Top box fixing & rear rack

[Sooty09]

I have noticed a lot of F-GS riders are buying Givi or Touratech rear carriers and then fixing Top box plates to them. There is no need to fit an intermediate plate, by fitting two spacer tubes the Givi top box mount fits on the four existing points fairly easy.

Remove the caps and screws from the rear grab rail mount and make two spacers to make a level mounting base

Next lay the Givi base over to estimate the 4 fixing positions. Drill the base and chisel away part of the plastic stiffeners to allow a large washer to fit flat on the base.

Fit washers and bolt into place.

Fit the trim plate and test, check seat removes easily.

Note, this method pulls the box over the back of the seat. Removal is still easy but it will reduce pillion space. Its not possible to move the top box further back without an adapter plate.

We have used this method on a GS 650 for the last 6000m without a problem. The pillars under the back of the top box plate make a great place to fix elastic hooks.

 

[old-man-andy]

Very neat looking solution there, Sooty. Was there much head scratching to suss it out, or was it a "eureka" moment?

 

[Blind Lemon Ade]

Just a thought...

The Givi Universal plate is made to fit onto an existing tubular rack or flat metal plate, spreading the load - your method is putting all the load through the four mounting points, in quite a concentrated way for a plastic moulding, especially as you've compromised the loadbearing "web" to fit the washers.

Is there a risk that, with a fully-loaded top-box, if you hit a pot-hole, the plastic plate will fail?

(Givi make bike-specific plates for these bikes, and even those come with a metal plate to support the plastic.)

OK, it's lasted 6,000m, but how much longer will it go on for?

 

[Sooty09]

The plastic on the bottom is very thick and slightly flexible, with spreader washers underneath and on top I do not expect any problem. The front two bolts are very near the edge of the frame and are surrounded by stiffeners, the rear two bolts fit between the stiffeners without modifications.