Trouble fitting Givi WIngrack

Did any of you guys have trouble fitting a Givi Wingrack to you Viffer?

Yesterday I got around to installing a brand new Wingrack to my '96 VFR750 and I run into a big problem that has me completely stumped!
The right hand side fit perfectly; the sides sit perfectly straight and the back top plate is horizontal.

The left hand side however is giving me grief. It sits diagonally with the lower part of the rack sticking outwards and the back top plate sits about an inch higher than the right.
At first I attached the top handle to the subframe and left the tubing that attaches to the footrest for last. When I attached the tubing to the footrest it wouldn't attach to the plate.
Then I tried assembling the whole rack side and seeing if the bracket would sit close to the footrest (as it should) or not.
Not even close! It ends up to the left and about 1 inch higher than the footrest fixing point.

I managed to get it mounted up by pushing down the assembly but this makes it sit even more crooked and diagonally.
Now, I don't have photos handly but if you look at both racks from the back of the bike it is clear that the left is not seated properly!

Could this be possible? The kit is brand new and for my specific model, so I don't really think this is the culprit.

However, there are only 2 places where the bracket is fixed to the subframe:
- left passenger footrest
- subframe tube (where the handles attach to normally)

When I got the bike imported from Germany I was informed by the shop that the bike had been dropped once to its left side.
This is especially evident on the left foot rest which is grounded up a bit from the tarmac. So the footrest could be bent.

I should also point out here the following:

- when sitting the bike on the double stand I could swear it looks like its leaning slightly to the right.
- I noticed recently that the left passenger handle sits a bit higher than the right one.

Does this mean that the subframe is also bent?
Could such a drop cause the whole subframe to bend?

Now I have a few options here:

- Get the subframe out and send it to be measured and straightened.
- Do the same to the left footrest.
- Try to bend the tubes of the Wingrack kit to fit properly (although I wouldn't know by how much and I am also pretty sure you can't just do it by hand)
- Buy another footrest and/or subframe

Any thoughts guys? I am leaving for a big tour around Europe in one month and I am strapped for cash and time ATM, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Nick

I have a good subframe and footrest if you end up needing to replace. Otherwise it is straight forward to put on the rack as long as everything on the wingrack is mounted in the same holes on each side.

I've installed Givi Wingracks on several bikes now, and I can report that the fitment kits don't always fit properly - I had to modify the one for my 1992 TDM. But in that case other people on the TDM list reported the same thing. I've also had trouble with ordering Givi stuff and what was in the box did not match what the part number on the label said was in the box. So they are certainly not infallible there.

But I've installed a Wingrack on my 1994 VFR, which should be just like yours. And it fit just fine.

Since the kit does fit other people's 4th gens, then either you got the wrong thing in the box, or else your bike is bent. Sounds like the bent bike theory is most likely. I think you should follow up SLO97VFR's offer.

[image: View Post]elizilla, on 28 June 2010 - 10:30 AM, said:

I've installed Givi Wingracks on several bikes now, and I can report that the fitment kits don't always fit properly - I had to modify the one for my 1992 TDM. But in that case other people on the TDM list reported the same thing. I've also had trouble with ordering Givi stuff and what was in the box did not match what the part number on the label said was in the box. So they are certainly not infallible there.

But I've installed a Wingrack on my 1994 VFR, which should be just like yours. And it fit just fine.

Since the kit does fit other people's 4th gens, then either you got the wrong thing in the box, or else your bike is bent. Sounds like the bent bike theory is most likely. I think you should follow up SLO97VFR's offer.


I did a quick check again this morning. Most trouble seems to arise because of the left foot rest.
It I let the mounting tube go to where it should be meeting the foot rest the whole rack seems to align more or less. Unfortunately the foot rest mounting point is about an inch inwards and lower than this ideal fixing point, so my bet is that the foot rest is indeed bent.

As for the subframe there is definitely something strange going on as the left handlebar tube seems to make the whole braket sit slightly higher than the right side, but I haven't been able to pinpoint the issue yet.
I have scheduled to take my bike in to my mechanic today to have it looked at in detail and I will follow up with updates.

Slo, many thanks for your offer mate and I would gladly take you up on that but I am afraid that postage costs to Greece would be a bit steep. How much are you asking for these bits?

Well I think I have about $60.00 US dollars tied up in those pieces and if you buy me a one way plane ticket their, get me a job, girlfriend, place to stay ..... Ill just bring them with me.

[image: View Post]SLO97VFR, on 29 June 2010 - 10:04 AM, said:

Well I think I have about $60.00 US dollars tied up in those pieces and if you buy me a one way plane ticket their, get me a job, girlfriend, place to stay ..... Ill just bring them with me.


:biggrin: Boy, talk about asking for an arm and a leg! :laughing6-hehe:

Thankfully I am glad to report that I resolved the problem (but not before I made a complete @rse of myself! :p
Yesterday I finally went to my mechanic to have the whole rack looked at.

He examined the subframe very closely but couldn't find anything wrong with it. He looked at the mounting points, again nothing obviously wrong.

And then there it was: just next to the handlebar mounts he found a metallic spacer which -duh!- was supposed to fit over the rubber grommets to guide the fitting screws.

I was so embarrased! I had mounted the rack without the spacers. No wonder they wouldn't align! I was mounting them on the rubber grommets.

Anyway, we put back the spacers and -lo and behold- the rack aligned perfectly!
Result! :)

Having said that, I will be getting a new passenger footpeg at some point but for now it is all good! Thanks for all the suggestions guys.