400GT Flyer
New member
My C400GT already has the factory BMW Top Case but my wife sometimes kicks (and scratches) it when getting on. Since we use it only as a backrest I searched for a backrest only and found several sellers on eBay selling the same backrest product which mounts to the BMW accessory luggage carrier. The cost was only $147 and shipping was free from China, so I picked a seller with very good feedback and took my chances. I was pleasantly surprised when it only took 3 days (yes, 3 days) to arrive at my house in Los Angeles from the vendor's shipping point in China.
The backrest itself is sturdy, good looking and of high quality. It installs to a base plate with 3 bolts, and then the base plate slips into the slotted area already in the BMW luggage carrier. There are two L bends at the base plate front which slide under small openings in the luggage carrier, and in the rear there is another plate that goes over the top of the base plate. The attached pictures are a better reference. I was worried that with just two mounting bolts to the carrier it wouldn't be solid enough, but after they are tightened down it is extremely tight with no chance of moving, as the base plate itself sits nicely into the luggage carrier slotted areas. I did find that the supplied bolts were slightly too large for the rear (M8), so I had to purchase M7 bolts (1" long) which worked fine.
The install itself is very quick, less than 5 minutes and it will be easy on and off when I need it to be. I did a test sit on it and it's not really in the right spot to be leaned on (about 3" from your back), but that's not why I purchased it anyway, as the main purpose was for a more "secure" feeling for my wife when riding with me.
Overall, I am very happy with the backrest. It will provide a sense of security for my wife and make it easy for her to get on the bike with her rather short legs.
The backrest itself is sturdy, good looking and of high quality. It installs to a base plate with 3 bolts, and then the base plate slips into the slotted area already in the BMW luggage carrier. There are two L bends at the base plate front which slide under small openings in the luggage carrier, and in the rear there is another plate that goes over the top of the base plate. The attached pictures are a better reference. I was worried that with just two mounting bolts to the carrier it wouldn't be solid enough, but after they are tightened down it is extremely tight with no chance of moving, as the base plate itself sits nicely into the luggage carrier slotted areas. I did find that the supplied bolts were slightly too large for the rear (M8), so I had to purchase M7 bolts (1" long) which worked fine.
The install itself is very quick, less than 5 minutes and it will be easy on and off when I need it to be. I did a test sit on it and it's not really in the right spot to be leaned on (about 3" from your back), but that's not why I purchased it anyway, as the main purpose was for a more "secure" feeling for my wife when riding with me.
Overall, I am very happy with the backrest. It will provide a sense of security for my wife and make it easy for her to get on the bike with her rather short legs.
