Search not turning it up, so I'll ask directly. Actually looking for the OEM Box Mount weight capacity (without the OEM luggage rack, rated 11 lbs in Owners manual.) I've mounted a Givi Mount directly to the more substantial OEM Box Mount after the OEM luggage rack failed. Given the OEM Box (empty) weighs about 10 lbs, I would guess the mount should be rated 15-16, but I haven't found it. (My shop manual isn't readily available, if it even provides that info.
OEM Top Box weight capacity
- Thread starter holligl
- Start date
WJBertrand
Ventura Highway
I think the stated top box capacities, when you can find them, are based on concerns about the bike's stability more than the physical strength of the mount. I too have a Givi mount replacing the OEM one and use a Givi 42L Trekker Outback top box. I seem to recall a value of 20 pounds maximum recommendation. I only use the top box for light weight but bulky stuff like motorcycle covers, fleece liners, hat, flip flops, microfiber towels, etc.holligl said:
BBeyer
New Member
A new member here who just installed the Givi Outback side cases on my 2015 Tenere. I really like them and am in the process of ordering the top case. In doing my research on what I need to mount it I got really confused as to what mounting plate I need. I found this thread and am hoping you could you provide me some guidance. Thanks
I have the Givi SRA2101 on my bike after breaking the OEM by bolting a top box to it.
The rack itself is rated to 6kg but I'm confident in saying it will carry 10 times that. I have a Givi Trekker 42 on top with no issues.
It is a very solid setup.
The rack itself is rated to 6kg but I'm confident in saying it will carry 10 times that. I have a Givi Trekker 42 on top with no issues.
It is a very solid setup.
I had a 52Liter Givi Maxxia top case on my first Tenere and had more than 6 kgs almost everyday for 50,000 miles with no problem. Loaded with 2 liter sodas or with ice & two cases of beer cans it weighed a heck of a lot more than 6 kgs. Search around the site and you'll find plenty of photos of massively overloaded Teneres, so I'm going to agree with WJBertrand in that the limit is more about stability.
Picking up the bike with a top case can be done lightly loaded, but pretty much required popping off a heavily loaded case off before trying to lift the bike.
Picking up the bike with a top case can be done lightly loaded, but pretty much required popping off a heavily loaded case off before trying to lift the bike.
Stef
Active Member
I'm considering picking up the AltRider rack to replace the OEM one for my Givi topcase. Anyone here have any experience with it?
RCinNC
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure it is a question of stability rather than the strength of the rear subframe. My usual rear passenger weighs about 135 lbs. The upper third of her body begins at about the level of the top case on my bike. Now of course I have no idea what the upper third of my passenger weighs, but I'll be conservative and say it would be 1/4 of her total body weight (approx 34 pounds). So the upper third of her body, about 34 pounds, would be sitting even higher than the load usually in my top case. Now, her presence doesn't affect the stability of the bike (unless of course she leans the wrong way), so would a load that weighs 34 pounds in the top case, adversely affect the stability of the bike simply because it's about 8-10 inches further to the rear? Are there any physics or engineering majors in here who can answer yay or nay? My thought is that the shape of the top case could affect the handling more than the weight (unless you tried to put 100 pounds in there). Some of those big bulbous round cases can probably induce some weird effects during high speed riding, or the dirty air behind a tractor-trailer.
I'm thinking that the load limits are more of a subframe strength issue. I know from being on the FJR forum that guys there had experienced cracks and actual breaks in the rear subframe, and they attributed it to overloading the top case (imagine the stress on the subframe of a 40 pound load bouncing up and down constantly on a crappy potholed road). I'm not saying that it's conclusive, or that it compares to the subframe on the S10, but it did give me something to think about when I was designing my rear mount for my large touring case (a large Duratool case). I added a couple support struts to the underside of my case, which extend down to the rear crossover bar on my HT pannier racks and attach with a couple of threaded knobs and quick release pins. It helps to transfer some of the load away from that part of the subframe, and also helps to prevent the levering effect that can be caused by a heavy load at the end of the subframe.
I would guess that, when I'm on a trip, there's 25-30 pounds in the large topcase. I've never experienced any handling problems; so far, I haven't had any mechanical issues with the subframe.
I'm thinking that the load limits are more of a subframe strength issue. I know from being on the FJR forum that guys there had experienced cracks and actual breaks in the rear subframe, and they attributed it to overloading the top case (imagine the stress on the subframe of a 40 pound load bouncing up and down constantly on a crappy potholed road). I'm not saying that it's conclusive, or that it compares to the subframe on the S10, but it did give me something to think about when I was designing my rear mount for my large touring case (a large Duratool case). I added a couple support struts to the underside of my case, which extend down to the rear crossover bar on my HT pannier racks and attach with a couple of threaded knobs and quick release pins. It helps to transfer some of the load away from that part of the subframe, and also helps to prevent the levering effect that can be caused by a heavy load at the end of the subframe.
I would guess that, when I'm on a trip, there's 25-30 pounds in the large topcase. I've never experienced any handling problems; so far, I haven't had any mechanical issues with the subframe.
Attachments
WJBertrand
Ventura Highway
A passenger's weight is mostly carried between the axles whereas weight placed behind the rear axle is much more destabilizing. Most top boxed are mounted well behind the rear axle and none of it is countered with any weight placed lower. I didn't make up the stability concern, just read the owners manual.
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RCinNC
Well-Known Member
I didn't mean to imply that you made anything up, WJ; my post was just my unscientific opinion about whether or not the weight of a topbox affects handling to any great degree. Apologies if it came across that way.
Some stuff ends up in owners' manuals for liability reasons, and not engineering reasons, and I wonder if the really low weight limit is put in there as a CYA effort in case an owner tries to strap a hundred pounds on the rear. My Camry is like that; in the States it's rated to tow only 1000 lbs; the exact same model of Camry in the UK is rated for (if I recall correctly) 2500 pounds. Same exact car, wildly different tow ratings, and my suspicion is that it's based on a legal opinion, not an engineering one.
I'm sure there's a difference between weight on the pillion seat and weight on the luggage rack; I only question how significant that difference would be as far as handling goes (or how much weight it would take to adversely affect the handling). I know Ive had whatever the weight of two Shinko 705's on the rear luggage rack when I transported them about 10 miles to a dump, and couldn't even tell they were back there. I guess it would be somewhere between 35-40 lbs. But, if an engineer chimed in with a realistic rear rack weight limit based on either handling concerns or material strength concerns, I'd definitely defer to their experience.
Some stuff ends up in owners' manuals for liability reasons, and not engineering reasons, and I wonder if the really low weight limit is put in there as a CYA effort in case an owner tries to strap a hundred pounds on the rear. My Camry is like that; in the States it's rated to tow only 1000 lbs; the exact same model of Camry in the UK is rated for (if I recall correctly) 2500 pounds. Same exact car, wildly different tow ratings, and my suspicion is that it's based on a legal opinion, not an engineering one.
I'm sure there's a difference between weight on the pillion seat and weight on the luggage rack; I only question how significant that difference would be as far as handling goes (or how much weight it would take to adversely affect the handling). I know Ive had whatever the weight of two Shinko 705's on the rear luggage rack when I transported them about 10 miles to a dump, and couldn't even tell they were back there. I guess it would be somewhere between 35-40 lbs. But, if an engineer chimed in with a realistic rear rack weight limit based on either handling concerns or material strength concerns, I'd definitely defer to their experience.
yoyo
Well-Known Member
This example is extreme but it give an idea of what happens when the weight is past the rear axle. I've run with excess weight in my top box and felt no instability other than a lightening of the steering. As already said I'm sure it's a legal issue.
https://youtu.be/4jk9H5AB4lM
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https://youtu.be/4jk9H5AB4lM
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