I have a '09 F, with a a luggage rack off an '02 (when I bid on the auction, I thought the 02 was also an F - I was mistaken).
I was thinking of welding a 1"x1" steel plate onto each of the luggage/tie-down bars so that I could properly mount the rear rack from the '02.
What do you guys think?
Pics below.
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I say "go for it"! Do whatever it takes, especially if such a small change will do what you need.
Back in '02, my brother and I mad a plan to ride my GS500s (I had 2 at the time) from Utah to Canada. I had a couple different luggage setups, but one of them was a disaster. (I asked the seller if the racks he was including with a pair of Nonfango bags would fit a GS500. "Sure!" he said. Grrrrrr!)
Check out the photos on [THIS PAGE (http://bbburma.net/Trips/Canada_2002/Preparations.html)] to see what we (well, my brother) went through to get the bag racks to work in combo with my Five*Stars tail rack. This particular setup was removable, but the "do what ya gotta do" principle still applies. :cool:
The '02 tail is the same as 04+. By your use of the zip ties, it seems the mounting hardware did not come with the rack.
Usually a rear rack has clamps that go around your existing rear luggage bars and also mounts where the rear grab handle goes. Sometimes you have to remove the rear grab handle, sometimes they can stay on.
Get some small pipe clamps from a hardware store to replace the zip ties.
FYI for people: I've compared "E" and "F" rear racks and how they mount on the wrong bikes. Usually they can be mounted either way, however because of the different tail geometry, the turn signals are what keep racks from interchanging between pre 2001 bikes and the 2001+ bikes.
Kerry - I LOVE that rack!!! Side racks are my next "big" project.
AddidasGuy - Thanks for the advice! I had some parts laying around that worked out perfectly. I'll post pictures later tomorrow, for now it's off to find a wiring diagram so I can hook up a BackOff! XP modulator to my brake lights.
Oh - and Addidasguy, I stumbled across one of your posts from a couple of years ago about too much flashing on brake modulators. For what it's worth, I'm going with the more conservative mode of 3 flashes then steady whenever the brake lever is applied. I think that will be just enough to make someone look (hopefully) if they aren't paying too much attention.
Back-off is easy.
To the rear brake light you have 3 wires.
Brown is the running light so that is left as is.
Cut the white/black wire. Connect the end from brake switches to the red. Connect the red/white to the continuation of the wire that goes to the tail light.
Black/white of the "back-off" splices into the black/white wire of the bike (ground)
Cap off the yellow/black and white/red.
That will give you the 3 flashes then steady on.
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adidasguy, you are the man! :thumb: A write up and pictures, awesome!
Actually I should have written to cut the "white with black" wire, as shown in the picture as the "black with white" is a ground wire.
(Editied previous post to reflect that)