| Author | Message | ||
     Xl1200r |
Well, I finally got around to fabbing up the new mount for the saddle bags on the 'Bolt. Enjoy the pics, there's a lot of them. The hoops are stock Givi units that were originally meant to mount to a BMW F650. I chose them because they were the cheapest. I cut off everything but the hoops, so it didn't matter what the peripherals were like. The plate is just a piece of steel sheet, and the hoops are welded to it via 5/8" solid cold-rolled steel rod. I chose rod instead of tubing because it was easier to bend in these sharp corners and would still be plenty strong for this application. The bottom of the plate is made up of the guts from an extra passenger seat - the mounting tongue and lock ring. The lock ring was reshaped a little and welded on, the tongue was just spaced down with some washers and bolted on. The whole thing just simply clicks into the passenger seat location. No other mounting needed, so the bags go on and off in literally 5 seconds, all in one piece should you choose to do so. I chose to do it this way because the holes available under the tail are just threaded into thin aluminum tabs on the subframe. I decided I wanted all of the weight of the bags to be on the passenger seat location since it's designed to carry 200+ pounds anyways - WAY more than a luggage setup would ever handle. The only thing I have left to do is put some foam tape on the bottom to take up the slack (I'm sure you Firebolt owners know how the passenger seat wiggles around a little). But basically, there you have it - a quick-release locking and waterproof hard saddle bag (and top bag) setup that retains the passenger pegs and requires no modifications to the bike itself. I'm pretty proud  p.s. - ignore the lousy welds... my friend's welder is kind of piece of crap...        | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
I have a question. Once you throw a leg over to ride, how the hell do you get it back over to get off? | ||
| Tq_freak |
That rocks!! I think the 1125R guys are going to Love you for this. I am guessing it should pop right on the back of one of them too. | ||
| Xl1200r |
I have a question. Once you throw a leg over to ride, how the hell do you get it back over to get off? Haha - excellent question! You can't really throw a leg over anything with the top case on. You have to step into it, and have your foot go right over the seat and thread it in. It's pretty easy with jeans on... pretty goofy looking with new yet-to-be-broken-in leather pants, lol. It gets even better when the tank bag is on. I think the 1125R guys are going to Love you for this. I am guessing it should pop right on the back of one of them too. I already posted a link in the "1125r Bag'n" thread. It's a good option for solo-onl travelers. (Message edited by xl1200r on May 13, 2008) | ||
| Deltablue |
That's nice, I've been looking for a hard bag set up. I'm gonna have to see if I can't find a way to remove the top case and put a seat cowl in there. | ||
| Ferrisbuellersdayoff |
total cost of bags and top case and the 5/8" rod? How much rod did you use? | ||
| Xl1200r |
I used about 52" of rod, but I could have gotten away with less. All the bags plus the Givi racks and shipping was just over $400. The metal needed was around $20 with stuff left over, and the spare seat i got used for $20. Paint was $13. So the project cost me $453, plus about 8-10 hours of actual work time and figuring out. That would have been a lot less if I was in my own shop using my own tools, but I wasn't, so it took longer. | ||
| Ccryder |
Mark: Way cool!!! Neat idea with the top box and the rear seat. Gives me a few ideas and some insight. I was wondering about the taper of the tail section and having the bags follow the taper. Between the size of your bags and the mounting height, you had plenty of clearance. That might be an issue in my application. Hopefully. this weekend we will be able to compare. Again, let me compliment you on a job well done. Later Neil S. | ||
| Nillaice |
super trick, indeed! does the top bag light up (as a brake light) that'd be.... super-duper trick!!! | ||
| Toona |
Ok, tell me I'm not alone. I already went to eBay and started looking for a set of Givi bags. Well done!  I have the factory soft bags for the Firebolt, but only because I couldn't find a suitable replacement...until now. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Thanks for the compliments, guys. I tried really hard to get something as simple and sturdy as I could, and I think this design is nearly perfect, even if it's a bit heavy. The top case can light up, but it's an extra part to buy and I'd have to wire it into the bike... It's very important to me to keep it quick detach. I might try to do something with it, but I need to think something through. | ||
| Phat_j |
dude, you need to patent and market that. | ||
| Xl1200r |
dude, you need to patent and market that. Well now I'm thinking about that... I'll have to research that tomorrow. I think the idea will transfer to most any sportbike with a separate rear seat... | ||
| Wantxbr |
That should help you get your front tire off the ground...  | ||
| Sparky |
Pretty clever. Just wondering what it weighs, have you ever put the setup on a bathroom scale? | ||
| Retrittion |
I want that (well, a two bag version that would still allow a passenger) -- seriously that is very nice looking, and a great attachment point. Just a thought, but how about putting flanges or something that would provide a ridge on the underside of the seat mount and sit inside the trunk. I have always thought the 'bolt seat could use a bit of work -- but since I don't sit on it...(besides, makes them hang on tighter!) | ||
| Xl1200r |
Just wondering what it weighs I actually don't have a scale, so I can't be scientific about it, but the rack probably weighs in around 7 lbs or so. It's a little on the heavy side, but it would be easy to lighten up. The rods don't need to be as long as they are going down the sides of the hoopes, and had I had a suitible bender, using tubing would have lightened things up greatly. The concept is done, but the design will likely still get improvements along the way. I want that (well, a two bag version that would still allow a passenger) I was brainstorming about this last night while I was trying to go to sleep, and I have a couple ideas of how one could work that. I won't to it for mine (the only person that would ride on the back of mine long enough to need luggage has her own bike), but it may help in the marketability of the idea. I'm not sure what you mean about the seat mount sitting inside the trunk... explain? | ||
| Xl1200r |
Well, I spoke to an old professor from school and the got the patent ball rolling this afternoon. If anyone knows why this might not be a patentable design, please let me know. I can't think of any other luggage rack that uses the passanger seat to mount a top case and side cases. ...and before a moderator cuts this for sponsorship violations or something, please note that nothing is for sale here. | ||
| Rubberdown |
Well done!!! | ||
| Cityxslicker |
if you were to put the tall top case back in a staggered format, and still put the mounting plate under the seat you could do it, but really there should be a more comfortable seat in available that makes it a one piece seat for added stability. Patent it, before some yahoo sees it and claims it as his own. Nice job. | ||
| Retrittion |
What (little) I know about patent law is that you just attempt to patent something and see if it is approved -- in this case it would be the use of a (modified) seat as the mounting point for luggage. I know that I have never seen a luggage rack offered using this method but it seems to be a great idea. As long as you have a bike to check dimensions you only need a spare seat to do the mock-up. Would be a great way to get a good luggage system on a variety of bikes, especially those that don't have a main-stream solution. Oh, the trunk thing -- I was thinking a ridge or bracket that would hang down from the "seat" portion and be fitted so it butted up against the sides, front and back of the trunk compartment, thus keeping the seat from doing the 'bolt wiggle. I was thinking that with the increased size and wind resistance the luggage might shift or oscillate, causing a potentially unsafe riding condition. Maybe rubber nubs bolted in at each corner might work -- just thinking as I go, hope this made sense. Anyways, I would be interested in a version that incorporated a functional passenger seat (maybe the touring one) and a removable center mounting bracket would be a nice bonus. | ||
| Smiley1eye |
Damn! I might have to convert my S tail to a R tail just so I can use that mod. That's brilliant! | ||
| Retrittion |
oh, here is a pic -- maybe this will shed light on my cruddy explanation. sorry about the crud graphics, haven't installed Photoshop on this computer yet.  | ||
| Xl1200r |
I see what you're saying now... The problem is that most of the wiggle on mine is up and down, so the foam strips along the bottom edge would work to dampen that and still keep the small storage space under the seat. I've ridden around with this on and it doens't move except for when I'm going over bumps and things. I guess the only reason I think this might not be patentable is because I can't believe no one thought of it first, lol. But it seems that could really be the case, so we'll see where this goes. | ||
| Neurorider |
XL-at least file a provisional patent-no approval process, it's just a "I thought of this first" that buys you 12 months to complete the full patent and get it mailed. Costs $100, and you can write it yourself. Ask your attorney about it, as you need to get something mailed pronto to save an idea. doc | ||
| Xl1200r |
Neuro - thanks for the heads up on that - I didn't know such a thing existed. I'm still waiting to hear for any concrete news from my professor, so if I don't hear something by the end of today I'll start to pursue other means. | ||
| Naustin |
Impressive! Good Job!! | ||
| Spike |
Very nice! I'd definitely be interested in seeing a two bag version that retained a passenger seat. | ||
| Xl1200r |
So you "passenger seat" guys are aware, the design will allow for it. I had the girlfriend sit on it without the top case, and all I'd need to do is lower the side cases and move them backward a little for her to have enough room. | ||
| Midknyte |
!Love! the idea, but spend some of that attorney / patent time determining if what you've done is substantially different enough from the system these guys put together... http://www.ricerocketracks.com/ Sorry  |
