Top Box Bracket Failure

[MyOwnRocket]

I returned from a ride yesterday and noticed that the plastic mounting bracket that the OEM top box mounts to is failing. The plastic is cracking at the center mounting bolt, this is my second 05 FJR and has 27,100 miles. I did not have a top box on my first FJR. Is this a common issue and does anyone know if Yamaha will replace this bracket because of failure?

My Own Rocket

05 FJR1300 V1 80,600 miles

05 FJR1300 V2 27,200 miles

 

[RedPorscheKilla]

Hmm strange, I know of the weak structure of the GEN II box and its lower part of it. Yet the mounting plate.... strange. Did you have a passenger maybe leaning in to the box and exposing this weakness on the plate in that way?

 

[MyOwnRocket]

No passenger and the top box was not overloaded to any great degree. I did go off my route at one point to avoid a heavily frost heaved and potholed road only to be faced with a bridge under construction where the first 3 feet of pavement at each end was at a much lower grade that the bridge's concrete road surface. It felt like I was slightly launched when going onto this bridge and then pretty much bottomed out when getting back to pavement.

 

[Top Case]

Happened to me, too. I'd had a failure of the case itself at about 32,000 miles, cracking around the section that inserts into the bracket. I was able to bolt the case back together with a couple stainless steel bolts through the aluminum plate, and cushioned them with rubber washers. Unfortunately, the mounting bracket cracked only 3,000 miles later. I have rarely had a passenger and don't overload the box, but do ride bumpy roads pretty aggressively. It seems like the design doesn't spread the stress very well.