[How To] Installing SW-Motech rack

[Coyote Chris]

(Please correct or delete pics if I vilotated any copyright laws)

Prep. Read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" to find out how SW-Motech came up with THEIR instructions....


1. Read this thread
http://www.nt-owners.org/forums/showthread.php?365-SW-MOTECH-Alu-Rack-Toprack-From-Twisted-Throttle

2. Print the first two pages of this
http://www.twistedthrottle.com/filemanager/download/2363/

3. Lay out your paperwork, including a copy of page 3-9 of the manual

4. Put the bike on the center stand, remove the seat, and remove the "Grab Rail Center Cover"
The cover must be slid back 1/2 inch cause of the tabs on the bottom.
(BTW, "Grab Rail Center Cover is a euphamism for "Faux luggage rack to fool customer in showroom"

5. Remove the side rails. One rail will stay with the bike due to cable for lock.
Note that collar X1 will come with the rails, Collar 2 and 3 will be loose.
Shove in some rags to catch collars or remove the collars with a .45 cal bore brush

6. I like to tape my hardward to a piece of paper

7. Snap in the inlay nuts and RTV them in. The rtv will give yet not let the nuts out. note that
one rail will be on its side due to lock cable. Collar will fall out.

8. While you are waiting for RTV to set, drill, hog and sand out the thoughtfully provided hole templets

9. Put the rails back... the two new inlay nuts wont have collars on top of them.

10. Put the cover back by flexing in in a concave direction using your fingers and thumbs. This will let you
Slide the tabs into their orfices

11. Put in the spacers. If you have the soft luggage adaptor, put the hardware for those in now.

12. Use blue locktite on new bolts....almost home!

13. Torque the bolts to the flavor you like, twist lock on the soft luggage adaptor and you are there.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Good job on the "How To..." Chris. I wish there had been something like that around when I put my Alu-Rack on.

 

[bicyclist]

Ever wonder why the threadlocker guys put the blue stuff in a red container? Idio (oops, don't want to be negative)

 

[Coyote Chris]

Ever wonder why the threadlocker guys put the blue stuff in a red container? Idio (oops, don't want to be negative)

I was wondering the same thing.....
I do like the quality of this rack. Tomarrow, I will test load up the bike and probably have a million questions for you guys about soft luggage straps and tie down points
for my duffle.....then, its on to the big lids!!!!

 

[Coyote Chris]

nice write up chris. great job.

Thank you! I appreciate the feedback. Wait till you see the one about removing tupperware!
First I have to figure out how to do it....
Chris ordering 20 red flush dzus fasteners....

 

[Nicole]

That is one very nice how to and the end result looks awesome!

 

[Coyote Chris]

Its great .but i have 1 question.
isnt that flat platform thing on the tail a sort of rack?

Absolutely not. It is a grab rail center cover and that is all it is.
Dont believe me? Give me the page in the owners manual that gives the load rating of the "rack".
Even the pockets have load ratings......
That there Ladies and Gentlemen is a genuine "Fool the showroom customer into making them think this bike has a rack" grab rail center cover.
Options are available over here...right this way and please have your checkbook ready.....

 

[Coyote Chris]

That is one very nice how to and the end result looks awesome!

Thank you very much. I really like this rack now that I have loaded up the bike....(see camping section)
I dont mind paying for quality and this rack is quality.
Chris looking at maps

 

[Bear]

Very nice DIY. The instructions that came with the rack were quite vague.

 

[Coyote Chris]

Very nice DIY. The instructions that came with the rack were quite vague.

Man, are you a nice guy....calling those instructions "vague" is like calling congress "a bit Uneffective"
I love the part of Zen and the art of Motorcycle maintenance where Pirsig talks about how companies write technical manuals.
He says something like "engineering goes to the shop floor and finds the one person not doing anything and who is non productive and
asks them to write the manual."

 

[Bear]

Chris,
Manuals can be a real Hoot. I always think of my shop manual for my Yanmar diesel auxiliary on Ariel III. There is a part where one has to change an oil seal in the transmission. In order to get to the seal, one has to destroy a fairly large hex nut--which was puckered at the factory. Translation: "Please remove nut with great violence"

 

[Tuuli]

Thanks for the great instructions. These steps, pictures, and my previous mistakes convinced me it was worth the effort to remove the bolts and screws holding the grab bars on. If anyone is wondering, this SW_Motech unit comes with the two nuts for the front of the rack, in case (like me) you lost Honda's stock nuts somewhere in the back of the motorcycle.

While more expensive, this SW_Motech unit is easier to mount than the Givi top case mount I had on earlier. Fewer parts and don't need such small fingers.