Luggage question Vara 1000

[africajim]

Ok, might be a silly question to some of you well off folk on here but most Scotsmen will understand where I'm coming from!
I was looking for side boxes for my 09 Vara 1000, I looked at metal mule? All I can say is "good grief!"
Next was genuine Honda, £600 for two side boxes? Mental or what? Alpos seem very cheap but tales of "flexing" put me off.
Givi, £400 a pair, hmmm, Kappa, £330, getting better.
Right, to my question, I bought a pair of genuine Honda boxes off Ebay last night. They're off a Vara but there's no brackets for them. Not that the brackets would probably been any good for the 09 as the rail on the back's different. My question is what brackets do I need? Once I get the boxes I'll have a better idea what I'm looking for but I'm sure some of you will have experience with Honda luggage and could steer me in the right direction!

[Boris]

I have a VA5 and my mate a V7 and the racks look the same despite the grab rails being quite different. It looks on his bike that that they have had to notch the plastics at the back to make things fit.

[africajim]

That's the sort of info I'm looking for! Well, cutting the plastics on my brand new pride and joy isn't quite what I had in mind! Makes my eyes water just thinking about that!
I saw an 08 Vara on Saturday with very neat brackets, the owner said they were genuine Honda. Are yours the big square bracket similar to the Givi ones? The 08 ones weren't, but I don't know if the boxes I have bought will fit them?
More info please!

[Boris]

No they were proper Honda ones that came fitted from new. The boxes are sculptured to fit round the exhausts and the brackets the same.

I'll see if I can find some photos

[Boris]

Found one



This is my mates V7. My expertly drawn arrow shows where they had to notch the plastics on his bike. On my VA5 this bracket is exactly under the grab rail and fits in the same dent in the plastics the grab rail uses.

The boxes are the same and fit on either bike

[davsato]

i thought bigH were still doing the varadero with free panniers? thats where i got mine, and i argued in a topbox too

[AncientAndy]

Found one



This is my mates V7. My expertly drawn arrow shows where they had to notch the plastics on his bike. On my VA5 this bracket is exactly under the grab rail and fits in the same dent in the plastics the grab rail uses.

The boxes are the same and fit on either bike

As I thought Boris, your mates bike is a late 2007, but it is actually the "8" model and is identical to my 09 plated bike.

The 2009 Varaderos have not hit the UK shores....to my knowledge and the only difference is the orange one has become barley yellow.

Jim's bike will be exactly the same as your mates bike, but the question remains whether his pannier fixing kit will mean cutting plastics. I am shocked at the notched out plastics.

Davsato... no free panniers, just 45litre box and some very hot heated grips..... and a shed load of cash off the bike.

[africajim]

I got the free topbox and Heated grips, I tried for the panniers but no go!

That's the very brackets the guy had on his VA8 on Saturday, very tidy, especially compared to the older ones with the big square of tubing that looks like scaffolding! I can only hope the boxes I bought fit those brackets.
The seller told me he sold the bike without the boxes as the buyer only wanted the top box so there's a Vara out there with those brackets but not using them, what a waste! Ha ha!
Thanks for the pics mate, that doesn't look too bad, I could live with small cuts in the plastics!
My bike is a VA9 "09" bike

[AncientAndy]

I got the free topbox and Heated grips, I tried for the panniers but no go!

That's the very brackets the guy had on his VA8 on Saturday, very tidy, especially compared to the older ones with the big square of tubing that looks like scaffolding! I can only hope the boxes I bought fit those brackets.
The seller told me he sold the bike without the boxes as the buyer only wanted the top box so there's a Vara out there with those brackets but not using them, what a waste! Ha ha!
Thanks for the pics mate, that doesn't look too bad, I could live with small cuts in the plastics!
My bike is a VA9 "09" bike

PFK Lings lied to me then! And they are the biggest UK importer of anything Honda and largest Honda stockist in Europe. Face it Jim, your bike is an 57 Honda that has been lying around in some yard somewhere, in a crate, next to mine! I am sure your boxes will fit just fine, but have you seen the price of that fitting kit you are talking about? Model number 08L51MBT800C. Get some rope and tie them on.

[africajim]

Ok, in a state of paranoia I've checked my V5 document and VIN, it's definitely a VA9 so there! Came from Ecosse motorcycles Aberdeen, I had to wait for it to come in.
Any way, I'm not sure about the compatibility of older panniers with newer brackets, has anyone got genuine Honda boxes from an older Vara that could tell me the type of fittings and if they look like the ones in the picture?
AncientAndy, I got the boxes canny enough so can afford to lay out a bit on the fittings, but I might try breakers yards first!