Givi or Honda Topbox, that is the question?

[Walrus]

Ok, folks here have convinced me to add a topbox to my Forza. What are the pros and cons of the Honda vs the Givi? Which is best? Better looking? Easier to install? Sturdier? Not concerned about the cost as much as having a good looking quality box with a back rest for the wife. Any advice?

[you you]

Ok, folks here have convinced me to add a topbox to my Forza. What are the pros and cons of the Honda vs the Givi? Which is best? Better looking? Easier to install? Sturdier? Not concerned about the cost as much as having a good looking quality box with a back rest for the wife. Any advice?

Buy one and fit it?

[CelticCross]

I ENT with the Givi case as I am familiar with their quality. No experience with the Honda product so can't offer any comparison.

[gn2]

If you have a white, black or grey Forza and want a colour matched good looking one go with the Honda 45l box.
Think its made by Shad.
If you're more budget conscious get a Givi or Shad.
Personally I would put them in order of preference:
1: Honda
2: Shad
3: Givi

[Walrus]

If you have a white, black or grey Forza and want a colour matched good looking one go with the Honda 45l box.
Think its made by Shad.
If you're more budget conscious get a Givi or Shad.
Personally I would put them in order of preference:
1: Honda
2: Shad
3: Givi

I have a RED Forza. The only color they sell in the USA. I would love a color matched box. Is there one made in red?

[gn2]

Shad and Givi both do red covers for some of their cases but I don't think its the same shade of red as the US Forza.
Or get a silver cover and spray it with the correct colour...?

[Mister_Fube]

I have the GIVI topbox which I am very happy with. If, as you say, you're less concerned about the cost, then perhaps the GIVI has less advantages over the Honda. I am a UK Forza rider, so SHAD isn't a brand of topbox that is well known or even distributed over here, as far as I know. My Honda dealer even advised me to go for a GIVI box, based on cost alone as it is significantly cheaper than Honda's own. But the most compelling reason for me was the fact that I think it looks damn good, and there was the option of adding auxiliary high level LED brake lights to the GIVI box, which isn't an option for Honda's own.

I have a whole thread on my findings with this, but in short, the pluses for GIVI are:
1. GIVI have a wide range of topboxes to fit the Forza... pick your size and style. There is only 1 Honda-made box for the Forza.
2. Most GIVI models have colour coded panels to aesthetically match the topbox to the bike. I have a white Forza and the white GIVI panel is an excellent colour match.
3. Optional LED brake light kits made by GIVI, but you could improvise your own, I guess, if you're creative and technical. In actual fact I had to improvise my own wiring solution because the connectors that came with my official GIVI LED kit were rubbish. Kit was about £40 GBP but it's a great safety feature now that it's working properly.
4. The GIVI topbox can be kept if/when you sell your Forza and the colour coded panel swapped out to match your next bike. If the exact colour isn't available, they also sell unpainted ones cheaper so you can get them sprayed yourself. The main point here is that GIVI do mounting plates for almost every bike out there, which will fit their boxes, so you need never buy another topbox again if you're frugal and take care of it.

I should add, that I have the GIVI B47 Blade monolock.