Givi V46 Top case Question & comment

I recently purchased and installed a Givi V46 Top case and a Givi SR19 Case Mounting Kit plus a Givi TB19 backrest. As I have read on this forum from others, the Givi instructions (or lack of) are really bad. I am a retired Tech Support Engineer for a major Tech company and I had problems with Givi's Instruction sheet but was able to get it installed in about an hour.
The question and concern that I have is This:
The latch seems of poor quality and the way to latch the case by pushing in and up on the lever is bizarre as a design. The latch is plastic on plastic and I often have to try it a few times to get it to latch. The case in general seems to be well made.
I am wondering if anyone else has the same problem with the case latch.
I previously had (on a Kymco xciting 500) a Shad SH40 top case that had a positive spring loaded latch that latched simply by closing the case. It could then be locked or not.
The Givi case requires that it be locked or you can not remove the key. I found the Shad case to have a better latching system.
Also, has anyone ever contacted Givi about this and also their poor instructions?

This forum has been a great asset. Thanks to all.

Givi Top box are all the same,to lock the box on put one hand on top box and othother under the tb 19 bracket and push together to lock.

My E-46 box has over 500,000 miles and hasn't fallen off....from various bikes/scooter. I did drill and in stall security bolt. GIVI stuff works well.

Latch can get jammed sometimes by something in the inside getting in the way of the mechanism. Usually cured by having it in the unlocked position and hitting both sides of the case simultaneously.
Their latches are a quirky design but they work.

Cheers,

RichG wrote:

The latch seems of poor quality and the way to latch the case by pushing in and up on the lever is bizarre as a design.
Also, has anyone ever contacted Givi about this and also their poor instructions?

I have been impressed with my GIVI V46 latch system and have experienced no problems. So far, I like how it latches.

Lousy GIVI instructions are in contrast to GIVI quality/popularity/high-prices, which is a great mystery to me.

Their instructions in Italian are great. All you need to do is learn Italian. :lol!:

Cheers,

tarmacburner2 wrote:

Latch can get jammed sometimes by something in the inside getting in the way of the mechanism. Usually cured by having it in the unlocked position and hitting both sides of the case simultaneously.
Their latches are a quirky design but they work.

Cheers,

The latching system is a quirky design in my opinion. If I had know this before I purchased the case I may have gone with another brand but I am happy to hear that everyone seems to be satisfied with Givi cases so I will see how it goes with mine.
Thanks for all the replies and opinions from everyone.

RichG,

I think you will have to go a long way to better Givi quality. In all my riding I have never had any problems with Givi luggage (top boxes and panniers). Secure, watertight, they have been through some heavy rainfalls for hours on end not just quick showers.

Cheers,

The only problem with my Givi 55 maxim is what keeps the cover open ,the screws gets loose and i need to tighten them up. other then that the quality is very good.There is a video on U tube where a motor cycle rider had his Givi box come off, rolling down the Hy way .But for a few scratches,the box did not come apart.

Now I'm dying to know how the latch works on Givi boxes. There's a youtube video but I'm at work and can't look at it here! I will have to wait until I get home.

I haven't sprung for the pricey Givi boxes, I love the huge Bestem case I have right now, it can hold 2 full size helmets and has a very traditional clamp-down latch system.

I bought myself a Givi v46 too and cringed at the price, it works well like others have said but its in the back of my mind to check out some of the cheaper cases.

Of course I wont for fear they are just as good

3 Times today after stopping and trying to open the case it wouldn't open. There was nothing in the case. I was going to put my helmet and jacket in it when I made a stop. The top red button, when pushed, should release (Unlatch) the latch but it would not. I had to get my fingernail under the lever (marked "press") to get it to release.
After I returned at home I tried it again and it works now.
I just don't fell good about this latch on this top box.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem.

I looked at Bestem and Givi but ended up going with Coocase. It's mounting base was a bother to attach to the scooter tail piece but once done it's a real solid set up. The locking system that keeps the box on the base is quite robust as is the case locking system. The box with it's liner is very nice and the internal universal charging outlet very handy. I bought the 37V case that comes with the key fob for lockingThe and unlocking the box as well as arming and disarming the built in alarm. The alarm could be a bit louder but it's still enough to get someone's attention withing 100 feet or so. The price is similar to the Givi but the mounting base comes with the case and isn't a separate purchase. I'd recommend anyone who's in the market for a Givi to take a look at one of these. I bought mine from Twisted Throttle which gave me very good service.
http://www.twistedthrottle.com/

Exavid apparently someone has an unlimited income!!!

To get the lid to open you have to turn the key so the slot is horizontal,then press the button to open. With the key slot in vertical position the lid is locked. The way your attachment photo shows the lid is locked. I think you had a panic attack.

hotwings wrote:

Exavid apparently someone has an unlimited income!!!

When I sold my Goldwing 1800 and bought the SW there was a few dollars left over for some reason. As I mentioned the Coocase was slightly cheaper than the Givi box and base.

exavid wrote:

hotwings wrote:

Exavid apparently someone has an unlimited income!!!

When I sold my Goldwing 1800 and bought the SW there was a few dollars left over for some reason. As I mentioned the Coocase was slightly cheaper than the Givi box and base.

I agree, it is nice to treat yourself every once in a while!

tinman wrote:

To get the lid to open you have to turn the key so the slot is horizontal,then press the button to open. With the key slot in vertical position the lid is locked. The way your attachment photo shows the lid is locked. I think you had a panic attack.

The Slot was horizontal when I was trying to open it. The slot (Key Lock) is vertical in the picture because the key was removed for a clearer picture. The key can only be removed when the key lock slot is vertical (locked).
When I was having trouble opening the case the top red button would push in but felt weak, like it wasn't pushing on the internal latching mechanism properly. I had to get my fingernail under the latch lever and lift it up and out to get the case to open (Unlatch). It was unlocked with the key in the Horizontal position. After opening the case and looking into the latching system I could not see what the problem could be. This happened 3 times, as I stated before. After returning home I tried it again several times and it is working now. I still feel that the latching system is a poor design for the premium price of Givii cases. I am concerned that at some point I will not be able to get the case open when I'm out riding and need to get something out of the case (like rain gear)!

hotwings wrote:

Exavid apparently someone has an unlimited income!!!

Right now the link above shows the Coocase Volt 37 on sale for $189.99, how does that compare to Givi?

GHM-PM wrote:

hotwings wrote:

Exavid apparently someone has an unlimited income!!!

Right now the link above shows the Coocase Volt 37 on sale for $189.99, how does that compare to Givi?

I paid $295.20 for Givi V46 Case plus $86.40 for Givi SR19 Topcase mounting kit. I'm not familiar with coocase. I also don't see a link in your post here for the coocase.

RichG wrote:

GHM-PM wrote:

hotwings wrote:

Exavid apparently someone has an unlimited income!!!

Right now the link above shows the Coocase Volt 37 on sale for $189.99, how does that compare to Givi?

I paid $295.20 for Givi V46 Case plus $86.40 for Givi SR19 Topcase mounting kit. I'm not familiar with coocase. I also don't see a link in your post here for the coocase.

Here is a piece from a review of coocase I found online about a Givi V46:
Coocase looks good to me. Just having a lined inside and auto lock would do it for me.

I have put lots of hard miles on my Givi 46. I lined the bottom but not the lid or sides. Wish I had as I did some damage to a camera lenses that slide to the side. Also have fought with the latch a few times in the wind & rain, which can be very irritating. Over all, I would give the Givi a C+.

If you go with this box, make sure you get the mounts that allow you to move the trunk back. My setup does not leave enough room for my SO to be comfortable. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing ..

On my Givi 55 when i turn the key horizontal I push the handle to open the lid,If I keep turning the key past horizontal the handle pops out showing the button underneath,and I can open the lid when I carry the top box with me .try adding some tape on the inside of the handle to see if it helps to push the button farther in to re lease the latch open.the screws hold the lock in place might be to tight to re lease the latch.I had to fine tune mine.

tinman wrote:

On my Givi 55 when i turn the key horizontal I push the handle to open the lid,If I keep turning the key past horizontal the handle pops out showing the button underneath,and I can open the lid when I carry the top box with me .try adding some tape on the inside of the handle to see if it helps to push the button farther in to re lease the latch open.the screws hold the lock in place might be to tight to re lease the latch.I had to fine tune mine.

Thanks for the advice, I'll check this out.
I do feel that the case overall is well made, just the latch is questionable. I don't think that their should be any issues with this being that this is a premium priced unit.
Thanks again

I bought a V46 case shortly after buying the Swing in 2007. The latch did not want to work. So, being more inquisitive than than the average bear, I took the entire thing off (out of the lid, as I remember), disassembled the all of the bits. I used a small riffler file to smooth out all of the casting flash on all of the working bits, then put it all back together again. It has worked flawlessly since.

:flower:

RichG wrote:

GHM-PM wrote:

hotwings wrote:

Exavid apparently someone has an unlimited income!!!

Right now the link above shows the Coocase Volt 37 on sale for $189.99, how does that compare to Givi?

I paid $295.20 for Givi V46 Case plus $86.40 for Givi SR19 Topcase mounting kit. I'm not familiar with coocase. I also don't see a link in your post here for the coocase.

Exavid posted the link above:

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/

search for coocase volt 37

The Bestem case I have is on Amazon for $89.95 with free shipping, has never given me a moment of trouble latching or unlatching.

I'm POSITIVE those Coocase and Givi cases are great, better built and will last a sea turtle's lifetime. But the box I have is HUGE, has great lights that were simple to hook up (thanks to a Dennis B connector) and will last as long as my Swing does which is long enough for me.

When I was looking at the Bestem site I saw this really cool Silverwing "tank" bag (all the terms for those kinds of bags are confusing to me) that I might get, it looks like something I'd enjoy having.

http://www.bestemusa.com/Honda-SilverWing-Tank-Bag-_p_1606.html

Thoughts?

(I apologize for the thread hijack if people were still interested in latch problems)

It might be just that, a tank bag for the old Honda GL500 or 650 Silver Wing motorcycle of the 1970-80's. It's a tunnel bag you want on a maxi scooter. Having said that I converted a Chase Harper Europa tank bag to a tunnel bag and used it on my Honda CN250 Helix for many years, and you could do the same with any surplus tank bag that fit in the gap snugly.

I currently use a tunnel bag on my Silver Wing that I originally bought for use on my previous 400 and 650 Burgmans, but if you really want a nice bit of kit with 'Silver Wing' embroidered on it, then try this bloke. www.silverwingstuff.com.

Thanks Mildrew, I love the idea, but since I get gas every other day, is it a real pain in the rear to fill the gas tank with a bag like this attached?

No---either you just stuff bag in hump or as I have on my burgman, use small eye bolt in plastic and snap from bag----I have 2 "hump" bags--a GIVI and a flight bag I bought in Korea----both work fine for moving weight forward and added space. With GIVI bag I can just tip to right side and get to gas filler.

DuggleBogey wrote:

Thanks Mildrew, I love the idea, but since I get gas every other day, is it a real pain in the rear to fill the gas tank with a bag like this attached?

Most scooter tunnel bags have a Velcro covered flap on each side of the bag, you stick Velcro pads either side of the tunnel on your scooter and when you position the bag on top of the tunnel they mate with the Velcro on the tunnel bag. When you need fuel you just pull the flaps apart... (stop sniggering that man in Western Australia! ) and remove the bag.

Meldrew wrote:

It might be just that, a tank bag for the old Honda GL500 or 650 Silver Wing motorcycle of the 1970-80's. It's a tunnel bag you want on a maxi scooter. Having said that I converted a Chase Harper Europa tank bag to a tunnel bag and used it on my Honda CN250 Helix for many years, and you could do the same with any surplus tank bag that fit in the gap snugly.

I currently use a tunnel bag on my Silver Wing that I originally bought for use on my previous 400 and 650 Burgmans, but if you really want a nice bit of kit with 'Silver Wing' embroidered on it, then try this bloke. www.silverwingstuff.com.

Meldrew,
This bag looks like something I could use. I noticed it has a clear map pocket on top. I could have used that on a ride a few days ago. I may give it a try.

joncallihan wrote:

I bought a V46 case shortly after buying the Swing in 2007. The latch did not want to work. So, being more inquisitive than than the average bear, I took the entire thing off (out of the lid, as I remember), disassembled the all of the bits. I used a small riffler file to smooth out all of the casting flash on all of the working bits, then put it all back together again. It has worked flawlessly since.

:flower:

Interesting. I guess I'm not the only one with this problem.
I still believe that for the price of the V46 it should not have any latch issues. I may look into posibly doing what you have done. Thank you joncallihan

My tunnel-bag solution is mentioned here - the pictures are still in my album:

https://www.silverwing600.com/t3278-scooter-bag#29858