wspollack
Well-known member
Recently (just before a couple weeks' non-moto vacation), I installed a Shad 59X top case on my '23 C 400 GT. I had the OEM luggage rack and the OEM top case already on the bike, as part of my original purchase, but wanted more room (for two-up helmet storage for day trips, or just generally, for solo multi-day out-of-town trips) than the 30L of BMW's case.
For those interested in this subject:
1) I started out by following HedOpp's instructions for mounting the expandable Shad on the stock luggage rack: see www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJCL0Euh2L0
That worked out okay ... if you never ride with a passenger (unless the passenger is extremely skinny). The problem is that his mounting system results in the passenger backrest on the Shad being about 3" (c. 8cm) forward of where the backrest on the stock case is positioned. This is with the Shad in the medium or full-expanded positions (in the smallest setting, the front -- passenger -- side of the Shad is tilted such that the backrest pad is not completely functional, and, anyway, part of the purpose of the case is to enlarge it for extra storage when riding two-up).
So I wound up doing a modified version of his mounting system, moving the mounting points backwards about 3". And I drilled two holes in the luggage rack, just for extra security; that stock rack is one thick piece of aluminum -- I had to resort to a masonry bit -- and two ¼" holes does nothing to its structural capability, IMO.
2) I bought the case from Motostorm in Italy: https://www.motostorm.it/en/accessories/luggage/shad-sh59x-expandable-top-case-aluminium.html
With the included backrest, that €264 price is about half the $602 price of buying the same thing at ShadUSA: https://www.shadusa.com/collections/sh59x-expandable/products/d0b59200 . Also there are coupons available for first accessing the site, or maybe returning to it, or later on via email, etc. Here's a screenshot of my email order receipt from July:
If you buy from Motostorm, set the payment option to Euros, NOT dollars. This way, you'll be dealing in the store's actual currency, there'll be no BS regarding currency conversions, etc. (There were no "Custom Duties involved in my purchase or delivery.)
Motostorm seems to get very negative or very positive reviews on TrustPilot and suchlike, with not much in the middle. Apparently, if they don't have items in stock, you can wait forever (or until you cancel an order), despite being charged right away; also, they appear to respond to emails whenever they feel like it, or not at all.
On the flip side, it took nine days from my ordering the case to its arrival here in upstate NY (via FedEx for the USA part of the journey); all parts -- base plate, backrest pads, hardware -- were included and nicely packed. So I had no issues whatsoever, a very positive -- and money-saving -- experience.
For those really interested, I'll post many detailed (and higher-res) pics and captions in my gallery, probably sometime next week, showing my exact mounting method. But I thought I'd just give an early heads-up now, in case anyone's just about to buy a Shad and mount it on a BMW luggage rack.
In the meantime, here are some (forum-compatible 1MB low-res) pics, the first three with the case in its lowest (42L) position (which will be my default), and the last one in the largest position:
For those interested in this subject:
1) I started out by following HedOpp's instructions for mounting the expandable Shad on the stock luggage rack: see www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJCL0Euh2L0
That worked out okay ... if you never ride with a passenger (unless the passenger is extremely skinny). The problem is that his mounting system results in the passenger backrest on the Shad being about 3" (c. 8cm) forward of where the backrest on the stock case is positioned. This is with the Shad in the medium or full-expanded positions (in the smallest setting, the front -- passenger -- side of the Shad is tilted such that the backrest pad is not completely functional, and, anyway, part of the purpose of the case is to enlarge it for extra storage when riding two-up).
So I wound up doing a modified version of his mounting system, moving the mounting points backwards about 3". And I drilled two holes in the luggage rack, just for extra security; that stock rack is one thick piece of aluminum -- I had to resort to a masonry bit -- and two ¼" holes does nothing to its structural capability, IMO.
2) I bought the case from Motostorm in Italy: https://www.motostorm.it/en/accessories/luggage/shad-sh59x-expandable-top-case-aluminium.html
With the included backrest, that €264 price is about half the $602 price of buying the same thing at ShadUSA: https://www.shadusa.com/collections/sh59x-expandable/products/d0b59200 . Also there are coupons available for first accessing the site, or maybe returning to it, or later on via email, etc. Here's a screenshot of my email order receipt from July:
If you buy from Motostorm, set the payment option to Euros, NOT dollars. This way, you'll be dealing in the store's actual currency, there'll be no BS regarding currency conversions, etc. (There were no "Custom Duties involved in my purchase or delivery.)
Motostorm seems to get very negative or very positive reviews on TrustPilot and suchlike, with not much in the middle. Apparently, if they don't have items in stock, you can wait forever (or until you cancel an order), despite being charged right away; also, they appear to respond to emails whenever they feel like it, or not at all.
On the flip side, it took nine days from my ordering the case to its arrival here in upstate NY (via FedEx for the USA part of the journey); all parts -- base plate, backrest pads, hardware -- were included and nicely packed. So I had no issues whatsoever, a very positive -- and money-saving -- experience.
For those really interested, I'll post many detailed (and higher-res) pics and captions in my gallery, probably sometime next week, showing my exact mounting method. But I thought I'd just give an early heads-up now, in case anyone's just about to buy a Shad and mount it on a BMW luggage rack.
In the meantime, here are some (forum-compatible 1MB low-res) pics, the first three with the case in its lowest (42L) position (which will be my default), and the last one in the largest position:
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