5Th Gen Economical Hard Luggage Setup (Jc Whitney)

This is my attempt at making a economical hard luggage setup for a 5th gen vfr800. This all started after a ten day trip riding from Connecticut to Deals gap via the blue ridge highway. During the trip I used soft bags, a duffle bungeed to the back, and a Shad sh26 top case. Midway through the trip i realized taking off and putting on all theses items every day was tedious and time consuming.

So i decided when i came back home to do some research and came to the conclusion ill try hard cases. Doing my research I found many options GIVI, SHAD, PELICAN, SEA HORSE, and ETC. What I realized was this stuff is expensive for something I will only use very sparingly. While doing searches i came across the JC Whitney top case. Read good things about it and they seem to have people doing adventure riding vouching for them. The best part about them is they are cheap and work with GIVI monokey mounts.

So I went to the JCW website and found the large version and ordered two. They were on sale, found a 15% of code online and the site gave free shipping. The total came out to be $74.90. So i got two decent hard cases for $37.45 each.

This is the first part of this experiment the next will be making a custom rack to mount them to the VFR. Why?... because i can. If worst comes to worse I can buy GIVI racks if i fail. but spending $200 on racks wouldn't make this economical.

The cases came in looking good and smelling like new plastic. The plastic seems durable and thick. The only problem I foresee is the locking mechanism looks a little weak. The mounting plates toke a bit of massaging to get to work nicely. Common problem from what I've read. I put in a two person tent and a sleeping bag in one and it closed up nice with a little bulging due to the sleeping bag. My total setup will be the two sides cases and the trunk for a total of 106 liters. Updates to come.

mdange2011

I hope you make it work. I've been a GIVI guy for more than a decade now and it's expensive for a reason. It's excellent! I even have a remote opener for the GIVI trunk on my ST1300. One of those things you never knew you needed, and wouldn't give up once you have it!

I've heard tell of the JC Whit boxes cracking pretty easily after nothing more than bumping it on the garage door rail on the way out. Even those who use them generally don't as side cases.

I'm right over in woodbridge. I have a wingrack. If you need some numbers come on by. I would not mind using some of those as side cases. I have the 21 liter side cases and those look just like give E360 side cases. Love to try one on my wingrack!

I went with fairly large Shad side bags and put on some reflective tape that makes it look more stylized.

[image: shad-sh42l-side_4.jpg]

with sw-motech quick connect brackets and love the setup

[image: products_1252674507_1256046195_125604637]

I'm considering getting the givi side cases and mounting racks,does anyone know the best size side boxes to get or the part number?

Not sure about the topcase,I have a givi maxia on my ST1100,but if I just have the side panniers,I can remove these,fit the seat cowl and she looks very sporty again for local riding,but is easy to set up for solo touring with the side panniers,tank bag and a duffle bag bungeed to the seat.

I will still use the ST1100 for 2up touring, she who must be obeyed likes the comfort of the ST.

I have one of those JC cases on a Givi rack as a top box.

Works great. :beer:

Used it with soft saddle bags and a bag on the back seat.

Zip tied the soft bags to the luggage rack to help them stay put. :happy:

I'm still waiting to hear back from the OP. I want to try those side cases on my bike! My 21 liter side cases are small.

[image: IMAG0670_zpsbv9aiore.jpg]

Update:

I worked a little on the brackets this week and came up with a simple design. Started by going to the local metal yard and cruising the bargain barn. picked up some metal $1 a pound so for $8 I got my material.

I decided on this design for future atempts of elimination the suplied mounting bracket. It will line up with a the mointing points on any monokey cases JC Whitney, GIVI, and Shad.

next up on the todo list is attaching the rack to the bike.

on a side note I called JC whitney and commented on the crappy mounting plates and after talking i came away with a $20 credit.

Here is a little update. I worked on the mounting bracket for the right rack. Didnt come out too bad I thought. Not too bad for my third time welding that is. The bracket is attached to the passenger grab bars and the side bungs for strapping down cargo. next is the left side and then run a bar down to the passenger pegs for support.

Just a word of warning, the GIVI rack that uses the frankenbolt mounts tends to break them.

Are you planning to tie them into the passenger pegs?

Thanks for the info. I am planning on doing a bar going down to the passenger pegs and a bar along the back to connect the two sides. I'm trying to copy the givi design the best i can. Mine will be heavier but hopefuly as or more sturdy than givi. If I left it the way it looks now it would not last very long. The frankenbolts are only m6's btw.

Got some used GIVI racks for a BMW of Ebay for $50. Hopefully it will be done soon.

I have Fivestar rack for my 5th gen that fits Givi/Kappa case

Following this with interest...

Progress...I got the side brackets welded up and mounted on the bike. Then reluctantly modified the BMW givi racks and mounted them to brackets. They're currently just held on by the franken bolt mounts and passenger mounts. Next on the todo list is connecting to the passenger foot pegs and a nice black spray paint. Rode eight miles with the rack empty. Not much shacking but still need to sure up the mounting points.

Wow, looks like a wide load. Even if the boxes were up against the bike it would be wide.

As long as you don't try to squeeze in anywhere too tight, should be OK I guess.

Curious to see how it works out. :fing02:

Be careful the first couple times you ride and not to hang a bag on a gate, a car, a tree or a gas pump bollards. Dont ask how I know.

Switchblade

Be careful the first couple times you ride and not to hang a bag on a gate, a car, a tree or a gas pump bollards. Dont ask how I know.

Good tip that bears remembering every time you ride as you do not think about what is back there. OP please gives us the BEAM dimensions!!!!!

That setup is no wider than my givi e41's on on a wing rack. I wish I had known about J C Whitney offering those bags at that price, because that is all the givi bags are worth. In other words I'm not impressed with givi's quality or customer service.

Beware of wide loads! You may find yourself on a boat instead of a bike! :goofy:

Props to the OP for fabricating this set up and saving a boat load of cash in the process. Nicely done!

Maddad

That setup is no wider than my givi e41's on on a wing rack. I wish I had known about J C Whitney offering those bags at that price, because that is all the givi bags are worth. In other words I'm not impressed with givi's quality or customer service.

I can't comment on Givi E41's or their customer service, but the V46 is far superior to the JC Whitney case that is dimensionally almost identical to the V46. I went with the JC case first and used it as a top box. The base plate mount was terrible (I think the OP made a similar comment) with the case not fitting snuggly. I could hear it rattling as I rode. The JC case seems to be made with brittle plastic because I kept having little bits of plastic just randomly break off. I was nervous that at some point the mounting tangs would break off and the case would depart the bike at 80 mph...would not be good for my laptop. I ended up selling it on Craigslist for $20 and bought a Givi V46 at about 6 times the cost of the JC case. Was it worth the extra cost? To me it was but others may not agree. To each his/her own.

I use Corbin Beetle Bags as side cases. I got them in 2002 before Honda bags were available and before Corbin attached a ludicrous price to theirs. Like the looks, not happy with the functionality but they too give the bike a fat arse.

And yeah awesome job !!

Switchblade

Be careful the first couple times you ride and not to hang a bag on a gate, a car, a tree or a gas pump bollards. Dont ask how I know.

I tired squeezing past stopped traffic to get into a left turn lane and forgot how wide my bags were. Brushed up on an Avalanche bumper. People sure did freak out when I didn't stop! :goofy: