Lighter and cleaner look. Needs work to add humidity seal. Good capacity
This Kemimoto top box has a large capacity and is lighter by seven pounds than its aluminum Kemimoto cousin of the same capacity. The design is cleaner without all the pop rivets which festoon the aluminum top box too. As construction is of ABS plastic, the box is somewhat flexier than the aluminum top box whenever the lid is open, but stiffens right up when battened down with the latch. I do have a problem with the latch, though, in that it does not hold the lid down tightly at all … and the reason for this is the total absence of any gasket.

While the box will shed rain quite nicely due to the skirt around the lid, it will not withstand humidity. As the photos show, not only is there no rubber seal around the closure, but there are internal vertical ribs which make it even worse. it would be an easy fix to stuff in some small diameter soft rubber vacuum tubing to create a gasket, but those ribs will prevent a proper seal. Before any seal can be installed to hold back humidity … as well as give that latch some resistance to prevent the lid from rattling … it will be first necessary to fill those voids between the vertical ribs with segments of something, either RTV or short sections of the same tubing to be used as a gasket. At any rate, KemiMoto has done a very poor job on the sealing of the box against humidity. The photos refer.

The box fits neatly onto a honeycomb saddle which gets mounted onto the motorcycle with supplied hardware and fittings. Two knobbed screws secure the box onto that saddle from inside the box securely into brass threaded inserts om the saddle … and the holes for those threaded knobs are pre-drilled precisely. It’s a very good system for mounting the box, except for one thing: you have to be able to get your hand down to the very bottom on both sides of the top box to unscrew the knobs and remove it from the saddle. That probably means partially unpacking it a bit. It also precludes using the top box as a makeshift cooler for icing down drinks or storing water in … but it IS secure from thieving hands.

Two grab handles screw into the lid on either side for lifting the box or just opening the lid, but there are no pre-drilled holes for that; you will need to measure and drill carefully. There are also two adhesive amber reflecting strips, but the photos and instruction set have these being installed on the rear corners of the box Amber goes to the front and red goes to the rear … and there are no red reflecting strips included. Annoying.

I have both this ABS top box and the aluminum top box, both 52 liters of capacity, from KemiMoto and I prefer the lightness of this one … but now I have to fab a decent seal and find some red reflecting strips. In the end, this box strips away over seven pounds of weight compared to the aluminum one and any excessive weight up high on a motorcycle’s cargo rack contributes to instability in turns. High cargo is wiggly … and wiggly is dangerous. So a light top box and all the heavy items on the bottom of the box helps.

I’ve scanned the instruction sheet for you; simply download it and then magnify it in your photo viewer to clarify the text and illustrations. I’m dropping a star for the two inconveniences, but this is still the top box I’ll be mounting on my little Honda CT125 Trail. Four Stars and a great value from Amazon.

Good quality
Good quality product, easy to install. Only fits a helmet tho, I have a ls2 advantx but once I put it inside there’s no room left for anything else. I can probably quiz in my gloves but that’s about it. Otherwise it’s enough space for a backpack

Excellent top case for the price
As usual from Kemimoto, the whole package is well thought out, from the mounting system to the box liners to the latch. It’s a universal fit box, so you will have to do some calculations for what works best for your rear rack. The mounting plate allows for a multitude of different mounting options, and the hardware it comes with is pretty nifty. There is also a cover plate that leaves everything looking neat and tidy if you remove the box from the base. There are two locating lugs and one bolt that hold the top box to the plate, and it feels pretty secure. The latch closes the lid tightly, and while the lock doesn’t feel particularly well made, it does add a layer of security. The reflective stickers aren’t the best quality, but they work.

There are two grab handles included, that are supposed to go on either side of the lid. You need to drill the box to install these, and I didn’t really see the benefit, so I left them off. I also didn’t install the included back pads (for passenger use). The lid has slots to add tie down straps or small bungees, which is a nice bonus.

The box comes with two liners, one for the lid and one for the bottom, and the lid liner has small pockets for insurance cards, registration, etc.. With a 45L capacity, it fits an XL full face helmet easily. You could use this to carry your rain gear, or an extra set of boots, or a change of clothes, or what have you. The ad copy says that you can load it up to 17 lbs, but I didn’t test that limit.

A few tips on installation: grab a friend, because an extra set of hands makes the job a lot easier. I’d suggest positioning the mounting plate where you want it, then using zip ties to hold it in position while you install the hardware. Do NOT over tighten the mounting bolts, as you will distort the base and possibly break the ABS plastic. Snug the bolts down and leave it at that. I used threadlocker to be on the safe side, and I left the zip ties in place just in case. After a 400 mile trip, everything is still nice and secure.

For the price (around $100 USD) this is a nice bit of luggage that not only fits a bunch of gear, but looks good doing it. You’re probably not going to find another top box like this for less money, so it’s a solid value.