GIVI E55 Electrical Issue

[maxweljames]

I was told by a coworker that followed me to work the other day that my brake lights on the top box were flickering all at the same time. After some experimenting in the garage I found that there is enough movement between the mount and box to cause a disconnect.

So tonight I need to see if I can fix this problem by shimming the mount connector up to provide a better contact surface with the box's spring loaded terminals. Worst case is I have to install some kind of hard connection.

Has anybody experienced this before and what did you do to fix it?

 

[maxweljames]

Mine is only flickering when applying the brakes. I had an old yamaha that would flicker with braking. The spring holding the brake pedal was shot so any bump I went over caused the pedal to bounce flashing my brake lights but it wasn't enough to cause actual braking.

 

[elizilla]

If it's the Givi light kit, the kind with contacts on the rack that meet contacts on the case, "they all do that sir". A little corrosion, a few bumps to wear the surfaces and the springs, and flicker flicker flicker. The only fix I have seen that really works, is to replace those contacts with some kind of wiring harness you can plug in. Put a powerlet near the tail of the bike, a bulkhead connector in the box, and a pigtail to go between them. Or hang an SAE connector on a wire, out from under the rack, and use that to plug in the box.

 

[subgenius]

What Katherine said.

Had one installed on my last ride and that's one aspect of the Givi line of products that isn't all that great. Also (don't ask how I know - LOL), the connector that recesses into the bottom of the top case is relatively fragile (housing/holder is plastic afterall), and once pushed out of the (internal) holders/tabs, not the easiest thing in the world to replace. The fix was to install the hardwired Admore kit.

I have the Admore kit...just waiting on something else before I connect it up to the NT/E55.

On a side note - I hope I don't offend any Givi diehards but I'm finding their latest products REALLY cheaply made and easy to break...not what I would expect of a product designed for the "rough outdoors/elements" and uses associated with motorcycles.

 

[Bear]

I had thought that I was not much of a top case fan because I felt that I would be kicking it getting on and off the bike--so I bought a Mo-Tech Alu-rack. I used the rack with my Wal-Mart 20" Duffel and found that the Alu-rack puts the load pretty far back.

Looking through the Twisted Throttle Catalog, I found the Coocase quite attractive and well designed. I may go that route when I learn more about this case--lots of sizes and features. It will require some thought.

 

[maxweljames]

It's the GIVI light kit. And Katherine is spot on the money with corrosion. It's humid here to say the least add into that being a coastal area(might have a little salt in the air) I did clean a bit of corrosion off and that helped some. But even with a slight bit of road vibration it's causing it to bounce on the contacts. Thanks for confirming what I was seeing. I think I'll be looking at a bulkhead connector as a replacement. Hard wiring always beat spring contacts in my book.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Looking through the Twisted Throttle Catalog, I found the Coocase quite attractive and well designed. I may go that route when I learn more about this case--lots of sizes and features. It will require some thought.

I've got the CooCase Astra 48 Liter case from Twisted Throttle. I like it. But I've got the same flickering light issue. I got the silver CooCase and it almost but-not-quite matches the Silver Honda uses. I like the liner insert. I'm not 100% sold on the automatic lock deal. I rarely lock my box and there's no way to disable that feature. But the good news for me is that the same erratic contacts that make the rear lights flicker also tend to disable the auto lock feature.

 

[maxweljames]

On a side note - I hope I don't offend any Givi diehards but I'm finding their latest products REALLY cheaply made and easy to break...not what I would expect of a product designed for the "rough outdoors/elements" and uses associated with motorcycles.

I have to agree with you. I've never owned a GIVI before and they had good reviews. And overall I'm very happy with the product but there are some areas where I was.....surprised. I can't say disappointed because I'm still happy with it, but surprised that it's not better. And one of those things is the flexiblity of the mount and case, I expected a little more rigidity.

 

[Bear]

Phil, We will need to converse about the Coocase.a plug in feature Right now it is on the top of my list. I do prefer a plug in setup for anything electrical--easily done with SAE Plugs for trailers and such.

 

[maxweljames]

simple, drill thru box and rack near contacts-----insert "security" bolt. Does 2 things, keeps contacts contacking and really acts as extra means making sure box won't come off.

A fine idea John. I am slightly torn on it though. Originally the concept of the box being removable was a huge selling point for me. Installing such a security bolt would render the box 100% permanent. On the flip side, I've found that since owning the NT I have only removed the top box once, more because I could, not because I needed to remove it. I'm still leaning heavily on the hard wire method, but your idea will certainly be on the table as I decide what to do.

 

[Chuck 500]

One thing to keep in mind. You will have to remove the top case to remove the seat. With John's bolt, that entails an extra step, but not hard (I guess).

On a side note, I installed a JC Whitney large case on mine. Case and mount were $110 shipped. Mounted the plate with spacers and bolts. Spacers, bolts, special Honda nuts, and a can of black paint added another $20 MOL. Box is a copy of Givi E360 (I think). Goes well with NT, width is same as standard side cases. Fit and finish not as crisp as Givi, shows mainly in latch area. Overall good case at very good price. I am considering adding the Admore light kit.

Anyway, keep the shiny side up,

Chuck

 

[Phil Tarman]

One thing to keep in mind. You will have to remove the top case to remove the seat. With John's bolt, that entails an extra step, but not hard (I guess).

Chuck, I take my seat off all the time and have yet to take my top case off. Is there something different about the way Givi or Honda top cases fit?

 

[Chuck 500]

Could just be the way I do it. I pull the seat back and lift up. Seems it has to move back a couple of inches. Also, could be the JCW case is sitting more forward than the CooCase. Next time we meet we'll have to compare Dudley and....(horse with no name?)

 

[maxweljames]

You beat me to it Phil. Even with the giant E55 I've never had an issue getting the seat off.

 

[Chuck 500]

OK, just had to go try it. Got seat off and on OK. BTW, my case is positioned so the front of the case is over the space between the seat and the mount area. Since removing the case takes all of about six seconds, I'll remove it to remove the seat. Just makes it easier when i can stand behind the bike and pull back and up.

 

[maxweljames]

Wing nut is a good idea. I've installed a bolt with lock nut on it for now. I felt that getting the visiblity back was the primary concern. As my schedule is packed for the next several weeks I won't have time to install any type of connector. So I'll have some time to ponder what I want to do as a final solution. But at least for now I've got the lights operating normally.

 

[maxweljames]

Well the corrosion came back, even with the box bolted down tight. Wife was following me the other night and mentioned later that she thought my top box had lights on it. Sure enough they were not functioning at all when applying the brake. So today I knocked out the GIVI spring contact connector from both the box and mount. A couple of quick disconnects later followed by re-securing the harness, I've got all my lights back. I've decided to leave the through bolt installed, my tool pouch already has appropriate sizes to remove the bolt if needed.