Just reviewed the Whopping GIVI E55 Maxia...
Even the most basic car has a boot, but on all bikes (bar scooters) you have to add luggage space on anything that's not an out-and-out tourer. If you want the practicality that luggage brings to your scoot, one of the biggest after market trunks you can buy is Givi's giant - the E55 Maxia.
Capable of carrying two full face helmets with ease, the new king of the cases can transform the usefulness of a bike; morphing it into a practical commuter, a tent-carrying tourer or even a convenience shopper. But is it just too big - in fact, is 55 litres a trunk too far?
We fitted one to our ZZR 1400 test bike (and an E52 to our 700GSby the way) and Dave tried to answer this question with a high speed run. However, with a list of optional extras as long as politician's expenses claim, there's a lot more to this baby than sheer size. We look at how the case fits, what it's like to use, the build quality, and check out the luxury options to boot.
Specifications
You can't begin a discussion of this whopper of a case without reference to size. It is indeed large, measuring some 23 inches (59cm) wide by 12 inches (32cm) tall and almost 19 inches (48cm) back to front. It weighs just over 6 and a half pounds or around 3 kilos, and can accommodate two crash helmets, or, for your commute; a 17 inch laptop, sandwiches, flask and small work rucksack.
But is this a case too far? Is it just too big? Will it dominate the bike visually or will it cause handling problems? Well, you probably shouldn't go fitting one to an FS1E, and you should certainly we wary of filling it with bricks and then trying to break the world land speed record.
However most people report that it looks just fine on bikes of, say, over 600 cc, and that handling issues tend to be felt only when NOT carrying a pillion, when they were noticeable on some bikes but not dangerous.
Kawasaki don't recommend that you fit a large topcase, but we took the ZZR up to, shall we say, most interesting speeds with the E55 fitted and loaded, and experienced no adverse handling effects other than a modest tendency to catch the wind when travelling over the Severn bridge. Even then, it did not cause real concern.
Has anyone tried fitting one of these to a GS?
Full Review on Bigbikemad.com- see link in signature....Use 'Product Review' tab on home page and scroll down top find image of E55...
HH
Even the most basic car has a boot, but on all bikes (bar scooters) you have to add luggage space on anything that's not an out-and-out tourer. If you want the practicality that luggage brings to your scoot, one of the biggest after market trunks you can buy is Givi's giant - the E55 Maxia.
Capable of carrying two full face helmets with ease, the new king of the cases can transform the usefulness of a bike; morphing it into a practical commuter, a tent-carrying tourer or even a convenience shopper. But is it just too big - in fact, is 55 litres a trunk too far?
We fitted one to our ZZR 1400 test bike (and an E52 to our 700GSby the way) and Dave tried to answer this question with a high speed run. However, with a list of optional extras as long as politician's expenses claim, there's a lot more to this baby than sheer size. We look at how the case fits, what it's like to use, the build quality, and check out the luxury options to boot.
Specifications
You can't begin a discussion of this whopper of a case without reference to size. It is indeed large, measuring some 23 inches (59cm) wide by 12 inches (32cm) tall and almost 19 inches (48cm) back to front. It weighs just over 6 and a half pounds or around 3 kilos, and can accommodate two crash helmets, or, for your commute; a 17 inch laptop, sandwiches, flask and small work rucksack.
But is this a case too far? Is it just too big? Will it dominate the bike visually or will it cause handling problems? Well, you probably shouldn't go fitting one to an FS1E, and you should certainly we wary of filling it with bricks and then trying to break the world land speed record.
However most people report that it looks just fine on bikes of, say, over 600 cc, and that handling issues tend to be felt only when NOT carrying a pillion, when they were noticeable on some bikes but not dangerous.
Kawasaki don't recommend that you fit a large topcase, but we took the ZZR up to, shall we say, most interesting speeds with the E55 fitted and loaded, and experienced no adverse handling effects other than a modest tendency to catch the wind when travelling over the Severn bridge. Even then, it did not cause real concern.
Has anyone tried fitting one of these to a GS?
Full Review on Bigbikemad.com- see link in signature....Use 'Product Review' tab on home page and scroll down top find image of E55...
HH
