Panniers or Topbox? Or May be both?

[Slowboy]

The first for two weeks camping in the Dolomites



The second for three weeks hoteling it in France



Travel light, travel far

[Chalky723]

I have a hard top box that I leave on all the time, it's a secure place to leave things if I leave the bike. I don't put the (hard) panniers on unless I'm actually on a trip - never have them on for commuting/normal day to day.

I like the hard panniers as I can just chuck stuff in in it's own separate bags.

I have a screw in ground stake that I can chain them to inside the tent if I take them off when I'm at my destination too...

D

[Cone]

I've got a givi top box the v47 type with high level brake lights it's great buuuuuttttt...

Don't loose the key I have and getting a new key is almost impossible I'm having to try to talk in Italian (just put an o on the end of everything ) and not getting very far

Anyone know if these can be cut?

[Hugh]

Greetings Cone,

I don't know if this company might be able to help;

https://www.motorcycleplanet.co.uk/shopcustcontact.asp

I have a couple of Givi keys which I could loan to you if that might help. Easy enough to send by registered mail but I will need them back.

TTFN

Hugh.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

I've got a givi top box the v47 type with high level brake lights it's great buuuuuttttt...

Don't loose the key I have and getting a new key is almost impossible I'm having to try to talk in Italian (just put an o on the end of everything ) and not getting very far

Anyone know if these can be cut?

I had this issue, and it was difficult.

If you still have a spare to use as a pattern, I got one cut on a Silka (Italy) blank BT2.

The UK importer for Givi doesn't supply anything other than blank keys, if I recall.

I think you can get complete new locks, with keys, though.

[gbags]

The first for two weeks camping in the Dolomites



The second for three weeks hoteling it in France



Travel light, travel far

What about the furry seat cover?
I’ve seen them but do they add miles to you ride?
Do they hold the water when it rains?
Do they stink after a long trip?
Do they add height to your seat?
Real or synthetic?
And where do you buy them?

[cozi70]

The first for two weeks camping in the Dolomites



The second for three weeks hoteling it in France



Travel light, travel far

What about the furry seat cover?
I’ve seen them but do they add miles to you ride?
Do they hold the water when it rains?
Do they stink after a long trip?
Do they add height to your seat?
Real or synthetic?
And where do you buy them?

Furry seat me to .
Lambworld on eBay .£20...mmmm... comfy

[Slowboy]

What about the furry seat cover?
I’ve seen them but do they add miles to you ride?
Do they hold the water when it rains?
Do they stink after a long trip?
Do they add height to your seat?
Real or synthetic?
And where do you buy them?
[/quote]

1. Has been replaced with a Cool Covers cover. Both work well
2. Yes, definite improvement for me, but it it'll never be a gold wing.....
3. No, it sheds water very well.
4. No
5. 3 mm? not noticeably.
6. Real
7. Bought a fleece and made it to fit the seat myself. Engineers, we're ace and can do anything.

The Cool covers seat is no better for comfort, but is cooler so is an improvement over all.

Longest trip in a day has been about 450 miles, pretty good up to 300 as shown. After that the shuffling begins.

[gbags]

Sorry to waylay the thread!

35B80572-7F5C-4E47-B3BE-0C3542D4FAAA.png (917.43 KiB) Viewed 3506 times

Here’s my long distance set up.
Hard panniers mainly taken up with bike and camping gear, roll-bag mainly filled with clobber on the top box mount, riding boots, trainers, waterproofs etc tied onto the panniers and odds and ends under the bungee net. Here I have a puffa as the day heated up.

This is set up for two of us. If it was only me I’d turn the bag through 90 degrees, bringing the weight forwards.

[davsato]

My last bike (varadero) had a 3 case oem set up that were brilliant but encouraged me to pack everything but the kitchen sink. I mitigated this by only packing the panniers and leaving the topbox empty for helmet gloves and jacket when stopped.
Now i have an S10 i only have a topbox and tbh im not missing the panniers expense, width and weight at all. I can easily get a weeks worth of kit in the topbox, if i need any extra or im lugging camping gear then ive got various sized drybags that can get bungeed over the back seat