GV250 How To: Install Hard Boxes From Richard Jordan
Last season I had saddle bags on my bike. On humid days they would hang down to the point of almost touching the muffler. Then the conch's started falling off. Then some kind of fungus started growing on them. It was very frustrating. I decided for this season to get hard cases. I shopped all over the net trying to find a pair I liked. Nothing out there made me happy, especially after I saw the boxes Richard had. The boxes Richard provides are fairly priced yet good looking. The problem was shipping. It's very expensive. So I resolved to save my pennies and not settle for anything else.
Well, I finally received them today. The instructions provided by the manufacturer were not that great so here's my guide for installing the hard boxes.
What you will need:- 12MM Socket Wrench
- 13MM Socket Wrench
- 17MM Socket Wrench
- 12MM Box End Wrench or Small Crescent Wrench
- 13MM Box End Wrench or Small Crescent Wrench
- 17MM Box End Wrench or Small Crescent Wrench
- And of course, Coffee
For this article, I am using the RIGHT side of the bike for all instruction. The LEFT side is a mirror install of the right.
Start off by locating the fender rail hex cap nuts.
Using a 12MM socket on the nut itself and a 12MM box wrench inside the fender, remove the hex cap nuts. Take two of the short standoff nuts from the bolt kit and wrench tighten them on where the caps nuts had been using a 17MM socket or box end wrench.
NOTE: There are two types of standoff nuts in the bolt kit. Long standoffs and short standoffs with a shoulder. The above step uses the short standoff with the shoulder as seen on the left in the picture below.
When done your fender rails should have the short standoff nuts wrench tightened as shown in the picture below.
Unwrap the the mounting brackets. These are "L" shaped brackets that on the long end have a wish-bone appearance.
Place one of the long standoff nuts in between the wish-bones with the open threads facing outwards. Screw the inside threads onto one of the short standoffs that are attached to the fender rail. Do this with a second bracket as well.
NOTE: Do not wrench tighten! Hand tight only at this point.
NOTE: Before putting the boxes on the brackets, place the boxes on the ground with the backs facing you. You will notice that the holes drilled into the backside of the boxes are not centered. This is by design. The box with the holes closest to the left side goes on the right side of the box. The box with the holes closest to the right goes on the left side of the bike.
Take the RIGHT side box and place it on the mounting bracket and slide the back side holes over the standoff nut threads.
Take two hex nuts from the bolt kit and apply to the threads inside the box.
NOTE: Do not wrench tighten! Hand tight only at this point.
Take two hex head screws and two hex head nuts and bolt the bottom of the box to the bottom of the mounting bracket by inserting the screws from inside the box so that the threads are exposed outside the bottom of the box and screw on hex nuts from underneath.
At this point you should have the box basically installed but only hand tightened. Give the box a little shake for side to side to settle it on the mounting bracket. If everything looks good then wrench tighten all bolts.
On my bike, no amount of adjusting would make the box sit flat on the bracket. You can see this in the picture below.
If this is the case then you must do some bending as you do not want the box sitting on the edge of the bracket under load. Luckily the brackets can be adjusted with some slight judicious use of a crescent wrench. Take the box back off the mounting bracket and adjust accordingly.
Once "adjusted" re-mount the box and wrench tighten all screws and/or nuts using a 13MM socket or box end wrench. The box should now lie flat on the bracket.
NOTE: Be sure not to forget to tighten the long standoff bolt installed earlier.
Do the same to the left side of the bike and you should be done. Have fun, go grocery shopping, or just pack a lunch, and go.
Here are some extra pictures of the standoff assembly.
From the rear:
From the top:
From the front:
Happy Birthday!
