry extra water and camping gear, and some 'Around Australia' touring forums have expressed concerns with leaving unsecured items on a parked vehicle in some remote locations.

Question: do any of you think there is a point where hard luggage is "too big" for the 5th Gen? Should I be going for something smaller? Handling / stability issues? Or Givi / Shad / other brands better? Any reports on cracked subframes / rack mounts? FYI I intend to stick within the Honda weight carrying guidelines.

Thanks in advance.

 

The OP is looking for hard luggages for the 5th Gen
Anyone out there have the set up please chimp in.:tongue:

 

Hello,

I have a Givi system on my 5th gen. The side bags are 45L and the top I would guess is 35L. I quite like these and use them all the time but I have not loaded up heavy yet as I've only owned the bike since June 1, 2013. See my photos, it has the bags on. The bags lock and are easy to remove and become suitcases. I easily put my helmet and gloves in the top case with room to spare.

BumbleBee99

PS: They do make the bike fairly wide.

 

:welcome: to the madness
Make yourself like at home and enjoy your read on VFRW :thumbsup:

 

Hey Azi

As you have been of great assistance in regards to one of my questions recently (thanks for the help with my horn issue by the way) I feel it only fair to offer up some info in return. I don't have any side cases for my VFR but I have a Givi E52 top case (52L capacity) and this thing will easily hold two full face helmets, my repairmans plate from work, gloves and my sons biking jacket and still has a bit of room to spare. It's only fair to mention that my son is only almost 6, so his jacket is not exactly huge, but it does fit. The only thing I would say I have noticed about driving around with the top case in the last couple months is that the bike is a bit more succeptible to wind (especially cross winds). I have also noticed that when I am riding around solo, there seems to be a bit of turbulence behind me that tends to put the top case in unstable air and sometimes the rear end gets a little twitchy (sort of like riding with a passenger that is always moving around a lot). When I am riding with my son or my wife, the turbulence extends further back on the bike and I don't notice the bike feeling as twitchy. My only guess is that as the air goes over the screen and over and around my torso the wind vortex behind me hits right where the top case sits. The twitchiness is by no means frightening but sometimes, especially in strong winds or at higher speeds (in excess of 110 km/h) the bike can get tossed around a bit. The fact that the weight is also higher than the top of the tank and behind the center line of the rear wheel, the extra weight of the case and contents will catch the wind a bit more.

My boss has the E52 top case and 35L side bags and he has a huge amount of storage capacity. One thing I would mention is that the larger the side bags the more reduced your cornering clearance may be and the greater the overall width will become. The Givi cases are really stout and lockable and when installed on the rack seem very secure. Be aware of the extra width of the bike with the side bags on since they stick out a fair bit and beware when you shoulder check as the bags wind up in your peripheral vision and can scare the shit of you (ask me how I know this one). After all Azi, we don't want to see videos of your vacation afterwards that look anything like this..... LOL

Lolo tombe dans le Port de Saint Martin en Ré en Yamaha FJR 1300 - YouTube

Hope you have an excellent trip and have a great time. Oh, and by the way "You Suck". Only because you live in Australia and you are taking a motorcycle tour of said country. Both of which I have always wanted to do myself. LOL

 

Thank you everyone for your replies - all greatly appreciated. Good to hear that the 45L side bags will make it very wide, and that an E52 will possibly make it unstable in crosswinds etc.

I am currently using a Ventura rack system on the VFR. I also happen to have a pair of E21 cases on another bike that could be utilised.

Does anyone know if the Givi PL257 sidecase hardware can be mounted by itself, or do you need to get the 257FZ monorack as well?

 

I just purchased a set of Givi racks for my 5 gen and yes you need both because the side rack attaches to the back rack. I have a set of pl41 side bags and they are big and bulky and a 35 liter tail bag and they can get pretty heavy when loaded. I went camping with mine and had the bags and a large bag on the back seat loaded and although you can feel the weight the bike still handles well. I even think better in strong winds the weight helps keep the bike stable

 

I have the E21's too and love the size of them. When I ordered them the supplier on the phone said "...E21's? Are you sure? I have had so many returned as people think they are way too small!"
I don't want to carry my house around on short trips so a box that can hold a bike jacket and a pair of trousers or a bag of clothes and shoes is perfect. I wouldn't like any bigger personally as me loves to filter too much

 

Hey Azi

Hopefully my earlier post did not cause fear over the use of an E52 case on the top rack. As I mentioned, the only thing that the case appears to do is catch more wind than the bike normally would because there is larger surface area for the wind to grab. Whenever I have had someone else on the back with me, the bike feels perfectly fine with no wind issues at all. Any time you add luggage to the back of the bike there will be a larger surface area for the wind to push on (especially cross winds) so the bike will be more suceptible to wind. I think part of the reason I noticed the "twitchiness" (I was having a hard time thinking of a word to describe what I felt) is that the feeling of the bike moving around a bit more in the wind was not there prior to attaching the top case. The movement might be there regardless of the size of the case, and I think that with side cases as well, the feeling might be completely different and as Jerritt mentioned the added weight on the bike should help make the bike feel more stable. Since the bike is heavier it will take more pressure to move it around.

Unless you were exactly the same size person, with the same jacket, suspension setup, wheel and tires, accessories like windscreens, etc, etc, etc, you might not feel the same effects on your bike that I do. I guess what I am trying to say is that you should only be aware that the handling of the bike may change with the addition of luggage from what you are used to and thus you need only be prepared. Sort of like riding with a passenger, when they move, or even when they are just sitting there perfectly still, you notice the effect it has on the way the bike responds. Same thing can be said for luggage, it will stick out in the wind more and thus may change the way the bike responds, even if ever so slightly.

Just be prepared and ride safe and try to be conscious of how much weight you are adding to the bike and where it is going. As example, larger and heavier items would be better installed in the side cases so that they are closer to the bikes center of gravity and thus have a lesser effect on the bikes handling.

I hope you have a great trip and a fantastic time and my only real regret is that I don't live nearby. Otherwise I might ask to join you.

All the best

Bill

 

I have a GIVI Wingrack 2 with a pair of the 52 litre sidecases. They have tons of room for my gear. I just did a 5 day tour and one sidecase fit all my clothes and the other sidecase fit all my camping gear. The unused top part where a 3rd rack might go doubles well as a place to strap or bungee additional camping gear. The hardcases are worth it when it starts raining, and you see everyone else putting their stuff in plastic bags. They are expensive, but earn their money back and then some the first time you do some serious touring. They do widen the bike a bit, and make it have hips like Oprah Winfrey, so you do have to watch your clearance when parking, getting gas or whatever. But now that I have them, I cannot imagine touring without them.

 

I bought the Givi V46 and have a bagster tanks cover and bag, I want to go the side case from givi but I have a staintune night rise I need to adjust to fit the right side case. I like to put it like this, Givi cars will transfer to a new bike when u sell so e brackets is all you need to buy again and the old should sell on eBay or maybe even this site. I plan to invest in a set again soon, my dad used to say, you never waste money when you spend it on yourself. You live once, ride enjoy be free. Embrace the brotherhood of man, oh, and a motorcycle. Happy riding.

 

Preach it vfroz!

 

Late to this party, but I'll chime in anyhow.

I've got the Givi E21's as well and have used them for a couple of seasons. I typically do a handful of weekenders each season (typically hotels) and a couple of longer trips.

I find it quite easy to pack one bag with bike stuff (tools, emergency supplies, rain gear, etc) and pack 3-5 days of personal stuff (clothing, toiletries, snacks) in the other bag. The rounded contour sometimes makes it hard to optimize, but its no big deal.

While riding, I don't notice any difference in the way the bike operates. The bags are also within the width of the handlebars, so if you can get the front through a space, the rear will fit also.

With the substantially larger bags (40+ L) I would definitely expect some performance (balance) impact and more effort to tip through the twisties. My guess is that the rear will be wider than the front, which may or may not lead to some "Aw Sh*t!" moments.

My advice is to keep the side bags smaller on the side and augment with a larger top case. If anything else, this gives you a ton of flexibility for future use. I like your potenital adventure and would say that you'd be amazed at how much space 40-60L really is.

Cheers!

 

As far as subframe stability-I have carried approx 100 pounds combined in the 3 bags for hundreds of miles with no visible stress on the subframe. It is made to carry two full size adults, so I don't see luggage being an issue.

 

I have the givi setup for the side and top bags 4th gen. I have complete rack systems for 3rd gen (tube style) and 5th Gen Givi setup.

Rack mounts - $240.00 shipped
E460 rear trunk, has Givi rack on top of it. - $180.00 shipped
E21 bags $ 130.00 shipped (slight scrtches on one) another set like new $140.00)

shipped in the usa

have other parts to as needed for the 4th gen.

Thanks Brian

 

Brian need the fund for TJ trip
I am sure many of you need the set up to haull your stuff around. Come and take these luggages of his hand so he can come with me to Mexico
arty2:arty2:arty2:arty2:arty2:arty2:arty2: