A Rough Version of The V-Strom Bike Rack

I have a little more drilling and bolting to do, but the bike rack is operational. I built it using two of the arms from an indoor bike storage rack, some 1/8"x3/4" flat steel and some 1" box-section steel. No welding required.

I chose to do a simple frame hanger, and carry the wheels off the bike, just to keep things from getting too complicated. It also keeps the overall length of the motorbike from growing too much.

I took it out for a test ride, and everything seemed fine, except that I got a little more bouncing/swaying motion than I wanted as I hit dips and bumps on the city streets. At 80 mph on the highway, everything felt pretty normal. I could feel a bit of a pull to the right, but I figure having a loaded side case on the left will balance that out, some.

I stopped by the house, and added this strap across the seat to keep the bounce/sway from happening. I also added some preload to the shock, and went for another ride. Much better on the surface streets, and virtually unnoticeable on the highway.

I think I might run over to Mt. Falcon with it, tomorrow, for its inaugural ride.

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