Phormanluge

Never any leaks; but as mentioned earlier, the top of the case around the closing mechanism may accumulate some water if the bike is left sitting in the rain (maybe a shot glass worth). Just make sure you towel it off a bit before opening it, or the water will spill into the case.

I'm not a big camper, but I got a Eureka Pinnacle Pass 2A for a motorcycle camping tour two years ago. $130, and it packs small enough to fit in a sidecase. http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___28100

I should have done this a long time ago.... I just scanned the instructions for the installation and uploaded it to the site under Downloads > Owners Manuals and Other. File name is "VFR OEM Pannier Installation" Enjoy....

If you can't find the mounting H/W at a much better price than what Honda wants, then the OEM bags you're looking at might not turn out to be such a great deal. I got my bags brand new with H/W from David Silver Spares a few years ago for about $500 delivered to the US (back when the dollar was in better shape). Not sure if you can find those great deals anymore. You may want to consider going with the new GIVI bags and H/W. On twistedthrottle.com they come out to about $660 for bags & H/W. http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/2800/91/ http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/2807/69/ I haven't seen the V35 bags myself; but I've got a GIVI topcase that I'm very happy with. Also, GIVI is much better about selling accessories/spare parts than Honda is.

The part number is 08L41-MCW-1000W, and Honda sells them for $449.95 at the following web site: http://powersports.honda.com/the_goods/acc...0796&bhcp=1 Hard to believe that they want $450 for a couple of pieces of bent steel an some misc nuts & bolts....

198347 + 894 = 199241 Commuting / misc riding..

:laugh: for the Canyon Dancer. Used this to tie the bike down on ferry trips...

Yep... Zaino on the car, Zaino on the VFR. Easy on, easy off. I haven't used clay on the bike yet; but I did on my last car. I used a spray bottle filled with distilled water and a little bit of car wash soap. Spray a small section of the paint with the soapy water when you clay it. Don't use alot of pressure with the clay, use just enough to hold the clay to the car/bike. The clay should slide along the surface.

Here's a picture of all the parts that should have come with the brackets: PartList2.jpg Like Darth Bling mentioned, it looks like you're at least missing brackets 3 & 4 in the picture. Unfortunately the instructions don't give actual part numbers; so I'm not sure if there is any way to order these parts individually. Here's a good illustrated webpage to help with the installation: http://www.westernmassriding.com/index_files/Page369.htm

I purchased a Givi E52 Maxia Monokey Topcase back in July, and was finally getting a chance to use it for the first time a couple of weeks ago for a camping trip. I didn't have any problems with the lock as I was packing for the trip, nor did I notice any potential problems with the lock. Fortunlately when we first arrived at the campsite the lock worked fine. I was able to open the case and unload my gear. While I was unpacking, I needed my keys to unlock one of my side cases. So I turned the key to the locked posistion on the E52 and removed the key (with the trunk still open). After I was done with my side case I put the key back into the E52, but the lock wouldn't turn. I had a spare key with me and it didn't work either. I sprayed some chain lube in the lock, but this didn't help. It was lucky that the trunk was still open. I was able to disassemble the locking mechanism from the inside and I removed the lock cylinder. When I examined the cylinder I found a spring protruding from the side of one of the plates in the cylinder (see pictures). IMG_0026 copy.jpg IMG_0025 copy.jpg With a pair of pliers I was able to pull the plate out with no effort whatsover. I then reseated the spring into the cylinder and reinserted the plate. I checked the other plates in the cylinder, and I was not able to remove any of them using moderate force. Therefore, the defect appers to be that this one plate was not locked into the slot; and the protruding spring was preventing the cylinder from turning. Even though I got the spring back into the lock, it was a little mangled from the experience and I really wasn't sure how reliable this lock would be. Also, I didn't want to go through the hassle of having to reassemble the locking mechanism out at the campsite. Luckily one of the guys with us drove out in his SUV, and he was able to haul my Givi and gear back with him at the end of the trip. When I got home, I emailed Givi about the lock. The next day one of their Reps emailed me back that they would send me a replacement lock. About 10 days later the new lock arrived in the mail. As a side note, the locking mechanism on the E52 case is far more complicated that it needs to be. It took me about an hour of trial & error to figure out how to reassemble the damn thing. Just wondering if anyone else has ever had a problem with their Givi locks. Also I was fortunate enough to have this problem while the E52 was opened. If this occured while it was closed I'm not sure how I would be able to remove my gear. Any suggestions on what might be the least destructive way to open the case or remove the lock if something like this happens again?

I'm a size 12 as well. My Oxtar Matrix boots are a size 45 (which is actually US 11) and they fit great. They fit well with normal tube socks. I can also get a snug, but not tight fit if I wear thick merino wool socks (gotta love merino wool). I was able to find a local dealer (Cycle Gear) that carries Oxtar boots, but they didn't have the Matrix. I tried on a couple of other styles of the Oxtars in the store, and the 45s fit best, and I ended up ordering those. Great boots, no regrets.