Soft bags on top of side cases

[fjrob1300]

Thanks for the suggestions. If I understand correctly , the dry bags are not tied to the side cases. Is that right?

I strap my dry bags to the grab bar . just let them rest on the side cases.

 

[FJRfarrier]

Thanks for the suggestions. If I understand correctly , the dry bags are not tied to the side cases. Is that right?

I strap my dry bags to the grab bar . just let them rest on the side cases.

Same here. Each end of the Rok Strap is attached to the grab bar. Then strapped around the dry bag. So you can unbuckle the strap, take the dry bag, and the strap system is still attached to the bike.

And if you're riding with a pillion, they can keep an eye on placement of the dry bags.

oh, and since they are just strapped to the grab bar, you can still access a side case easily. lift/flip up the dry bag, and you can insert the key and pull the tab for the side case to unlock.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

This puts me in mind of a trip I have coming up where a bag on the rear seat would be nice. But frankly, if I can't operate solo out of both side cases and a top case, I need to reexamine my loadout (hotel trip). If I were camping or on the road for a week at a time, I'd damn sure have bags on the cases, all three of them.

 

[lonerider]

You could convert the side bags to GIVI Monokey and have a great selection of larger bags, like these E41s

 

[rvnmaniac]

That's interesting the GIVI conversion....

 

[Fred W]

Its tough to find the GIVI racks to do that conversion these days. Otherwise that would be a great option as there are some much larger capacity, top loading bags that are available from them for the true pack mule:

Like the 48 liter Trekkers? Totally utilitarian looking but hold a ton more than our wimpy FJR bags do.

.

 

[danh600]

I don't ride two up so I just pile the dry bags on the back seat. Generally it's just two small ones. However when I have my camping gear it's two small ones and a larger one. While I put the heavy stuff at the bottom. It's piled a little high.

I was thinking of moving the small black dry bags out over the side cases and lowering the blue bag to the seat.

However, I was scared to go over the weight limit for the side cases. If you load the side cases and put a dry bag on top you are going to be way over the limit in the manual. Isn't it something really low like 10lbs?

 

[Bill Lumberg]

I'd love to convert to the cases Fred shows. I'd sure like know conversion kit and bag avail and pricing. Very expensive compared to stacking. But those look badass. Heck, I still haven't gotten around to ordering and installing the Givi case-top rack, for extra and or wet stuff to be strapped in top of my E55 utility case (V47 is the everyday case).

 

[Fred W]

So, Bill, there used to be a few manufacturers that would make side racks for the FJR. Most were European, I suspect because out Euro brethren did NOT get the side bags that we have all received here in the states with our bikes. But, for whatever reason those manufacturers have all dried up and the racks seem no longer available unless you can find some used.

 

[lonerider]

That's interesting the GIVI conversion....

GIVI used to make the PLR 357 kit for the European bikes side bags. From what I've seen, they have been out of production for some time, though some NOS kits might be still on a shelf somewhere. When I made mine, I got a reasonably priced set of Monokey mounts for a Beemer(the standard Monokey, not the V35 units) from ebay and made the brackets, etc. required to fit them to my Feej. I had already made similar mounts for two of my other bikes (Madura and GSX1100G) for which GIVI didn't provide mounts, so I already had GIVI bags from the E21s to E41s. If I were going with the Trekkers, I'd borrow a set first to make sure they would fit the way I wanted.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Thanks for the background. I'd be down if they were still making them. In the mean time, in going to order more rok straps and a top rack for the e55. And I am going to incorporate sealine drybag armrests for trips with the wife this year.