My first try at a diy - luggage carrying solution

Hi bikers,

ADVRIDER has given me the gravel runner - some thing i can only dream of. For the experts here this is just something that might take you an hour or two, but my first try with virtually nothing but pencil and measurements on paper.

Really loving the "from the scratch" approach and wanted to share it will all here.

I have a Ninja 650R and plan to take off the grab rails and replace it with a luggage carrying option that can be used for the lugging duties when the engine is off.

Progress?
Right now the clamp is being made of a 4mm steel plate. Pipe cutting and bending this week end.

Are you going to make everything? The reason I ask is because Tom at Turbo City will sell "raw tops", from the Borrego rack, for a pretty good price ($35?). They're not painted or powder coated so you don't have to worry about messing up the finish when you weld it to the rack base. Just a thought.

Bronco, a good tip, but it would cost me twice to ship it to India :)

Hi,
I like the idea ,even if you lived next door to turbo city .
Keep on,Ed

too much offset puts your load higher than necessary, and you don't want weight high on the bike. the attachment points don't fit the ER6 (650R) frames on US market bikes. whatever the final configuration, make sure you can remove the seat.

Please help with this:

I need to have fastners into these holes on the chassis end.

Problem:
There is zero space between the holes and the body work below it. I cannot even hold a nut ... even if i manage ... i cannot hold it tight for the bolt to go and fit in snug.
Due to the space constraint, i cannot even try to push a bolt (with a allen head) upside down through this hole so that i can fit a nut from the top.

I'm just a beginner with limited access to just a drilling machine and welding equipment.

Could you weld a nut on top of the hole?

I could, but its impossible to push even a 1.5 inch lengh bolt from below this hole due to the space constraint.

Drop the undertail out of the tail then stick the bolt through, or weld a nut on the back side of that bracket while you've got it out, just depends on how easily you want to remove the rack.

Personally if it were mine I'd just drill some holes in the undertail to stick the bolt through then fill the holes with some rubber plugs when I'm done bolting it on or taking it off.

Given the time constraint,
your idea seems very apt RedRaptor22. However i got to figure out the rubber plugs... never seen them for purchase off the shelves here.

Usually most auto parts stores have them in the HELP!!! section, thats where you find all of the vacuum line caps, rubber grommets, choke cables and universal crap cars no longer have lol.

Alternately most cars have tons of rubber grommets and plugs in their firewalls, if you have a junkyard near with a low walk on fee "usually a dollar or a couple" you may get out with them for the walk on fee or end up paying a couple of cents a piece for them.

Maybe try napa or carquest if available near you, they are the most knowledgable parts dealers most of the time, just tell them your building a car and need to plug some holes in the firewall where you eleminated some wiring.

Posting a few pictures of the luggage carrier.
I did not have the time to get some pipe bending work done to do the carrier in wolfman style. I came up with two flat pieces of metal to hold the clip. Need to do some improvements and come up with new design.

The carrier did good for a 10,000 km long journey from the south most tip of India to the north most. Wolfman luggage is a really good purchase.













It was always the wrong time at the most beautiful places due to the condition of the roads. With both hands on clutch and brake duty, i could not capture the nature of the road.


Another close up of the luggage on the bike

Awesome job, nononsense! And what a beautiful picture! :eek1