Top Box vs Panniers

[Paggers]

I find it weird that so many people talk about getting 'wobble' with their topbox. Admittedly I have been using Givi boxes, rather than the BMW ones, but I am on my fourth BMW bike and I have never felt the slightest of instability on any of them - and that includes the 52L sail that I carried over from my GS and onto my new RT.


Perhaps I should assume that there is enough of me to act as a suitable wind break. Or perhaps it is a speed related thing - due to needing my bike to get to work and back I am rarely to be found going above the speed limit.

[Casbar]

I find it weird that so many people talk about getting 'wobble' with their topbox. Admittedly I have been using Givi boxes, rather than the BMW ones, but I am on my fourth BMW bike and I have never felt the slightest of instability on any of them - and that includes the 52L sail that I carried over from my GS and onto my new RT.


Perhaps I should assume that there is enough of me to act as a suitable wind break. Or perhaps it is a speed related thing - due to needing my bike to get to work and back I am rarely to be found going above the speed limit.

I've never experienced any instability with the top box either and I'm not carrying a lot of extra bulk. But as a rule I only have the top box on if I'm touring.

[guest2360]

+1 or is it 2.  Never any instability with a top box in 20 years of having one following along behind.  Not come across complaints about the panniers being heavy.  Compared with the likes of Givi they might be but they don't feel like an old plastic bucket .

[paulh]

I find it weird that so many people talk about getting 'wobble' with their topbox. Admittedly I have been using Givi boxes, rather than the BMW ones, but I am on my fourth BMW bike and I have never felt the slightest of instability on any of them - and that includes the 52L sail that I carried over from my GS and onto my new RT.


Perhaps I should assume that there is enough of me to act as a suitable wind break. Or perhaps it is a speed related thing - due to needing my bike to get to work and back I am rarely to be found going above the speed limit.

Could be down to a number of things including the weight of the rider (I'm about 13 stone so not too light but perhaps lighter than many)?  I definitely experienced a noticeable wobble at times (not continually) and I wasn't traveling that quickly at the time ... felt almost like a wheel bearing or flat tire!  It was windy last night so maybe that also contributed.

I'll definitely keep an eye on it to see if I can spot any patterns.

[Casbar]

Could be down to a number of things including the weight of the rider (I'm about 13 stone so not too light but perhaps lighter than many)?  I definitely experienced a noticeable wobble at times (not continually) and I wasn't traveling that quickly at the time ... felt almost like a wheel bearing or flat tire!  It was windy last night so maybe that also contributed.

I'll definitely keep an eye on it to see if I can spot any patterns.

Same weight as you and have had the bike since January and haven't experienced any wobbles as yet, so here is hoping !

[TJRL]

I think the RT looks much better with a pair of panniers without a top-box. But I always use a top-box, because it is just the most convenient place to put my skid lid when I arrive at work!!
I guess I am just not as good at filtering as some on here, but I would not do my commute (M4, J12 to J6) with OEM pannier lids fitted as they are just too wide, so I fitted a pair of these city lids https://www.motorcycleparts-hornig.com/ ... -Lids.html.
To each their own.

[ds99]

The 49 litre BMW top box I had weighed a ton, it was much heavier than the Givi 55 litre Maxia one

[guest2360]

That's because it's double skinned and has a four point locking system.  Think the Givi ones are just single skinned and can be levered open with a small spoon.
The newer version even thought BMW says it's the same weight as the old one is definitely lighter.

[paulh]

That's because it's double skinned and has a four point locking system.  Think the Givi ones are just single dkineed and can be levered open with a small spoon.

:))

[Jacksnipe]

To be brutally frank all bike top boxes can be forced open without much effort, including the BM one. The BM ones are over engineered for over engineerings sake, why the double skin is it there so Granny can go  on a grand  tour of Europe in the top box  so she can have an afternoon nap undisturbed by howling wind noises ? !

Unfortunately like a lot of the BM additional  kit, over here and over priced, there are better out there.

[guest2360]

Not over engineered just properly engineered.  The lid on the BM box is rigid and withe the lock on three sides takes a lot of force to open.  The Givi kit with just one plastic locking point and one skin thick is quite flexible.  But Ill give you it's definitely lighter. 
As you have pointed out you prefer Givi kit over your OEM ones so I don't expect I can persuade you they are of a lower quality.

[futterweasel]

Think the Monolock are single skinned and the Monokey are double skinned

[beemerboy9]

Think the Monolock are single skinned and the Monokey are double skinned

Agreed. I have a single-skinned Monolock on my scooter which never goes above 60 mph. However I have seen such boxes fitted to 120 mph bikes to save money.

[RaistlinRTCW]

For the most part just the topbox as the place to put my helmet and keep a spare pair of waterproof trousers and the sat nav when I leave the bike. I have filtered with the panniers and never really had an issue but most of that has been on the A1 and M25 which have fairly wide lanes. The worst road I have ever commuted was the A40 but that was on a ZX12R and not the RT

[blokeonthemove]

I had a Givi on my old Pan 1100, people asked what is a 'Monkey System', that cleaned off with a bit of paint thinners !