My newest issue of Cycle World arrived today and there is a feature article testing the Husky, Triumph, KTM, Yamaha and the Kawasaki. The Husky fared better than I would have thought against the other bikes but one of the negatives was the exhaust issue and the burning of bags. Great article! Weather here is warming up so tomorrow I'm going riding!
Just checked my nearly new Terra with only 200 easy, unloaded street miles on it while breaking it in. The rubber bumper is missing on the left muffler. There is a space, but I better get something in there before bad things happen to the the heat shield.
I got a 30mm long bolt with a 4mm thread and a couple of nuts and positioned it so that it gave about the same amount of buffer that the original rubber bumper gave, but I haven't had the bike out since. I don't have any heat protection on it to stop the muffler heat transferring through to the plastic, but then I have the already damaged shield to test this on while I wait for the replacement on backorder.
I wonder if we could talk Fab1 into making them out of carbon fiber? Would certainly take care of the melting issue!
This would be a somewhat simple task for the owners as a slightly larger version would be fine. Just pull them off, wax them , and lay up some carbon fiber with epoxy resin (high temperature epoxy resin for this project) on top of them. Let it cure at room temperature, separate the two, cure it further with a heat sorce, sand smooth or just leave them. Paint them with automotive clear coat to protect the epoxy from UV rays. This is a simple and good first carbon fiber project. Don't worry about vacuum bagging or anything technical for this project. Car wax, a throw away paint brush, epoxy resin (high temp two part mix), and a 5.4 oz. carbon fiber sheet (one yard will do it for both sides) is all you need besides the safety equipment (nitrile gloves, a good face mask, safety glasses and work clothing to cover every inch of your body. White vinegar works good for clean up. DO NOT GET ANY EPOXY RESIN ON YOUR SKIN OR ANY OTHER PART OF YOUR BODY. THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY DURING CLEAN UP WHILE THE EPOXY IS THINNED. Order carbon fiber here: http://www.uscomposites.com/ High temp epoxy resin here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/EPOXY-RESIN-FOR-HIGH-TEMPERATURE-FIBERGLASSING-80-OZKIT-/310180741247 These are not the products I use, but I know someone who does because they are cheaper and the results are good....I think. He hasn't officially finished the project yet.
Lol...was thinking the same thing! I have a 3D printer and considered (next week when I get my TR) laser scanning the parts and making a mold, but after looking online it seems that these parts are simple enough to just do what you suggest.
You have a 3D printer! I love the idea of these things and what the future holds for them. Very envious here.
Guys, before you go Carbon crazy... You must be very careful with the resin choice... Whilst carbon is very heat tolerant, in this application anyway, epoxy resin does NOT tolerate heat well. It begins to soften at 60 deg C. Push the carbon heat shield against the exhaust like happened above and you'll most likely have a very smelly, sticky, toxic mess to clean up... Sure, it's the air space that makes all the difference, but looks aside; I can't see any advantage to carbon over the original if you allow it to touch the exhaust for any extended period....
Would also use that heat reflective foil stuff under it. Used it on my jeep after i put in a custom exhaust.....huge difference !
Came across these on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/261143538563?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 Seems like a good size and good materials used. Good price too! Anybody know about this brand of soft luggage?
Looks a lot like Wolfman bags but without many of the important features that make Wolfman stuff so good. The heavy backing panel looks good, but the top straps look kind of small to me. It all depends on how much abuse the bags are going to get.
Thanks for the warning! I sort of wondered about this, but didn't think much about it due to the fact some exhaust systems are made out of carbon fiber. Did an experiment today and the epoxy melted at the same time the plastic did. Researched and found some high temp epoxys that should be used on this project. Thanks again Ol'NumNuts! I love all the shared knowledge here. I will edit my above post.
The benefit you would get with carbon over the stock plastic (ABS?) is that it will be quite a bit stiffer. That'll help to resist sagging onto the exhaust cans which should alleviate the problem. Still, the rubber standoff is likely the best solution.
BTW, factory offers some specific rear rack. I wonder how may that hold for a top-box ? I want to fix my box to the bike...
After speaking with Berg at BRMoto (fabricator of Wolfman racks), we arranged for him to use my Terra to develop luggage and top racks in early April! Very excited to see his results! I was waiting for the OEM Givi bags, but that may never happen with the buyout; after looking at the (likely) pricing from the other suppliers, the Wolfman solutions sure are attractive to me. I lack tools, skills and temperament to attempt making my own (hats off to the TERRAFORMERS!!).
Berg will do an excellent job on those racks and you'll have them in time for late Spring and Summer. Be sure to do the Sterilite trash can liner thing too.
Just thank BigDog for that little mod. What a great idea! After I got mine cut down to height and split down one side, I used some nippers to get down in there and cut out the little webs at the bottom. That way they won't rub a hole in what you stash in the bags.
