'Don't like eating dust! I'll probably spoon on a knobby for our little foray this summer. DV will tell the tale though.
I finished my racks tonight. Thanks for the pictures and detailed writeup. Try not to laugh, my welding skills are poor but I'm getting a lot better with the grinder. First I made these, That rusty piece in the foreground is my raw material, I think it used to be a horseshoe stake. These went on the other end I made a plywood frame to jig the parts up. Premade loops fastened to the jig. I cut the tubing pieces a little long and used the "sneak up on it" approach to fitting it all together. And here we are, a rattle can paint job away from calling this project finished.
That is fantastic DirtyOldMan! Have to agree with gunnr on the plywood jigs. Those are a nice addition to the project and should help folks a lot. More pics when they are on please. They look great. DirtyOldMan...TERRAFORMER #4!!! Technically BigDog is TERRAFORMER #1, so we all get a bump!
DirtyOldMan, very nice! I think spacing the racks a bit closer, like you did, is good. I zip-tied the rear loop to the fender and it provides primo support. Now, load those bags and go for a long ride!
I talked to Robert at Seat Concepts this afternoon and new foam and cover is on the way for the Terra. I have their stuff on my WRR and TE630 and it's been terrific. One inch higher in the middle (I'll have to stretch a bit more) and flattened in the back to get rid of the hump. The raised front should prevent any forward slide and give my knees a bit more of a break too. The seat will still be the lowest on any of my bikes. Gripper top and carbon fiber sides. This is going to raise my elbow to hands relationship just a bit but I think it will still be ok. 'Still waiting on price confirmation on the SW-Motech guards from Twisted Throttle and hope to get that deal done tomorrow. Now, to get some wings on the skid plate. I really like the look of the flush rivets on the SW-Motech plate. If I had a sheet metal brake handy I would make mine the same way.
I guess I've had my head buried in the sand-----just found this thread and am amazed at the talent and ingenuity that has gone in to the work you guys have been doing. Thanks so much My work on mine has been similar as you guys know---- but with a few differences. Instead of a tubing bender I used a 2X4 and a big hammer. Instead of a TIG welder---I used JB weld ans Shoo--Goo. Instead of a lathe---I used a hand held cordless drill and a grinder. Instead of jigs----I just held it up---and said "yeah that looks close" Instead of carbon fiber----I used a waste basket from the dollar store. You guys are professionals----and I am in awe ! I'm excited. But still stuck in this mudhole ! BigDog
Just spoke with Twisted Throttle this morning and the good news is they are going to add the TR650 stuff to their inventory but unfortunately items will not be available for 4-6 weeks in the US. No word on price yet for the crash guards and bag mounts, just the euro price which includes the VAT tax which is high. I suspect it will be in line with the BMW G650GS pricing. I am supposed to get a call as soon as it is avail. Will post if I hear anything else. IF anyone heard differently, by all means, please advise! Cheers
I am not going anywhere that ambitious unfortunately. The ones I have on off the G650GS will work. Just need to make something to tie the third mount to the down tube on the frame. Can take some pics if you want to see what i mean. I did come up with a way to fab a mount that will bolt to the down tube without welding anything to the frame.
Welcome BigDog! Everybody here who has built a rack gets a bump....BigDog is THE original TERRAFORMER! BigDog, (aka Mark Sampson).....TERRAFORMER #1!!! A lot of you already know BigDog and what he has done for the adventure ride community, but if you don't, go here http://www.bigdogadventures.com/ and you will be extremely entertained...for days! His Terra build and also the build on all of his bikes can be seen there. If BigDog's web page doesn't make you want to load up your bike and go on an adventure trip......Nothing will! Thanks for the compliments BigDog and we are glad you are here!
Just about got the brake thing figured out. I took a brake pedal from an F800GS I grabbed off Ebay. It bolted right up using all the same hardware. I trimmed the front of it to shorten just a tad to clear the engine cover, cut the rear dog leg off original brake pedal and grafted it on to the modified F800GS pedal and came up with this. I am using the F800GS brake micro switch, pedal spring and plunger rod. I also welded a simple nut on the back of it installed an adjustable 5mm screw to actuate the micro switch. Only thing I want to do is get a longer screw (the large one just above the brake pedal) and put a collar on it to act as an up stop. I am also going to graft the correct connector plug to hook up to the original wiring plug for the brake micro. Will also devise a cover for the micro switch to protect and tidy it up. I did grab 2 of these levers off ebay in case I screwed something up so I will have one avail if anyone interested in doing the same.
