Givi brake light kit problems

[torch]

A couple of months ago, I installed a Givi E160 brake light kit in my Maxia trunk box. I chose that kit specifically for it's integrated and discrete approach to getting power to the lights in the lid -- nothing to unplug or plug in, nothing protruding from the box to catch on things when carrying it about. The spring-loaded contacts seemed like they should provide ample contact pressure to ensure reliable connections even after hundreds or thousands of cycles. And I have always found Givi products to be worth the premium price commanded.

I think I finally have things sorted now, but I have been plagued by connection issues from the start. One set screw was missing; one fell out due to vibration shortly after use, one was tightened so much it cut off the tinned wire. The connector in the bottom of the box and the connector in the rack were somewhat sloppy, meaning not only did they push apart under the spring pressure, but they tended to rotate a bit in use, becoming mis-alligned over time. A daub of grease on each contact left witness marks showing the contacts are not concentric, even when parallel in rotation. There is good overlap, but the spring contacts also slightly overlap the plastic surrounding the fixed contacts.

I fixed each issue as I tracked them down -- which took some time due to the intermittent nature of the problem and the difficulty in watching one's own tail lights while riding. The missing screw was identified and replaced on the original installation. The broken wire usually made contact, so it took some wiggling and fiddling to find. The sloppy fit of the base and plate contacts were nicely snugged up with a suitably sized o-ring around each. The fixed contacts were made to stand slightly proud by gently taking a Dremel to the surrounding plastic. Fingers crossed, but I think I finally have reliable, repeatable connections.

I wrote to Givi, outlining the problems that I found and the fixes for each, hoping feedback would inspire them to adjust the design and/or quality control for the next guy. Give's response was, basically, "Nobody else has complained. If you got a defective one then return it to the vendor with a warranty claim".

Now, I have to admit that the farkle I made to the lights themselves makes the connection issue more apparent. Flickering taillights are more apparent to those behind than intermittent brake lights. And while a long (fractions of a second) interruption in power caused a complete re-boot and flickering tail lights, short (milliseconds) interruptions due to vibration were only evidenced by a program crash which caused complete failure of the brake/turn functions until the next re-boot.

But I have to wonder how many others have noticed these sorts of contact issues with the Givi kit? Has anyone else even looked after the initial installation? Applied the brakes and shook the trunk around a bit to see what happens? Had comments from other riders that the lights were intermittent on braking?

 

[RossKean]

But I have to wonder how many others have noticed these sorts of contact issues with the Givi kit?

I had that kit on my '07 Givi trunk. No end of problems with having to "adjust" the upper (lid) contacts. Also, the contact from the Givi rack to the bottom of the case was sometimes problematic. Dirt and moisture meant it had to be cleaned regularly. I didn't do the initial installation and I never really took the time to troubleshoot it and try to make it totally reliable. I can't say whether the installation was part of the trouble or not. Overall, I didn't think it was really worth it for the slight additional visibility. (This was a V46 with four small round lights in the middle above the latch.)

The flashing Hyper-Lites I have on my 2011 are far more attention-grabbing. Mine have red running lights, flashing brake and yellow turn signals. Good visibility but not startling.

 

[torch]

I had that kit on my '07 Givi trunk. No end of problems with having to "adjust" the upper (lid) contacts. Also, the contact from the Givi rack to the bottom of the case was sometimes problematic. Dirt and moisture meant it had to be cleaned regularly.

Oh yes, another tweak was to add two self-tapping screws to the upper plastic holder inside the case to reduce flex. I'm not certain that was an issue, but was one of the attempted cures along the way.

Another problem, not directly related to the intermittent contacts, were the two self-tapping screws holding the lid contacts to the lid itself -- they were a touch too long, binding the spring-loaded release mechanism.

 

[BigOgre]

When I researched adding lights to my V47 came across several complaints about the Givi connections. As the saying goes, it looked good on paper but . . . . Went with the Admore kit and have been satisfied. Yes I have to unscrew the connection but as someone who only uses the top box occasionally it's not that big a hassle. Wire sits cleanly under the seat when not in use.

 

[graytaz]

My experience with the light kit on my Givi on my '03 was that there was enough play in the connection between the trunk and the base that it shorted out blowing the brake light fuse. I don't know how long I rode around without brake lights until a fellow rider noticed. When it happened again, I disconnected the cable. I looked at a couple alternative fixes but eventually scrapped the idea.