49 Liter Topcase

[Dundee387]

I plan on doing some long trips with my wife, and she needs something to support her, so she doesn't stress her back. Is the BMW 49 Liter Topcase stable enough to provide some relief to a passenger, can they relax, is it comfortable? The pad doesn't look too thick.

 

Thanks.

[Exploreinman]

Good question, I've been wondering the same thing.

[CruisinCruzan]

I've done about 12000 of my miles with the wife on my '06RT using the big case. Although the pad is not thick the foam is dense and provides enough comfort for my wife (who insisted I have a custom seat and floorboards made for her, so she is not an iron butt by any means) that when I offered to have it modified with more padding she said it was fine the way it is. It is very secure and she has come close to dozing off while on trips. I am waiting for arm rests to be made for it (the same person who designs the eagle-i arm rests for the LT has a prototype for the RT hopefully they will go into production). Bottom line get the case you won't regret it.

[Silver Surfer/AKAButters]

GFs of the day (that's about how long they last) seem to love TB back rest. Haven't lost one yet, although sometimes... ah never mind.

 

 

[krussell]

I've had no complaints. My SO, when we were at Russell getting our seat, declined the option for additional padding on the 49L.

 

This is extremely subjective. You might try finding someone to borrow one from to give it a whirl. Suburban peg lowers and an autocom were big improvements too.

[markgoodrich]

Yes, it's comfortable, yes, they can relax. The seat may be an issue. We finally resolved that with a much flatter profile (Sargent in our case), and peg lowerers from Suburban Machinery. The stock seat caused too much sliding forward, and the location of the pegs didn't provide enough "leverage" for my wife to use her legs to stop the slides.

 

The only thing my wife wishes for is someplace to rest her arms. Our former GL1800 had the stock area above the rear speaker grills that was "indented" just enough to give her the "armrest." There is no alternative for the RT. Having said all that, she's happily ridden almost 24,000 miles with me in less than two years.

 

If you can't find a 49L case at a reasonable price, consider the Givi or Hepco + Becker cases, at much less money. There are also simple backrests available, which will allow you to use something perhaps more versatile, such as the different u-shaped bags.

 

If you get the top case, I strongly recommend getting a liner for it. Lugging a full top case up stairs to a motel room at the end of a long day makes one very whiny.

[markgoodrich]

I've done about 12000 of my miles with the wife on my '06RT using the big case. Although the pad is not thick the foam is dense and provides enough comfort for my wife (who insisted I have a custom seat and floorboards made for her, so she is not an iron butt by any means) that when I offered to have it modified with more padding she said it was fine the way it is. It is very secure and she has come close to dozing off while on trips. I am waiting for arm rests to be made for it (the same person who designs the eagle-i arm rests for the LT has a prototype for the RT hopefully they will go into production). Bottom line get the case you won't regret it.

 

The arm rests are on semi-permanent hold. Don Muddiman has not been able to find a fabricator. As of two weeks ago. Durnit.

[SageRider]

49L case is fine. no modifications needed to give ample support and comfort to passenger. (and MUCH better than the R1100-RT trunk! Passenger ergonomics in general much improved!))

 

[psmitty]

My wife said the pad on the BMW 49 Liter Topcase is fine for her. She also says with the way the seat is she slips forward all the time. I'll have to do something about the seats and her foot pegs. Thanks for starting this thread. I would have never known the seat bothered my wife so much.

[markgoodrich]

My wife said the pad on the BMW 49 Liter Topcase is fine for her. She also says with the way the seat is she slips forward all the time. I'll have to do something about the seats and her foot pegs. Thanks for starting this thread. I would have never known the seat bothered my wife so much.

 

Paul, I spent hours and had a custom guy redo the pillion seat four different times (he never seemed to understand what we wanted, or he simply made what he wanted to make). In the process I learned the jargon.

 

The main reason the pillion slips forward is the "rear rise" of the OEM seat. It's slanted, and becomes an even bigger problem if using the big case/backrest. The solution is a flat profile, front to rear. You can try doing it yourself with successive cuts with an electric carving knife, or you can try a local guy or you can send the seat off, or you can buy one such as Sargent, which comes on a new seat pan (and you can return it within 30 days if you order direct from Sargent).

 

A second reason is as I mentioned earlier, the pegs are a bit too high and too far to the rear for an average-height woman to be able to brace herself when you're braking. You may not need this modification, if the seat mod works. Do one thing at a time.

[psmitty]

My wife said the pad on the BMW 49 Liter Topcase is fine for her. She also says with the way the seat is she slips forward all the time. I'll have to do something about the seats and her foot pegs. Thanks for starting this thread. I would have never known the seat bothered my wife so much.

 

Paul, I spent hours and had a custom guy redo the pillion seat four different times (he never seemed to understand what we wanted, or he simply made what he wanted to make). In the process I learned the jargon.

 

The main reason the pillion slips forward is the "rear rise" of the OEM seat. It's slanted, and becomes an even bigger problem if using the big case/backrest. The solution is a flat profile, front to rear. You can try doing it yourself with successive cuts with an electric carving knife, or you can try a local guy or you can send the seat off, or you can buy one such as Sargent, which comes on a new seat pan (and you can return it within 30 days if you order direct from Sargent).

 

A second reason is as I mentioned earlier, the pegs are a bit too high and too far to the rear for an average-height woman to be able to brace herself when you're braking. You may not need this modification, if the seat mod works. Do one thing at a time.

 

Thanks, I'll try the seat first. I met Rick Meyer a few weeks ago while attending DVD and he lives just 20 miles from me. I'll give him a call tomorrow after work. Thanks again.

[tlc]

These things -- http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-R1200RT-R-1200-RT-ANTI-SLIP-PILLION-SEAT-COVER_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a1Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem250360250441QQitemZ250360250441QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories -- are often on ebay.

[Dundee387]

Thanks for the info guys.

 

It's on the way...

 

 

[effexer1]

The anti-slip covers might cause a problem because the passenger still tends to slide forward, only their pants stay put. Also uncomfortable.

[Penforhire]

My wife likes the big top-case back rest. Sometimes she wants a little support further down her back and I haven't figured out what to do yet. Maybe strap a pillow/pad to her like a fanny pack?

 

The sliding at firm stops is annoying and I can see the peg location is a big part of it. My workaround is training myself to instinctively stick my butt back and head forward during any hard stop.

[grayhare]

Has anyone tried putting the 49 Liter top case on a 1150? Also, where do you get passenger floor boards? I've tried the peg lowering kit and it's a marginal improvement. Also, getting on an off seems easier for the passenger with floor boards.

[John Bentall]

Has anyone tried putting the 49 Liter top case on a 1150? Also, where do you get passenger floor boards? I've tried the peg lowering kit and it's a marginal improvement. Also, getting on an off seems easier for the passenger with floor boards.

The rear racks on the 1150RT and 1200RT are as different as different can be! The solution for the R11xxRT series is the Givi (or clone) 52 liter case at half the price of the BMW 49 liter.

[AdventurePoser]

I plan on doing some long trips with my wife, and she needs something to support her, so she doesn't stress her back. Is the BMW 49 Liter Topcase stable enough to provide some relief to a passenger, can they relax, is it comfortable? The pad doesn't look too thick.

 

Thanks.

 

28L case also gives the Lovely Flame plenty of back support as does the Russell Day Long saddle on our RT.

 

Cheers,

Steve

[stellaf]

Hi,

 

Thanks for sharing such a useful information with us. I think it is a very nice subject. Please keep me updating.

 

 

Stella