Storage Farkle for Maria

I'd been thinking about a top case for Maria, my R1150RT Motorcycle for quite a while now and finally took the plunge last week and got her one from J.C. Whitney.

Yes, I am sure some of you true-blue BMW riders out there are shaking your heads in disapproval at the perceived sacrilege of putting not only a non-BWM top case on a Beemer but a "frugally priced" one at that! Not even a Givi case for pete's sake, some of you might say. The horror!

Well, I gotta tell ya. There's some truth in the answer, at least as it pertains to me, to the following question: What's the cheapest thing on a BMW Motorcycle? The owner! : )

The OEM one is a little larger I believe but not by much. I can fit both my helmet and riding jacket in the top case I bought with no issues. Here's a pic of the OEM case that retails for $400. I paid $90 for the J.C. Whitney case and while the finish and fit is probably not as fine as the BMW Case, it'll do the job nicely for the money it cost.

OEM Case

In truth, the case is more of a knock-off of the GIVI style case. Here's some pics of Maria with her new top case, had to be a little creative with the mounting hardware that came with the "universal" mounting plate that J.C. Whitney threw in for free with the purchase. Note: The mounting plate for the BMW case, to make it easily removable, costs $106! Heck, the optional backrest is another $106. The one I bought has a backrest built-in!





The case's finish is a little dull when you get it out of the box, so I got some Vinylex on the topcase when I got her home from the test ride and it shined right up to same levels as the system case. I replaced the cheesy maltese cross/chopper stick-on emblem with a BMW Roundel.

Going to see if I'll keep the top case on the motorcycle on permanent basis or just put it on for long trips. I am curious to see its effect on gas mileage. I did not feel any difference in terms of aerodynamics/handling when I took her out for a test ride both on the local slab and some main streets. I can remove the case simply by unlocking it, pushing the release button and lifting the case off the mounting plate. Overall, am pleased with the purchase. Now let's see if it lasts!