Ticking the box
The world’s fastest sports touring bike meets the world’s largest topbox
SPEC KAWASAKI H2 SX SE £18,242 • 998cc supercharged four • 197bhp • 256kg • 19-litre tank • 835mm seat • Average economy: 43.7mpg • Miles so far: 4023
AT 56 LITRES, I’m not sure if the Givi V56 topbox is the world’s largest, but it ought to be. It’s the Tardis of topboxes. Two full-face lids and room to spare? A week’s food shop? A month’s worth of pants and T-shirts (longer, if you’re as unkempt as I)? Swallowed whole.
Unlike Kawasaki’s panniers, the box doesn’t add to the H2’s width so filtering is unaffected. Handling isn’t either; at sub-walking pace the hand of Givi influences the back but when rolling, the box has almost no pendulum effect.
Fitting the rack wasn’t straightforward; Givi’s instructions are scant and working out which screws and bolts to remove (it’s not obvious; two cross-head screws are hidden) and how best to route indicator and registration plate light wires took a bit of thought. And offering up three mounting plates while threading four bolts needs five hands.
But the practicality is wonderful. I ripped to Wales for a weekend, loaded with cameras, laptop and off-road gear. Despite failing to close the lid properly and riding enthusiastically for a few miles while it flapped open behind, nothing fell out. The latch isn’t tricky but it’s not the most convincing. I always double-check now.
Then I rode to Dorset, overloaded with cameras; the box’s 10kg payload limit and 75mph speed limit were exceeded by a factor of two with no ill effects.
The system is good value too: the box is £262, the rail is £125 and the rack is £43 – £430.50 in total. Recommended.
I have new tyres: I’d swapped the good, all-round original Bridgestone S21s for, literally, less all-round Pirelli Rosso Corsa IIS. A low-frequency 40mph wobble plagued the bike — the wheels were rebalanced three times (and it turns out unless your tyre fitter has a Kawasaki H2 wheel bung, balancing the rear is tricky) — but the wobble remained. It seemed to be coming from the rear (it wobbled running the bike on the centrestand) and was only eliminated when I fitted a pair of Metzeler Sportec M7 RRS. They have better grip, ride quality and steering. And the H2 now feels fully restored to weapon status. SIMON HARGREAVES