Pesky topbox

[Gas Man]

A bit more info for those interested... I'm guessing you especially Al ;)

Have spoken to Kawa cutomer serv and they are looking into the problem.
I told them the solution was (seeing as its a 13k bike) to stop using cheap plastic racks and to use as standard these:
http://www.chainspeed.co.uk/products/Alu%252dRack-for-Kawasaki-GTR1400-2007-onwards-by-SW%252dMotech.html
http://www.chainspeed.co.uk/products/Adaptor-kit-for-Givi%7B47%7DKappa-Monolock-by-SW%252dMotech.html

They use this brand for the 1400ZZR as standard so why not the GTR ::)

[mecki]

I still don't understand what you guys are on about.
The base isn't a problem.
It is fully sufficient for a box with a maximum load of 3kg.
Why anybody in his right mind would design (Givi) and sell (Kawasaki) a 49l box with a 3kg payload is beyond me, though.
And didn't your bike come with those parts (rack and adaptor) anyway?
Mine did!
All Kawasaki needs to do is offer the Givi Monokey box which comes with a metal base anyway instead of selling only the cheaper Monolock one.

[Gas Man]

I still don't understand what you guys are on about.
The base isn't a problem.
It is fully sufficient for a box with a maximum load of 3kg.
Why anybody in his right mind would design (Givi) and sell (Kawasaki) a 49l box with a 3kg payload is beyond me, though.
And didn't your bike come with those parts (rack and adaptor) anyway?
Mine did!
All Kawasaki needs to do is offer the Givi Monokey box which comes with a metal base anyway instead of selling only the cheaper Monolock one.

Its the rack which is the problem, cheap plastic rubbish. Its also a back rest for the pillion and as a consequence hits my wife in the back due to the flex in the cheap plastic

[mecki]

It "hits" your wife in the back?

That the top box is wobbly I accept.
After all it is made from very thin and soft plastic.
But that it "hits" a pillion in the back I just can't believe.
Or is it the other way around and she is hitting the top box instead?
A bit ham fisted on the throttle perhaps?

And who would want to use that flimsy thing as a back rest in the first place?
I'd be scared that it may just fall off if you put a bit of pressure on it.
Maybe you should try the back rest pad first before you waste a lot of time and/or money on another rack.

Are all 4 rubber spacers still in there?
I check every time I take the top case off that there isn't one stuck to the bottom.
I haven't used the top box with a pillion yet, but when I lost one of the spacers it started to rattle quite a bit.  ???

[pembsgtr]

A bit more info for those interested... I'm guessing you especially Al ;)

Have spoken to Kawa cutomer serv and they are looking into the problem.
I told them the solution was (seeing as its a 13k bike) to stop using cheap plastic racks and to use as standard these:
http://www.chainspeed.co.uk/products/Alu%252dRack-for-Kawasaki-GTR1400-2007-onwards-by-SW%252dMotech.html
http://www.chainspeed.co.uk/products/Adaptor-kit-for-Givi%7B47%7DKappa-Monolock-by-SW%252dMotech.html

They use this brand for the 1400ZZR as standard so why not the GTR ::)

This is the very set up that I use. No movement at all and fully loaded panniers and a couple of kilos in the top box bike was steady as a rock on autobahn at 140mph  ;D

[BigAlan]

Well I am a happy bunny, collected the water cut plate and all I had to do was put a 5mm radius on the lower edge where it bolts onto the bike and mark where I wanted to bolt the mounting plate to go, drilled the holes, cleaned it up and assembled it, with the addition of two pieces of White door sealer where the box clips back in the two holes and it was complete.

Looks good an as for wobble I would say it's a 95% improvement and well worth the work.

So all I can say is if you get yourself some alloy plate then wobble will be a thing of the past.

Alan

[Lonewolf]

Alan, is your chap willing and able to make a few of these plates up perhaps complete with holes etc? I'd be interested in buying one if they were a sensible price.

[BigAlan]

I shall see him in the local and ask.

Alan

[Gas Man]

It "hits" your wife in the back?

That the top box is wobbly I accept.
After all it is made from very thin and soft plastic.
But that it "hits" a pillion in the back I just can't believe.
Or is it the other way around and she is hitting the top box instead?
A bit ham fisted on the throttle perhaps?

And who would want to use that flimsy thing as a back rest in the first place?
I'd be scared that it may just fall off if you put a bit of pressure on it.
Maybe you should try the back rest pad first before you waste a lot of time and/or money on another rack.

Are all 4 rubber spacers still in there?
I check every time I take the top case off that there isn't one stuck to the bottom.
I haven't used the top box with a pillion yet, but when I lost one of the spacers it started to rattle quite a bit.  ???

Mine has the pad.
The whole point of the back rest pad is its supposed to double up as a back rest as well as a top box so you should be able to lean back on it!
Yes all 4 rubbers are intact and i've also put some sticky back foam to take up any slack between the box and the monokey plate.
As said already its the flex in the rack which IMO is not fit for purpose which makes the box wobble up and down which in turn makes it a very uncomfortable experience for my wife. the whole point of getting the box with the back rest pad was to allow the wife to have something to rest on. 1 of the main reasons for choosing the GTR was because the wife comes out a lot on it with me.
You've hit the nail on the head really when you said "And who would want to use that flimsy thing as a back rest in the first place?
I'd be scared that it may just fall off if you put a bit of pressure on it."

[Gas Man]

Alan, is your chap willing and able to make a few of these plates up perhaps complete with holes etc? I'd be interested in buying one if they were a sensible price.

+1 on that  :D

to be honest I think i'll spend the £115 and get the bits in the links i posted earlier ;)

I spoke to cust serv about this but was not impressed ::)

[Andy]

The Kawasaki topbox is a Givi box and has rubber feet on the base as well. But unlike the more expensive Monokey boxes Kawasaki chose to sell only the cheap and nasty Monolock boxes as accessories. Not only are they flimsy, have no fasteners inside, a maximum load of only 3kg and a plastic base, the rubber feet come off very easily when you take the box off too.

Are the feet on the rack or on bottom of box? There are 4 empty holes on my rack  :(

[simbad]

Are the feet on the rack or on bottom of box? There are 4 empty holes on my rack  :(

Should be on the rack.