A few months ago (January 2011) I went to the International Motorcycle Show while back in New York on a holiday. Lots of cool bikes that I photographed - most of which we've all already seen live or on internet.
But now that I need to modify the side boxes on my JH600 so that they are removable (my temp solution of attaching them as semi-permanent has long expired), some luggage I saw on a BMW has returned to my consciousness. I love the BWW F800GS sideboxes I saw at the show. I completely dig the expandable feature, because sometimes you just need more space. And why ride with the extra width when you're traveling light?!
http://ducati.com/bikes/diavel/diavel_carbon/index.do The Diavel project was born when Ducati designers applied their wish-list of bike “basic instincts” to a blank canvas. With a “what if?” approach to creating a dream bike, they sketched inspiring shapes which became a lower and longer motorcycle. “The challenge of building a muscular silhouette over a pure-bred competition motor had to be met with determination and a delicate touch, and the result is a frontal area that looks like a power athlete on the starting blocks,” explains the team at Ducati Design responsible for the project. “With the front wheel kept close to the Diavel’s body and using the short tail of a sport bike, we were able to blend this muscular design with a chassis that matched."
06-21-2011, 06:09 AM
felix
Re: BMW (expandable) side boxes
Very cool indeed. I love functional, clever design.
But for 900$, the closest i'll be getting to them is that video. For the same price i'd rather buy a disposable chinese 200cc dirtbike and learn to do wheelies on it, but i digress...
06-21-2011, 10:15 AM
slabo
Re: BMW (expandable) side boxes
Ok, 900$, 200cc .. that's almost my bike. I bought mine for 8800 rmb ..
Wheelies .. don't think so, you're welcome to try though. A case of beer on me if you can keep it up for 200m
06-21-2011, 11:47 PM
Lao Jia Hou
Re: BMW (expandable) side boxes
Quote:
Originally Posted by slabo
A case of beer on me if you can keep it up for 200m
No problem, habibi!
Does the "m" mean "minutes"? 200 minutes is easy.
Re the expanding boxes ... I wonder how waterproof they are?
I saw that the guy who manufactures the large aluminum boxes all us JH600 owners seem to have, also manufactures a skinny version.
Yes, the large boxes are just a bit too large sometimes. Tough to weave through tight spots.
06-22-2011, 04:27 AM
euphonius
Re: BMW (expandable) side boxes
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou
...Yes, the large boxes are just a bit too large sometimes. Tough to weave through tight spots.
Full width of my JH600 with the standard Tourfella boxes is about 105cm, which is a bit of a fat ass when in heavy traffic and/or lanesplitting. Motokai and I are exploring the various mounting systems in the market, but the pickings in China are slim unless you find someone to fabricate them. The hockey puck system that Du Rui uses for his Tourfellas comes from Touratech. Not cheap, but if combined with faux-Pelican Wandafu boxes at mabye 650 rmb each, the price is still manageable. With Wandafu or Tourfella skinny boxes, the bike's width is maybe 96cm.
That said, I do like the strength and quality of Du's boxes, fat or skinny. My left box was bent a bit in my KM getoff, but Du graciously straightened it out and returned it to me in 48 hours -- at no charge. Kuaidi cost me 25 rmb. In other words, awesome local service.
