CJ -- Brilliant! That is a phenomenal piece of work. Smart to not drill the subframe and use the u-brackets from the pegs instead. That rear rack doesn't need much -- and the 3/16" stock you used should do the job. Like J Gil said, dump that fuel into the tank as soon as you can, just to be on the safe side.
Thanks guys. I was pleased with how it turned out. I must have spent 3 hours last night tinkering with different ways to beef that thing up without taking it off and going to a welder. I've got a guy that's really good, but what a PITA to do. May still go that way anyway. Did you all see how Bill fixed vondirtriders? Looked pretty good. Would be good to weld a web into the intersection of the top and down tubes of the sub, and then another to the hand-hold plate. That thing just hangs out there. Couldn't believe it once I got everything off the bike. It should have been better designed from the factory, IMHO. I'm also going to mount the Rolie pack on the seat in front of the cargo rack 'till it's empty of fuel. I don't think I'll have an issue. I guess I gotta figure out how to lighten my tool roll. That damn rolie is over 10lbs with 2 tubes, inflators, tow strap. etc. Seems like not much in there but it feels like lead. I usually put in my kid's backpack when we ride...he doesn't even know it's there. 16 years old, 6' tall and 175lbs. He's got me beat already.
Just saw that TCI made available their rack systems and other parts for the 630. This is great. Sequoia vs Outback Rack -- which one would you recommend for soft luggage (undecided which one it will be). It appears that sequoia does not use any support points outside of the subframe (which is not the strongest in the 630). Vs outback that appears to have better weigh distribution capability. On the sequoia however, I can mount soft luggage or gas cans, while on outback -- this does not seem would work. Looking for some suggestions/feedback thank you
The OUTBACK rack does have the tie-in to the passenger footpeg for weight distribution. The SEQUOIA does not. The Outback is really designed for Pelican cases but soft bags could be setup on it as well. The Sequoia rack is designed for the tear-drop shaped Cortech bags. If they have sufficient capacity for you that's a good way to go. He also makes a DENALI rack for regular shaped bags, but I don't see them in the product line up for the 630. It may be that the bags he used to design to for the Denali are no longer available. Thought I saw that some where on his site. I don't think any of them are designed for fuel tanks instead of bags. The top rack works well for the Kolpin 1.5gl pax. And yes, you'll want to reinforce the subframe if you're actually going to carry anything on the bike if riding offroad. On road I think it would be fine, but not for bumps, whoops, or washboard.
I think the Sequoia rack/bag setup on the 630 would be a mistake. That tailpiece is designed only for lightweight loads, not a full luggage kit. I like the DirtBagz since the rack partially rests on the footpeg attachments, and the bag itself hangs half on the seat structure. For my full camping setup, my big drybag goes across the rear of the seat, and a lightweight bag is bungeed to the tail (eg, sleeping bag and clothes). Keep the weight as much on the back of the seat as possible. Minimize weight back on the tail rack. Is this some design mistake? Not in my mind...it's how a 330 pound dual sport bike works. If you need the big strong tailpiece, you have to go with one of the 400+ pound bikes.
Okay, back with about 400 miles of all kinds of terrain on my TE with about 25-30lbs on the rack. No issues whatsoever. Severe washboard, which by the way the Husky soaks up without you even hardly feeling it, G-outs, whoops, rocks, high speed, low speed, you name it. I have the 1.5gl Kolpin pax on there, rolie bag with tools, jetboil, tube, spares, tow strap, about 12lbs worth, a liter of water, gloves, and a parka. Did the whole trip like this and the subframe is none the worse for wear. I will tell you though that the extra weight on the back really affects the bike's handling. As soon as I poured off the gallon and a half of gas it railed the corners and handling was much improved. The bike does remarkably well on single track even if it is a bit of a work out. Loaded at South Pass on the way to Hunter Mountain, overlooking Panamint Valley. We did about a hundred miles that day in all manner of weather including a snow blizzard! My buddy had the same rack and fuel setup from TCI on his XR650R.
Looks like a great simple solution, I am off on my first ride on my TE next week. Is there any chance you could email me the dimensions for the braces as I have run out of time to get the bike ready.
BTW, TCI is looking for a bike to develop a package for reinforcing the subframe to go with their rack systems. Anybody want a free rack in exchange for using their bike? They are in Orange, CA., very near Disneyland. I would give them mine again but I've already made the mod. I thought perhaps someone else might want to get a free rack out of the deal.
I installed my TCI rack today. It does not fit with the Dirt Bagz mounts unless you modify the Dirt Bagz mounts, or can make some major cuts on the TCI mounts that bolt to the frame. I cut the front half of the Dirt Bagz mount where it bolts to the sub-frame. It now bolts up on the outside of the sub-frame and the TCI frame mounts, spacing the bags out another 3/4" in the rear. It is now only attached to the sub-frame with one bolt, but still seems sturdy enough. Not entirely happy with this set-up, but if needed, I will weld the Dirt Bags Mounts to the TCI frame mounts.
Can you post a close-up pic? We knew the DBZ rack would need to be modified. Is there a way to drill a second mounting bolt for it in the modified tab? BTW, the TCI rack mounts are maybe 1/4" max, how did they add up to 3/4". Seems like they would be out a quarter inch on each side.
This is the same concern I have with going for the Wolfman racks (when they hit production). Time will tell when WM hit the market. I emailed this question and the TCI 630 pages were down, but they did agree this would be a good combonation.
Looks good. Thanks for the pics. This is the setup I was planning to go with because of all the rave reviews for DBZ Rangers, and the fact that there's just the one bar there when the bags are off. I did not realize the DBZ mounting plate went on the inside of the subframe plate - that really surprises me. Contrahusky posted pics of his here and they are mounted on the outside, at least that's what I thought: http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/dirt-bagz-received.20455/ So DBZ instructions say they go on the inside huh? When I discussed the design with Tom at TCI Products we figured the DBZ mounting tab would just have to be trimmed to fit and re-drilled. I'm super glad to hear there's room for the rack bar to come out and clear the TCI rack and mounting. That's great news. Anyway, this is timely as I was really studying mine again last night, pondering whether I might try bending some tube and rent a welder and make up something like either DBZ or wolfman. I really like the wolfman bags but many have said they're too floppy, too wide, and too complicated with all the straps. I really like their rolie bags and their teton bags are basically the same thing, so I think I would be fine with them. Their expedition saddle bags are $200 just for the bags though. OUCH! And their racks aren't cheap either and who knows when we'll see them. I finally decided I would just order out the DBZ setup and be done with it. I would probably drill another hole and bolt the DBZ rack tab just for redundancy and to prohibit any twisting tendeancies. BTW, did you happen to see this complete boondoggle with a DBZ setup on this guy's KLR on ADV? What a mess, and he ruined a rack and bagz setup in the process: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180652 It progresses from a decent installation to a complete mess. Check it out for a laugh. Or for tears, one of the two.
And from touching the exhaust cans and getting into the rear wheel and suspension. I think it's a brilliant setup. I really liked the GL Coyote setup but laying the weight on the cans and the side panels just doesn't make sense to me. For some bikes it's great...for the Husky I think not so much. The side panels are basically just hanging there, with one little rubber bumper holding it up off the muffler. Now that my cats are gone mine are cool enough to touch, but I dunno about summer running, hot running, and long term. No worries with any rack system. BTW, you better look at that subframe reinforcement bit. I was going to say 'typical KLR idiot' but refrained. Oops...did I say that outloud? I guess we all have to start someplace, eh? Geez, he was all proud of it and everything, wasn't he?
I want to make it clear that I do not fault TCI or Dirt Bagz because their products don't work together seamlessly. That's the nature of the beast when you mix and match components from different manufacturers. I am impressed with the individual form, fit, and finish of the TCI Rack, and the Dirt Bagz mounting system. I've got some more pictures of the 2 pieces altogether: This is still the setup I wanted, that fits my use of this bike.
They can go inside or out. Mine are on the outside because it provided more muffler clearance. Now that I've ridden it, I could move them to the inside so the setup is narrower -- it is still well clear of the muffler. The one bolt mod to the DBZ rack...I think that would work out fine. As mentioned, the real weight is carried across the back of the seat and on the tailpiece. Only a minor portion of weight is on the DBZ rack, and part of that falls to the footpeg mount. That is in stark contrast to the Wolfman racks, where the entire weight of the bags is on the rack, and cantilevered to the side no less. The DBZ racks serve more to steady the load and hold it off the bike's sides.
The Seat Concepts foam and cover were the single best improvement to the bike I have made. You're absolutely right, it doesn't even cross my mind any more.
