Luggage Options with Pillion in Mind

[F4LL3N]

Hi All,

I have recently got myself a SV650S (2008) that I am very happy with :). I am looking for a tail rack to ideally hold a weight of around 9KG (mainly my large holdall bag full of clothes, toiletries etc.).

Using the passenger seat is not an option as I will have my girlfriend on the back. I have been reading about the renntec racks and the ventura but can not figure out what would be the best option for my purpose as I would like to use my own bag if possible and in the future be able to have both the tail rack and the option for hard panniers at the same time (Givi luggage or equivalent). I was told at the garage I purchase the bike from that I couldn't have the rack and hard panniers :(.

Just wondering what everyone else has done? I only need a tail rack for now as just going to Bruges next month for about 4 days, 2 of which are traveling to and from. For long trips in the future obviously I would like to add hard panniers.

Any help on this dilemma is greatly appreciated! :)

[badsaboy]

i have a renntech but you cant load it very much. it says 2kg on it but im sure you could get a little more maybe 3-4kg. I use soft panniers and it works a treat. one myself and one for the mrs.
good luck

[F4LL3N]

Hi thanks for the reply. I think that weight might be a little low. As for the panniers, id like hard luggage really for the longer trips - more secure I guess! Has anybody had any luck with Ventura or other types?

[xXBADGERXx]

The Givi/Kappa rack supports itself by fixing to the subframe and to the grab rail , you can then use the plate as a rack or click a topbox into it :)

[F4LL3N]

Thanks for the reply! Do you know how much weight it takes? Can you link me to it please? Many thanks! =)

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Givi/Kappa can take 10kg in each pannier and 3kg in the top box (by regs,) but, I know pretty well that a couple of percent more won't kill the system or you

[xXBADGERXx]

Heck , I carried a whole vice in mine for loads of miles , Yorkie Chris has seen it and the vice is a beast , it`s more to do with the strength of the box and the lugs that lock into each other and I have easily exceeded the recommended limits

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Heck , I carried a whole vice in mine for loads of miles , Yorkie Chris has seen it and the vice is a beast , it`s more to do with the strength of the box and the lugs that lock into each other and I have easily exceeded the recommended limits


That was kind of what I was getting at, they are pretty robust. It is more a H&S bail out the limits they put in the boxes

[xXBADGERXx]

Yeah , deffo a bail out , I even filled mine with Beer and JD and soft drinks when I owed a few people some Beer at the GMII and that was pretty heavy too

[johnnyrod]

I use soft Oxford panniers. There's a fabric plate thing that goes on the pillion seat, Mrs Rod sits on it, and they can hold a lot. Where they want to hang will cover up the pillion pegs on a curvy so I have to persuade the whole lot backwards about 8" and made some brackets to move the rear indis back to suit. Works pretty well for us.

[F4LL3N]

Hi thanks for that, I am not looking to use panniers for this trip - just a rack really. How easy is the givi stuff to remove for when you aren't touring? Can I use just the rack without the hard luggage or would I have to use the whole system? Also any images/links would be awesome :) thanks for all the help thus far !:smt071

[xXBADGERXx]

Whole rack can be removed in about 4 minutes , and you can strap stuff to it without the luggage if you like

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/xXBADGERXx/DSC01771.jpg

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

The panniers are not too bad an add on mind you

http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac297/cymraeg_atodeg/DSC05660a.jpg

[F4LL3N]

Looks good! Have you tried attaching tents and bags to that rack too (instead of the top box)? And is there plenty of room for the pillion? :) Nice bikes btw, The SVS looks good both fully faired and part faired IMO.

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

The rack and pannier holders are connected to the bike pretty well and you can use bungy cords to attact whatever you need to the top-box base plate if you don't want to use the top-box
I'll let you know about pillion room after this weekend, lol
Although, I was pretty comfotable on it on my drive trying it out and I am 5'9

[F4LL3N]

I'm 6'2 with pillion :) cool let me know how you get on! Have a nice ride :) Seems like it might be the ideal thing for me! Just have to pay out for them :)

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Yeah, there is that. I managed to get all of mine for about £400 I think, was lucky I got a few deals.

My pillion is gonna be only 5'2 though, so, depends on how tall your passenger will be as to how comfortable it is

[F4LL3N]

About 5,9? She's ok normally on the back, it's just have the panniers by her side I guess? £400 is some epic price tag! Will try pick some up used as much as poss and bit by bit lol.

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

About 5,9? She's ok normally on the back, it's just have the panniers by her side I guess? £400 is some epic price tag! Will try pick some up used as much as poss and bit by bit lol.

Yeah, having a well paying job helps a lot when it comes to the bike.

There is loads of room on the bike, the only issue I have found is that only about size 6 feet on the back starts to interfere with your own foot positioning. It does depend on where you like to rest your feet. I prefer balls of the foot, but, I had to have my feet on the arch when I had a taller friend on the back, but, he did have like size 13 feet, ha ha

[F4LL3N]

Lol, well she normally rests her feel on the pillion pegs - can they still get their feet to the pegs? :)

[xXBADGERXx]

Yep , doesn`t affect anything comfortwise on the bike . What it does have an affect on is the front end when you are carrying a vice in the topbox .... or a 1.5 metre almax chain .... it turns the Sv into a Unicycle :) .... other than that , you will be just fine

[F4LL3N]

Lol sounds fun, how do you combat that? And I noticed you wrote somewhere that you were possibly selling your Givi stuff? Although I am not actually looking to purchase just yet - how much was you looking at?

[F4LL3N]

The rack and pannier holders are connected to the bike pretty well and you can use bungy cords to attact whatever you need to the top-box base plate if you don't want to use the top-box
I'll let you know about pillion room after this weekend, lol
Although, I was pretty comfotable on it on my drive trying it out and I am 5'9

So how did you get on? =)

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Very well, Katie's feet didn't impede mine and she was pretty comfy on the back, so, got to say this hard luggage stuff is all pretty good.

Going to be trying out the top-box with back rest this weekend as the base-plate only arrived after I had left for London

[F4LL3N]

Awesome - makes me more confident!

Is this the fitting I need for my '08 SV: http://www.givi.co.uk/My-motorcycle/?ma=SUZUKI&mo=SV-650---SV-650-S-03--08

When I look at the PDF it doesn't show the fitting for the panniers - or do I have to somehow get this separately?

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

The FZ is the same frame as I have for mine, so will fit
The pannier frames are separate, but, you have to have to top box rack first to fit them to.
Joy of a Thou" with 22kg in panniers was power wheelies in low gears and over crests :-D

[F4LL3N]

Cool, well I can just get the rack for now and buy bits and bobs as time passes. Can I use any monokey case and panniers with that setup? I was thinking possibly the E55 Maxia Tech case and possibly the E21 Cruiser panniers - I am assuming they are 21 litres per pannier (as it isn't clear on the site).

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

The racks and base-plate for the top box dictate what type of system you can use. For example; I have got a monoLOCK base plate and top-box, but, monoKEY panniers. If you can find the rack I can sell you a monokey base plate for cheaper than the shops (my friend bought me the wrong one to begin with)
The number in the name usually donates the litre size. I got a 450 top-box (so 45 litre) and I think two E32 panniers (so, 32 litres each)

[F4LL3N]

OK cool, the Givi setups are a bit confusing lol. I have seen racks and the M5 (Monokey) plate I think together, haven't seen the rack separately yet. For the rack and the plate it was about £105.

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Don't order directly, that is just silly... Order through http://www.motorbikesandparts.co.uk/ they won't be beaten on price :-)

[F4LL3N]

That was through dkmotorcycles.com lol. Cool I will take a look :) ta

[F4LL3N]

I can't see the fittings on there, just the plate for around £38.40? :/ Givi stuff confuses me lol although it looks good!

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

http://www.motorbikesandparts.co.uk/givi-topbox-rack-for-suzuki-sv650-03-p-16709.html Voilá

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

et voilá http://www.motorbikesandparts.co.uk/kappa-topbox-rack-for-suzuki-sv650-0308-p-8930.html

[F4LL3N]

I would just want the monokey one at the top wouldn't i? Does that include the rack plate and is that the fitting that you have? Looks slightly different to the givi site. Says 03 SV too but I'm guessing it's ok for 08? Sorry for so many questions and thanks for your patience!

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Well, on the SV1000 option page you can buy the rack without the base plate.

Chosing Monolock or Monokey all depends on the top box you want. You have to buy the top box to match the base plate or vice versa

I have a K4 Thou, so, my sub-frame is identical to yours. In all honesty I think it is the K3 bikes that would have an issue fitting the racks.

Ask away my boy, if you need any more info you can PM me, I am getting pretty verse in all this SV lark

[F4LL3N]

Hmm it doesn't clarify on the site. Thanks for your help :). Why did you pick the monolock rather than the monokey? I prefer the look of the top cases for the monokey mind.

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

I bought a Monokey top-box as it was cheap when I was buying my hard luggage in Germany, lol

[F4LL3N]

Lol, I thought you said you bought a monolock ? Isn't it the M5 plate for the monokey cases?

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

I have got a Monolock, I am even confusing myself...

I have got the M5 on mine, so, I would say that is the Monolock base-plate. I will look tonight at the Monokey base-plate's box for the code on that if you want

[F4LL3N]

Cool thanks :) do the indicators need moving at all or will the rack fit on without it?

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Depends if you still have the original "snow plow" or a "tail-tidy"

I had to make some modifications to my tail tidy to get the number-plate right, but, I got an integrated tail-light/indicator unit. There is a kit with the rack to add the indicators to that

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Monolock is M5M, Monokey is KM5

[F4LL3N]

http://www.givi.co.uk/Fitment-kits/Optionals/M5

Sure it isn't the M5 for the monokey? It looks like the indicators have to be re-wired to the rack... seems annoying lol.

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Both are M5, it is the other letter that donates "key" or "lock"

Yours is Monokey, this is monolock; http://www.givi.co.uk/Fitment-kits/Optionals/M5M

The KM5 comes from a Kappa base-plate mind you... Although, Givi and Kappa are the same and both fit eachother as long as you have lock with lock or key with key...

[F4LL3N]

Fair play!! Will get hold of the rack and if it doesn't come with the plate I'll let you know =)

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

Okie-dokey