[Sly]

This topcase is the third I've owned (JCWhitney & Givi are the others). The JCWhitney was on my TW200, and the Givi was earmarked for the Wee. That is until I was lead to the eBay add for the Bestem.

This topcase is a 46L case that includes an LED tail/brake light w/ wiring that includes a quick disconnect. The built in back pad is a bit unforgiving in the cushy catagory, but it's intended purpose is adequate enough to offer my wife a comforable ride, while at the same time providing her with a sense of security. I don't care for the cheesy looking orange-red plastic accent strip that half encircles the case, but I will hit that with some paint of a different color to create a more aesthetic blend. It cost me $79.95 door-to-door. The mounting is nearly identical to that of the JCWhitney case, just a tad sturdier. I have had the case in rain, both while stationary and mobile, without a single leak. It will adjust fore and aft enough to fine tune the space requirements for nearly any passenger. It appears that I will be able to mount a wire rack to the lid for lashing down extra gear, should the need arise. I'll have to get a better picture of the Givi gel back pad to see if I can retro fit it to this case, but at first glance it looks like it will match up.

Overall, I am satisfied with the product in quality to price comparison, especially when comparing the same attributes of the Givi 46L topcase. Below are a few thumbnailed photos of the topcase.

L8r~ Sly

 

[Sudzz]

I just got the Bestem 2012 model (42L) with gloss black lid from ebay and spent some time last night playing around with the mounting bracket location. I'm very impressed with the overall quality of the box and I think it looks great on the back of the wee (as good as a top case can look anyway). I plan on replacing the very cheap backrest with something custom.

I'll post a full review once I get it completely installed and have a chance to ride with it.

Here's some pics...

 

[water warrior]

Sly, how about running some 3M red reflective tape around the case to cover the chessy stuff.

 

[zed88]

Hit up the front orange piece with some krylon fusion black. You will like it

 

[Sly]

Two good ideas

water warrior~
Yeah, I thought the reflective tape would be a good idea on the faux reflector on the back half. I even gave it some consideration to see if I could remove the aft faux reflector and place the tape on the inside. We'll see... But, first things first; the wife and I are taking advantage of the first front of Fall to enjoy some cool weather kayaking along the Caloosahatchee River this weekend to see if we can paddle up close to some manatees.

zed88~
Krylon Fusion! That's the name I was trying to find the other day on here. I know I read it someplace regarding its application on plastic - apparently it bonds on a molecular level, making it a perfect choice for that professional look. Were you the one who posted about using it on a topcase? I thought about spraying the cheesy orange-red strip black to blend with the rest of the case. I'll post outcome once the project is complete (could be some time with cooler weather heading our way!). Thanks for the reminder.

L8r~ Sly

 

[Big B]

Do those mount to the Givi Monolock rack?

 

[zed88]

zed88~
Krylon Fusion! That's the name I was trying to find the other day on here. I know I read it someplace regarding its application on plastic - apparently it bonds on a molecular level, making it a perfect choice for that professional look. Were you the one who posted about using it on a topcase? I thought about spraying the cheesy orange-red strip black to blend with the rest of the case. I'll post outcome once the project is complete (could be some time with cooler weather heading our way!). Thanks for the reminder.

I can't remember if I posted here or not, however I did paint 3 JC Whitney cases (look to be almost exactly the same as yours minus the brake light) with krylon. They turned out fantastic, and are very chip resistant. I also painted a PVC pipe and that turned out very good, and looks professional. I was very surprised by how well the paint works. Just make sure your surface is very clean ( i used 97% alcohol). Also you have to wait about 5 days before its fully cured. After thats its very durable.

 

[Sly]

Hmmm...

Big B~
I'm not sure if the topcase would mount to the Givi Monolock rack or not. I can take a photo of the Bestem rack and include measurement, if ya think it might help. The Bestem rack has the two studs fore on the rack, and one wide protrusion that engages the lock on the aft portion of the rack.
L8r~ Sly

 

[bogey78]

Hey Sly,
I just ordered the same topbox you have. I had a bestem 46L case on my SV650 I sold the other day and let it go with the bike. I knew I would be ordering a new case as soon as I got my wee.

Anyway, did the mounting plate line up with the rack without modification? Can you take an overhead pic of the mounting plate with the topcase removed just so I can see the bolt locations?

Thanks.

 

[Sly]

Hope this helps...

bogey78~

I made a couple of mods, if you can call them that. One thing I did was to add washers (one for each bolt hole) to allow more clearance between the factory rack and the fender (I took the rack off the bike to attach the mounting plate). I also used my dremel to cut off the bolts for the mounting plate brackets so they wouldn't make contact w/ the fender. The other thing I did was to drill out two holes in the mounting plate so that I could have easier access to the bolts that attach the factory rack to the bike (I did a less that acceptable job at creating the holes, but after all they are covered by the case!).

Sorry the pics are a bit blurry - hope they help!

L8r~ Sly

 

[bogey78]

Thanks Sly,
That does help me a bit. I mounted mine using the bolts included with the kit in the factory luggage rack mount holes. I also used the dremel on the other 2 bolts. My box really doesn't give enough room for a passenger, so I may remove it and go your route.

Thanks for the photos and idea.

 

[Sly]

You're welcome!

bogey78~

I had to go the way I did with the mounting for the same reason you described - my wife needed a tad more room than how it was. By doing what I did she has ample room now, and she's a much happier passenger!

By the way, after attaching the topcase I had just a bit of play on the two studs that are fore on the rack. To remedy this I went to Lowe's and purchased two rubber grommets, slipped one over each of the studs, and cured my slightly annoying rattle that was caused by the loose fit. I used grommets that fit tight over the studs.

L8r~ Sly

 

[Sly]

Bestem 46L Upgrades

Well, I finally got around to doing the upgrades mentioned early on in this thread. I painted the red-orange plastic strip with Rust-Oleum Hammered Paint for Plastic (Black), and I also ran a strip of Duck Tape brand white reflective tape under the rearward red plastic faux reflector. The pictures somewhat show the results.
L8r~ Sly

 

[Vuduchld]

I couldn't help but notice, your top case looks exactly like another brand I saw in another pic from this site. The brand was VIP. Excuse me since I'm brand new to this site but are these cases the same? If they are, they're a lot cheaper than the VIPs.

I googled the VIP top cases and got the official site for them, they also look very nice at about 10 times cheaper than a Givi. Hey, they even have built in brake lights!

Forgive me Givi Gods, I know they're based in my city...

 

[Sly]

And they don't leak!

Vuduchld~
You gotsta like SRV!!
I certainly can't knock Givi - my side cases are Givi. However, I must say that if Bestem made side cases to fit the Givi side mount I'd give 'em a whirl. I think with a little fabbing one could make the case fit the rack, but I'm happy with the Givi/Bestem match up. They work well enough that multi-night stays on the road for two are possible. And, with the E41's top opening hatch, a plastic bag, ice, and adult beverages, they work equally well as a bikefest cooler!
L8r~ Sly

 

[Vuduchld]

YES indeed, I do dig SRV but I also appreciate the original artist, Jimi Hendrix. Back in the day, he was the #[email protected]%. Great music to listen to while your leaning into a fast sweeper. Anybody know about the Mutazu (VIP) top cases being the same as the Bestem?

Also, for all the bargain helmet fans out there. I just got my 79.00 HJC AC-12 (El-Diablo) in the mail today, I feel like I've really gotten over here. What a great buy from newenough.com.

 

[southwheels]

I just ordered the Bestem 46L case. Thanks for all the information on this thread. I'll let you know how it is once I get it.

 

[Sly]

Bestem revisited

southwheels ~

I don't think you will be displeased with the Bestem topcase. I am approaching my fifth month with it attached to my Wee. I have yet to take it off, it has yet to leak, and my wife has yet to fall off backward.

If the thing disintegrated tonight I'd throw down another $80 for one without batting an eye! I can buy four of the 46L Bestems for less than the price for one comparable Givi. That's stretching a buck!

L8r ~ Sly

 

[MZBuckeye]

I just got the Bestem 2012 model (42L) with gloss black lid from ebay and spent some time last night playing around with the mounting bracket location. I'm very impressed with the overall quality of the box and I think it looks great on the back of the wee (as good as a top case can look anyway). I plan on replacing the very cheap backrest with something custom.

I'll post a full review once I get it completely installed and have a chance to ride with it.

Here's some pics...

Now this I like a lot. Can you elaborate on how you mounted it? I was all set to order a Givi, but holy moly for the money I don't know if I can turn this one down.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ST13...003QQitemZ130200891812QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

Is this the one you bought? The mounting plate looks different than the flat black version, but I like the looks of this glossy guy for my black '05 much better.

 

[Sudzz]

Now this I like a lot. Can you elaborate on how you mounted it? I was all set to order a Givi, but holy moly for the money I don't know if I can turn this one down.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ST13...003QQitemZ130200891812QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

Is this the one you bought? The mounting plate looks different than the flat black version, but I like the looks of this glossy guy for my black '05 much better.

See my reply to your PM.