Seeing the post today on roof bars reminded me to post this warning. I have a large top box and last year whilst putting it on I noticed some light coming through the base. This turned out to be where the front mounting plate usually sat,what appeared to have occured was that the box has been lifted by windforce while driving. Only by luck did I see this before the box could have been ripped off-with probable disastrous effect. What I have done is strengthen the area with steel plates.If you're about to put your box on please check.
P.S. I've noticed that some more recent box's already have the area reinforced/obviously a problem.Good luck.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 08/07/2008 at 00:51
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Sound advice for anything that gets stored for months and used only occasionally - trailers, caravans...croquet sets. (Well, you wouldn't want one of those mallet heads coming loose, would you?)
Can't quite picture the problem in this case but I'll check mine when we saddle up next month.
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Just to clarify-where the front of the box is held to the bar by a U bolt, on the inside of the box is two(4 total)hand tightened screws these bear down on to a small plate/ where this plate sits the plastic base had started to shear following the shape off the plate. My repair distributes the load over a far larger area.
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What are top boxes made of these days. In my days of owning one (1970's) they were made of fibreglass and were very strong but rattley and tended to leak a bit.
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In my case it's made of plastic A.B.S. I think. Also ,the part that failed was 2-3mm thick,quite substantial.
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I think that plastics like ABS are prone to fatigue failure due to flexing which will occur where a top box attaches to the rack on the bike.
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I would guess it has been used at more than the recommended speed.
The one I have in the garage - have not used it for years - came with instructions to restrict speed to 60mph.
You see many cars doing much more with top boxes fitted.
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Maybe they would be more circumspect if they had felt the difference in wind pressure between 60 and 80+ MPH on a `naked` bike!
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Why not secure all with a ratchet strap or two from Halfords - belt & braces and all that ;)
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Why not secure all with a ratchet strap or two from Halfords - belt & braces and all that ;)
This creates an image of the straps around the top of the roof box and under the car stopping the doors from opening.
No point just fastening it to the bars because they have similar restrictions, and similar risks.
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I've just realised we are talking at cross-purposes here.
To me, a top box is a small luggage box fitted to a rack behind the saddle on a motorbike. I think you are referring to what I call a roofbox, a much larger luggage carrier fitted to roofbars on a car or van.
{Good point! Now changed}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 08/07/2008 at 00:51
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- doctorchris
Important to make sure you loved ones are not at risk :-)
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7490899.stm
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He he. Now that could be called a top box, or should it be called a kennel?
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