rear luggage/ carry rack for GT

[wordsmith]

I had a Yamaha aftermarket rear rack on my last GT - it was fine, but pretty heavy, and quite expensive.   I'd like an alternative should I proceed to a newer 2019/ 2020 GT - any ideas and links, please?   TIA as always...

[keithu]

1 hour ago, wordsmith said:

I had a Yamaha aftermarket rear rack on my last GT - it was fine, but pretty heavy, and quite expensive.   I'd like an alternative should I proceed to a newer 2019/ 2020 GT - any ideas and links, please?   TIA as always...

Make your own from T-slot tubing? 😀

[wordsmith]

6 hours ago, keithu said:

Make your own from T-slot tubing? 😀

 

Thanks, keith!   That looks like a bit of our Sydney Harbour Bridge - but perfectly functional I'm sure, though I have never seen that particular T-slot tubing here, or indeed anything resembling it!

[keithu]

8 minutes ago, wordsmith said:

Thanks, keith!   That looks like a bit of our Sydney Harbour Bridge - but perfectly functional I'm sure, though I have never seen that particular T-slot tubing here, or indeed anything resembling it!

This particular tubing is from a company called 80/20, but there are many companies that make similar material. It is used a lot for industrial machine frames, and is often called the "Industrial Erector Set." It's strong and lightweight, and allows you to build complex structures without any welding. 

Do a web search for pictures of 3-D printers and you'll see that a lot of them are made out of T-slot tubing, too. 

[Kevin R]

I put an Adventure Rack from SW Motech on my '19. It fit perfectly and holds the Givi trunk from my previous bike. Bought it several weeks ago (on sale!) and have logged several hundred miles with it thus far. I am very happy with it and can share a couple of observations about it if you plan to ride with a passenger:

1. There is not much extra space between the rear of the passenger seat and the rack (it keeps whatever payload you carry from hanging off the back of the bike - less wheelie potential!). There are two options for where the plate mounts to the tubing and I used the one that is furthest back since I do ride with my wife occasionally. She is slim and has enough room but others may find that the rack places a trunk a little too close for optimum comfort. If I had a nitpick, I would advise SW Motech to give a smidge more room back there, maybe another centimeter or two.
2. The tubing on the rack (which replaces the OEM grab rails) also does not leave much extra room for the passenger's hips if riding 2-up. Again, my wife is slim and fits okay for 2-3hr rides but for really long days on the bike the rack's grab rails put too much unwanted pressure on my wife's hips. Another 2-3 centimeters between the two rails would be better. We're actually looking to add a seat pad to elevate her a little to clear the grab rails (looking at an Airhawk).

  I think there are photos on the forum showing the rack, and you can kind of see how it's situated in my avatar photo. If you'd like to see more, just let know and I can post a couple.

 

Cheers!

[wordsmith]

1 hour ago, Kevin R said:

I put an Adventure Rack from SW Motech on my '19. It fit perfectly and holds the Givi trunk from my previous bike. Bought it several weeks ago (on sale!) and have logged several hundred miles with it thus far. I am very happy with it and can share a couple of observations about it if you plan to ride with a passenger:

1. There is not much extra space between the rear of the passenger seat and the rack (it keeps whatever payload you carry from hanging off the back of the bike - less wheelie potential!). There are two options for where the plate mounts to the tubing and I used the one that is furthest back since I do ride with my wife occasionally. She is slim and has enough room but others may find that the rack places a trunk a little too close for optimum comfort. If I had a nitpick, I would advise SW Motech to give a smidge more room back there, maybe another centimeter or two.
2. The tubing on the rack (which replaces the OEM grab rails) also does not leave much extra room for the passenger's hips if riding 2-up. Again, my wife is slim and fits okay for 2-3hr rides but for really long days on the bike the rack's grab rails put too much unwanted pressure on my wife's hips. Another 2-3 centimeters between the two rails would be better. We're actually looking to add a seat pad to elevate her a little to clear the grab rails (looking at an Airhawk).

  I think there are photos on the forum showing the rack, and you can kind of see how it's situated in my avatar photo. If you'd like to see more, just let know and I can post a couple.

 

Cheers!

Thanks a lot for this quick reply, Kevin R.   I had a look at the SW Motech website (local Oz distributor) but could not find a model-specific rack, nor did the site want to recognise the bike!   To re-emphasise, the bike is/ will be a GT, and thus quite different at the rear to earlier Tracers, which affects the means of securing the rack I think.   

If yours is a GT I'd be very grateful to see some pix posted here - as I'm sure would others.   And maybe a couple of critical measurements - overall width immediately behind rear of pillion perch: and overall length.   Asking a lot, but thank you in advance!   No issues with a pillion with me, for no pillion - ever!   

 

LATER EDIT: I found the rack itself on the German SW site, but it appears that this is only the plate, and that the tubular mounting 'arms' are a separate item, which again I cannot find!   Here's what I saw: and from this pic I understand why you found it a bit 'tight'.   Also from this pic it seems that the 'arms' replace the bike's OE pillion grab-rails, which would be a bonus for me if true as it would reduce the width of the bike there where I have difficulty getting my leg across.   Helpful if so!

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by wordsmith

[Dodgy Knees]

16 hours ago, keithu said:

Make your own from T-slot tubing? 😀

Could you get some rubber bead to push into the grooves.  Good idea btw.

[wordsmith]

Excellent communication from the local SW-MOTECH distributor.   They have the entire kit in-stock as shown in the pic above and linked below. That's one potential headache out of the way!   Quite reasonably priced too.

"We have the Adventure Rack in stock in Sydney, you can see and purchase it here.

https://www.motorradgarage.com.au/adventure-luggage-racks-sw-motech/2826-adventure-rack-yamaha-mt-09-tracer-900gt-18-"

Edited May 7, 2020 by wordsmith

[keithu]

7 hours ago, Dodgy Knees said:

Could you get some rubber bead to push into the grooves.  Good idea btw.

Yes, in fact I ordered some trim material to fill the grooves from 80/20 with the other materials. I think you can see it in this photo. 

Honestly, I think most people would be better off with something like the SW-Motech solution that Wordsmith mentioned. My rack is very strong, which I needed for my aux fuel tank, but it also blocks part of the pillion seat. I think it would be difficult to make a rack like mine that is also comfortable for a passenger.  

[fddriver2]

3 hours ago, keithu said:

Yes, in fact I ordered some trim material to fill the grooves from 80/20 with the other materials. I think you can see it in this photo. 

Honestly, I think most people would be better off with something like the SW-Motech solution that Wordsmith mentioned. My rack is very strong, which I needed for my aux fuel tank, but it also blocks part of the pillion seat. I think it would be difficult to make a rack like mine that is also comfortable for a passenger.  

😱

[fddriver2]

@keithu A series of questions. 

How many gallons?

Why?

How badly does it affect handling?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[draco_1967]

Another vote for the SW Motech rack. I have mine, and I like it a lot. I have had Givi racks in the past, and am always disappointed with the finish on them (always rust at the joints), plus the bulky plastic tail racks. The SWM has a very nice finish, and the price was quite good. 

[keithu]

39 minutes ago, fddriver2 said:

@keithu A series of questions. 

How many gallons?

Why?

How badly does it affect handling?

Inquiring minds want to know.

The manufacturer (RCI) claims this cell holds four US gallons, but I haven't been able to squeeze in more than 3.25 gallons. I'm planning to ride the six-day Butt Lite Rally this year, and the cell is for that. With this cell I have a safe usable fuel range of about 300 miles. 

Apart from that, it'll also make it easier to ride in eastern Oregon. I've often had to divert or re-route just so I could pass by a gas station, and even then it's a rural station with a single pump of 85 octane regular. Now I can pretty much ride wherever I want to.

Unexpected benefit: In this age of social distancing, the aux fuel tank reduces how often I must interact with other people. 

It really doesn't affect handling significantly. The rack, tank, and a full load of fuel weighs less than 30lbs (13kg), about the same as a SW Motech rack with load of camping gear or a partly loaded top case attached. At lower speeds if I flick the handlebars to swerve the bike I can feel a little more weight back there, but on curvy roads it is not noticeable at all. 

[wordsmith]

I undertook a long (~15,000km over five weeks) circuit around Australia several years ago on my BMW R1200 GS.   I wanted the peace-of-mind of having some fuel with me on some of the very long isolated sections where neither man nor beast nor fuel was to be seen, nor cell-phone connection to be had.   

I made-up a kind-of bracket that sat securely on the pillion foot-peg, and on that I strapped a 5L plastic fuel 'can'.   I only filled it when approaching the more isolated parts of my journey, such as the ~ 900k crossing of the Nullabor, and it was carried empty for most of my journey.   All the weight was taken on the pillion-peg and because it was so low down if anything it stabilised the bike somewhat.   FWIW... 

LATER EDIT: you can see red the fuel 'can' on the bike: and did I say 'remote'?   Touch wood, I didn't have to dip into that 'reserve' (bike's tank held 20L) but it was touch-and-go at times!

 

Edited May 8, 2020 by wordsmith

[Kevin R]

For those who may not be able to go see the SW Motech rack in person, here are a few more photos. As wordsmith implied, the rack comes as a 3 piece kit (two pieces of tubing and one top plate). The tubes drop right in as replacements for the OEM grab rails. Then add the plate and - voila!. It is a much cleaner looking solution compared to some other aftermarket pieces I saw.

Note: the white or grey rectangles on top of the plate in my photos are just some foam vibration dampeners that I added to make the trunk sit tight.