Riding with a Top Box....

Off-topic
1

I never really had one before, usually made do with nets, bungee cords, rucksacks etc.

Finally got a massive 46 litre top box for the GS500 as I will be without a car for at least a year and figured it might make life easier.

It is freaking me out! Every time I check my mirrors I catch a glimpse of the edges of the box and think a car is right up my backside, and takes me a second to realise that it is the edge of the top box.

Got to say though, I am loving it already. Packed all the crap that is usually shoved in my coat pockets into the top box and was a lot more comfortable without the disclock pressing into my hip, managed to put a carry bag of shopping in there and not have to have it in my coat because I forgot to pick up the backpack. I can definitely see big advantages to having it…right nice one that comes off the back of the bike with click of a lever.

2

I had one on the back of my old Yamaha Diversion XJ600s. They’re a good thing to have on a touring type of bike, but look terrible on a sports bike. I used to see the edges in the mirrors as well, but after a couple of runs on the bike I grew accustomed to it. I did notice it made a slight difference to the bikes performance though when I was on the Motorway or ‘making haste’ on an ‘A’ road. The front end would feel slightly lighter if the box was full and make the handle bars shake slightly. If we went on a bike run over the weekend, I’d try and leave the top box at the B&B or a m8s house so that I could enjoy the run more, but if not, it wasn’t a major problem as you get used to the difference.

Overall though, ‘yes’ they’re a greater asset than problem. :smiley:

3

mine helps with everything (not being able to drive a car)
i had to get used to mine and adjust my mirrors slightly when i fitted it on…
but i never leave the house without mine if im using the bike. :slight_smile: my chain and disc lock lives in my top box… lol

but as jools said, its strange when its full and heavy. its how i learnt to pop the front of the bike up :smiley:

4

You’ll get used to it, and once you do riding without on it freaky.

5

There’s a lot of debate about top boxes - must say, I have a tank bag atm but am finding that harder to steer when it’s full, plus soft luggage attached to the pillion seat means it’s hard to get on and off the bike and I have to spent ages bungee-ing it on. So am tempted by a top box - they are very useful - but the Triple is so much prettier without one…it’s a hard call :slight_smile:

6

I have one on the busa when er in doors is on the back, cant see it the mirrors, if you can see your box in your mirrors you need to move them out a bit, simple, end of problem.:slight_smile:

7

i got mine on the bird and got me some of them little mirrors that you stick on

so i can see wider very good, dont matter what it looks like, i use tank bag

sometimes too, i out the sat nav in the top clear bit that works too :smiley:

8

Same here, I think I’ve got the same box as you. I also have 20mm mirror extenders which push the mirrors a bit further out but that’s more to do with my arms getting in the way.

Never had a handling problem on the busa with the top box :slight_smile: It just gets on with the job :slight_smile: Even at 140+ with pillion it’s rock solid.

9

+1 no probs here to, not that we would do 140+ on british highways tho:a.:smiley:

10

I have a geek box on my Work bike, I love them, have done since my despatch days. Once I managed to fit £137 of grocerys on my bike and most of that in the top box…awsome! get rid of the bags it’s like some 3D jigsaw to fit in. It says do not exceed 5KG but seriously an extra bungee over the top to hold her steady and away we go…:smiley:

Like they said above, once you’ve topboxed you can’t stop and life will seem wierd if you don’t have one.

11

never had a problem wiv topbox or panniers or wiv er indoors on the back…bike still hits warp speed when required :D:D:D

12

46 liter…thats small!

my old work bike one was fair old size, i used to forget sometimes and go round buses etc in traffic…BBAAAANG!..wtf whas that???:w00t:

took many a wing mirror off, clipped the back of many buses!

but yeh you get used to it:)

13

I use a tank bag and soft panniers on the ZX6 and they’re fine. If I extend the panniers out I can’t filter through gaps not much wider than me though so I tend to keep them small but still manage to carry loads! :smiley:

14

Top boxes and panniers seem to have differing effects on different bikes.

On my old BMW RS airhead, the straight line handling went to the dogs at 70/80 with the big panniers but was fine with a huge rucksack on the seat and carrier. I just needed a stool to mount up.

If I stick much weight on the carrier of my trail bike the straight line handling goes at about 60/70 but large panniers don’t seem to cause much of a problem.

15

Had a top box on my old bike, when I sold it, just bought a new rack, and fitted to the new bike.

Looks ok on a sports tourer. As I have mirror extenders anyway, no problem, so if the mirrors go through, the top box goes through.

However when you have over 20kg in it, slow tight manovering can be fun

16

always had a topbox so doesnt bother me… it does spoil the look of the bike tho :Whistling:

another thing you might notice is that the topbox affect the steering abit… makes it abit more prone to slight waving :w00t:

17

Got used to mine pretty quickly, although I got a smaller 35lt one which is better for commuting – can’t see it in the mirrors and it doesn’t clip car mirrors (yet :w00t:).

I went years avoiding one due to ‘image’ concerns :cool:, but now I wouldn’t be without it. I might try and find a larger one that fits on the same brackets for when I’m not commuting as the 35lt is a bit limiting when going away for weekends.