looking for small top case/back rest

[swimmer]

I am looking for a small top case that also serves as a bit of a back rest for my gf. I'd like something more rectangular than what givi offers. Maybe something along the lines of the appearance of a pelican case. Has anyone seen anything like this?

Thanks

[YoshiHNS]

The E36/E45 cases are pretty rectangular. Could just stick some padding to the back of those. And they're not that expensive.

Why are you looking for rectangular for a back rest? I would think higher would be nicer for the passenger.

[swimmer]

The E36/E45 cases are pretty rectangular. Could just stick some padding to the back of those. And they're not that expensive.

Why are you looking for rectangular for a back rest? I would think higher would be nicer for the passenger.

I just like a lower profile look. Thanks

[ron_al]

Swimmer,

I may misunderstand this, but the way I read the posts thus far, I see two potentially-conflicting requirements: that any top case be tall enough to allow for the use of a backrest pad for your gf, but that it be rectangular to have a lower profile look.

My first piece of advice – if you can find anyone on VFRD who already has a top case that you would even possibly consider, see if you can possibly get both of you (you & the gf) to see that bike & setup. It is so much easier to see what you think of hardware in person rather than just looking at pix online, only to find that what you thought would work actually does not (or vice versa).

Looking at your profile gallery pix, it appears that you are currently running the Givi V35 PLX bags on your 6th gen. So I am guessing that you're not opposed to Givi equipment, but that you just don’t want the “bulbous” appearance that many of their cases have.

As YoshiNHS pointed out, the older Givi E36 bags are much more rectangular in shape, like the E36 Junior Economy case from Twisted Throttle (which is intended to be a topcase only; it has no side-case internal retention straps). They also offer an optional backrest for this.

They also offer another rectangular bag, the B36N business case. This does not have an optional backrest listed. But, mounted as a topcase, it would arguably have an even lower profile.

However, if you want something not as wide, then perhaps one of the smaller Givi Monolock topcases would work, like the E260 Micro and this also has an optional backrest listed. (But it is not rectangular.)

However, as you suggested non-Givi products, the folks at Twisted Throttle also offer the Pelican cases that you mentioned. However, I do not see any reference to a backrest for any of these - they really do not seem tall enough to allow the use of a backrest.

Perhaps something like the Hepco & Becker Journey 40 liter topcase, from www.adventurersworkshop.com. (It's not very rectangular, but it does have an optional backrest, which is why I listed it.) However, they do have other rectangularly-shaped-but-without-optional-backrest models listed here.

Or, if the desire is for a passenger backrest with as little else as possible, maybe a Corbin saddle with a backrest. But the “to get a Corbin saddle or not” discussion is a completely separate issue (rather like starting up an oil thread). And I’m not recommending that – only mentioning it as an option. Alternately, I did some searching and I found that Skuutertrash came up with his own workaround at one point attaching a backrest directly to a luggage rack (with no top case) – which would be pretty low profile in that regard. See his 2007 post here.

Good luck in whatever path you take! Making the bike better is a noble & worthwhile cause, especially in making it work better for your passenger.

Ron

PS - Disclaimer: aside from having purchased a couple of things in the past from Twisted Throttle, I have no affiliation with them. I'm just listing them above as (to my understanding) they are the US distributor, and you are also in the US.

[doubled]

I have a similar issue. I've had the Hepco and Becker Journey 40 litre topcase on another bike and it is an excellent piece and very well made. I've been looking at the SHAD set ups. They are a little more economical than HB, and have a more cutting edge design than Givi, IMHO.

[swimmer]

I have a similar issue. I've had the Hepco and Becker Journey 40 litre topcase on another bike and it is an excellent piece and very well made. I've been looking at the SHAD set ups. They are a little more economical than HB, and have a more cutting edge design than Givi, IMHO.

I've been looking at the Shad Sh40 actually. I like the looks and it seems big enough but not too big. More squarish. I'd like be able to use this on my VFR and make some sort of mount on a spare rear seat and use it on my CBR as well.