Cargo Racks, Grab Bars

[mousewheels]

With riding season hitting for most all - What are you doing for hauling your stuff around? Feel free to post pics of racks, grab bars or other hauling aids. Adaptations, commercial solutions, small scooters, big haul

-- Mouse's project --
I am building a rear grab bar + bag mount. The camera bag is larger than I'd been looking for, but is a well made item. I will make mounts for it.

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[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Great idea, Mouse! I removed the stock tail-light when I installed the Japan tail but retained the rack. It detracts from the sleek look of Flash's stern but sure is handy for lifting over curbs and hauling the scooter upstairs to the Casa. Your creation offers the utility without the unsightly clutter. If you ever decide to make more'n one, put me on your Customer List.

BTW, whar's your tail-light?

[bushpigwillie]

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The Kinsey's seat and grocery hauler. This will be moving to the FrankenSpree soon!

[mousewheels]

The Kinsey's seat and grocery hauler. This will be moving to the FrankenSpree soon!

The classic carry basket, strong and reliable. Nice pic of Kinsey with shades

[mousewheels]

Your creation offers the utility without the unsightly clutter. If you ever decide to make more'n one, put me on your Customer List.

BTW, whar's your tail-light?

Thanks Wheelman - Don't know about making lots of them, but will make a grab bar for you this season. If I had not got fixed on the big bag, the original plan was to drop the tail light to about the bottom of the rack and use the rack as a mount.

Long term I will get a sweet Kymco tail light like you have. Short term, I'm futzing around integrating the brake light with the signals

In the mockup below, the "U' shaped bracket will tie into the sides of the signals with additional tabs. A new tail light mount and license plate holder will complete the assembly.

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[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

That looks Really cool! And unique.

[mousewheels]

The tailight part is completed, will make the license plate mount tomorrow.

Getting the tail light mounted turned out to be easier than expected. The OEM light mounts got recycled. All that was needed was to tack on another 1/2" square tube as a spacer.

Second pic shows the tabs on sides of the "U bracket" which are supporting the signals.

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[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Honda-san himself wishes he'd thought of it first.

[mousewheels]

Thanks Wheelman!

License plate mount is completed.

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-- Rack rod size --
Honda racks use a metric size rod - no surprise. It straddles US sizes of 1/4 and 5/16 inches. The current rack uses 1/4". After cutting up the a rack for tail light mounts, other parts were available. Here is a tacked up a grab bar from 5/16 rod. I like the beefy look. 1/4 inch feels fine as a grab bar, yet next rack would go with 5/16.

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-- Members --
Thread will be much more with your postings - please post info and pics on on baskets, racks and odd ball cargo hauling you use. Motto: 'I have a place for everything and it's somewhere on my scooter'.

[mousewheels]

Member submission --
Here's a rarely seen item - eliteguy50 has a OEM TG50 front rack
A long time Gyro owner, this is a super find by eliteguy. He's loaned it to us for pics and dimensions.

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On photo 2 of this set, the lower rack mounts would tie into an add on mount to the fork tube. Update - See photo strip 4, lower rack mounts photo.

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Update: Lower rack mounts - Clamp over rubber padding. Photo by eliteguy - thanks!

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Here's dimensioning information, will improve layout and readability issues in an update.

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[mousewheels]

Elite grab bar - Completion day
During the week rack parts got a finish and concept for bag mounts was generated.

Four threaded tabs are added to the rack. 1/8" thick ABS plastic attaches to the tabs and provides bag support. Current mounting uses the belt loop built into the bag. If the belt loop works well, plans are to make the bag removable for hand carry. At initial bolt up and test ride mounting seems fine. I'll give it a few weeks riding as is.

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[mousewheels]

Gyro front rack
A front rack like eliteguy's would be perfect for easy access to a camera bag or anything small. A like example must be made

Rack parts have been bent up. Tubing to make the mount point to headlight was ordered, and showed up Friday. Pic below shows dry fitting.

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-- Small forge --
A Benzomatic TS4000 MAPP torch worked on earlier racks - but a little slow. Here's a way to improve heating. For full info search the 'net for "Two brick forge"

The forge took a few minutes to make, and cost around $8 for firebricks. As a challenge the MAPP torch was swapped out to cooler/cheaper propane. Once fired up, it heated and re-heated rod stock quicker and over a longer length. This is a keeper - I'm looking around for other projects within it's size to heat & beat

I will further hollow out the bricks and build a supporting frame for bricks, torch and material. Those changes will match designs present on the 'net. BTW - Support for the bricks are required, they cracked on first fire-up. Thus it's best to complete hollowing on initial build.

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-- Gyro rack --
With tips flattened, rack was welded up. Having eliteguy's rack on hand as been invaluable in getting measurements and for comparison.

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[maddog]

nice try but the rear grab bar mod has been done for about 15yrs, once again Hawaii beat ya to it. you can buy them from any local shop.

[Wheelman-111]

Dont listen to nasayer Dog. He builds 12-second scooters, yet cant master the mystery of posting a pic . Do the math. Keep showing those great pics and Craftsmanship.

[maddog]

call any local shop and they will laugh at you, also at moped riders.org they make posting pics so easy i will post my pics over there, update this forum and make it user friendly.