Problems with Givi SR357 install.

[SkooterG]

Got mine installed. After playing around with it I decided to forgo the shims. In fact I would recommend NOT shimming it. From my observations, shimming the rear mounting point will make the forward two spacers not fit 'flat' on the rear subframe. IOW, the rack is designed to fit 'flat' on the spacers, and the spacers 'flat' on the subframe the way that it comes. Shimming will alter the angle between rack and subframe slightly.

So I just got all five bolts started, snugged the rear three, then slowly snugged the front two forcing the rack to the subframe. It went down fairly easily. No drama.

From Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "I am feeling much better now".

 

[deanw]

But the SR357 rack bolts to the same holes and the stock rack, right? It carries the same loads, right? Whether the E228 rack is cantilevered 5 inches or not the loads on the sub frame bolts would be the same for both racks. So statically I can't see where it makes any difference.
Maybe I'm just not understading what you'r're saying. I get thick every once in a while.

If it was never made clear- it's not the subframe bolts- holding it to the main frame- that's not the problem, or most any passenger would be an issue. It's the rear-most part of the subframe itself that breaks with the SR228, and that the SR357 helps with.

Interesting that I'm having a hard time finding a place that has an SR357 "in stock" right now.

 

[Hornet Pilot]

FYI, I just finished installing a GiVi SR346 rack and E55 top case on my 05' FJR. The rack came with 1/2 spacers for the front two mounting bolts and overall the alignment was perfect with the FJR frame. No fuss no stress anywhere!

 

[TouringRider]

If it was never made clear- it's not the subframe bolts- holding it to the main frame- that's not the problem, or most any passenger would be an issue. It's the rear-most part of the subframe itself that breaks with the SR228, and that the SR357 helps with.

Interesting that I'm having a hard time finding a place that has an SR357 "in stock" right now.

Got mine this morning, ordered from Sport Tour Inc.

 

[brewj99]

I had the same problems with it not sitting right. Too much space between the SR357 and the frame under the seat. Took pictures, sent to Givi, got a new rack, but same problem. And of course they never heard of this problem. I could force it on but I wasn't comfortable with the amount of tension. Sent everything back. Both Givi and Sporttour were helpful, but in the end it just didn't work.

 

[Pseudo-Fed]

I installed mine last night on my 2013. After tightening the rear 3 bolts, the rack sat almost 1/2 " above the mounting point under the seat. However, there was plenty of room for the bolts to thread, and I found the cinching of the bolts to be quite easy. In fact I got them all the way snug using an allen wrench lengthwise with just my thumb and index finger (not much torque you can do there). So, the Givi rack moved to accommodate very easily. I wouldn't worry about it. Just tighten them slowly.

 

[Millsaps2]

I installed this rack on a '03, '07 and ''11 ('03 was slightly different rack) with the gap in all cases. Just apply pressure to the cross member under the rear seat and slowly tighten the bolts. Do not pull down with the bolts alone, might strip the threads. The rack is designed this way to distribute the load of the trunk.

 

[littlefish]

I installed mine last night and had no 1/2" space between the bar under the seat and the plastic. I started all the bolts first with a T-handle wrench and then torqued them down with a ratchet.

 

[Fred W]

Something just occurred to me about the 2nd Gen SR357 as compared to the first Gen SR346 racks.

First off, here is the SR357 metal rack. Note where the three rear bolts mount to the FJR rear subframe. These three mounting points are the same as where the Yamaha OEM trunk mount goes, in the case of the first gens you have to cut holes in the cowling where the two spacers labeled "9" are in this picture.

Now compare that to the SR346 rack for the first gens. The rearmost bolt still goes in about the same location, but the other two rear bolts go considerably further forward on the subframe (the blow-out labeled "13" in the below image.

This suggests that the Givi rack may actually be able to support a little more weight with these older style racks than the newest ones that transfer all of their weight further back? Either way, having the steel grab bar arms running in parallel with the over-stressed cast subframe has to be helpful.

 

[Auron]

First of all, **** you Givi for charging us $150 for a hung of metal that doesn't even come close to fitting.

Second, the spacers #9 in the diagram are the problem, they're too tall. I shaved both mine down the length of two washers and the whole rack drops down so all the other bolts fit perfectly.

 

[SLK50]

Unless Givi intended to have the rack in tension to transfer the positive

moment of the cantilevered loads to the negative moment of the forward

anchor points on the frame.

FWIW, I've never heard of frame failures while using a Givi rack.

 

[Auron]

^ That would be hard to believe since you'd be putting an enormous about of stress on the threads while bolting it down.

 

[SLK50]

It's all about leverage.

 

[Auron]

Even still, if something feels that wrong, it's probably not right.

 

[Donal]

There seems to be two sets of people here, those who have problems i.e. the rack doesn't fit properly and those who don't have any problem (good fit).

Just wondering if the people who are having problems are fitting racks to bikes that have already been subjected to loads i.e. the rear sub-frame is already slightly distorted.

I guess I could go back through the posts and try counting but that seems like too much work

For what it's worth my rack fits perfectly and was fitted to a brand new bike in 2009.

 

[Fred W]

There have been some reports where someone with a rack that didn't fit right tried it on a second bike and it fit fine. I think the more likely situation is the GIVI's QC is lacking a bit. Being able to grind or file down the two spacers to make it fit seems like a reasonably good solution for those that have the fit problem.

PS - Mine fit like a glove too.

 

[SLK50]

Fred, what if the QC issue is with variances in the weld-up of the

FJR's subframe?

If the issue was Givi's then other Givi components would suffer

from poor fitment and I'm not hearing many complaints.

 

[Fred W]

It is possible that Yamaha's QA is to blame, but more likely that the GIVI dimensions are varying.

We have never heard of any OEM trunk mounts having issues. And as already mentioned, at least one of these GIVI racks with fit problems had issues fitting onto multiple bikes. One way to know for sure would be to take a rack with the fit problems and fit it onto a bike that did not have fit issues. Another would be to compare the exact dimensions.

 

[SkooterG]

I'm telling you, I have installed TWO of these recently where it didn't fit and just snugged down the bolts. NO DRAMA. Didn't take much torque to do. Many others have done the same. After looking at mine REALLY close I would NOT add washers or shave anything down as then you are changing mounting angles and introducing other unknowns.

Just start all the bolts, tighten the rear three, and snug down the forward two. The rack will EASILY conform to the proper position. After initially stressing about it, I found out it is NOT A BIG DEAL unless you make it one.

 

[beemerdons]

I'm telling you, I have installed TWO of these recently where it didn't fit and just snugged down the bolts. NO DRAMA. Didn't take much torque to do. Many others have done the same. After looking at mine REALLY close I would NOT add washers or shave anything down as then you are changing mounting angles and introducing other unknowns.
Just start all the bolts, tighten the rear three, and snug down the forward two. The rack will EASILY conform to the proper position. After initially stressing about it, I found out it is NOT A BIG DEAL unless you make it one.

+1, Gunny; SkootyG is correct, the second one he did was on my 2013 FJR "Naomie Harris". I admit when we started out it did not look like it would work, however tightening it down just like GreggieM states results in an excellent fit up.

I installed my Givi rack on my 2003 FJR myself back at Christmas of 2002, I was so concerned about the terrible fit up I rode into my workplace Metro Mechanical here in Phoenix and had our Shop Mechanic heat it up and bend it to fit in a vise.