GSA1200 Ally Top Box ?

[Captain Pugwash]

I've just used my bike 'in anger' for the first time on a 1600 mile jaunt to Spain and back.

I only have the BMW ally side panniers and have now realised that the top box would be useful in addition.

Have any of you experienced any buffeting/stability issues when using this top box with/without the side panniers ?


It's just that on previous bikes I found that top boxes created more instability/buffeting than side panniers.

Ta for any info

 

[(RIP) Proff]

Forget the Topbox !!
How did it go ?? was it up to your expectations etc !!!
PICTURES !! please

 

[Captain Pugwash]

Forget the Topbox !!
How did it go ?? was it up to your expectations etc !!!
PICTURES !! please

It went well !!

Some pics here.


The bike didn't miss a beat and the oil level didn't move for over 1200 miles.

I got home having done nearly 1600 miles in 4 days of riding with the 1 litre of spare oil unopened.

The panniers were brill and didn't leak a drop-had 10 mins of rain in whole time away,but it was torrential.


The only negative was the bloody fuel gauge/trip comp.


It goes from full and a range of 330 ish to just 2 bars from empty and a range remaining of 70/80 ish in about 100 miles.

It then remains there for about the next 140 miles before continuing to drop.

I never got the fuel light on and generally put in about 26 litres.

But on one occasion,I put in 30.5 litres,so only had 2.5 left,and with an mpg of about 42,that's only about 30 miles to empty-but the range remaining said 80 !!!!


I don't trust it at all

 

[wilbjr21]

Top box is fine - no problems - Corsica and back (two up with camping gear). If you really need more space the inner bag for the top box can be attached to the top of the top box - if that makes any sense. Even that gave me no problems. Good backrest for the missus.

 

[Captain Pugwash]

Top box is fine - no problems - Corsica and back (two up with camping gear). If you really need more space the inner bag for the top box can be attached to the top of the top box - if that makes any sense. Even that gave me no problems. Good backrest for the missus.

Thanks for the info.


Yes,makes sense about inner bag-is the same for the side panniers !

 

[Thunder]

Found no issues stability wise with a top box fitted at all and I use the Hepco and Becker one which has all the aerodynamics of a block of flats.

Switching to the BMW panniers having sold my Hepco ones but kept the topbox as it can comfortably fit a full face lid unlike the BM option.

 

[Blackal]

Neat solution

That's the kind of mount I'm looking for, to fit a BMW Vario topbox to the rack fitted to the 1200Adv.

Do you have a pic, showing the whole bike (side-on) with that top-box on? I'm trying to see how much better the lower mount looks compared to the BMW "tripod" mount.

Al

 

[Thunder]

Neat solution

That's the kind of mount I'm looking for, to fit a BMW Vario topbox to the rack fitted to the 1200Adv.

Do you have a pic, showing the whole bike (side-on) with that top-box on? I'm trying to see how much better the lower mount looks compared to the BMW "tripod" mount.

Al

One of the box on the standard GS rack

 

[wilbjr21]

Thunder:

That bike looks very nice - what kind of seat do you have and is it comfortable? cetainly looks as though it will be.

 

[wilbjr21]

Thunder:

That bike looks very nice - what kind of seat do you have and is it comfortable? cetainly looks as though it will be.

 

[Thunder]

Thunder:

That bike looks very nice - what kind of seat do you have and is it comfortable? cetainly looks as though it will be.

It's the stock seats remodelled and with gel inserts from Melvyn Hunter which both myself and the other half find are excellent.

Do a search and you will find lots of info both for and against, also noticed one listed n the for sale section recently.

 

[Blackal]

Thanks for the extra pics - Your top-box looks a lot better, mounted lower

I'll need to scout around and see where I can get a similar plate.

Cheers!

Al

 

[Captain Pugwash]

thanks for the info

 

[riderbob]

Thunder,

What is the stability like on the standard rack? Or don't you use it all?

Ta,

Bob

 

[Thunder]

Bob

I've only just switched over to the GSA rack, the Hepco has been on the bikes standard rack since March and has shown no effect on stability what so ever.

Bike has been rock solid in all tyoes of weather conditions including some serious sidewinds.