49 litre topbox on a 1250RS

[steadysteve]

I’ve got a 30 litre topbox for my RS but wanted something a bit bigger in the same style, i.e. not a big givi box and not a Vario.

This came up on eBay but when I tried to fit it I found it had an extra bit on the base which wouldn’t allow it to be fitted on the rack. Bugger.
It’s a genuine bmw item and the label inside says it’s suitable for the S1000XR and 1200/1250GS LC. I saw one mounted on an XR and it looked ideal.
The mounting points on this one are the same as the 30 litre bmw.
The extra bit sticking out of the base is screwed on, not part of the moulding, so I decided to dismantle the box and unscrew it. Easy enough to do as these are relatively straightforward internally compared to the Vario or RT type boxes.
It slots straight on the rack now with no issues. It looks enormous on its own but with the panniers fitted looks it looks a bit more balanced.
Pics show the box with and without the extra bit..

 

[steadysteve]

Pics of it on the bike.

 

[steadysteve]

Pics of it on the bike.

 

[steadysteve]

Worked well on a recent trip with no stability issues up to 150kph. Didn’t go above that speed but it felt rock solid.

 

[Morety]

Looks fine. I use a 47 litre top box and find with a backrest pad on the top box it limits pillion space which sort of defeats the point. I'll be removing the pillion rest and replacing it with a thinner sheet of rubberised material instead. Small top boxes I've found limit their usefulness. It's got to take a lid and locks plus puncture kit and pump to be any use to me.

 

[steadysteve]

Looks fine. I use a 47 litre top box and find with a backrest pad on the top box it limits pillion space which sort of defeats the point. I'll be removing the pillion rest and replacing it with a thinner sheet of rubberised material instead. Small top boxes I've found limit their usefulness. It's got to take a lid and locks plus puncture kit and pump to be any use to me.

I think the sloped front on the BMW box would be good for the pillion.
BMW don’t list a big box for the RS so I was a bit concerned it might affect the stability at speed but I didn’t have any issues at all. After speaking to another RS rider recently ( he did a double take when he saw it on the bike and came over for a closer look) he seemed to think it’s BMW policy to only spec the small box for this bike in keeping with the sports tourer label.

 

[Morety]

I think the sloped front on the BMW box would be good for the pillion.
BMW don’t list a big box for the RS so I was a bit concerned it might affect the stability at speed but I didn’t have any issues at all. After speaking to another RS rider recently ( he did a double take when he saw it on the bike and came over for a closer look) he seemed to think it’s BMW policy to only spec the small box for this bike in keeping with the sports tourer label.

The smaller one looks better but limit usefulness. My Shad 48ltr top box is fine (thought it was 47 litres but it's the newer shape 48 litre one), nicely shaped and totally stable at motorway speeds. Hardly know its there, even loaded.

 

[Boxerboy55]

I changed to a 46L GIVI. With my tools on the pillion. A huge improvement on the original Beemer top box.

 

[steadysteve]

I changed to a 46L GIVI. With my tools on the pillion. A huge improvement on the original Beemer top box.View attachment 318105

I had the smaller version of that box on my first RS.