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Shoei Syncrotec Series
by bikerchris
Just to confirm, this is a flip-up crash helmet or a "Approved Safety Helmet" as the government prefers us to say!
In some ways there's little to say about this crash helmet, it's cheap, comfortable, quiet and it does work in the event of a 'typical' accident...having been a test dummy a few times, I'm living proof! ... I bought it for £200 at the Ally Pally (Alexandra Palace Bike Show, London, UK), plain black because I'm not going to pay extra just for a lavist paint job...what next, 'blinging' up the seat belt in your car? (please don't say you would!).
The build quality is very Shoei, having abused this lid for 3/4 years it's only now that the chin-piece catches which hold it in the 'up' position, now fail. Bear in mind this lid REALLY has been used practically every day, so that's a daily minimum of 2 flip-up/flip-downs and normally 4-6. The seat-belt type of chin-strap is still going strong and there are no mechanical problems. It still surprises me that they're not allowed on the track, but I'm sure they have more statistics than I do! In conclusion this Shoei has BMW levels of quality, of course BMW make crash helmets too so...errr...I guess their quality is Volvo quality. I'm glad Volvo don't make lids or I'd be stuffed!
It comes with the usual Crash Helmet vents which don't work at low speeds and might at high speeds...although at high speeds you're not going to be thinking, "is my front vent working?". I would say most crash helmet vents work to an extent, some work better than others but more often than not, they perform 10% of the job you'd like them to.
A handy function also adopted by other lid makers is the visor lifting tab, sorry, without more thought there's few other ways of describing it! This plastic catch ensures the visor doesn't totally seal in the closed position and lets air in to clear the inside face of the visor. Hope that makes sense? It's a very handy function nonetheless, although a breath guard is a worthy investment...and if you buy the lid at a bike show they'll probably chuck one in for free.
CRASH PROTECTION
Hmm, an ominous sub-title! I have to say I'm very impressed, not only by the strength of what is effectively a weaker helmet (by design), but moreover the lack of damage to the outer shell after an accident. A slight paint chip and that's it. I've had two accidents in this lid, after the first I had it X-Ray'd at a bike show for free (why not) and it was confirmed to be fine. The second time I didn't risk it - cut the straps off and binned it...a sad day :-(
The replacement?
A Shoei Raid II (full-face). The reason? A little bit more peace & quiet and to cease looking like my biking Uncle :-D Seriously though, it's just cheaper and I bought it from Groombridges (near Healthfield, East Sussex) for £168.50! Groombridges is a good place for a bargain, but don't expect anything more! A case in point is that I spent the aformentioned amount, asked for some ear plugs too...and they were billed. It's like buying a new car and having to pay extra for tyre plug caps! The other reason for buying a full face is that I've been on the track this year and it's not entirely practical or safe to use a flip-up!
Keep the rubber side down.
SIDE REVIEW (of the design of a flip-up):
Flip-up lids are generally associated with 'the mature rider', but I bought mine as I thought it would make bike instructing easier. It really is the best of both worlds, although if it was possible to put it on in the 'full' position, that would be nice. Really useful for road-side fuel/drink/smoke stops, one less thing to hold or take off AND you can keep a little bit drier to boot!
A flip up is the best of both worlds, in hot weather you can wear it up (although in the UK this isn't technically legal) and of course when it rains...you get the idea. It makes touring in other countries a joy and because you don't know anyone, you don't care about having your squidged face on display. If you do this, never look "moody/cool" as this actually looks like grumpy and miserable, in turn you'll look like a twat! One thing I really liked doing was having a bottle of unnamed fizzy pop (coke) in a tank bag and riding along (at mid-speeds) and having a sip. Kit-Kats were a little more difficult, but still achievable.
It's worth noting that flip-ups get quite a bit more wind noise than full-face lids and for long distance, ear plugs are recommended. It's worth knowing that it has been PROVED that riding a bike without ear protection, makes you deaf after about 5 years (dependant on average speed). So unless you want workmates creeping up on you and playing pranks, stick summit in your ears!
VERY WORTH NOTING:
Go to this website and see how safe your crash helmet really is: http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/ (it's a government website, so of course tells the truth...).
The above website revealed shockingly that some of the bigger and more popular manufacturers, weren't very good at making lids. More surprisingly was the 'lesser' manufacturers were better!
NOTE: Always cut the straps off a crash helmet when you dispose of it - it ensures that no kid is going to take it out your bin and assume it'll save him in some way.
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Oxford SPORTS DELUX TAILPACK
by Jonny_L
I bought an entire set of Oxford soft luggage as there was a special offer, if I bought the panniers and the tank bag, I'd get this for free.
Now, the panniers and tank bag are excellent, and in theory the tailpack is just as good. It's got a removeable bum bag, ample space, loads of handy little compartments, and above all, ... it can sort of be used as a ruck sack. I say sort of, you'd be better off using it as a sort of shoulder bag, it's a bit fiddly as a rucksack.
If you find yourself buying some bits on holiday, you can expand it upwards, which is actually really handy. Also on long journeys it makes for a nice back rest, provided you don't put anything uncomfortable in the front pocket!
The way the bag fits is not quite as straight forward as the rest of the luggage in the oxford range, but it's not too bad. It straps on using supplied and fitted bungees, these are a nice feature because the bungees are already attached, no fiddling about or getting the much warned about "bungee in the eye" (Trust me, I've met a guy who did that!).
The bottom of the bag is made of non slip material so that it won't slide about. The only annoyance is that you can't just unzip the bag like you can with the tank bag, the whole lot, bungees and all need to come off. Bit of a pain if you're just leaving the bike for an hour, but it's not that hard to fit so not the end of the world.
So far so good, you're thinking? Well here's the fly in the ointment...
Oxford soft luggage is not waterproof, like all other soft luggage. Fair do's. They supply you with some lovely waterproof covers so your bags stay dry, which just slip on, easy to do at the first sign of rain.
Now these covers on the panniers and the tank bag are excellent, they just slip on and they're secure. The cover for this bag slips on easily, but unfortunately it slips off just as easily. I was touring and it started to slip off in the wind, just a light bit of rain, riding at about 60mph, and I start feeling the thing flapping about. I pull over, turns out it's just about to fly off. I reattach it, make sure it's secure and I'm on my way. Anyway it happened again, and again, so I ended up just taking the thing off, resulting in getting everything wet.
The thing is just useless now, there's no point in touring with it unless I just store things that can get wet in there, or just tour in the dry (like that's ever going to happen! One can only hope).
It's gained pride of place in my junk cupboard.
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Givi E350 Flow Monolock Topcase
by ImVeryNice
A gentleman's word
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To be honest I hadn't originally planned to fit a top box to my new scooter since it already has space for a helmet, a small briefcase and smaller odds and ends under the seat. But when the dealer told me he couldn't get the backrest I had ordered and that he would give me the top box ... "free" if only I paid for the mounting rack and its fitting, I was persuaded to go ahead and get one: the top box could not only hold a second helmet, but also act as a kind of backrest too. I was offered a choice of two, and I chose the larger one, which turned out to be the Givi "Flow".
In the end, the rack and fitting cost about double the price of the top box alone, so the deal wasn't quite as good as it first appeared. But a deal is a deal and I signed on the bottom line ... again.
The manufacturer
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Givi was a new make to me since I hadn't owned a motorcycle for 28 years and the company was founded just 25 years ago by Giuseppe Visenzi, a former Italian bike racer famous in the 1960s, although I hadn't heard of him either. However, it seems he knew what he is doing since Givi is now a leading supplier of quality motorcycle accessories at reasonable prices. Givi products are specifically designed or adapted for a very wide range of motorcycles and scooters. Apart from racks and top boxes they produce panniers, windscreens and helmets too. In some cases they are even supplied (rebadged) as manufacturer's "original" accessories (take a look at a "Yamaha" top box).
Description
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The Givi "Flow" is available either self-coloured (black) or with a painted lid (either silver, dark blue, or red). The mounting rack fits behind the seat with the box fitted on top. It opens in the conventional manner with the hinges placed at the front. The lock releases either the lid (smaller push button) or detaches the box from the rack (larger push button). Hence Givi call this design Monolock®. A large red reflector is fitted to the lid, which improves your visibility, particularly at night. An optional lighting kit converts the reflector into a high-level brake lamp. I haven't tried this though. On the other hand I have purchased the optional padded backrest which mounts with screws onto the front of the top box, greatly improving the comfort and security of your passenger. The quality of fit and finish of all parts is good as is the quality of materials used.
Open Sesame
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In use the box is simple to use, you open by turning the key a quarter turn clockwise, press the smaller button, which releases pressure on the catch, and then press on a part marked "press" which unhooks the catch allowing you to open the lid. A word of caution, if you overfill the top box so that you have to press down on the lid to close it, this last action of unhooking the catch may prove impossible and the box won't open. I did this only once! Eventually, I did get it open - after removing it from the rack - by a combination of shaking it to move the contents around and sitting on the lid.
Close Sesame
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Equally the locking is quite simple too, after shutting the lid you again press on the pressure plate which clicks shut and only then turn the key anticlockwise to lock the box again. Unfortunately the dealer didn't give me any instruction sheet and I can't have understood his verbal instructions properly because at first I had great difficulty shutting and locking the box (I was trying to do it with the key removed). A benefit of this design is that you can't lock the key inside the box. Provided you know what you are doing it is easy to open and close, however.
Design limitations
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The "Flow" is stated to be suitable for low and medium powered scooters (like my 250). Although the capacity is quite large at 35 litres - more than enough for a full face helmet - the weight limit is only 3 kg and the maximum speed when loaded is 75 mph. This has not proved to be a problem for me; I put heavier items under the seat and have never needed to exceed 75 mph. You have plenty of room for boxes of cereals, packets of biscuits, hay for the rabbit or whatever and an advantage over the under-seat storage is that it is unaffected by engine heat. Please note that if you use the backrest on your top box it is absolutely vital to ensure you have locked it properly to the rack. It is one thing to lose your luggage, quite another to lose your passenger...
Like a thief in the night
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As a postscript I should add that thieves broke into my garage recently and attempted to steal my scooter and its contents. They broke the lock on the Givi "Flow" by jamming a screwdriver into the lock barrel but were defeated by the simple catch mechanism, so my helmet and gloves were still there. I thought I would have to replace the whole top box but it turned out I don't even have to replace the whole lock. I was able to remove the lock, completely dismantle it confirming that only the barrel and one other small part were damaged. Both were available to order from a local Givi stockist enabling me to repair the lock and catch mechanism for minimum cost. I have also learned a lesson and no longer regard my top box as secure storage.
Blowing in the wind
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One last point: I had always been worried by the instability of my scooter in side-winds but with the top box temporarily removed for repairs I found a significant improvement. It seems that the turbulence produced by the top box does adversely affect stability (hence the 75 mph limit I suppose). Taking into account my point concering security above, I now always remove the top box when it's not needed.
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