Bonneville Luggage Dilemma

[Gone in 60]

I've enjoyed the convenience of my Givi trunk from the time I installed it on my last BMW. Get to work, one button release, and I'm walking into the office with it. I transferred the trunk to the CB1100 on a Givi rack for the bike.

I've resisted putting a trunk rack and Givi mounting plate on the Bonneville, as I didn't want to sully it's classic looks. I've had a soft tail bag on the seat, but I tend to ride that bike less, since I need to haul stuff to work, and for local shopping trips.

Of all the things I should be worried about - being a good husband and son, a pleasant coworker, etc, I have found my mind increasingly crowded with whether or not to put a stupid Givi mount on the Bonneville. Looking at it objectively, it sounds idiotic to have expended so much brain space to this.

Since putting any sort of luggage mount on the bike would involve a purchase over the dollar threshold where my wife and I have always agreed to discuss such things, I wanted to get her objective view on my dilemma, and her blessing to spend the money.

My wife has a very uncanny ability to look at any situation and render objective advice that puts things into very clear perspective.

"Do you spend most of your time riding to and from work, the store, etc, or worrying about what other people think about how your bike looks?"

"You spend your time with the bike sitting on it, looking forward, correct? Would you even see the trunk sticking off of the back while you ride?"

"You would make the Triumph just as convenient to commute with as the Honda, right?"

"If you put the trunk on the Triumph, it would be ridden more, meaning it would be out of my way in the garage when I'm trying to get to the laundry area, correct?"

"Just put the stupid rack on the bike and be done with it then!"

The Givi rack has been ordered.

 

[Houtman_imp]

I did not understand "being a good wife and son " …..

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Yeah, a Givi receptor on each street bike will ease your life substantially. I am not a side-bag rider, so having a 55L rear trunk doesn't bother me. People still remark positively on the bikes I ride. The extra Givi receptor on the Bonnie will pay for itself - "like" - in the first three hours of riding. Your wife sounds quite practical.

 

[Gone in 60]

Thanks for catching that one, Houtman... I meant to say that I should have been spending my time concentrating on being a good husband and son...

This gaff reminds me a bit about my introductory email to the staff when I returned to the company I'm now working for. "I am truly grateful to rejoin the team here at xxx..." and I used the name of the company I was leaving. Ugh.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

Remember, most folks are so concerned about how they appear to others that they give little thought to how others appear to them.

Life is short. Glad to hear you're outfitting the Bonnie with what works best for you.

 

[Houtman_imp]

I interviewed a guy once for a job and asked him to tell me something about himself.
He answered : I rather not do that because I need this job !
Needless to say I did not hire him.

 

[Gone in 60]

I'll bet he thought that was a snappy answer that would elicit a "I like this guy's moxie!" from you.

My best exchange during an interview was:
Question from company president: "Where do you see yourself in five years?"
Answer: "Doing your job."

Against my suggestion that this guy was pushing it, the boss hired him. Then rode him like a scalded mule, giving him every impossible task that came along. Every time the poor guy complained, the boss said "Well, how are you going to get my job in five years unless you work hard??"

 

[peterbaron]

I interviewed a guy once for a job and asked him to tell me something about himself.
He answered : I rather not do that because I need this job !
Needless to say I did not hire him.

Is that job still available?

 

[Houtman_imp]

I hired a woman instead for that job because she told me some interesting things about herself !
Another question I often asked : Would you hire yourself for this job ?
One of my friend asked me once if I would hire him , I said yes as I would like to have the pleasure firing you the following week !

 

[motoWest_imp]

"Of all the things I should be worried about - being a good husband and son, a pleasant coworker, etc, I have found my mind increasingly crowded with whether or not to put a stupid Givi mount on the Bonneville. Looking at it objectively, it sounds idiotic to have expended so much brain space to this."

Well said. I've struggled internally with adding luggage to the CB. While it would be incredibly useful, I've so avoided it simply due to aesthetics. Not something I'm proud of per se, but then again, the look of the bike is a big reason I bought it in the first place!

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Appendages look awful on the CB1100 and the Bonnie.

However, if function is equal or more in priority, you will have them.

 

[Rocky_imp]

FWIW, I too wanted to retain the classic profile and didn't want a luggage rack so opted for these Cruiser II slant bags. They are made of artificial material, very stiff and hold their shape. They zipper on and off with ease and I only use them when needed.
In this picture I had also fitted the King & Queen seat, but use the standard seat most of the time.

 

[The A-man]

I love the pic with the king and queen seat!

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

The Bonnie is one of a few bikes where you can see the photographer in its lump. Here, we see two photographers.

 

[Rocky_imp]

The Bonnie is one of a few bikes where you can see the photographer in its lump. Here, we see two photographers.

And they even look like the same guy :rofl:

In the second picture the Bonnie has gone through some changes; chrome valve cover, Givi windscreen, gaiters with Progressive fork springs, Ikon rear shocks and an EBC front rotor and brake pads kit.
The bike is now 14 years old and still looks like new with only 26,779 km's on the clock.

 

[Gone in 60]

See, that's why my Bonnie has a blacked-out engine. I can take pictures of it and not see my squatting body in the pictures.

I've loved the Givi rack on both bikes so far. Pull up to the office on either machine, push a button, and carry my stuff in like a briefcase. Plus, I have lockable helmet and gear storage. When I put the rack on the Bonnie, I put an LED strip brake light on the back edge, which puts a light up closer to a following driver's line of sight. I wired it with a quick release plug, and used matching screws to mount the rack. So, in five minutes with a 12mm wrench, if I feel like admiring the bike without the big appendage on the rear, I can remove it.

 

[Frulk_imp]

Ricky. Nice looking Bonneville. I prefer the look of the King/Queen seat. More of an early 70s vibe in my mind.