Small soft or hard bag/box for SR357

[MadMax1996]

Givi used to make a "Trolley bag" - looked pretty nice but apparently didn't sell well. Obviously not as waterproof as hard luggage either.

 

[Fred W]

Not knocking it, but that trolley bag looks about as big as some of the smaller hard bags. The advantage would seem to be the handle and roller blade wheels to lug your stuff around with.

Unfortunately, Givi doesn't make any of the smaller sized top cases in the Monokey configuration, just the Monolock. A nice little 30 liter top case would probably have fit the bill, but it means switching the mounting plate over to Monolock.

 

[Fred W]

Played around with the SR rack and flat Givi trunk mount from my 'Strom. Removed the "toilet seat" from the SR Rack

And found a position on the rack for the flat trunk plate that would put the bag about 1" back from normal

It looks like it would be great in that position, and give a nice big flat space for mounting tailbags when not used with a Givi trunk, but...

.

The forward mounting holes on the SR rack do not line up anywhere near any of the diamond shaped openings in the plate's lattice. If you drilled holes in the plate for screws the heads would be just behind the two forward hooks and ahead of the rubber bumpers.

A better solution would be to install a plate on top of the SR rack that spans across between the two sides, and then move the forward mounting screws inward on the plate to catch a pair of the diamond shaped openings. That would allow the user to fine tune the fore and aft position of the trunk precisely where they want it to be and the mounting bolts could easily clear the tube rack below.

I may go ahead and do something like this, because I've never been a big fan of the aesthetics of the Givi toilet seat mounting plate when the trunk is off the bike (which is most of the time for me)

 

[Fred W]

Was seriously considering mounting the flat Vstrom type Givi mounting plate on the SR Rack, but then I found a copy of the Givi Trekker M8B aluminum plate at Twisted Throttle for just over $100. This is the one that BigOgre linked to previously.

Before - The Ol' Toilet Seat

After - Way mo' better lookin', and places to latch a soft bag to.

Only thing you need to find to make this work on the SR rack is some longer flat head machine screws. You'll want some 30mm long M6 screws, so you can use the stock rubber cushions, large flat washers, and M6 self-locking nuts to make it all rattle free.

Yeah, I'm feverishly trying to disprove the old adage that "money can't buy happiness."

 

[BigOgre]

I am SO happy to help you spend money Fred. Lord knows I still need to catch up some with all the help you've cost me in 'Strom gear.

I made a half-hearted attempt to find those M6 screws in black but failed. I found a Sharpie dulls them out nicely in the meantime (which also works decently on the rims too).

 

[Fred W]

Thanks Mikey. I had considered blacking out the screw heads, but not really too concerned about them. Compared to what it replaces it looks so much better and actually moved the bag back about 1/2" for m'lady.

 

[Joel S.]

I'm liking that fred, how does the box fit comparing the two ?? is 1 more stable or they both seem about the same ??

thanks !!

 

[Fred W]

Never had any big problems with the old mount, but I'd say the metal one is a bit more positively latching. I did have a 3/8" lynch pin through the bottom of the trunk and plastic mount to secure it on there but do not think it is necessary on the new one. So, I'll be plugging up the 3/8" hole in the trunk and forgoing the pin in the future!

 

[BigOgre]

I'm liking that fred, how does the box fit comparing the two ?? is 1 more stable or they both seem about the same ?? thanks !!

I'll grab this one. I installed mine late last year and used it with my V47 during EOM. Seemed just as secure as when on the ring and didn't feel any difference in handling when moving. Only thing I noticed was that I had to push down hard(er) on the box to get it to latch. Maybe a good thing. Never looked to see if any adjustment could be made.

Edit: Bruced by 30 seconds.

 

[Fred W]

Yeah, I think the harder latching is why it latches more securely. At least it feels that way to me.

 

[gazza]

i must say that the Givi Trekker M8B aluminum plate looks great and as said more adaptable to just about strapping down any size bag you want to carry. Very nice indeed.

Gazza

 

[Joel S.]

thanks guys !!

so it would take the sr357 kit and the Givi Trekker M8B or is there a more cost effective way of skipping the toilet seat ??

 

[Fred W]

Maybe sell the (unused) toilet seat?

 

[BigOgre]

thanks guys !!

so it would take the sr357 kit and the Givi Trekker M8B or is there a more cost effective way of skipping the toilet seat ??

This crossed my mind when I was looking into buying one. I wondered if Givi would sub in the plate for the ring but it was a moot point then as I already had the rack. I'd suggest calling Givi USA directly either in NC or NV as I found whenever I asked questions of retailers, e.g. Revzilla, almost all wanted to check with Givi themselves to get me correct answers. You'll pay more ordering directly from Givi but if they'd sub in the plate it might work out cheaper in the long run. Can't hurt to ask.

Another thought is to reach out to Garauld here. He already makes some nice 357-style racks and maybe the two of you could come up with a way to incorporate the Monokey mounting points directly onto it somehow, thus eliminating the ring/plate all together.