I like my new Givi bags

Well I recently installed a pair of Givi E21 saddlebags and a Givi E460 trunk using the corresponding Givi racks. The trunk will make commuting a breeze for carrying a small lunch cooler, dress shoes for work, and misc stuff. I've used Givi trunks on a few motorcycles over the years and really, really like them. The only problem I've ever had is with the optional electrical connection between the trunk rack and the connection adapter on the bottom of the Givi trunk. The connection between the metal spring-loaded posts on the trunk becomes intermittent so the optional brake lights don't always work. This has happened to three trunks that I've owned. Other than that, the Givi products have been outstanding for me.

I also attached a pretty comprehensive set of photos for anyone who's interested in researching them before spending their hard-earned cash. I hope some people find this helpful.

 

Thanks, I've been investigating hard case options for a 5th gen and this helps.

A few questions if you don't mind:

1. Have you noticed any instability while riding?
2. Where did you buy the setup from?
3. Is the delivery quick? i.e. is this setup readily available or did you have to wait a long time to get it?
4. Is it easy to install without having to make any modifications/fabrications?
5. If you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost for the whole setup?

thanks for your help!

 

Got my e21's and a simply 2 from motorcycleplanet.co.uk and love them to bits. Easy to fit everything even though the instructions are a bit 'ikea flat pack'.
Only thing I notice is when heavily loaded the front can be very light and can feel a very slight wobble at low speeds. But nothing compared to a hornet 600!
Vfr's are made to be strong. And can put half a house on one.

 

I have that same setup on a '99

1. No
2. TwistedThrottle
3. Not quick, but in stock
4. Yes, you must remove rear panels, but no cutting, etc
5. My memory is $800 for the package? Three bags and mounting kit

They are great to use, easy to remove (which I raelly only do when it goes to the shop).

 

Hypnotoad,

Sorry for the delay in responding to your questions. I've been traveling for work a lot this month and then had a long motorcycle ride this past week. I rode my VFR with this setup along with a Luggage Locker Elite Seat Sak tail bag (ordered directly) and a Bags Connection tank bag (ordered via Twisted Throttle). The combination of those with the Givi setup is simply outstanding. My total ride was almost 1,800 miles in four days between Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia. This included two rides through Deal's Gap and hundreds of miles of other twisty mountain and hilly roads. The Givi setup was rock solid and worked great. It was extremely convenient to quickly remove and reinstall the bags during my overnight stops. I think the size of the E21 bags is a great compromise between storage volume and appearance with my 5th Gen VFR. Givi has other, larger bags that are compatible with the same side racks if a person wants even more storage capacity.

1. I haven't experienced any issues at all with instability even during some elevated speed runs.
2. I bought my Givi luggage from Sport Tour at Sport Adventure Touring Motorcycle Accessories and Gear - Sport Tour Ltd.. I've made multiple purchases from them over the years and have been very happy with each transaction. I even stopped in at their retail store once several years ago. Their store and their employees were both very nice.
3. I received my Givi items in less than a week of placing the order online. That's with the free/included regular shipping which I consider excellent.
4. No modifications are necessary. The installation is fully compatible with the stock bike. It's pretty straight forward and I didn't have any problems with the instructions. It did take time to get everything together though. The Givi racks (side and top) are very stout. It didn't just drop into place, it takes some effort to get the holes in the racks, the fasteners, and threaded holes all lined up. Some patience is the key along with leaving the parts as loose as possible until the fasteners are all started.
5. The total for the E21 bags, side racks, and the top rack was $458 which included shipping and no sales tax. I had the E460 trunk on hand so that money was already spent.

Do I recommend these items? Heck yeah! They offer a large amount of secure, dry storage room and I think they look pretty darn good on the bike, especially since the bags are 'generic.' They aren't as 'tight' in appearance as the Beetle Bags by Corbin, but then again they don't make them anymore either so they're quite rare. I was pleasantly surprised on how closely the saddlebags are tucked into the sides of the bike. Part of the reason is that the side racks are tapered relative to the centerline of the bike and run parallel to the rear plastic fairing.

Let me know if you have any other questions and I should be able to give a quicker response.

 

Thanks for the detailed response :thumb:

 

Please excuse bringing back an old post - but I have a question and you seem quite knowledgeable regarding the Givi system. Do you think it is possible to mount only the side racks with out the top rack? I would like to mount side bags only - thanks in advance for your reply.

 

I found a new old stock Givi PL161 side rack which can be mounted without the top rack. After some Googling I found it online at a place in New Zealand called Cycle Treads. Shipping wasn't cheap but it was still cheaper than the additional purchase of the top rack, plus I don't like the look of that top rack so I'm happy. Note: the Micron high mount exhaust DID NOT fit within the PL161 so I'm forced to go with a stock mount exhaust when the racks are in place. Micron wanted $225 for the low mount mid pipe and hardware so I just got a decent looking low mount aftermarket silencer cheap on Ebay.

By the way, if anyone else orders one ask them to put it in a box. They just wrapped it in paper and of course parts of the rack were poking out when I got it. A few gouges and some missing paint by the time it got to Wisconsin.

 

lucky you to find a set of those racks, I gave up and went with sw-motech's racks so I could go without a topbox

 

Vejesse - Were PL161's easy to mount without using the recommended SR161 top rack? Thanks - Mike

 

I was curious to hear an answer to this as well. I have the same GIVI trunk you're using that I've had installed since I got the bike. I love it, and it's been great to me, and I would like to note that this trunk has been ripped off the bike in a spill without being damaged! This means there is probably a well-designed mechanical fail-safe in the bracket mechanism so that it pops out before the pieces break.

Anyway, I wanted to confirm that the mount for the side racks is separate from the mount for the trunk. If I want the side-bags do I have to get a whole new mount that supports both the trunk and the bags? Or are there two separate, compatible mounts for both the bags and the trunk?

 

I'm not sure that the discontinued PL161 is even compatible with a top rack. If you don't want the top rack and can't find the PL 161 maybe the Motech rig is the way to go.