Top Case - Does this look stupid?

I've got a 3000 mile trip coming up. I'm going to be staying at hotels the entire time. I'll be off road a lot, but I can leave the GIVI case at the hotel while I'm out.

I've got a Giant Loop Coyote. It will fit about 95% of my stuff. I've couple things like a medical kit, 2 33oz MSR bottles, and my camera, that normally I put in my camel back. Well, 3000 miles with the extra weight on my back does not sound too fun, so I thought I might use this top box. It locks, and it's waterproof, but it's kind of heavy, bulky, and I'm not sure if it looks right on the WRR.

What do you think?

You are planning on going 3000 miles on a tiny little wr250r, and you are worried about how something looks???

Function over form in this case would be my quest.

What does that case offer, besides being lockable, that a duffle bag strapped to a rack doesn't?

If the lockable "trunk" is what you need, go for it.

I wouldn't keep that thing on my bike for local commuting, but if I was going from coast to coast it might be the perfect addition.

I would not worry about looks--does it do what you need for the trip? If it were me I would be concerned in two areas. One is having it on offroad-but you say you are not going to do that. Second is weight on the subframe as I have noted in other posts, also consider where that weight is from bike balance--high CG is not good. Ride safe.

thumpjump wrote:

I've got a 3000 mile trip coming up. I'm going to be staying at hotels the entire time. I'll be off road a lot, but I can leave the GIVI case at the hotel while I'm out.

I've got a Giant Loop Coyote. It will fit about 95% of my stuff. I've couple things like a medical kit, 2 33oz MSR bottles, and my camera, that normally I put in my camel back. Well, 3000 miles with the extra weight on my back does not sound too fun, so I thought I might use this top box. It locks, and it's waterproof, but it's kind of heavy, bulky, and I'm not sure if it looks right on the WRR.

What do you think?

I guess what I really meant was... Does it look like a stupid idea?

I tried it out on the Autobahn w/topcase, and found that it creates some scary head shake around 60mph (actual). I guess the air is hitting it and creates some serious drag that is reverberating through the whole bike. I tried messing around with the suspension settings, but it didn't improve enough to feel safe.

Oh well, I guess I'll go with the Coyote and a small duffel, or maybe fashion up an old tank bag into a tail bag.

Well if you want an answer to the title of your post...hideous comes to mind. There are a lot of places something like that would fit in, but if it's causing you that much turbulence, you're smart by trashing it. Better that than dead. You could add a tank bag and a tail bag and you'd be just as well off.

It did look pretty hideous, and it turns out that it is pretty dangerous. At least others can see my pictures and story before making the same mistake. However, it would've been nice to have a little bit of security with the
top case, since I'll be going to Barcelona and Madrid. I'll just have
to keep the bike in sight until I can unload everything at a hotel.

I just tried the Giant Loop Coyote fully loaded, a dry bag, and a back pack, and no head shake up past 70mph. It's my first time using the Coyote while fully loaded, and as other have said, you can't even tell it's there.

If you're not camping, what exactly do you have packed in the GL Coyote? If its only fitting 95% of your stuff, I'd say try to cut 5% personally...

Also I don't think the case looks dorky. I wish I had one for commuting, almost.

It's a three week trip. Plus I'll be doing HUMM, which is a 3 day orienteering and dual-sport "race". Kind of like an adventure race on motorcycles. So I have to bring extra crap (maps, plenty of tools, air pump, tube, descent medical kit, MSR bottles, etc...) I'm also bringing a netbook and my DSLR, since 1) I'll need the netbook for work (I work from home) 2) I'm also traveling all around Spain before HUMM, so I want to take plenty of high quality pictures. These two items alone take up an entire compression sack. Tools, spares, riding jersey, air pump, med kit, that's another compression sack. The third sack is for my clothes and hygiene.

I got everything into the Coyote except the Frogg Toggs. They're light, but they take up a lot of room.

Ah makes sense. Get a mesh stuff sack, strap it to the outside of the GL. Thats how I keep my rain gear any more, makes it quick and easy to get to it when I need it.

Maybe if you wrap it in reflective red tape and put an orange flashing light on top, no one will notice it.

Damn, they giving the meter readers dirt bikes now?!!

I have a Givi top box on my V-Strom, which has been my primary commuting/touring bike. The first thing I did when I bought the bike is take the case off, which is about a 1.5 second operation. But then I needed to carry something, so I put it back on. I've been hard-pressed to take it off since because it's so convenient - easy as pie to get in and out of but secure enough to keep the curious out. I tried touring without it once. That was a mistake. I didn't realize how often I needed to grab something that doesn't fit in my tank bag.

I can't detect any aerodynamic penalty with the top box on (this on my V-Strom). I also don't believe there is any physical danger because of the lightweight, rounded, plastic case. I've crashed mine a number of times, sad to admit, and never been touched by the box nor suffered more than a scratch on it.

I like the Giant Loop bag a lot, think it's one of the best luggage solutions for hard riding. But it's not so easy to get in and out of nor does it attach/detach from the bike with ease. Each luggage style has it's best situational fit. The big 'ol top box looks like an excellent fit for the long range riding you described for this trip.

Try some shorter trips if you can to test your options. Have fun, it's going to be memorable.

I use the case all the time with my Tiger. There's no aerodynamic issues with that either. However the Tiger has a windshield and fairing that breaks up the air. My guess is that the air is coming around my body/over my head and hitting the top box when I'm on the WRR.

Boondocker wrote:

I can't detect any aerodynamic penalty with the top box on (this on my V-Strom). I also don't believe there is any physical danger because of the lightweight, rounded, plastic case.

It doesn't look any worse than my bike:

I have the same case on my bike. It works great for both commuting and for trips both dirt road and paved. For trails I pop it off and replace it with a Kriega US 10. Very practical. I also added some reflective stripes.

essadv wrote:

I have the same case on my bike. It works great for both commuting and for trips both dirt road and paved. For trails I pop it off and replace it with a Kriega US 10. Very practical. I also added some reflective stripes.

Got any photos of your setup?

The scene from Young Frankenstein comes to mind: "What hump?"

It really doesn't look silly. ....if you're going bowling on your dirt bike !

Heck that is a small box, I use a 48L Kappa (ne Givi) box on mine, On and Off road, hard to beat the volume (two full face helmets fit) and it's waterproof. So it looks goofy (maybe) IMHO some of the soft bags strapped on the back look silly and just plain dangerous. I have never had ANY shaking or wobble with this loaded WAY down and at WOT as well. YRMV



As always,

Ride more worry less!

I'd paint it RED and put BLACK SPOTS and stick on antennae on it ! No one would consciously hurt a LADY BUG !

Just had one of those clamshells on an 1100 mile run in Colorado where the the temperature changed every hour depending on wind and elevation.

Loved it. Used it this way:

Had bits and pieces on the bottom (map, camera, shades etc.) with a couple of pieces of clothing on top. Fleece midlayers and nylon shells are relatively light so are perfect back there (up high). The fleece vest was on and off in seconds. The clothes will also keep the bits and pieces on the bottom from sliding around yet still easy to get to.

3K run I'd looking into seat cushions. Good luck and enjoy.

Oh yeah, don't forget the first rule of packing for a trip:

Take half the clothes and twice the money.