Hey guys, I'm thinking of getting myself a top case and mount for Christmas. From what I can see the options are Givi and Shad. Does anyone have pictures of one of these set ups on their 5th gen? I can't decide which way to go and am curious what the differences are in their mounts. Most all pictures I have found on the web are generic. Will my rear seat cowl still fit on? Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas!
Bringing this back from the dead. I found a place here in Canada that can get both Givi and Shad set ups for my bike. I like the way the Shad mount fits a little better than the Givi but from what I have heard Givi's quality is top notch. I think I could still use my seat cowl with the Shad without modification. I thought there would be a greater price difference but it turns out that the Givi would cost $501 with a 46 liter case and the Shad $494 with a 45 liter case. Both include shipping. Any opinions?
I can't lend an opinion of the Shad rack as I've never seen one....and I can't seem to find one online for the 5th gen to know how it mounts. I installed the Givi PL257 just the other day and can attest to it's good quality. It's quite heavy duty. I haven't used it yet, but it seems VERY solid and the black finish seems nice and thick/durable. If you think you may consider side racks at some point down the line, maybe the Givi is the way to go as the racks just bolt onto the top rack supports. As for making your cowl cover fit, it can probably be done by making some cutouts where the racks mount to the grab handle location. I'm sure I've seen other people do that before with this and other racks. the issue would be whether or not you need quick access to get the cover off to access under the seat. The two long 6mm allen bolts that attach where the two long tie-down bolts go (that screw through the rear cowl to hold it on) and a spacer would have to come out each time to get the cowl off and that would be pretty annoying. Another advantage of the Givi rack is that you can get just the top rails without the Givi plate for about $100 and then put whatever brand plate/box on that you want. Emgo makes a good looking "square-ish" shaped box for about $70 and it comes with its own mount that would go onto the Givi rails. Or you could get the Givi Monokey plate and put one of the cheap $50 JC Whitney boxes on it (they fit the Givi plate with small modification). here's how my racks look on the bike. Both the top and sides are installed here....
Thanks for your input. I know of another member on here who recently installed the Givi rack and was happy with it as well.
