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Equipping the Bike - what's the best gear? Anything to do with the bikes equipment, saddlebags, etc. Questions on repairs and maintenance of the bike itself belong in the Brand Specific Tech Forums.
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Old 23 Apr 2008
dpdaniel's Avatar
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Location: Tasmania, Australia
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Question Top box a good idea?

Hi,

I am heading around Europe this (Northern) summer with a mate for our first ever long distance bike trip (4 months), and have bought a 2002 BMW F650GS for the trip, which has a metal mule rack and panniers (38L x 2). Strapping a backpack on the rear seat as well.

Was wondering if people had advice about the pros/cons of adding a top box? And if so, which (economical) rack and top box would you recommend for this bike?

My initial thoughts are this would be great when we pull into a town, ie. to put the helmet, riding jacket and gloves inside and take out the light walking jacket and small pack (with guide book etc); meaning the top box is light when travelling too.

I don't think I will need one for more packing space, but my concerns with not having one are security and weather for the riding gear when parked in town. I guess the other option might be a pacsafe "stuff safe" bag locked onto the back.

Thanks guys. All advice greatly appreciated.

Damien

(I have tried a search of the forums and found only a couple of relevant things, so apologies if I missed something useful there, I am not great with computers!)
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