Red-Neck Luggage Rack

I took a little trip recently and rigged up a luggage carrying system that worked very well. I had a bag that was the right size, but needed a way to hold it securely on the motorcycle, and also be easy to remove and carry the bag into the motel at night. Here is how it looks.

I cut a piece of 1/2" plywood just a little larger than the bag; then cut notches for it to straddle the rear sissy bar. Used velcro straps to hold the front to the sissy bar. The rear overhangs the sissy bar, but is held up by a metal strap. Here is a picture of the "oh so attractive" board.

Eyelets are held to the board with nuts screwed onto the threaded portion of the eyelet from below the board. I then sewed brass snap hooks to the bag. This allows the bag to be easily removed from the carrier, and taken into the motel, carried back out the next morning and snapped back on. The eyelets help hold the bag secure when doing "twisties" on PCH1. After the trip, the unsightly thing was removed from the bike and stowed in my garage, out of sight. Now this gizmo is not patented so anyone who wants to duplicate can have at it. Hope this works for someone else.

Made the trip to Cali and back right? I'd say its proven road worthy. I'm going for a similar removable luggage rack, but my is made of 1/2" square tubing. I like the ability to securely carry a bag, but not have a permanent luggage rack. Thanks.

Btw, what is the taillight from? R6? It looks non-stock.

Edit: here's the link to my modular luggage system thread, if your interested. It's a fair bit more involved than your system, which in the end, works just as well.

kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...ew&catid=5&id=348190

Hay- I really like that. It would be cool to make something that you can also hang one on each side for those longer trips. Since I don't have a back grab rail, I would have to see on how to support the rear though, but this is genuinely cool. Good work!!!

Necessity is the mother of invention. Necessity + no $ = a KzRider invention! Excellent outside of the box thinking!

otakar wrote:

Hay- I really like that. It would be cool to make something that you can also hang one on each side for those longer trips. Since I don't have a back grab rail, I would have to see on how to support the rear though, but this is genuinely cool. Good work!!!

This is exactly what I have in mind for the second phase of my modular luggage system. It's gonna be a while on that one.

testarossa:

My taillight was broken out when I got the bike, and the 1982 version was a simple rectangular shape - quite ugly in my opinion, so I bought this one from ebay. I believe it came from an R6, and is also like some of the ZZR bikes.

Let's ride together some time !

I'd love to, but you would have to put up with me on my ZX-10r at the moment. I hope to get my KZ on the road before the end of this year. I was thinking that the Houston KZ chapter should organize a ride sometime.