I often see bikes on the road, but today it seems all I have been seeing are Gixxers.
On the motorway this morning there was a Gixxer 1000, black with orange (like the one that Janis is on in one of her pictures). Damn is that a good looking machine!
On the way to a customer site this afternoon, I saw the other extreme - a white Gixxer 6-something WITH A TOP CASE! What a crime! A top case on a sport bike! Geez, some people have no respect!
What do you call them? We have topcases (on the back of the bike) or tankbags (soft case strapped to or held on the tank with magnets).
I guess you call that a "trunk" on that side of the pond. The most popular manufacturer of topcases / trunks here is Givi (www.givi.it), an italian company.
Whatever they are called, they don't belong on the back of a sportbike! If you want a trunk, buy a Transalp or AfricaTwin! Or go whole-hog and by a friggin GoldWing!
Just called a givi-box here. Europe is different. I remember being there and tripping out at all of the touring hardware that was fastened to sport bikes. I agree with you, sometimes it is really ridiculous.
I just use a tail net, if it's necessary to stick something back there (that won't fit under my cowl). Is that sub-standard sportbike ettiquette too????
Not at all, I just bought a tail net yesterday for my bike. I don't like wearing a backpack when I'm riding (it limits my movement), so I usually have it strapped to the seat behind me with bungee cords.
I used to have a Givi on my 125 - they are really practical for transporting stuff and storing your helmet. But it looks just plain stupid on the back of a sport bike or racing replica.
You know...that's actually funny because one night my boyfriend went out for pizza on his bike and he didn't have his cargo net w/ him and he wanted to take the leftover pizza home for me. Well...he got home w/ a small box of pizza on the back seat w/ tape wrapped around the tail section about 10 times!
...and who said that chivalry is dead!?!? :wink: :lol:
I'm so cheap, the dealership GAVE me a little net thingy for my bike, 'cause the first time I rode it up there, I had a duffle bag tied to the pillion with camping string. Dude (Tony) was like, "I'm going to give you something besides a hard time for once," and out he came with a free net thingy.
I don't blame him. As a mc salesman, my crappy display of ingenuity must have made him nauseous. Hmmm . . .wrap my head in camping twine and get a free helmet?