The ideal setup for something like this would be the indestructible BMW R1200GS, shown below with the "Adventure" hard bags.
These are awesome bikes. You can ride around the world on one of these and it wont miss a beat. I would love to own one at some point.
I don't have the money or space for another motorcycle, so I decided to turn my little SV into a sport-tourer. The first thing I did was order a set of strap on saddlebags. These are cheap, lightweight bags with tons of storage and a removable rain cover.
Next, I needed a luggage rack. JB, who has the same bike as me, has a rack for his. It looks pretty beefy, but I couldn't find another one online at a reasonable price. Plus, it's really only meant for one brand of bag.
So I decided to make one myself. I looked around the shop for something to make a rack out of, and my eyes landed on an old shopping cart that we cut the wheels of to add to our rolling door. The sawzall and I made quick work of the cart, and I took what I needed.
To attach it to the bike, I decided to sacrifice my passenger grab bar. The bar really serves no purpose, as no one rides by holding on to something behind them anyway. The only thing I ever used it for was to lock helmets to, but it's strong enough to pick the bike up by, so it should be good for a rack. First I removed it.
Then I removed the hard foam covering the steel.
I bent the section I wanted to use as the rack so that it would sit above the rear seat and mocked it up for welding.
Then I tack welded it and put it on the bike for final adjustment.
Then I mocked up some braces.
And welded them up. They aren't the prettiest welds, but they're strong.
Finally, I painted it black, so it looks a bit less like it came from a shopping cart...
Stay tuned for pictures with all the luggage mounted.
-W.W. SBSS
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