To Buy Or Not To Buy - That Is The Question. Givi E41 Hard Case

[marriedman]

Hey guys, I need some experienced opinions. I have a line on a pair of Givi e41Monokey hard cases for $200. The only thing wrong with them is that there is a small bit of rash on the right side from a driveway drop and some touring stickers on them. They are supposedly still water tight. I know the price is good and I will still need to get the mounting kit.

My quandary is this; I already have nice Silverstone soft saddlebags. Would it be better to get a topcase and mounting kit and continue to use my soft luggage? Or should I grab these cases and sell my soft bags to recoup the money? I figure you guys with more touring experience would have some insights to help me make the decision.

I mainly use my bike for commuting and errands. I take day trips on the weekends, but I want to take much longer trips in the near future. Any advice or opinions appreciated!

[YoshiHNS]

I have the wingrack II on my 98 with E45s. I still have my softbags, but only in case they're needed for the 96 or the 07. Otherwise, they are not used anymore.

If I had to live with one, it would be the hard bags.

[Polarbear]

Hard cases usually make better frame sliders...

C

PS They're usually more water tight too.

[Havagan]

Hardcases over soft any time.

[2thdr]

Hard is good, Soft can be bad depending. But I vote for hard cases. So much easier to use, load, and secure with locks. Leaving my luggage on the bike with valuables inside is not an issue. And yeah, I've used mine as tip over protection unfortunately!!

[V-FORE]

Hard cases usually make better frame sliders...

C

PS They're usually more water tight too.

Thanks for the laugh this morning! I would vote Hard, since it is a great buy, you can always use the soft bags for another bike that would be a way to justify another bike....That is what I did....Plus the top box can be used for either one....

[marriedman]

I agree that hard cases are almost always going to be better than the soft, however the $200 I spend on the side cases can go towards the purchase of a topcase and mounting kit. So I guess the real question is top case or hard side luggage?

[YoshiHNS]

So you either have a hard top and soft sides, or hard sides and no top.

If your bags are big enough, I'd go with the hard top. More bags are always better than less. Plus, I still liked how I could keep my soft saddle bags velcro-ed together and just sling them on my shoulder. Much easier to carry them that way than having to deal with two giant side cases.

[2thdr]

I would vote for hard sides because the only time I put on the topcase is when I need gobs of storage. The reason...topcase can act like a sail and cause high speed handling issues. Side cases never do that. So you could buy a cheap waterproof duffel to strap across the back seat when you need more storage. Less of a sail and better weight distribution. Topcase puts the weight way out beyond the rear axle and high COG.

[EhViffer]

Had this Givi 40 litre waterproof bag across back of saddle as well as two OEM hard cases and it worked great on a long three week trip last summer.

[Duc2V4]

I'd get the top case first and save up for the hard cases. I have a GIVI E55 and a GIVI T480 tank bag that both hold quite a bit and it works for me for my typical commutting needs. I once used both bags to hold a weekends set of luggage for the wife and I. That's 2 carry-on bags and emergency supplies in just the two bags! The only concern is the actual weight of what you carry, I beleive that the limit for the GIVI top case is somewhere between 20-25lbs.

[smoothsailin]

For what it's worth I recently discovered and ordered a set of side arms for mounting a top case to my 5th-generation from tourandride.com. (Note: per forum rules I'm not posting a direct link, so you'll need to access the seller's webpage and search for Kappa KZ257 Monorack sidearms)..

Last time I checked these are still on sale @ 10% off for $85.86 w/free shipping..I also received another 5% off by entering coupon code pd2013 at checkout which lowered my final cost to $81.57. However, I don't know if the code is still active since I placed my order in late February.

The same seller also offers Kappa mounting hardware for side cases (KL257 @ ~ $125) if you're interested, along with what appear to be nearly identical (but higher-priced) Givi mounting hardware for a 5th-generation. There are a variety of top and side-cases from several manufacturers available from the seller as well.

I was pleased by the qualify of the Kappa sidearms and mounting them was a relatively painless process. Last week I purchased a new top-of-the-line Coocase V36 top box discovered on E-Bay for $99 (MSRP $250) w/free shipping-less a $10% discount I received for signing up with and paying via PayPal BillMeLater. UPS delivered the case yesterday and it appears to be well-constructed with good-quality materials. Included with the case is a a soft inner liner, mounting plate w/wiring harness & hardware, LED brake lights, a keyless remote w/two keys and even a alarm! Unfortunately, the seller I purchased from appears to have sold out of them...at least for now.

Note that I also have a Tourmaster Tri-Bag magnetic tank bag setup consisting of a magnetic base, one small and one large tankbag, vinyl map case & rain cover. The two tank bags, the map case & the magnetic base may all be zipped together to form one huge bag, or each component may used individually w/the magnetic base when less storage capacity is needed. Most of the time I only use the smaller tank bag & map case along w/the magnetic base.

I also have a set of Tourmaster sport saddlebags purchased in like-new condition for less than 1/2 MSRP from a local seller on craigslist. Although this is also a nice set of soft luggage, I don't use it very often due to fear that my 98's still-glossy paint could become scratched or dulled by dust that can become trapped under the bags' foam pads.

[Havagan]

I went the top case only route -- and it's on the bike constantly. I use it for my helmet and change of clothes when I commute to work; it carries water and snacks and rain gear on my weekend rides, and it has plenty of room for groceries should I be ordered to pick something up on the way home. It's also my restaurant car for long trips.

I read another post about it putting too much weight rearward of the axle but I never found that to be a problem even with 25+ pounds of gear back there and I've done 130 mph with the case loaded and never had a problem.

But, everyone has different needs.

Paul

[marriedman]

Well, I talked to the boss lady. Know what she said?

SOQS: "Well duh, get the hard cases and sell the soft bags. Then buy the topcase when you find it on sale"

MM: Is this a trick? What did you buy that you haven't told me about?

SOQS: No, no trick. That's a heck of a deal. You love your bike and you aren't going to give it up anytime soon. We have the money now and may not later. Go get it.

MM: ...

[2thdr]

I went the top case only route -- and it's on the bike constantly. I use it for my helmet and change of clothes when I commute to work; it carries water and snacks and rain gear on my weekend rides, and it has plenty of room for groceries should I be ordered to pick something up on the way home. It's also my restaurant car for long trips.

I read another post about it putting too much weight rearward of the axle but I never found that to be a problem even with 25+ pounds of gear back there and I've done 130 mph with the case loaded and never had a problem.

But, everyone has different needs.

Paul

Yeah, but what is your rider weight? Mine is about 165lbs and I'm small 5'7". Start getting much weight out back and high up and handling at speed is not consistent. If you are 200+ 6 ft + then it's not going to make as much diff.

[marriedman]

Good point about weight. I am a fat@ss. Better to keep the COG low.

[timmythecop]

200 bucks for anything that says Givi on it isn't bad.

[Havagan]

Yeah, but what is your rider weight? Mine is about 165lbs and I'm small 5'7". Start getting much weight out back and high up and handling at speed is not consistent. If you are 200+ 6 ft + then it's not going to make as much diff.

Yep, that's why I included the caveat "But, everyone has different needs."

Good point about weight. I am a fat@ss. Better to keep the COG low.

Ditto. The 25+ out back is nothing compared to me, gear, and camping supplies.

Paul

[marriedman]

Well I got them. Took them home and promptly dropped one taking it out of the car and gave it a scuff. Dammit!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

[marriedman]

It was late when I got home last night and I didn't feel like getting on the computer. But I wanted to show a picture of the case I got for a measly $200

This was before I dropped one of them. Dammit. Oh well, I just got the first scuff out of the way so I won't have to worry about it anymore.

[2thdr]

Me likey...keyless!

[DFerrell]

Like this???

I don't like top cases on the vfr, they are way high and behind the rear wheel. This worked well for me on a 2500 mile trip.

[MaxSwell]

They do serve well as sliders also!