Cycle News Staff | February 7, 2018
Givi Trekker Outback Hard Cases For The Honda Africa Twin | PRODUCT REVIEW
Adventure bikes are made for traveling and exploring and to do this, you need to add some luggage. After considering several options, we settled on the Givi Trekker Outback series of side and top cases for our Honda Africa Twin. If you are going to be doing serious off-road riding, soft bags are the way to go, but if you will be primarily on the road, or in our case two-up for multi-day adventures, hard cases are a great option for space and security. We chose a large 48 liter Left case (plenty big enough for a helmet and jacket) and a 37 liter right case (with extra spacing for the exhaust, this equalizes the width). We also added a 42 liter top case.
The Givi mounting brackets are very well designed and include great instructions for installation. They also provide some added protection for the bike with or without bags mounted. The aluminum/polypropylene Trekker Outback cases are very durable, lockable, waterproof and easily removed.
Rider Analysis
After several thousand miles of use for everything from commuting to multi-day trips, our Givi Trekker Outback cases have proven very durable and versatile. The side cases are really easy to mount or remove and include handy red/green mechanical indicators so you know that the cases are properly locked in. The locking mechanisms for both mounting or locking the cases are beefy and secure. The Outback cases also include short and long bars on the top to allow for strapping on additional gear or use as handles to tote them around. The plastic interior and rubber gaskets provide a clean interior for storing clothes or other items.
We chose the 42 liter top case, which is great by itself for short trips or carrying a backpack. We often used this setup for California lane splitting. It is plenty big for securing a helmet and jacket but tight for a laptop due to the square shape. The large 58 liter option would be more versatile if you don’t mind the extra size.
Overall, we have been very impressed with the Givi Trekker Outback cases. The mounting, fit, function and durability are all top notch.
List Price:
Givi Outback side case hardware: $288
Givi Outback 37 Liter Right Case: $490
Givi Outback 48 Liter Left Case: $510
Givi Outback 42 Liter Top Case: $485
Givi Topcase mounting hardware Africa Twin: $70
Givi Monokey top plate: $66
Website: www.giviusa.com