Winter Project #1 .... Custom Givi Wing Rack Mounts

I am JUST starting to plan for the Winter Upgrades / Maintenence on the 90 VFR.
I have been ordering parts to get me stocked up for the winter

In about 2-3 Weeks (End of October) the bike will be put away for the winter (once the daytime temps drop below 32F/0C) , at that point the fun will begin.

Project#1: Custom Givi Mount
One of my plans for next year is to do some longer distance touring, but I have found that the current Softbags really do not cut it, so I wanted to add hard-bags.
The Hard bags will provide better security for my belogings when commuting to work, and they will be easier to take on and off than the softbags
Since the Mount kits for the 3rd Gen are long out of production, I have two choices, wait for a used set to come up ... Or fab up my own.
I chose option#2. I found a Givi Wingrack (NOS) that was a dealer display that I grabbed Cheap. Last week I got a set of Giv E41's at a good price.
Today I picked up some mild steel flat bar, round bar and 3/8" tube to fabricate the mounting adaptors/brackets to attach the wingrack to the bike.

All the bits ...
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Mocked up the Wing Rack - using Zip ties to get an idea of the rough placement so I could get an idea of the clearances and mounting options for the hard-points.

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I then attached the Bags to see the actually placement and clearance ... it definately has to move rearward to allow comfortable access to the passenger pegs.
But I am excited ... I think it will work well and look pretty good.

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This is it for now. I will update once I start working on the Bracket Fabrication

Cheers

Moose

I will be interested in this because I am doing the same thing on my Seca2. I'll tell you this from my first try: it isn't easy and if it moves a fraction of a mm on the bench, it will flop all over the place on the road. Detailed photos, please so I can steal your ideas.

Very cool!

Givi discontinued the fit kit for my 5th gen so I have the same idea in mind - make a Wingrack adapter. Very much looking forward to the updates.

I will be interested in this because I am doing the same thing on my Seca2. I'll tell you this from my first try: it isn't easy and if it moves a fraction of a mm on the bench, it will flop all over the place on the road. Detailed photos, please so I can steal your ideas.

I have downloaded the original Givi install instructions to get a good idea of where the bike mounting tabs could/should go.
I plan to build the mounting tabs, bend and fab the mounting arms, position the wingrack, tack the arms with the Mig, test fit with the bags, tweak as nessessary, then move the rack and tabs to the bench to do the final Tig welding. Then off to the powder-coater

Well as the weather lately has been crappy (wet) and cold (regularily dipping below freezing) I have thrown in the towel and brought the bike in for the winter and start on the Givi Project. I appoligise for the picture quality, I was using the camera phone, which is not particularily good


Rolled the bike up onto the work stand and striped it down

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When I stripped it down I noticed 3 lovely threaded bungs on the subframe

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So I measured up some 1.0 x 0.125 cold-rolled flatbar and made two straight tabs that I could bolt up and lie the tail section up against to figure where the bends need to be to clear the body work

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Used my Nifty Bracket bender for the bench vice to form the tabs to fit the profile of the bodywork

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TA DA ... This become this

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Attached the first set of brackets, rotatated the Givi rack to where I wanted it, and snugged down the bolts

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Then re-installed the tailsection, took some measurements and made the 2nd set of brackets (More vertical ones)

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So I had the rear brackets fabbed (Triangulated) so I need to fab the front bracket
It was a bit convoluted in terms of fitting it, so I grabbed some copper wire to make a template I could use to bend the flat bar to.

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This was fitted, tweeked and installed

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Reinstalled the tail-section to check clearances ... I am pretty happy with the result so far.
No Body work needs to be trimmed, only the undertray

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Thats is for now ... I need to finish off the last bracket, do some clean up, etc

Tommorow I will post up pictures with the body work on, and the bags installed.

At that point I will see if it needs some reinforcing gussets etc.

Cheers

Moose

A shot of paint and you're there!!!

Nice work, and it looks like they aren't going anywhere soon!

Be sure to use NyLock nuts and grade 8 hardware. Strong like Moose!

More Stuff Done:

Tack welded the brackets in place

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Took them over to the bench and Tig'ed them up (Bit rusty it has been a year or so)

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Installed them on the bike

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I think I am going to add this arched lower brace (Tabed and bolted inplace) to increase stiffness and stop the weight of the bags roll the bottom of thebags inwardand downward.

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PIctures with the bags mounted

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Decided to add a vertical support that tied into the passenger grab handles

I Measured and bent up some brackets that tied into a upper mount on the Givi Wingrack, then I
Drilled and bolted it to the grab handles

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Then I decided to work on the stiffening support that helps tie the lower part of the give brackets together
Made up a short tab, drilled and bolted it to the existing mount.

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Tack welded the hoop in place and then fully welded it on the bench

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I am pretty happy with the latest brackets, they add a huge amount of stiffness to the Givi Rack.
There is very little deflection in the bracket itself.

That’s it for now on the Givi mount, I will sand and prep it at some point and then put a couple coats of black paint on it.


Cheers
Moose

Yeah. That's not going to move on you. Nice work there.

Finished up the project:

-Painted the Brackets and did the final install with Socket Head Bolts and Nyloc Nuts 

-Installed some ADMORE LED tail/brake lights behind the stock lens on the Givi E41's 

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Wired in the quick Disconnects to the OE harness 

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And Tested out the Finished Product 

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Now it is time to ride 

Moose

Nice alright how do you get the bike on the work bench.

Nice alright how do you get the bike on the work bench.

I have a couple of ramps that I use for the trailer ... I just roll it up and down. 

One of these days I am going to break down and buy a hoist/lift 

Nice alright how do you get the bike on the work bench.

I have a couple of ramps that I use for the trailer ... I just roll it up and down. 

One of these days I am going to break down and buy a hoist/lift 

I thought maybe you dead lifted it up there. I like the setup, first I thought over head lifting device, but yeah ramps would  work.

Looks sick, I'm getting ready to do the exact same thing on my 94. I scored a givi setup off ebay but it has Triumph mounts.

You dont, by change have the measurements of the flat stock cuts you made do you?

Looks sick, I'm getting ready to do the exact same thing on my 94. I scored a givi setup off ebay but it has Triumph mounts.

You dont, by change have the measurements of the flat stock cuts you made do you?

No unfortunately  ... but even if If I did it would probably be different for the 4th Gen anyways (different subframe and plastics)