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DON'T BUY SW-MOTECH top case adapter !!!!!!

11K views 55 replies 27 participants last post by  2thDr 
#1 · (Edited)
After multiple times of the bolts shearing off and replacing every thing from the bolts to the whole kit i finally had a long talk with the twisted throttle tech

so basicly what he told me that it's really a crappy design but no other options because of the way the rear rack is designed on the vee2
the new rack is designed to carry up to 16lb(compared to 23lb with the old vee) including the case (which weighs about 10lb) so that means that the bolts are already at about 2/3 of the max load when it's empty and to that some bumps and it can easily snap the bolts. still a crappy design. he told me to try again and only torque with a screw driver (even though i used a torque wrench ) so i make sure it's not over torqued .
and to take it off when off roading .

basicly dont use it for any mildly rough stuff!!(and even means rough asphalt like NYC has)

my conclusion DON'T BUY SW-MOTECH top case adapter !!!!!!
and maybe anything else they make. because why would you release such a shitty product even if there is nothing you can do to improve it!!!!!????
 
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#3 ·
well he said the reason they use these bolts is to make sure they snap before tweaking the subframe
 
#4 ·
The (Metal) Givi topcase mount works brilliantly with no issues.

I have had it since I got this 2015 DL1000 a year and 50,000 km/31,000 miles ago. I routinely ride on very rough roads, often load my 6 year old Givi E52 topcase with way too much crap, and not a single issue.

..Tom
 
#6 · (Edited)
the problem is only with the vee2 (and i am not the only one who had this problem )not the xt.
I Have replaced the bolts about 7 times
i replaced the rack twice.
i did the install and so did my tech.
now i can understand you saying i did something wrong ,but so did my tech!?

have you been doing any off roading with your bike?
are the roads in edison as bad as manhattan?
 
#8 ·
the TW tech pretty much told me that the options how to mount a case on the vee2 suck so that's the best the could do
i am thinking of changing to touratech but its a lot of $$$$ to shell out after i already did on the SWM
 
#9 ·
Just throwing tho out there.....when I was on the Concours Owners Group, it was very common to make your own top case adapter using nylon or plastic cutting boards. We would just drill hole to mount one to the bike then drill hole in another one the same, place one inside the top box sandwiching it inbetween the two cutting boards. Crude but very effective. It's also fixed so can't be pulled off without unbolting. Painted or stained them black. Just a thought. I wouldn't hesitate to do this to my bike if I didn't already have a box mounted and tbh it's just a cheap Chinese box I've been swapping on other bikes for about 4 years now....lol. Works great though. Best $40 I ever spent.
 
#36 ·
My GIVI metal top case (Outback) bolts broke while tightening them! And since they are V shaped, I can't find them locally and when I emailed GIVI asking for new ones - no response. Not really pappy about that after paying $1600for them. I replaced them with a normal bolt since the head wasn't in the way of the case.

Shame on Givi!
 
#12 · (Edited)
I also have the Givi rack and it is great. I believe the difference is the heavy support bracket on the Givi, because the tack sits so far back. I have a 52l Tracker box with a lot of crap in it and no issues.

I have had SWM racks on a number of bikes in the past and they were great, but I could see how a rack on the V2 with no additional support could be a problem.
 
#19 ·
i have replaced the bolts plenty of times even with higher grade bolts
but one thing the tech at TW told me that made sense was these bolts are meant to snap so the load does not twist your subframe
 
#16 ·
the sw motech has no support bar
 
#21 ·
#22 ·
change to higher grade bolts
 
#23 ·
My two cents:

This can often times happen when there is too much pressure on the bolts; if there are torque specs on a particular part, and you over-torque the bolt (very easy to do without a torque wrench), it can lead to something like this, or even a break in the metal plate itself.

Self-locking nuts help alleviate this to a degree as well.

I'm not saying this will fix the problem in this situation, though it could be a good place to start!
 
#24 ·
i used torque wrenches and so did my tech
the guy in twisted throttle actually told me to not use them and use a manual screwdriver with a hex head as not to over torque them (he said that using a wrench you can over torque them due your reaction time when you hear the beep.
but still the snap!

change to higher grade bolts and don't overload the case(i.e no more than 6lb of gear) so it doesn't screw your subframe
 
#25 ·
OP...it would be helpful if we knew exactly what part we are talking about here. Post #21 ask for clarification and i could use it too.

Is this it?
SW-MOTECH Alu-Rack Top Rack To Fit Many Top Case Styles for Suzuki V-Strom 1000 '14-'16 | TwistedThrottle.com

I am in the process of shopping and selecting a rack and top case for my 14 Vee2, and it is ridiculous all the bits and pieces required and what is not included.

So I narrowed the rack down to the GIVI aluminum top plate rack. Twisted Throttle doesnt list it and it is on B.O. at R'Zilla

Also ridic is that so many of these side and top cases require a key every time you want in the damn thing. Geez. Okay rant over....:furious:
 
#26 ·
i have a the metal to rack not the aluminium one..
for some reason it seems they don't have it on the site anymore :headbang:
 
#27 ·
Bolts fail either in shear (like slicing a piece of spaghetti with a scissor) or in torsion (pulling the spaghetti until it breaks). The adapter is just a plate. It is either moving and shearing the bolts or the load is not being distributed evenly and causing excess torsion to the bolts or the bolts are over torqued. The not using a torque wrench thing is big BS. You can't over torque the mounting bolts if you are using a quality torque wrench set to the proper torque spec.
How about a link to the part you are having issues with or a picture of the mount and a failed bolt?
 
#29 ·
of course the rack is just the plate but it comes with bolts spacer etc...
and the bolts are the ones that are failing either because they are too weak or there is a design flaw.(and i think everyone understood that what i meant). i wanted to add a link but the part is no longer available on the website.
went with the part number from my old orders and found out they no longer offer it in the us only canada (i called and i asked them why,they will call me back ).

but here is the link to the part
SW-MOTECH Steel Top Rack To Fit Many Top Case Styles for Suzuki V-Strom 1000 '14-'16 (Available in Canada only) | TwistedThrottle.com
 
#30 ·
So did all the bolts fail?
Did they fail in shear or tension?
You can usually tell by how the break looks
or post a picture or
google around and figure out the failure mode.
I can't see how the plate would cause the bolts to break.
Do the spacers allow the plate to sit evenly without the bolts being tightened?
 
#31 ·
i think they sheared (looks almost like a straight horizontal cut. usually just above the threads )
don't have the bolts any more(it happened to me about 6 times already).
yes the spacers keep the plate even.

i was told by the TW tech that the motion from going on bad roads or off road is just a problem (as the top case bucks like a horse forward and back). and i asked him wasn't this designed for this.
to that he answered when you go off road to really rough terrain you should use a top case but a soft bag on top.
and he said NYC roads are just like being off road in that aspect

i just put in higher grade bolts (against TW tech's advice ,he said the bolts are meant to fail before they twist your subframe)
 
#33 ·
The front bolts have been sheering off even with the stock Suzuki set up.
Nothing wrong with the SW-Motech plate. I got one on mine and haven't had any issues and I got a 47lt case which is the only one I take when going off road so far.
I did replace the front bolts with higher strength shouldered ones after my buddies broke with stock Suzuki case (adv model) and he never really did much rough stuff with his at all.

Now I got a 58lt Givi outback coming to match mine side cases. I did order the givi plate that comes with supports cause I'll be loading this one up even more :mrgreen:
 

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