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Luggage Rack?

Joined
Dec 14, 2007
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Location
Virginia Beach, Va.
I'm just more and more amazed at this bike every time I ride it. Went for a 100 mile jaunt today out in the country.... 7700 miles on it now. Amazing side-note, I haven't had to adjust the chain in 4000 miles now (since I had the PR2 plugged when it had 400 miles on it - BF NAIL!). I really and truly believe it has something to so with the Dupont Teflon Lubricant! I lube every 300 miles or so and clean it every third lube with kerosene. It doesn't even have ANY tight spots! I am just not used to such a maintenance free chain. I've changed my opinion about chain-driven motorcycles. Anyway, I'm rambling again.....about the Bandit.... best value in a motorcycle available today, in my humble opinion.


I need a luggage rack. I just picked up an alpine 2 person tent and a motorcycle specialized sleeping bag. Please give me some input on a rack that is easy to install and cheap.... Need a bit more room on the back to put this stuff.


Did I mention I love this Bandit?
 
Sorry, here's the setup now. Need room in the back to tie down the sleeping bag and tent...

bandit018dq1.jpg
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Can't help you with the rack, but I'm sure you'll get pleanty. I am interested in the "mc specialized sleeping bag"... never heard of such. Care to elaborate?:shrug:
 
Primate... I called it wrong. I actually found it at Sports Authority (sporting goods store in Virginia Beach - they have a website too). It's a backpackers sleeping bag good to 20 degrees F and it's very small. I think it was like $50.00. I'll take a picture of it and the $39.00 tent later today.
 
If you don't wanna go with a hard luggage system, want an inexpensive rack, but willing to spend a little more money..... consider a Ventura Rack System.
 
Tent? Sleeping bag? No problem :rofl:

packed.jpg


It all depends on how much stuff you wanna carry. The Givi and the OEM Suzuki tail racks are both designed for carrying heavy loads. The SW Motech and Holeshot offerings are less intrusive, but I wouldn't feel comfortable loading them down like I do my OEM rack.

I'm not exactly sure how the Givi top rack mounts, but the Suzuki one ties into your passenger peg mounts and is very heavy duty.

rack.jpg


rack2.jpg


trey
 
Ventura stuff I recon would be the go

Link
Link

Re the chain. That pretty good IMO. I have read reports where some are getting about 20k miles (so about 30k kms) out of a Bandit chain.

For mine, I adjusted it at about 1500 kms and haven't touched it since. I use Lanolin Heavy duty spray on mine. I've also used the same stuff on my wifes ER6. With both having covered a combined total of 12000 kms seams to be working well.
 
FieldsheeronLuggagerack.jpg


This one hooks up to the grabrail with longer supplied bolts. Forgot what I paid from Twisted Throttle. Think about 100 bucks. Looks to be about 1/4" Alu. No problems with it yet. Be sure to use lock tite on the bolts. I did have it get loose on me right after installation and a quik about 1800 mile round trip to WF, Tx to OKC and back home trip last summer. The next trip , about a 1400 mile round trip to north central Arkansas was without any further problems.

BanditinAk.jpg
 
Be sure to use lock tite on the bolts. I did have it get loose on me right after installation and a quik about 1800 mile round trip to WF, Tx to OKC and back home trip last summer.

The grab handle has rubber grommets between it and the rear subframe, presumably to reduce the amount of vibration that the passenger feels. This is why the bolts tend to come undone - they're not tightening up against an immovable steel backing, but against rubber. I use Loctite on mine too (also an SW Motech rack) and I've had no problems.
 
Thanks Andy, et al.

It's hard to see from your pix just how far back the rack extends, but judging from the size of the bag, that's more than I would need to answer the bell for my issue.


Mark
 
Thanks Andy, et al.

It's hard to see from your pix just how far back the rack extends, but judging from the size of the bag, that's more than I would need to answer the bell for my issue.


Mark

the actual rack extends to about where you see the junction of the strap meeting the bag in the 1st photo. What I did was fit a piece of 3/16 Aluminum plate in the bag and bolt it to the rack. Makes it hard for any thief to run off with the bag that way. At night I leave the bag on the bike with just flat fixing stuff and a few tools in there. Plus I cover the bike up every night on the road. I'm just able to get the seat off without removing the bag.
 
A bit of negative input about soft bags. My Givi soft bags after 16K of road time have worn raw spots on the side panels. I've always had them secure on the bike. They are not cheap, I didn't expect the wear in such a short time. Guess I'll explore hard bags. Here's a photo of the current setup.
DRWY
 
A bit of negative input about soft bags. My Givi soft bags after 16K of road time have worn raw spots on the side panels.

Doesn't surprise me, but don't blame the bags - blame Suzuki. RIDE magazine here in the UK did some analysis of the thickness of paint used by the different manufacturers. I don't have the figures in front of me but Suzuki was about as thin as it got - around a 3rd of the thickness used by BMW and Honda.

I can drag the figures out if anyone's interested.
 
I have my soft side-bags actually strapped over the top of the back seat, and then my Kuryakin Grand Tourning bag sits on that. Underneath the straps for the side-bags, I have cut an old peice of sweatshirt that drapes just over the angles on the side parts of the bike under the seat. It's been configured like that for a couple thousand miles now, and no wear/scratching visible.
 
I have black Gorilla Tape over
strips of silver Duct tape over
the painted surfaces on either side of my saddle.

Straps that hold my Chase Harper bags are now busy rubbing on said layers of tape.

I wonder how much of Suzuki's paint will be lifted when I remove all that tape.....(?)

(not to mention if/WHEN my bag will catch fire from that HOT muffler a quarter inch from it's bottom. I put a layer of silver aluminum tape on the bag.... hope it continues to work.)
 
You know, it's odd....
I went for a 50 ("fitty") mile ride before changing my oil/filter this morning. Immediately upon returning, I took a little laser temp' reader and pointed it at my muffler, then the bag, different parts of the muffler again, and the Aluminum tape on my bag. I swear to God, I couldn't get temps to read above 84* ??!?. And even at "84*", I sure as **** wouldn't touch that can!!!
I've been riding with the Chase Harper hovering over the can for almost all of the 5,000 miles I have on the bike. I used to put leather gloves in the bag just to protect the contents, then I replaced the gloves with a Glad plastic lid.... and I haven't had any problems.
I plan to replace the can someday with something not as big, and buy Suzuki's hard bag racks from which to hang the Harpers. Until then,
I'll 'keep a camera handy.....'
 
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"have worn raw spots on the side panels."

I've been putting plain old black vinyl electric tape on the ridge where side bags ride , so far so good, the tape does not seem to leave much of an unmanagable residue
 
If you don't wanna go with a hard luggage system, want an inexpensive rack, but willing to spend a little more money..... consider a Ventura Rack System.

I had the Ventura system on my VX and have it now on my SV. I love the set up, lots of capacity in the bag and a rack for around town. I have a grab bar if I don't want the rack on it, but usually have the sport rack attached. It looks kinda flimsey, but I had some impressive loads on both bikes and had no problems at all with the mounts. That VX traveled all over the west and up to Sturgis with that system on it. You go to Stugis, best bet is camping. Hotels are booked like 25 years in advance. :rolleyes:
 
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