Bestem TBox 2012 and Hepco Becker Sportrack

[aircraftelectrician]

Yesterday I installed a Bestem T-Box 2012 on a Hepco & Becker Sportrack. For those that haven't seen the Sportrack, it mounts in place of the passenger seat. Just turn the key, release and remove the seat and snap the Sportrack on in its place. 
 
The Sportrack is well made and light weight, close to the weight of the OE seat and tools. It does require some simple assembly (4 screws and nuts, and 4 rubber spacers) and fits very well. It has 6 slots in it for the straps on soft luggage, but I drilled 4 holes through it to mount the base for the Bestem topcase.
 
The Bestem T-Box topcase is a bargain piece, and it shows when compared to Givi or Shad topcases. While not as well built, it's very functional for a third of the price of a Givi, and the price includes a mounting plate, a backrest and an LED taillight. I ordered the T-Box 2012 in white. The 2012 is a 42 liter box, and will hold my HJC IS17 full-face helmet. The white isn't a perfect match for the FZ-07's white paint, but it does have some pearl in it, which makes it pretty close. The latch on the Bestem is secure enough, and the keys work well, but it won't fool you into thinking you spent $300 on a Givi case. Again, it's functional, but not top-quality.
 
I chose to mount it in place of the passenger seat since my wife made it very clear she won't be riding with me on the FZ-07. While she loves to ride on the rear of my Concours 1000, she says the seat on the FZ just isn't her style. In fact, she says there are 3 different kinds of motorcycle seats: big touring bikes like Goldwings have what she calls a "wife" seat, big and comfy. The seat on the Concours and other sport touring bikes are what she calls "girlfriend" seats, comfortable enough to impress but not quite long-term seats. She calls the seat on the FZ-07 a "one-night-stand" seat, and she refuses to even sit on it.
 

 
 

 

 

 

[grahamfz07]

Great analogy on the seats lol.
I like that rack in place of the rear seat, never been a big fan of the luggage racks hanging way off the back of the bike

[love2gro]

I dig it! Loving the seat rest too..does it go on and off easily? I'm guessing not with the light and all

[aircraftelectrician]

I dig it! Loving the seat rest too..does it go on and off easily? I'm guessing not with the light and all

It does come off very easily. The box has a quick release latch that allows it to lift off the mounting plate by turning the key and pushing a button. That leaves the mounting plate and Sportrack on the bike. If you want to remove that, just take it off with the key and snap the seat back on. The light on mine isn't wired yet, since my cheap multimeter quit working and I haven't brought the nice one home from work yet. When I do get it wired I plan on using this rubber trailer connector so the wiring can be easily unplugged. 
Does anyone know what color Yamaha used for the taillight wire?

[bubba]

I really like what you did here. A few questions.
 
How sturdy is the box when mounted on the Sportrack, does rock side to side/back and forth?
Does the box get in the way when riding?
Can you use it as back rest?
 
Thanks

[aircraftelectrician]

The box is very sturdy. The only movement at all is the slight movement in the rubbers between the box and the mount. It doesn't get in the way at all, and if I lean back just a little, I can lean on the back rest on the box.