Top Box!

Posh Backrest

Ebay has a steady flow of Hondaline top boxes passing through it. Having a white bike presents the problem of whether to buy any top box in any colour and then re-spray it or get a red, black, or grey one that could just as easily sit on the bike without looking too odd. The normal price range is £160 to £230 second hand; David Silver Spares will set you back £275 for a new one. List is a little higher, of course.

We bought ours at £160 BRAND NEW in the box and plastic bags!!! (See below - rough and upside down but at least it's complete!)

The top box might have been brand new but the outer box was past its prime!

This was an excellent deal but Ka still gave me a length of scorn over the price paid. It was a delight to see a second hand one go this week for £196 second hand from a bloke with a kitchen in his garage.

The box was not the easiest farkle to fit; the instructions are a technical diagram with notes 1-5, which do not correlate with the order of fitting them, I found to my resulting cusses. Once fitted the meaning of “floating bracket” becomes very clear – the whole box is designed to move about 10mm left and right on its mount. Odd. It’s not noticeable when leaning against the back rest but easy to rattle around by hand on a whim.

The purchase is leading toward getting Ka to stay on the back more safely and with less effort from her needing to hold on. Young Kn can go on the back more safely now, too; a necessary purchase. Also, if Ka and I are to tour Spain we’ll need more than the two side boxes to get our gear around the continent.

Riding with the top box makes for a different experience. Without it, Shadowfax is rock-steady except at great speed dancing between big trucks or past natural passages through which high winds pass and catch the fairings. With the box 80mph is really the top whack (meeting the manufacturer’s recommendations not to exceed this speed with the box fitted).

It’s pretty big though – it’s 45-litre capacity is all in the lid, really, but it can hold 2 helmets easily and without the Rubik’s manoeuvres required of Dilbert’s box. It also has “that” Honda branded carpet. Really this disguises the ergonomically challenged but aerodynamically required side flanges that drape either side of the carrier. With the carpet and some stiff plastic bits these create two “secret” pockets in which to dump annoying little bits of luggage like pens, torches, or hamsters. Cool.

The attachment is far superior than Dilbert’s budget box, too. It really exudes quality in its locking arrangement and is a doddle to use one-handed. It lacks the two ties to stop it hyper-opening onto the rear seat but that’s all I can fault with it.

Oh, it’s a light silver-grey. I figure I can live with it on the bike as it matches the hangers and handlebar colours, but I can see it going white one day. The paint is hard to come by though, NH138, I think it is for the Honda white. I can’t find it on any websites. Anyone out there with a clue where I can get some? I figure the Police might have a stash?