Damn that rack !

[Kneeslider916]

I bought the vario topbox rack for my '05 GS, and set about fitting it on Friday PM, thinking it'd be a 20 minute job..............

I was sold a pair of bolts which replace the blanking bolts at the end of the frame rails, which it appears were manufactured from cheese.

The left one got halfway in before becoming damn tight, the right a little further. I figured that the threads on the frame inserts were a little 'rough', so i eased these two bolts back out and used a stainless steel bolt to try to open up the threads. These also got stuck, so in desperation i tried again with the BWM supplied items, and promptly broke the first one off without it getting anywhere near to being tight. I think there is maybe 4mm of thread left on the broken head......

I drilled it out, with much swearing, and eventually got the damn rack on and secure with shorter bolts.

Anyone else had the same battle ?

 

[original_concept]

nah, get a Givi rack

+4 for Givi

its real metal
sits lower than BMW
easy to grab handles
allows you to use cheaper, lighter and bigger boxes.

 

[WindyChuffer]

...but those Givi racks and boxes look like a fish out of water on a GS; i.e. ferking awful.

 

[Kneeslider916]

Yes, got to agree, i looked at the Givi boxes, but like the look of the Vario equipment. I thought the Givi were too plastic looking.

Besides, having fought the rack on, i'm damned if i'm gonna change now.

All i have to do now is buy the top box.

Anyone want to buy a kidney ?

 

[Bem]

Yes I found the bolts in the end of the frame tubes to be such a tight fit (ooh Matron!) so I used two stainless bolts to recut the thread carefully - took about half an hour or so extra to do this - ended up fitting stainless anyway from my handy tub!

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Givi/BMW boxes

"......nah, get a Givi rack ....." I had exactly this problem, well worse in fact, with the Givi box I had mounted (by the BMW dealer.) Later he charged me for drilling them out and fitting better bolts; I sold it with the bike and now have a BMW Vario box supplied and fitted by the dealer - if anything goes wrong I know that he will accept the blame; ( You will find a long thread on problems with bolt corrosion on Givi racks - you always find these too late!)

 

[Kneeslider916]

I tried to 'drive' through a stainless allen head bolt of the same thread & pitch, but this also almost jammed and when i backed it out the thread was damaged.

I've this morning allowed the local BMW dealer to relieve me of £270 for the vario box & lock, so hopefully i'm nearly there.............

 

[ktmmark]

i like the new givi rack fits low down like the adventure rack & no need for the rear bolts

 

[original_concept]

"......nah, get a Givi rack ....." I had exactly this problem, well worse in fact, with the Givi box I had mounted (by the BMW dealer.) Later he charged me for drilling them out and fitting better bolts; I sold it with the bike and now have a BMW Vario box supplied and fitted by the dealer - if anything goes wrong I know that he will accept the blame; ( You will find a long thread on problems with bolt corrosion on Givi racks - you always find these too late!)

I'll stick with the usable Givi thanks - You try getting a Schuberth Pro 1; textile trousers, gloves and other bits into a BMW Vario topbox.

As for bolt corrosion; its a BMW after all, blimey I'm paying for corrosion! I won't bore you with the week-long stress of very slowly teasing out (in the end drilled out with a Dremel) the upper bolt holding the rear shock of a R1100S some years ago that had stuck fast.

Or having a Givi rack mounted on a VTEC; suffering from a hair-line wide crack that came away fully on one side leading to the crack on the surviving side to hasten its cracking whilst heading to the French/Swiss border. A french Honda dealer welded it together the next day for next-to-nothing.

Or the Honda topbox that ejected itself on the A1xx.

YMMV of course

 

[Spewboy]

I like the supports that the BMW topbox uses, the topbox on the other hand is too small and too dear.
Check out this:
Chinese topbox fitting

 

[Brian ROSEN]

The BMW topbox

I agree that it is too small and too expensive; However I think that there is a danger that with these largef (Givi) boxes it is too easy to overload them. I 'need' a top box for two main reasons; 1. most important, a back rest for my wife on the pillion. Whatever the 'experts' say if a pillion feels secure they will stay still and relax - which is all you want! 2. A convenient place to put a helmet on short trips. Yes, it is unfortunately a fact that some helmets (like my present one) will not quite fit - so check before you buy! Mine is about 26cm high (an XL) My wife has an M which will fit.
I decided on the BMW one because it does match up well with the vario cases and it will operate with the same key of course. Also when 'compressed' it does not look too overpowering on the bike.