wordsmith Posted March 14, 2019 Share Posted March 14, 2019 There are top-boxes and there are top-boxes, and I'm amazed at the prices one can pay for some, often many times what this cost. I have just received and fitted this 35L $AUD35 matte black top-box, which will suit me very well for infrequent use. I'm a great believer that 'you get what you pay for', but there's nothing wrong with this item for light loads infrequently carried. It was delivered within ten days of ordering from China and comes complete with all fastenings, including a pressed steel mounting plate (normally plastic, not that it matters - second pic), but thankfully without the 'RUYIDA' brand on the back. The bright yellow moulded insert which runs right around the back will be taken advantage of, as I have some yellow twin pinstripe PVC tape of a matching colour, so I'll apply a length of this to each pannier lid along with the existing red stripes, which will give a further visual 'lift' to the lids and complement the yellow top-box feature. The very lightly textured matte black finish matches exactly the OE panniers, and visually the box does not overwhelm the rear of the bike unlike some much larger ones. Running around the inside of the top-box lid there's a useful moulded stiffening 'lip' or flange (last pic below). With similar items in the past I've used this feature to insert some small hooks around the perimeter, to which I fasten a plastic or elastic net. This has been detailed by others here recently too, and the idea is to hold in-place the lid contents when the top-box is opened, preventing stuff inside from scattering all over the road. I use the lid to carry wet-weather gear for quick access if needed on the road, so it doesn't need to be removed too often, hopefully. This top-box will be fitted only for longer multi-day trips, and for the rest of the time I'll just carry my smaller 16L Pelican case, which is more than enough for day-ride outings. Riding a fully-farkled 2019 MT-09 Tracer 900 GT from my bayside home in South East Queensland, Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member betoney Posted March 14, 2019 Supporting Member Share Posted March 14, 2019 @wordsmith That is a crazy price for a top box, you could easily pay more for a soft gym bag. I agree with you, its amazing what some manufacturers charge for a motorcycle-specific product with a name brand. Sure, the construction might be more "budget-oriented" on these Chinese knock-offs but even at the low price they are still selling them for a profit. Here are two perfect examples - Powerbronze Rear Mudguard Generic Mud Guard I have the generic version and it is VERY well made but no manufacturers name brand sticker. ***2015 Candy Red FJ-09*** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordsmith Posted March 14, 2019 Author Share Posted March 14, 2019 2 hours ago, betoney said: @wordsmith That is a crazy price for a top box, you could easily pay more for a soft gym bag. I agree with you, its amazing what some manufacturers charge for a motorcycle-specific product with a name brand. Sure, the construction might be more "budget-oriented" on these Chinese knock-offs but even at the low price they are still selling them for a profit. Here are two perfect examples - Powerbronze Rear Mudguard Generic Mud Guard I have the generic version and it is VERY well made but no manufacturers name brand sticker. Thanks, betoney - you have caused me to wonder if I should get one of those generic rear guards - the OE piece is a bit of a joke! I recall from seeing pix of yours on your red bike that the colour match appears to be OK: is that correct? Still on the subject of top-boxes, I have recently seen on E Bay a new-to-me item, being a bolt-on 'rack' that sits on top of the box, allowing - presumably - some other items to be strapped on top. Seems like useful add-on - pic below. Geriatric riders like me may foggily recall that some 1950's/ 60's Triumph motorbikes had a chromed rack that bolted to the top of the tank, for a similar purpose. Riding a fully-farkled 2019 MT-09 Tracer 900 GT from my bayside home in South East Queensland, Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member betoney Posted March 14, 2019 Supporting Member Share Posted March 14, 2019 15 minutes ago, wordsmith said: Thanks, betoney - you have caused me to wonder if I should get one of those generic rear guards - the OE piece is a bit of a joke! I recall from seeing pix of yours on your red bike that the colour match appears to be OK: is that correct? @wordsmith No issues with color, fitment, construction, quality or price. It is better than the small oem mud guard but on wet roads you will still get spray on the bottom of the sub-frame area. And be forewarned that it comes without mounting instructions and there is an inner mounting bracket system (different on each side) that must be assembled, it is sort of a puzzle but if I can figure it out it can't be that difficult. ***2015 Candy Red FJ-09*** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordsmith Posted March 14, 2019 Author Share Posted March 14, 2019 Thanks! While I'm in spending mode, betoney, would you care to share a link to that under-engine spoiler you have? Same question on colour - is it a good match? Thanks... Riding a fully-farkled 2019 MT-09 Tracer 900 GT from my bayside home in South East Queensland, Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member betoney Posted March 14, 2019 Supporting Member Share Posted March 14, 2019 1 minute ago, wordsmith said: Thanks! While I'm in spending mode, betoney, would you care to share a link to that under-engine spoiler you have? Same question on colour - is it a good match? Thanks... It is made by Ermax Products and is an EXACT color match. It isnt an Ebay product and the price reflects that. It is not cheap in either price or quality but I think it completes the look of the bike nicely. Worthy to note, they make both a 2 and 3 piece version though I'm not sure what the purpose is of the 2 piece model. ***2015 Candy Red FJ-09*** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordsmith Posted March 14, 2019 Author Share Posted March 14, 2019 Thanks, betoney. I do agree that the belly-pan completes and visually balances the look, especially in a stand-out colour like yours. ERMAX pic below FYI others... Riding a fully-farkled 2019 MT-09 Tracer 900 GT from my bayside home in South East Queensland, Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordsmith Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share Posted March 27, 2019 On 3/14/2019 at 7:09 PM, wordsmith said: The bright yellow moulded insert which runs right around the back will be taken advantage of, as I have some yellow twin pinstripe PVC tape of a matching colour, so I'll apply a length of this to each pannier lid along with the existing red stripes, which will give a further visual 'lift' to the lids and complement the yellow top-box feature. Well, I have done that (pix below) and it certainly does give a visual 'lift' to the otherwise drab pannier lids. I'm now toying with the idea of making a fibreglass belly pan along the lines of the ERMAX product above (thanks, betoney), in which case I'll probably paint it yellow to match. By the way - the orange-looking stripes on the pannier lids are in real life a very much closer match to the bike's Lava Red paintwork. I guess a combination of fluoro-tube lighting in the garage plus camera flash changes things appreciably! Riding a fully-farkled 2019 MT-09 Tracer 900 GT from my bayside home in South East Queensland, Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 Hey OP! Great looking bike and case I just picked up a 2015 FJ09 so I'm considering a few luggage options. Question: which luggage top rack are you using? It looks very similar to this ebay/aliexpress/amazon rack that I was eyeing If it is that rack, does it mount to the same points as the side rack? My bike came with a Givi side case system/rack and was wondering if it would pose any compatibility/install issues if I ordered that top rack Thanks to you and the rest of this community! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordsmith Posted April 3, 2019 Author Share Posted April 3, 2019 G'day Kenny. Mine looks very similar, if not identical - there are many out there looking as if all from the same manufacturer. Mine pictured below came from <vagrant-us> at AUD$134, shipped to me in Australia.. It's heavy, so shipping adds quite a bit extra to the off-the-shelf price. This top-plate (or luggage-rack, I guess) - the second or third I've fitted - is nicely-made and extremely strong: I've said before that a Bloke could probably stand quite safely on one when installed! The plate itself is secured to the bike's rear frame via two solid OE bolts that also attach the rearmost lugs of two pillion handles (see pic). Two steel tubes (one each side) are then bolted to the underside of the new rack and extend forward along and under the OE hard panniers' carriers with new longer mounting screws through the carriers - see pic: it's all very unobtrusive. But I cannot advise on the specific compatibility with your own GIVI racks. I carry a small PELICAN-style top-box most of the time, screwed onto the plate, and another conventional top-box at other times when needed. Let me advise further if you wish, and if I can. Riding a fully-farkled 2019 MT-09 Tracer 900 GT from my bayside home in South East Queensland, Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 4 hours ago, wordsmith said: I carry a small PELICAN-style top-box most of the time, screwed onto the plate, and another conventional top-box at other times when needed. Let me advise further if you wish, and if I can. Thank you so much wordsmith! very helpful and I really like your use of cutout arrows! Funny you mention the Pelican-style box because that's exactly what I had in mind. It looks like I can have the top rack shipped from China for ~$100cad so I'll give it a shot This is my first bike with any sort of luggage system/capability.. Although I guess I shouldn't be too surprised by their astronomical costs I still shudder seeing the prices of dedicated boxes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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