Is that a "real GIVI trunk" or a "sears trunk'? http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/woohoo.gif http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/fing02.gif
I've heard that the plastic breaks VERY easily on the JCW units. Like backing out of the garage and lightly bumping something like the brick facia on the house, or another bike, and it just cracks the clamshell like a soft-boiled egg.
But for the price, they are pretty darn cheap. $42 can buy you 6 bags for the cost of one Givi. But the Givi will survive crashing onto it while the JCW unit cracks/breaks/fails when you graze it with a kick when throwing your boot over the bike.
As a top-case it should be OK. I wouldn't trust it as a sidecase with anything I'd want to see still in my possession when I arrived at wherever I was going.
Maybe they have fixed the fragile & too-hard-but-weak easily shattering plastic formulation since last I heard a discussion on them. One can only hope. At $42, one has to worry about what corners were cut when comparable Givi's of the same size and function never go below $240-ish. It makes you go hmmmmmmmmm.....
Three years with mine from JCW and no issues. (see gallery) That includes remove/remount over and over too many times to count. There IS a difference between it and a Givi but 6X the difference, uh no. +++ on the good deal meter.
[image: View Post]The mailman, on 09 April 2010 - 08:29 AM, said:
Three years with mine from JCW and no issues. (see gallery) That includes remove/remount over and over too many times to count. There IS a difference between it and a Givi but 6X the difference, uh no. +++ on the good deal meter.
6x the price, for sure. Are they worth it? It depends on what you need/want out of them.
It sure is a good deal -no doubt about that. And as a topcase I'm sure it would mostly be OK for around-town storage. Even if it DID break apart at the hinge, refuse to lock up, or crack -one could just throw a bungie-net over the whole thing and make it home. Buy the replacement/spare now -at $42 it's a great deal.
But wouldn't ever use them as side-cases. I've banged my Givi's into trees riding around off-road (forget how wide they are out back compared to a dirt bike when in "dirt-bike" mode) and they hit hard enough to push the whole back end over 6" instantly to get around the obstacle and the Givi's survived with only a barely perceptible surface mar (not even a scratch -just a mar that changed the sheen of the finish). They are that tough. And I did this 2-3 times before I finally re-wired this old dirt-biker's brain to account for a wider bike when in camp sites or riding around the backyard (the road out front was closed and tore up so I had to come in via the RR tracks and then through the back yard where I was staying for a few weeks).
I know from personal experience that the Givi's are NOT going to come apart on me (even if I screw up and hit something with them) in the middle of nowhere hundreds of miles from home and maybe spill out over $1000 worth of gear on the road somewhere between now and the last gas stop. It's a peace of mind thing. Sure they are expensive -but for some of us that extra $400 for two totally waterproof sidecases is well worth the insurance -or not having a long trip ruined by losing gear to the side of the road or having to rig something up that is no longer waterproof if they crack. The Givi's can almost be used as life preservers in the event of a water landing they seal so well.
But I guess it is all about what you need and expect out of them. $42 is a pretty darn good price if you don't expect them to perform like $240 indestructibles.
But I'm not you. You might have different priorities. I tend to be cheap -but I won't skimp on what I think are the important (to me) stuff. What is important to someone else may very well be different.
Got about 10,000 miles on mine. I rattle-can painted the hideous orange piece black, had the top lid professionally painted to match my bike when I had my Beetle Bags painted, and added reflective material under the faux reflector strip (still doesn't reflect well). It also mounts directly to my Givi top box mount! I've dropped it on motel room floors, bumped it in the garage, and so far no damage at all. I'm curious to find out how long it will last.
Here it is when I had it mounted on my high solo rack. I now use a Givi rack.
Mine survived my encounter with Suburban with only a minor rash on one side. No issues.
Of course, then the towing people had to break the lock to open it and see if there are any goodies inside...:pissed:
I snagged this link from ADVrider and riders love these on that site. If it holds up with some light off roading it should be plenty good for the street. Especially if you are going to just use the thing a few times a year, $32/$42 and its gonna pay for itself very quickly. I have all givi but they have me POd with lousy customer service, the oem stop cords are junk plastic and break , shipping expensive on replacements. I would go for these, put one on every bike and always carry a set of raingear inside.
[image: View Post]PorradaVFR, on 09 April 2010 - 12:58 PM, said:
So what about the mounting? The Sears site only refers to a mounting PLATE but I'd think you still need brackets. Yes, you are gonna have to buy a rear rack someplace.
[image: View Post]DougFromIndy, on 09 April 2010 - 03:46 AM, said:
you can find a coupon code and save even more.
Where?
Just got an email from Sears informing me they are having an additional "employee pricing" sale starting tonight. Well, their employees are getting screwed if they only get 10% off but, oh well, you'll now save an additional 10% off those all ready slashed prices you posted earlier.
On the rain issue, I have had mine in two full consecutive days of rain riding without any droplets getting inside, but as serenity_vfr mentioned, I don't know if use as side cases would be as water tight. I wouldn't expect any case to hold up after running them into trees in camp sites or back yards!??!. WTH?
I did the same cosmetic mods as Knife mentioned above. Painted over the orange and added 3m reflective tape under the red lense.
On the mounting issue - They will mount straight onto the Givi racks or I attached my mounting plate (included) onto a Ventura rack that I picked up several years ago from the classified ads here on site. No issues with anything ever cracking, breaking, coming loose, etc.
I was considering getting a top case over the winter, mainly to use as a backrest for the GF. I'm definitely going to jump on this deal. Thanks Doug! :fing02:
I put one on for my wife backrest last year. Works perfectly, the only thing I did was to use a metal bracker in the inside and wingnuts on the bolts throught the plate to make sure it doesn't come loose!
If you order more than $50, you can get an additional $5 off w/ SEARS5OFF50. Type it just as it appears. You will get charged state sales tax since there is a Sears in every state.
I just ordered 2 medium cases (I'm going to try them for saddle bags) delivered for $71.70. All I need now is the Givi bracket. I already have a Givi top rack w/ a JC Whittney large case that works fine.
Your experience may vary. Batteries not included :laugh:
filterfool
End of thread · 16 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 12 Apr 2010