Author Topic: Oooooo! Let's talk sport/touring! :-) (Read 14694 times)

CWO4GUNNER · « **Reply #30 on:** January 02, 2007, 11:01:13 PM »

Everyone has different taste and needs. I personally got my case on ebay after picking up a mounting rack for about $40. The case with mounting hardware cost me $80 with shipping on ebay. The color was a close enough to Suzuki blue that people think it is stock unless I point it out so for me it all blends. What I like about using a standard rack to mount my case is that it not proprietary so if I want something that is bigger or different I don’t have to get reamed by Givi and use their stuff. I also got a small set of Joe Rocket nylon saddle bags for $40 which I love because they are small and tucked way back and above the turn signals and yet hold a surprising amount of stuff that have met my overnight needs.

Vidrazor · « **Reply #31 on:** January 03, 2007, 06:30:32 PM »

>>I personally got my case on ebay after picking up a mounting rack for about $40.<<

Yeah, but where did you get the mounting rack? That's my question. Who makes the mounting racks that can be used on the cases available from Whitney and on ebay?

CWO4GUNNER · « **Reply #32 on:** January 04, 2007, 03:17:08 PM »

I looked everywhere and finally found one for the 2nd gen Bandit at this site http://www.mawonline.com/ If it is still out their these guys have it. I recommend calling their 800 number because using their site to find stuff is not easy. Although I cant remember the name brand of my rack, it was small, black and custom fit.

Quote from: "Vidrazor"

>>I personally got my case on ebay after picking up a mounting rack for about $40.<<

Yeah, but where did you get the mounting rack? That's my question. Who makes the mounting racks that can be used on the cases available from Whitney and on ebay?

banditII · « **Reply #33 on:** January 07, 2007, 08:48:27 AM »

I wish Suzuki still offered their rear rack for the Bandit. I had a suzuki rack on a previous bandit and you could mount the cheap J.C. Whitney box to it. If you choose the J.C. box, know that it has to have clearance under the rack so that the J.C. box's brackets can go all the way under the rack. When I had a V-Strom it was infuriating that the V-Strom rack is designed so that you can't get anything under it to mount the J.C. Whitney box. They tried to fix it so you have to buy the expensive givi stuff.

Red01 · « **Reply #34 on:** January 07, 2007, 10:39:54 AM »

IIRC, the Suzuki accessory rack for the 2G mounts to the grab rail's four mounting points. This puts all the weight placed on a rack on that one small point on the end of the tail. Because of that, Suzuki says not to put more than a few pounds on the rack (10 lbs?). If you exceed that, don't be surprised if the structure back there fails as has been documented with pictures on this site by a member who had a Krauser trunk that mounted that way.

It's better to use a rack that mounts in an additional point forward of the grab rail, like the forward bugee spool mounts. There are several other racks out there that do that.

Ranger · « **Reply #35 on:** January 07, 2007, 09:22:28 PM »

CWO4GUNNER · « **Reply #36 on:** January 07, 2007, 09:51:31 PM »

It was a bitch removing the grab rail allen bolts. I actually ruined one allen tool getting those 4 bolts lose to mount the small black rack with adaptors that replaced the grab rails. Its a pretty strong mounting surface. Its the ebay box that is a little weak. So I re-enforced the bottom and inside of the box with thin plywood which I first glued on with construction foam adhesive. Then drilled the mounting points through the box and used U-bolts to attach to the racks round supports. I also went into the rear light connector and spliced in the boxes LED stop light, turn signals which provided great visibility.

Red01 · « **Reply #37 on:** January 08, 2007, 10:12:47 PM »

I know it LOOKS sturdy, but the leverage applied by a few pounds of something hanging out there apparently is enough to cause trouble.

Here's snubnose's problem thread from March, 2005.

I've read of other similar problems on other boards, so it's not a one-off problem - and is probably the reason Suzuki puts such a light max load on their rack.

Here's a few pics from that thread:

Now, if you've got some welding skills, you could add some stitches and maybe even some extra material to beef it up so it'll survive better...

CWO4GUNNER · « **Reply #38 on:** January 09, 2007, 03:27:46 PM »

Wow thanks, a picture is worth a beer if I ever run into you. I will defiantly keep an eye on those small spot welds and be ready to use my Lincoln tombstone and some number 37 fleetweld to fill all those joints.

Quote from: "Red01"

I know it LOOKS sturdy, but the leverage applied by a few pounds of something hanging out there apparently is enough to cause trouble.

Here's snubnose's problem thread from March, 2005.

I've read of other similar problems on other boards, so it's not a one-off problem - and is probably the reason Suzuki puts such a light max load on their rack.

Here's a few pics from that thread:

Now, if you've got some welding skills, you could add some stitches and maybe even some extra material to beef it up so it'll survive better...

gyrogearcrunch · « **Reply #39 on:** January 09, 2007, 05:03:12 PM »

Quote from: "RDUBandit"

I like it!! I have headlight envy. Oh, and I wish my bike were black. Other than that, it kinda looks like mine fully dressed.

Also looks like it has a GPS mount...I must admit I don't understand using GPS on a bike. First, it seems dangerous to look/play with it while riding, and second isn't getting lost half the fun?

Ha-HA! So those are KRAUSER bags! I began to think the only bags I could get for El Bandido were of the Givi persuasion. I really don't like round, half-deflated basketballs hanging on my bike (gak!). Now all I need to know is if the Krausers will hang on a GIVI rack.

As for GPS, shirley you know that getting home again is also part of the fun! In addition, GPS saves a breadcrumb trail of your ride so that you will be able to find that fantastic overlook again, or that really nice ________ for sale (fill in the blank). Finally, have you never been on a group ride where the Grand Exhausted Rooster hisself gets lost? I've seen many a nice ride lose half its participants due to being whiplashed off the tail of the ride. We're still looking for some of them

Herb

Vidrazor · « **Reply #40 on:** January 09, 2007, 06:46:04 PM »

>>In addition, GPS saves a breadcrumb trail of your ride so that you will be able to find that fantastic overlook again, or that really nice ________ for sale (fill in the blank).<<

Not all GPS have breadcrumb. I've been looking at a shitload of them in the last few days. I found one at the low end that has it it, a Caliber P-3600. It's ~$250. Nice unit, but no text t-to-speech. Not a big deal, but TTS is nice to have.

The Magellan RoadMate 2200T is ~$400 with TTS and breadcrumb. Both also play MP3s and allow you to view images.

Two of the coolest units I've seen are the Navman N40i and N60i for ~$400&$500. These buggers have a 1.3MP camera that embed the NAV data into the image. Then all you have to do is look though an image database, load the image and the coordinates are set into the GPS. Awesome. The Navman webite has user-uploaded images, and they've partnered with travel service Lonely Planet, who've embedded NAV data to their images. Needless to say, this is a great way to plan a trip somewhere, just look for some place you want to ride to, download the image, and set your route. Totally cool. Unfortunately I don't think these units have breadcrumb, but the camera partially compensates for it.

RDUBandit, the way to use a GPS on a bike is to hook up to the audio. Use the audio instructions to navigate. Absolutely don't look at the map unless you're doing a quick glace. I agree that getting lost is fun, but when fuel starts running low, you want to start finding your way. Another great feature of GPS units is that they'll let you know where to find the nearest gas station There's definitely a GPS in my (near) future. Check 'em out:

Navman:
http://tinyurl.com/yj6syt
Caliber:
http://www.calibergps.com/
Magellen:
http://tinyurl.com/yakvly

Red01 · « **Reply #41 on:** January 10, 2007, 01:48:57 PM »

Quote from: "gyrogearcrunch"

Now all I need to know is if the Krausers will hang on a GIVI rack.

Don't think so.

FWIW, Hepco-Becker also makes bags that fit the B6/12 (Junior & Journey line, IIRC). Holeshot used to sell them, but there wasn't enough demand, so he dropped the product line.

texasbandit · « **Reply #42 on:** January 11, 2007, 08:51:15 AM »

The JC Whitney GIVI lookalikes will mount on GIVI brackets. I am using the whitney box bolted on the stock Suzuki rack on my 1st gen B12. I met a guy with a GS 1100 who made his own side mounting brackets out of 1/2" square tubing and the metal mounting plates JC Whitney supplied. Less noticable than a GIVI rack. After about 6,000 miles with a fairly heavy load in my "trunk" everything still looks good.

Ranger · « **Reply #43 on:** January 11, 2007, 12:52:27 PM »

ZenMan · « **Reply #44 on:** January 12, 2007, 02:00:07 AM »

We were talking about Sport Touring... an '07 1250:

Anybody know who makes this lower fairing? Or how about those saddlebags?