Top Boxes

[alleykat]

I'm thinking of putting a top box on my Yamaha Spark Rx135i. Are there templates available?

Or do they fabricate the mounts from scratch? The shop I bought it from didn't seem interested.

Should I try Yamaha Square perhaps?

Does anyone have any idea of cost of the labour to mount it, and the cost of the actual box?

[woraphat]

Hello alleykat.

I am not sure I understand what you ask. We sell top boxes but all that we sell come with the template. The boxes actually engage and disengage from the template for easy removal of the box while the template stays in place on the bike. The template bolts to the tail rack or luggage rack. Is it a rack that you search for or is the box really without the template? If it indeed came without the template, maybe you should return it and find another shop that offers the box with the template. All of the shops I see that sell the boxes have the templates included in the deal. The ones I see come from the manufacturer with the template.

[alleykat]

Thanks Woraphat.

I've just been doing the rounds of the motorbike shops. As you say, the templates to mount them come with the box. However I am talking about the actual frame that is bolted onto the bike. It seems that with most bikes the original rear grab rail is removed. Apparently the frame (they were calling it 'stand'), needs to be ordered from Bangkok, 700 baht.

I have seen three different brands of boxes.The cheapest being 1500 baht, up to 3900 baht. Shadbox & GIVI? I think thats the right name. They seem to be the two msot common brands. Most have big red rear reflector lenses, one model has a red light, but looking around town at bikes that have them, the red plastic lenses seem to deteriorate fairly quickly. Any recommendations as to which brand?

[woraphat]

Hello alleykat.

I cannot recommend a brand to buy. It depends very much on what a person wants and expects. However, there are some unbranded models out there that are absolute junk and I can't think of anyone who would want them, regardless of cost or savings. There are also some unbranded models which are pretty good and are good value. A quick inspection of any of them will sort out the junk from the acceptable.

I'll see if I can run down a tail rack for you. If I can, I will let you know who has it, where it is and what it costs.

[thaicbr]

well.. givi shop and thai motor box make racks for your bike.

http://www.thaimotorbox.com/product_fitmentkit_monorack.php?page=1&pagenum=3

http://www.gtautobike.com/?lang=th

Just make sure that the rack they sell you will fit... The Cbr250 one i got from thaimotobox was to short so had to return it (after 5 emails of hassle) Another rack that a friend got for his Nouvo was perfect though.

[ttakata]

I suggest you get a genuine Shad or Givi as they are made of polypropelene.

Polypropelene won't fade or crack like the cheap copycats made of ABS that fades/shatters after sitting in the sun too long.

The fiberglass one's should be durable but they'll be heavy and the latches may not stand up well.

Most people would call your "template" a "baseplate" and the "frame/stand" a "tail rack".

Besides the above Givi shops, Dr. Bike in Bangkok sells the Shad topbins.

[alleykat]

Does anyone know anything about the cheaper KTM brand of box? They have a dull matt black model as well as the shiny black plastic ones.

[SumetCycle]

We have a few different types of top boxes here at Sumet. The Shad is the best quality and the most expensive. It can also be removed from the base plate. The other two are cheaper and are fixed on the base plate. If you are interested in any of these, just send me a PM. We can ship anywhere in Thailand. Best of luck.

Brian

[ttakata]

That Shad 40 on the right is the exact one I have on my Nouvo 135.

It's awesome, still going strong after 2.5 years of sitting outside and 7000Kms!

You're not supposed to put too much weight in any of these but I've filled it with beers and sodas on short trips with no problem.

In hindsight I would consider a bigger bin if I could do it over.

You'll appreciate the largest size possible without hitting car mirrors when you split lanes.

I also have a Givi Maxia 55 but its simply too wide for a scooter and turns out to be crap for off roading on my DTX250.

I also had a Givi E30 but the Shad has a better handle design.

[alleykat]

That Shad 40 on the right is the exact one I have on my Nouvo 135.

It's awesome, still going strong after 2.5 years of sitting outside and 7000Kms!

You're not supposed to put too much weight in any of these but I've filled it with beers and sodas on short trips with no problem.

In hindsight I would consider a bigger bin if I could do it over.

You'll appreciate the largest size possible without hitting car mirrors when you split lanes.

I also have a Givi Maxia 55 but its simply too wide for a scooter and turns out to be crap for off roading on my DTX250.

I also had a Givi E30 but the Shad has a better handle design.

I thought the GIVI had a better handle design? It can be carried like a suitcase.

Can the Shad be removed fairly easily? I mean without having to undo nuts & bolts.

I'm thinking of transfering it between bikes on occasions. But not so easy that thieves can be away with it Are there some models that can only be removed easily if one has the key?

Shad 40 seems big for a Nouvo.I thought a 30L seemed plenty big enough for my Spark.

Can you remember the price of yours?

Sorry for all the questions. But I like to have most of the answers before I buy something, and most of you will realise how hard it is getting answers to these kinds of questions at the shops here.

Funnily enough, one motorbike shop that only had Shads for sale at the time told me that GIVI were better quality.

[SumetCycle]

That Shad 40 on the right is the exact one I have on my Nouvo 135.

It's awesome, still going strong after 2.5 years of sitting outside and 7000Kms!

You're not supposed to put too much weight in any of these but I've filled it with beers and sodas on short trips with no problem.

In hindsight I would consider a bigger bin if I could do it over.

You'll appreciate the largest size possible without hitting car mirrors when you split lanes.

I also have a Givi Maxia 55 but its simply too wide for a scooter and turns out to be crap for off roading on my DTX250.

I also had a Givi E30 but the Shad has a better handle design.

I thought the GIVI had a better handle design? It can be carried like a suitcase.

Can the Shad be removed fairly easily? I mean without having to undo nuts & bolts.

I'm thinking of transfering it between bikes on occasions. But not so easy that thieves can be away with it Are there some models that can only be removed easily if one has the key?

Shad 40 seems big for a Nouvo.I thought a 30L seemed plenty big enough for my Spark.

Can you remember the price of yours?

Sorry for all the questions. But I like to have most of the answers before I buy something, and most of you will realise how hard it is getting answers to these kinds of questions at the shops here.

Funnily enough, one motorbike shop that only had Shads for sale at the time told me that GIVI were better quality.

The Shad can also be carried like a suitcase. I've been using a SH 40 for about a year now. I am very happy with it.

To mount it on a Nouvo, a metal rack would be placed where your grab bar is located. A base plate would then be bolted to the rack. The box then attaches to the base plate. The box can only be removed from the base plate with a key.

You could also use the box on more than one bike, but you would need to have a base plate and rack on the other bike.

I've sent you a PM with more details. Thanks.

Brian

[thaicbr]

That Shad 40 on the right is the exact one I have on my Nouvo 135.

It's awesome, still going strong after 2.5 years of sitting outside and 7000Kms!

You're not supposed to put too much weight in any of these but I've filled it with beers and sodas on short trips with no problem.

In hindsight I would consider a bigger bin if I could do it over.

You'll appreciate the largest size possible without hitting car mirrors when you split lanes.

I also have a Givi Maxia 55 but its simply too wide for a scooter and turns out to be crap for off roading on my DTX250.

I also had a Givi E30 but the Shad has a better handle design.

I thought the GIVI had a better handle design? It can be carried like a suitcase.

Can the Shad be removed fairly easily? I mean without having to undo nuts & bolts.

I'm thinking of transfering it between bikes on occasions. But not so easy that thieves can be away with it Are there some models that can only be removed easily if one has the key?

Shad 40 seems big for a Nouvo.I thought a 30L seemed plenty big enough for my Spark.

Can you remember the price of yours?

Sorry for all the questions. But I like to have most of the answers before I buy something, and most of you will realise how hard it is getting answers to these kinds of questions at the shops here.

Funnily enough, one motorbike shop that only had Shads for sale at the time told me that GIVI were better quality.

The Shad can also be carried like a suitcase. I've been using a SH 40 for about a year now. I am very happy with it.

To mount it on a Nouvo, a metal rack would be placed where your grab bar is located. A base plate would then be bolted to the rack. The box then attaches to the base plate. The box can only be removed from the base plate with a key.

You could also use the box on more than one bike, but you would need to have a base plate and rack on the other bike.

I've sent you a PM with more details. Thanks.

Brian

Brian. hope you and the shop are well after the flooding.. what rack options are available for the Cbr250 now.. anything new/better?

[ttakata]

You guys pretty much covered alleykat's questions since I can't recall what I paid Dr.Bike for my Shad.

Since the Shad 40 is far narrower than the handlebars and my shoulders, I've only scraped a car mirror once but I was diagonal walking the scoot through traffic.

I have a much greater chance of knocking my kickstarter or muffler on a car than the Shad (whoops to a few cars in BKK).

I had a Givi E30 and it can fit a full helmet but not much else.

The stupid latch for the top half is poorly designed.

It's a pain to unlatch and latch and wastes your time.

It's even possible to lock it unlatched so expect stuff flying out of your bin unless you're religious about closing it properly.

If either bin is unlocked someone can walk away with it.

The Shad 40 holds a full helmet and my jacket and gloves and the little rack on top is good to bungee light stuff to like 30 packs of toilet paper or paper towels.

Locking it is intuitive and I have never had it fail.

I can even cram a 17" laptop encased in a minimal sleeve into the Shad.

FYI, the Givi E55 is an overpriced piece of junk, I liked the Givi E30 more.

Only the main black parts are polypropelene.

The silver perimeter/accent pieces are ABS and mine have cracked.

Not sure what the faux tailights are made of but its brittle plastic too.

My E55 was absolutely locked the first day I used it and it opened itself up over some big bumps and I lost a 1000 baht worth of keys that way.

I looked inside to find a very poorly designed plastic locking mechanism that is expected to hold the top down.

<deleted>!?, its Givi's largest/heaviest lid and they use a plastic lock mechanism.

I never use it anymore but since its all cosmetically cracked, I can't sell it either.

Sidi Boots needs to buy Givi and teach them how to design functional stuff.

[SumetCycle]

That Shad 40 on the right is the exact one I have on my Nouvo 135.

It's awesome, still going strong after 2.5 years of sitting outside and 7000Kms!

You're not supposed to put too much weight in any of these but I've filled it with beers and sodas on short trips with no problem.

In hindsight I would consider a bigger bin if I could do it over.

You'll appreciate the largest size possible without hitting car mirrors when you split lanes.

I also have a Givi Maxia 55 but its simply too wide for a scooter and turns out to be crap for off roading on my DTX250.

I also had a Givi E30 but the Shad has a better handle design.

I thought the GIVI had a better handle design? It can be carried like a suitcase.

Can the Shad be removed fairly easily? I mean without having to undo nuts & bolts.

I'm thinking of transfering it between bikes on occasions. But not so easy that thieves can be away with it Are there some models that can only be removed easily if one has the key?

Shad 40 seems big for a Nouvo.I thought a 30L seemed plenty big enough for my Spark.

Can you remember the price of yours?

Sorry for all the questions. But I like to have most of the answers before I buy something, and most of you will realise how hard it is getting answers to these kinds of questions at the shops here.

Funnily enough, one motorbike shop that only had Shads for sale at the time told me that GIVI were better quality.

The Shad can also be carried like a suitcase. I've been using a SH 40 for about a year now. I am very happy with it.

To mount it on a Nouvo, a metal rack would be placed where your grab bar is located. A base plate would then be bolted to the rack. The box then attaches to the base plate. The box can only be removed from the base plate with a key.

You could also use the box on more than one bike, but you would need to have a base plate and rack on the other bike.

I've sent you a PM with more details. Thanks.

Brian

Brian. hope you and the shop are well after the flooding.. what rack options are available for the Cbr250 now.. anything new/better?

We were very lucky and avoided any real damage, thanks. How did you make out?

I haven't seen any new or better rack systems. I have seen some guys with some nice side panniers on their bikes though. I believe Alpine Stars makes them.

[vel_tins]

My DIY "low budget solution"...Or if you need to buy more than only a few can of beer

Works perfectly for me

Edited January 18, 2012 by vel_tins