Built my own grab bar

Discussion in '5th Generation 1998-2001' started by RoninUnderground, May 17, 2014.

  1. RoninUnderground

    RoninUnderground New Member

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    This took me over 10 hours, I don't care to know long it really took. It's not quite finished, I'll sandblast it and paint it, and I plan on building a luggage rack extension for it.


    http://imgur.com/a/qzWmY#0
     
  2. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Looks flimsly to me...;)
     
  3. sunofwolf

    sunofwolf New Member

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    that's one heavy piece of steel as if these bikes aren't heavy enough, next time weld a metal block on the back too-then you can do wheelies :brick:
     
  4. RoninUnderground

    RoninUnderground New Member

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    It only weighs about 3lbs: water weight or the difference between taking a couple books to school or not, so it's ultimately insignificant to me. I desperately needed something because I've had problems carrying a spare helmet with just a hooked net and I really dislike the appearance of the stock grab bars. I lost a helmet down the highway on a blustery day, I'd like that to never happen again. I also want a luggage solution that doesn't involve spending hundreds of dollars (instead just dozens of hours...).
     
  5. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    The grab bars are just that unless modified. Seen some drilled out an plugged in with eyebolts. I made a similar attachment for mach 1 91. I have a Giant Loop "Great Basin" luggage system I use that is best strapped down at three points. Two will work but three is better.

    A plug: www.giantloopmoto.com

    The guys that came up with this stuff are serious offroaders.
     
  6. RoninUnderground

    RoninUnderground New Member

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    Yeah I'm definitely going to mount the luggage rack part with 3 or 4 points. Just bought a floor drill press so that should make this a little easier.
     
  7. MiddleTBabb

    MiddleTBabb New Member

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    Nice! I love affordable creative options vs. the crooks that sell this type of stuff. Have you thought about painting it?
     
  8. RoninUnderground

    RoninUnderground New Member

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    Lol yes of course, it's just that I got it this far and it was 2am so it was time to pack up shop, and I needed it to haul a spare helmet to visit a friend I haven't seen for 6 months. I'm glad I did because she loves the new bike, she said it made her week. I'm going to sandblast it, bondo any crevices, then paint it. I may drill my rack extension holes before paint, but basically I'm looking to avoid leaving it in the elements as it is.
     
  9. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Add a skull and chrome it and you could sell the design to Harley.. Just the idea of chrome rebar will get them all excited..
     
  10. RoninUnderground

    RoninUnderground New Member

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    Don't make me :puke:
     
  11. hwyrogue

    hwyrogue New Member

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    I tend to agree that the stock grab bars are just plain ugly... I'm interested to see your once it's done (filling the crevices and paint will make a huge difference in the looks)...
     
  12. RoninUnderground

    RoninUnderground New Member

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    Updates! I've been crazy busy, but I'm camping this weekend and need some more storage space. I'm also sewing up what I'm calling a doggie bag, backpack with leg holes for the pup and pockets for his food 'n stuff. I'd be on schedule for all that if a goddamn tree didn't fall on my house a few days ago, fortunately I picked up a shiny saw last week so that's helped immensely, but it's still eaten up at least 15 hours I could have spent on other things. I like my Huskies, funny the sewing machine cost twice as much as the saw... both fantastic machines though.
    http://imgur.com/a/qsLrR#0
     
  13. OZ VFR

    OZ VFR Member

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    I'm impressed by your creativity, but; couldn't you find any light weight tubing instead?
    What's the fascination with reo (rebar as you guys call it)?
    At the end of the day, fiddling with your bike beats sitting on your arse.
    Make sure you post finished product pics.
     
  14. RoninUnderground

    RoninUnderground New Member

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    It's cheap as free, it's tough as hell, it's easy to bend without kinking/breaking it, and it's easy to weld with an arc welder. This isn't just a helmet carrier, I will probably be able to haul 50lbs of tools on it, I've already tested about 20-25lbs and it's still solid, once I add some finishing welds it'll be very strong (going to even add ribs over the center hook to minimize flex there). Half the point of this was to save money over a prebuilt rig and I've already spent considerable time, a few welding rods, a cutting disc, and about $6 on hardware I didn't already have lying around. If I go spending $$$ on it then my time wouldn't have been so well spent.

    edit: also note that the rebar used for the rack is much thinner than that of the grab bar.
     
  15. ridervfr

    ridervfr Member

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    side bar inquiry^ i had a shift lever lengthened like I had done on another bike. The shift lever that was done on the "other bike" was done 20 years ago.
    So, this latest cut/welding job yielded a crack, when I tried to tune it up in my vice before I installed it. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but is'nt the welded section the most sturdy part? It cracked at one of the welds. He used a mig gun and was the owner kid as the "owner" "father" was in Jamaice.

    Not hi-jacking your thread. Liked the rebarb, chrome and skulls cook! :loco:
     
  16. RoninUnderground

    RoninUnderground New Member

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    There are a number of factors at play with that, but for simplicity we'll assume the welds are full penetration and just as thick as the fused pieces. The weakest points on such welds is the fusion zone between the fill metal and original pieces. Is it strong? Yes. Is it as strong as if the whole piece had been forged/rolled/extruded/cast as one piece originally? Rarely. Really only very skilled welders (which I am not) or with very expensive equipment can you get welds that basically match the strength of the original material. However, you can usually get close enough, and we engineers specialize in getting close enough.
     
  17. ridervfr

    ridervfr Member

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    :thumbsup: Thanks, I had the lever re-welded by a body shop that I dealt with in the past, looks better and he took 1/4 off or so as the original welder was a little screwed up. This welder did not qeunch the piece in water as he said that it weakened the welds. He left it little too natural for me as I took my air grinder with a cut off wheel to smooth oot the welds and used a "brillo"?wheel to smooth oot the entire deal. The problem with the other piece was maybe I put it in a vice? Who knows, lots of metallugical stuff going on there, was bending it from side to side.

    You take for granted some stuff that was done for you years ago, even though I have not spoken to the "doode" that did the original welding on my lever, he was dah Shizzle (iron-worker) with a mobile welding business. When he looks at his divers license it still says, "human-turd." :pound:
     
  18. Rainbow7

    Rainbow7 New Member

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    So it's up to me to be the voice of discord?

    No matter how you paint it or powdercoat it, it'll always look like something tacked onto a jeepney outside a Manila brothel circa 1988.

    I commend your efforts to save money and be creative but, FFS, you could have spent just a few dollars and got some stainless steel. (You do know how to use a TIG welder, right?)
     
  19. RoninUnderground

    RoninUnderground New Member

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    Quenching is extremely important for some applications, but how it's done can be just as important. If you let it air cool for a little while then water quench it you shouldn't hurt the strength, but you can reduce the time it takes til you can touch it.


    Thank you for your deep sense of conviction, you truly do us a service. Again, this is not the finished product. I'll finish it when I have the chance, feel free to voice your discord then. Stainless rod isn't 'just a few dollars' (http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Unpolished-Annealed-Standard-Tolerance/dp/B00CNLZKRC), and even if I knew how to use one I don't have free access to a TIG welder. If you've some knowledge, inspiration, or examples of your own work to present us with by all means feel free to share. At the end of the day the only person who has to appreciate this bike is me or whoever I'm selling it to, and I'm not shipping a bike to Australia.
     
  20. Rainbow7

    Rainbow7 New Member

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    Examples of my work are only to be found in various dairy/gas/pulp & paper plants in NZ. Sadly, digital cameras didn't exist at the time or I'd be able to edify you.
     
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