Member Contributer Olive Posted May 25, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted May 25, 2011 I have been waiting for some time to receive my luggage, and it finally arrived today. GIVI V35 side cases, PLXR mounts for the side cases and Mono-key plate for the top trunk. I was beginning to worry that it wouldn't arrive until after I had left on the trip. I already had a Solo-Rack to mount the top luggage, but it just needed to be installed. To set the stage for yesterday evening's attempt to install hard luggage: Light drizzle. Cool temps. Me wishing I had a garage. I didn't think that it would take too long to do the install, very straight forward. The PLXR mounting hardware looked deceptively quick and simple: http://www.givi.ca/pdf/PLXR_EN.pdf First step was to install the brackets. One bracket is located with the grab handles, one is with the passenger pegs and the third just screws into the license plate mount on the rear of the bike. The quick release mounts for the PLXR frame just attach to these three hard brackets. The top bracket was a bit of a struggle, since I was also trying to attach Ken's Solo rack to the same mounting points, and I seemed short by one hand. Getting everything lined up I dropped one piece of mounting hardware... and spent over half of an hour searching the ground for it, only to find it caught in the fairings of the bike, where I had already looked twice. Eventually I got everything lined up, and tightened down. After all of the brackets were installed, came the easy part... or what should have been the easy part - clipping in the quick release frame. I got the first two locations clicked in - the seat handle and the foot peg. Try as I might, I simply could NOT get the rear plate clicked in. I got so fed up I finally removed the hardware holding the rear bracket in place and tried to hook it to the tubular mount by hand, figuring I could bolt the bracket in place later. Nope. There was no way that this bracket was going to clip on the rear of the bike. The picture in GIVI's detailed VFR800 install instructions showed a slightly different rear plate mount than mine... which seemed to contribute to the problem. Getting frustrated, I decided to get "creative". I removed the rear plate light and the rear plate holder to get it out of my way, and then the new GIVI mounting plate fit in. However, with the rack and mounting plate clipped together there is obviously no way that the rear plate light and license plate mount will fit underneath the GIVI mount, unless I break a few rules of physics. Obviously Honda has more than one design for a rear plate mount... and I have the option that doesn't work with the GIVI quick release mounts. I am a believer in taking the "easy way", so my license plate is hanging off of the mounting hardware for the luggage, and my license plate light is now mounted onto the license plate, upside down (shining upwards) using the mounting hardware that would normally support the license plate to the rear fender. There was enough room for this option, and the wiring was long enough, so it made sense to just use the plate for this purpose. Now I have luggage. I can't believe how long it took to get it installed. Had I not been struggling with the rear mounting bracket I would have been indoors thawing out a few hours earlier. As it was, by the time I came indoors I was sopping wet and it was dark. Today I found the thread on VFRD which showcased the entertainment value that these mounts have provided to other members on VFRD, and I don't feel quite so bad. Although it would have been much better for my blood pressure had I located that thread prior to the adventure. Regardless, the bike is ready for the trip at the end of this week. Only one photo because my camera doesn't like to get wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted May 25, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted May 25, 2011 Easy to mount, but NIC Not In Cananda Good job Olive, have a good BBB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Olive Posted May 25, 2011 Author Member Contributer Share Posted May 25, 2011 Easy to mount, but NIC Not In Cananda Good job Olive, have a good BBB Not in Canada... for long. I take off on Friday for 6 weeks of luggage testing. A necessary part of ANY install. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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