Luggage Rack

[MLAN12]

I am looking for information on luggage racks for an '06 GZ250. I have seen some that require drilling holes in the rear fender to mount. Any input on this type of installation would be appreciated. Most racks seem to come with a sissybar/backrest. Is this type of setup better than the first mentioned above? Any reccommendations on a good source for parts would also be helpful. Thanks

[Moedad]

I am looking for information on luggage racks for an '06 GZ250. I have seen some that require drilling holes in the rear fender to mount. Any input on this type of installation would be appreciated. Most racks seem to come with a sissybar/backrest. Is this type of setup better than the first mentioned above? Any reccommendations on a good source for parts would also be helpful. Thanks

Do a search through the Mods sub-forum. The sissy bar backrest/rack gives you a lot of options for strapping on gear/bags, if you don't mind the look of a sissy bar. All the other racks I've seen require holes to be drilled in the license plate fender or the main fender.

[Jer]

Mine came with one. (used)

I'll snap come pics of how its mounted if that helps ya.

Let me know.

[Graydog]

There was OEM GZ250 luggage rack on Ebay Friday with "Buy it now" of less than $60. I think it was $59. Don't know it it is still there. I believe it mounts to the bolt that the rear seat attaches to.

[aesoprock00]

mine came with a luggage rack. it's built onto the sissy bar. it seems pretty sturdy, though it does have a warning label on it not to exceed 5lbs. i'll try to snap a picture of it

[gzrider]

check out my new posting on mods yoy can easly mount a topcase, even sidecases, ive got 132 liters total of space added, and got a tank bag too,(21 more liters), you gust get a suzuki sissybar-luggage rack setup, cut off the back rest portion, or the gngle it goes back at will prevent you from attaching a decent case, then buy what ever size pleases you , go to home depot visit the hardware section , some bolts some fender washers a couple of house framing brases hacked in half to go under the topcase from underneith the stock luggage rack, (unless the topcase came with uinversal mounting hardware allready, only smaler capasity ones do , large ones all have bike specific ones, and nothing for the gz) . and cut a piece of ply wood to the shape of the bottom of the topcase, and let the topcase sit on that, to distribute the pressure evenly since the luggage rack is only 7 in long and 6 in wide.sandwich it in between the top of the rack and the bottom of the topcase, tighten it and youre good . suzuki puts the weight rating low so no lawsuits from extreme abuse like the hot coffee warnings at mc d's, the area where the 2 bolts accept the suzuki luggage rack go streight threw the frame, look from the under side and you will see, its solid and will hold up. it additionaly will support my 2 sidecases , so be confident a topcase is no issue.

[Jer]

jeez, you have more storage than motorcycle!!!

:)

[patrick_777]

check out my new posting on mods yoy can easly mount a topcase, even sidecases, ive got 132 liters total of space added, and got a tank bag too,(21 more liters), you gust get a suzuki sissybar-luggage rack setup, cut off the back rest portion, or the gngle it goes back at will prevent you from attaching a decent case, then buy what ever size pleases you , go to home depot visit the hardware section , some bolts some fender washers a couple of house framing brases hacked in half to go under the topcase from underneith the stock luggage rack, (unless the topcase came with uinversal mounting hardware allready, only smaler capasity ones do , large ones all have bike specific ones, and nothing for the gz) . and cut a piece of ply wood to the shape of the bottom of the topcase, and let the topcase sit on that, to distribute the pressure evenly since the luggage rack is only 7 in long and 6 in wide.sandwich it in between the top of the rack and the bottom of the topcase, tighten it and youre good . suzuki puts the weight rating low so no lawsuits from extreme abuse like the hot coffee warnings at mc d's, the area where the 2 bolts accept the suzuki luggage rack go streight threw the frame, look from the under side and you will see, its solid and will hold up. it additionaly will support my 2 sidecases , so be confident a topcase is no issue.


Ever heard of the Shift key?

...or a spellchecker?

[alanmcorcoran]

Forum's got Spell Check?

[Easy Rider]

Forum's got Spell Check?

No but some browsers do.

[Easy Rider]

Ever heard of the Shift key?

...or a spellchecker?

:plus1:

When I see a post like that, I don't even bother to try to read it.

[patrick_777]

Forum's got Spell Check?

I wish. I know Firefox and IE both do though.

[Easy Rider]

I wish. I know Firefox and IE both do though.

OK, I would be VERY interested in knowing how to implement a spell check with IE.

Anybody ??

[patrick_777]

http://www.ieaddons.com/en/details/Time_Savers/ieSpell/

and http://www.ieaddons.com/en/details/Brow ... c_Browser/ (http://www.ieaddons.com/en/details/Browsers/Basic_Browser/)

[jonathan180iq]

[quote="patrick_777":330t11ym]I wish. I know Firefox and IE both do though.

OK, I would be VERY interested in knowing how to implement a spell check with IE.

Anybody ??[/quote:330t11ym]

You could always take 5 minutes and download and run Firefox. It's a better browser and easier to use anyway.

[patrick_777]

[quote="patrick_777":35osdacm]I wish. I know Firefox and IE both do though.

OK, I would be VERY interested in knowing how to implement a spell check with IE.

Anybody ??

You could always take 5 minutes and download and run Firefox. It's a better browser and easier to use anyway.[/quote:35osdacm]

Plus, with the IETabs plugin, you can run IE whenever you want to inside a FF tab.

[Graydog]

Jeez…a little harsh aren’t we? If a snide comment like that had been left after one of my posts I doubt I would return to the forum. Doubt I would be able to refrain from “flaming” right back too (which would not be healthy for the forum).

Can we remember that not everyone is a keyboard wizard and replies to posts should be about the subject of the post and not a critique of a person’s typing, spelling, or grammar usage.

I have sensed a change in the “attitude” of the forum lately. May be time to move on.

[Sarris]

C'mon Grey, more people means more personalities. Don't write the forum off yet. It's still a good place to "hang out" and most folks are pretty friendly, if a bit opinionated.
Variety IS the spice of life.

:biggrin: :biggrin:

[Easy Rider]

You could always take 5 minutes and download and run Firefox. It's a better browser and easier to use anyway.

Sure. I could get a better bike too, but that ain't gonna happen either. :biggrin:

[Easy Rider]

Jeez…a little harsh aren’t we?

Maybe so, but commenting the way YOU did is no better than the "harsh" original criticism......now is it ?? :skull:

I think it needed to be said. Nothing wrong with direct and to the point.

Or do you think that we should all just play nice, like a bunch of 6 year old little girls?

[Easy Rider]

http://www.ieaddons.com/en/details/Time_Savers/ieSpell/

and http://www.ieaddons.com/en/details/Brow ... c_Browser/ (http://www.ieaddons.com/en/details/Browsers/Basic_Browser/)

I went; I saw. Looks like IE8 only. I don't do BETA's.
Am I missing something ?

[Graydog]

Jeez…a little harsh aren’t we?

Maybe so, but commenting the way YOU did is no better than the "harsh" original criticism......now is it ?? :skull:

I think it needed to be said. Nothing wrong with direct and to the point.

Or do you think that we should all just play nice, like a bunch of 6 year old little girls?

We ride little girl bikes don't WE? :redflip:

I'm just saying a smiley in the post would have been nice. The guy had only made 4 posts total and then to get berated? :tdown: Not cool. Not friendly. Not necessary.

And yes my post was called far. I don't :pimpdaddy: Elitism on forums by regular users is the most common reason some forums fold.

But I will let the subject drop as it will do the forum no good to continue this.

But what I said needed to be said.

[patrick_777]

Easy, try this one. (http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Browser-Tweak/ieSpell.shtml)

The first one is for IE8 Beta, but it's a MS produced extension. This one is a 3rd party but for version 5+.

[Easy Rider]

Not cool. Not friendly. Not necessary.


My point exactly.
A run together, no caps, no punctuation post with lots of mis-spelled words is: Not cool, not friendly and not necessary.
Do you not agree with that?

Smileys are not appropriate when you are calling somebody on downright rude behavior.

NOW............
Having said all that, I have noticed that some of the language on here of late has slipped over a bit to the "crude" side at times. Not that it bothers me, mind you, but I think it is mostly unnecessary and might bother some.

[Easy Rider]

The first one is for IE8 Beta, but it's a MS produced extension. This one is a 3rd party but for version 5+.

Thanks for the help. Think I'll wait for IE8. I am, for the most part, quiet carpable of chicking my own spilling !! :biggrin:

[alanmcorcoran]

Don't know about you guys, but I've lived with two six year old little girls. They'd a put ex-lax in Easy's Hot Chocolate and then hidden the toilet paper. It ain't always Little House on The Prairie.

Also, I don't think English is the first language of some of our contributors, so maybe cut them some slack. Their English is way better than my Spanish, Italian or whatever the hell they speak up in Canada. :)

[jonathan180iq]

If the guy is from somewhere else, then I agree with Alan.

That being said, I'm all for someone contributing more info to the GZ universe but it only takes an extra minute or two to write at least somewhat legibly.

[patrick_777]

I offer a complete and utter retraction. The imputation was totally without basis in fact, and was in no way 'fair comment' and was motivated purely by malice and I deeply regret any distress that my comments may have caused you or your family, and I hereby undertake not to repeat any such slander at any time in the future.

And now back to the story.

[alanmcorcoran]

This is my last post on this, I promise:

In going back and looking at the offending opus, I got a strong suspicion it was posted from a blackberry like device. When you're post is literally made with "all thumbs," capitalization and punctuation are a luxury. Just one more generational thing us old farts have to get used to.

Okay, I'm done now. I swear.

[patrick_777]

I figured you, of all people, would appreciate the John Cleese quote there, Alan.

[patrick_777]

[quote="patrick_777":1gtp5m2f]The first one is for IE8 Beta, but it's a MS produced extension. This one is a 3rd party but for version 5+.

Thanks for the help. Think I'll wait for IE8. I am, for the most part, quiet carpable of chicking my own spilling !! :biggrin:[/quote:1gtp5m2f]

Actually, I just installed ieSpell (using IE7.0.5 and it works really well.

[Easy Rider]

I figured you, of all people, would appreciate the John Cleese quote there, Alan.

Gotta be careful there, Patrick.

To some people, sarcasm sounds like sincerity. :roll:

[alanmcorcoran]

If it had either the words "ex-parrot", "newt", or "moist tart" I'd a gotten it. I still have retained a lot of Holy Grail, but the Flying Circus bits have kind of left the building.

"I'm Brian, and so is my wife!"

[mrlmd1]

This is my last post on this, I promise:
Okay, I'm done now. I swear. :??: O_o :whistle:

Promises, promises. 'Till next time.

[greenhorn]

Ya know.........? All i really wanted to learn about was how to install a luggage rack on my GZ. Giving a good gal darn about spelling is YOUR problem & says a lot about your own , personal issues.

I am a teacher & could give a CRAP about how someone spells on a freaking motorcycle forum. Give me a BREAK!! and please just help me with my motorcycle.... my stress reliever from having to deal with how someone spells for cryin' out loud.

Believe me, spelling says NOTHING about a person's intelligence. Some of the smartest people I know can't spell , don't like to follow rules of ANY kind and can't even match their socks... so get a grip.

Mary

[mr. softie]

Huzza! Huzza!

[Easy Rider]

Ya know.........? All i really wanted to learn about was how to install a luggage rack on my GZ. Giving a good gal darn about spelling is YOUR problem & says a lot about your own , personal issues.


TIME OUT! :??:

I just went back through all the messages in this thread and THIS ONE is the only one I see from you. (unless you changed your handle along the way).
Anyhow, I'm confused.
Yes,the thread went WAY off into left field but I don't think you were involved.....were you ??

If you really need help installing something, maybe we should start over.
Or maybe it's already on here in a different thread ??

AND if you are really a school teacher, I can't imagine you condoning bad spelling, grammar and format to the point that it makes the communication hard to read and understand. :skull:

[alanmcorcoran]

Believe me, spelling says NOTHING about a person's intelligence. Some of the smartest people I know can't spell , don't like to follow rules of ANY kind and can't even match their socks... so get a grip.

Mary

So, to sum up:

1) People that can't spell are intelligent.
2) Smart people (that Mary knows) don't like to follow rules. ANY rules.
3) Smart people can't match their socks.
4) No need to look this up, just "believe."

Just checked my socks. Apparently, I am not smart. Well, I guess the good news is... I can probably spell.

[patrick_777]

So, to sum up:

1) People that can't spell are intelligent.
2) Smart people (that Mary knows) don't like to follow rules. ANY rules.
3) Smart people can't match their socks.
4) No need to look this up, just "believe."

Just checked my socks. Apparently, I am not smart. Well, I guess the good news is... I can probably spell.

And you followed all of the rules listing that. Good job, for a dumby. I'm not weering socks, and when I do weer them I only weer one of them OVER my sheo. I also don't beleive in much of anything that I'm proud of.

[greenhorn]

Believe me, spelling says NOTHING about a person's intelligence. Some of the smartest people I know can't spell , don't like to follow rules of ANY kind and can't even match their socks... so get a grip.

Mary

So, to sum up:

1) People that can't spell are intelligent.
2) Smart people (that Mary knows) don't like to follow rules. ANY rules.
3) Smart people can't match their socks.
4) No need to look this up, just "believe."

Just checked my socks. Apparently, I am not smart. Well, I guess the good news is... I can probably spell.

You're learning. :lol:

[greenhorn]

Ya know.........? All i really wanted to learn about was how to install a luggage rack on my GZ. Giving a good gal darn about spelling is YOUR problem & says a lot about your own , personal issues.


TIME OUT! :??:

I just went back through all the messages in this thread and THIS ONE is the only one I see from you. (unless you changed your handle along the way).
Anyhow, I'm confused.
Yes,the thread went WAY off into left field but I don't think you were involved.....were you ??

Not until I read some posts that I felt like reponding to.... juts like anybody else! (oops I spelled something wrong... there is a reason for that)

If you really need help installing something, maybe we should start over.
Or maybe it's already on here in a different thread ??




If I started a new thread on luggage rack, I would likely have been re-directed to this one. This has happened to me before while trying to find information on tires for my GZ.

Sorry, but I really just wanted to find info.

[Easy Rider]

If I started a new thread on luggage rack, I would likely have been re-directed to this one. This has happened to me before while trying to find information on tires for my GZ.

Sorry, but I really just wanted to find info.

Once again, I guess I have to be more specific.
I, and others, would like to help.

Alas, I cannot FIND the post where you described the problem you are having and what information you need about a luggage rack. I see: Key, tires, fender, gas tank.....but no luggage rack.

WHERE IS THE QUESTION ?? I just did a complete search again and still don't see it.
I also cannot see where anybody critisized the spelling in one of YOUR messages.
This is getting VERY confusing......at least for me.
Am I missing something here ??

I think you need to either reference the post where you asked about a luggage rack OR post the question again. I think this ZOMBIE thread needs to DIE. :skull:

[music man]

I think she was saying that she came here(to this thread) to find out about a luggage rack, and then just decided to put her two cents in, in regards to you commenting on someones spelling, grammer, etc..... but never really did bother to ask a question about luggage racks at all, so I guess she didn't really need to start a new thread about luggage racks since she obviously found out all she needed to know on this one or there would have been a question in there somewhere, or so you would think. :??:

[jonathan180iq]

-If someone has a question, and they have searched a bit on the forum before asking, then we will answer that specific question. Heck, we usually answer it no matter what.

-If the information is contained somewhere on the forum in a clear enough manner that will answer the question being asked, then a link will be posted to that discussion. This does not mean that the new topic is dead, it just speeds along the process of delivering useful information to the one asking the question.

Writing incoherently and miss-speeling wurdz are two completely different things.
Since writing is the only way that we have to communicate with each other on this forum, it is very important that someone asking, or answering, a question be as clear as they can with their answer, or query. Otherwise, we all spend wasted time trying to figure out what someone was trying to say.

[greenhorn]

I think she was saying that she came here(to this thread) to find out about a luggage rack, and then just decided to put her two cents in, in regards to you commenting on someones spelling, grammer, etc..... but never really did bother to ask a question about luggage racks at all, so I guess she didn't really need to start a new thread about luggage racks since she obviously found out all she needed to know on this one or there would have been a question in there somewhere, or so you would think. :??:
This is as close to accurate as possible. Thanks.

I was just looking around . I'm thinking about adding a luggage rack, Givi, something like that, while searching around on the forum for ideas, ran across the spelling comments and decided to comment. Wish I wouldn't have. That's all.

No. I did not and will not post my own personal "question" about how to go about adding a Givi/luggage rack until I am a bit more informed about the how to' s (which was why I was looking at this thread titled "Luggage Rack in the first place), but I certainly will when I am ready.

Didn't mean to confuse anyone.

Mary

[Easy Rider]

Didn't mean to confuse anyone.


OK, you are hereby granted one free "Do Over". :biggrin:

Cash it in whenever you are ready! :tup:

[patrick_777]

-If someone has a question, and they have searched a bit on the forum before asking, then we will answer that specific question. Heck, we usually answer it no matter what.

Although we are all usually very good about pointing out more informative and/or rehashed threads, we are also VERY good (compared to many other boards) about actually answering the same question over and over. There are plenty of times that I have quoted myself thread to thread instead of simply redirecting. It's also a sort of recompiling the information from multiple threads into more concise answers.

Writing incoherently and miss-speeling wurdz are two completely different things.
Since writing is the only way that we have to communicate with each other on this forum, it is very important that someone asking, or answering, a question be as clear as they can with their answer, or query. Otherwise, we all spend wasted time trying to figure out what someone was trying to say.

This is not in response to Jonathan specifically, but having worked with the public for many years in technical support roles, I can tell you for certain that not everybody is able to articulate themselves as clearly as possible. Not everybody has the wherewithal to search for the right vocabulary or jargon that goes along with their particular topic. Indeed, the average member of this board is likely a newcomer to motorcycles in general, not just to the GZ.

There are many recent examples I can list off the top of my head where someone referred to the wrong part in reference to something entirely different (gear/lever/shifter/peg/thing) and was quickly enlightened to their errant ways. It's seldom unpleasant as most people come here to learn, and a lot of the experienced here like to teach. I haven't seen a LOT of reprimanding going on, but that's not to say it doesn't happen. Sometimes, it's even necessary.

This is a very self-repairing board, for the most part, and the relatively few disagreements and flames that I've run across in my perusal of the past posts here are far between, and are mostly caused by one of a few things -- a veteran being touchy and feeling their knowledge or status threatened; a newb asking an identical question to an ongoing and ACTIVE discussion; someone asking the same question over and over in multiple posts in multiple forums, as if people didn't see it the first time.

I can safely say, I'm personally guilty of two, or all, of those things, and I don't expect it to change. This is easily one of the most informative boards I've been a part of, and like many others, will continue to be a part of even if I ever decide to move on from the GZ.

This thread, like a few others, has ventured so far off-topic that page two doesn't even address the actual topic of page one except as an admonition. If Dupo or Badbob or I were the stereotypical admin/assholes of other boards, this thread would have been locked down right after a couple of my own posts and a couple of users warned. We're not, and I'm of the firm belief that threads like this are cathartic in a sense for the psyche of the board itself. Maybe I'm wrong in prejudging this board or its veteran members, but I'm pretty sure, based on experience and past behavior, that we will all have a big group hug in the end (plus reach-arounds) and appreciate each other for their own personal proclivities, without holding any big grudges.

Now, maybe someone can actually tell me what tires will fit on my GZ, and is there any way to make my bike go faster? :redflip:

</tirade>

[jonathan180iq]

Do a search!!!!!! GEEZE!!!!!!

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1058 (http://www.gz250bike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1058)

:)

[theneanderthal]

copy n paste it into your email.

spell check it.

copy n paste it into the post box

Just a couple of key strokes and you look like you can spell. :whistle:

[Moedad]

I can tell you for certain that not everybody is able to articulate themselves as clearly as possible.

I have the you besides, can't we just hey! let's forget about red tank and mr. softie freudian until oil leak cosmoline windshield brackets are reserve valve.

So there.

[Easy Rider]

So there.

You California guys are SOOOOO funny! :cool: :haha2:

[alantf]

Back to luggage racks!

Mine is made by a company called SPAAN. I don't know if you can get them in America (I live in Tenerife) but they fit to the two bolts either side of the rear mudguards (or fenders as you Yanks call them) They're really easy to fit, but the problem is that they ALL come with backrests, so if you put a box such as a Shad (I don't know if you have those in America) on the rack, you can't open it for the backrest. I overcame this by removing the (removable) backrest & replacing it with a short piece of 15 mm square hollow steel rod, to act as a packer between the side support arms & the rack. The box itself acts as a backrest for the pillion passenger.

[alanmcorcoran]

Alan,

Can you post a photo? I'm interested in getting some "integrated" looking storage. I wasn't thrilled with the plywood system I saw previously. Moedad has some soft luggage that looks decent on the bike, but I'd like to see some other options. I don't really want a backrest either (won't be able to mount the bike without a pulley system!)

[Graydog]

OK, I am the one that started this whole shebang and I shouldn't have. Sorry. It is just that I thought the poster was from another country and that English is not his native language. I thought he was from Sri Lanka and the comments after his post about his grammar (which I'm sure is better than my Sinhalese/Tamic grammar) peed me off. It just seemed like an "Ugly American" thing to do to someone trying to participate in a mostly English based forum. Maybe I'm wrong and the poster is not the member I thought he was. I'm not going to bother to go back and look since I wish I had kept my mouth shut to begin with :cry: So if he is a native English speaker I apologize.

By the way, I taught English for years in high school and Jr. college. I try my best to overlook the dangling participles, dangling propositions, run on sentences, sentence fragments, and bad spelling on this forum and others. If I had a "red ink" key on my keyboard I would wear it out :) .
That includes myself. I am a horrible speller! :cry:

[IRingTwyce]

I feel you. I was dubbed "The Spelling Nazi" on another board I frequent. I had to force myself to stop correcting others, as it was ultimately an exercise in futility. However, it did net me these sweet gifs:

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/4096/heilspellchecksk2.png http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/994/grammarnazilq8.jpg

:biggrin:

[alanmcorcoran]

I try my best to overlook the dangling participles, dangling propositions...

I have an image in my mind of a "dangling proposition." You might get arrested if they found one on your computer.

I think the machinery that types is not governed by the same brain cells as those that spell and parse. I have looked back at some of my posts typed in haste to see some really pathetic mistakes. "hear" for "here", "there/their", "you/your/you're" - rookie mistakes, as Easy would say.

I am glad this site has a convenient edit button for quick fixes. My overall impression is GZ250BIKE posters are far more articulate than the typical internet forum. Apparently it takes a certain level of intelligence to ride such a fine motorcycle!

[Easy Rider]

Apparently it takes a certain level of intelligence to ride such a fine motorcycle!

Naw.....TOO easy! :whistle: :biggrin:

[Water Warrior 2]

Apparently it takes a certain level of intelligence to ride such a fine motorcycle!

Naw.....TOO easy! :whistle: :biggrin:

Actually it takes a certain amount of intelligence to ride a motorcycle safely. The GZ is just a bonus to the really smart rider. Getting back to spelling and the English language...........it has been my observation that most people with a good command of the written language are the ones that read a lot.

[alanmcorcoran]

[quote="Water Warriorit has been my observation that most people with a good command of the written language are the ones that read a lot.[/quote]
:plus1:

[Badbob]

...........it has been my observation that most people with a good command of the written language are the ones that read a lot.

I read a lot mostly nonfiction.
I can't spell worth a damn.
I can't type very well even though I do it all day long
I have a nerve problem in my left are that causes transposition errors. Delayed signals to 1.5 fingers.
I have a slight problem with dyslexia.
I can write real good but it takes me a very long time to produce the good stuff.
Some times I post without proof reading. This is bad.

[mr. softie]

My luggage rack is my pillion seat, with the cover and foam removed. I bolted a square of 1/4" plywood onto it and painted it black. I use a cargo net bungie to hold stuff on it. Works good.
http://www.postimage.org/gx9DcZA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gx9DcZA)

[Badbob]

Looks like your ready for a road trip to me.

[Moedad]

My luggage rack is my pillion seat, with the cover and foam removed. I bolted a square of 1/4" plywood onto it and painted it black. I use a cargo net bungie to hold stuff on it. Works good.
http://www.postimage.org/gx9DcZA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gx9DcZA)

Hey, that's not a bad idea.

What do you have on the leading edge of your front fender there, Mt. Softie?

[Easy Rider]

What do you have on the leading edge of your front fender there, Mt. Softie?

His bike obviously WANTS to be black but can't quite make it !! :crackup

(I like the red ones, actually.)

[mr. softie]

Yes The Blackness is encroaching. The front fender had a bad scrape on the tip so I sanded it down and painted it black. Didn't have red paint. I like how it looks.

Using the pillion seat for a rack is a cheap solution that I can take off easily when I don't need it. It is actually quite sturdy. I am thinking of getting a Bestem T-Box or equivalent like Water Warrior and happyhobo have so I can lock stuff up on the bike.

[Sarris]

:horse:

[Badbob]

Just a thought. A piece of HDPE cutting board might work a little better than plywood. Its very strong and certainly water proof. I don't know if you could paint it. I don't know if it is printable.

[maryes7]

I read the post on this board often. I don't post often because, alot of the posts turn into a fight. I have to admit the S40 board is nicer and I don't even have a S40. I think people get scared away on this board... So Sad...

[Water Warrior 2]

I read the post on this board often. I don't post often because, alot of the posts turn into a fight. I have to admit the S40 board is nicer and I don't even have a S40. I think people get scared away on this board... So Sad...
There are probably a few riders who have been put off this forum with some of the more caustic moments we have had. That being said, I lurk on a lot of forums and this is one of the finer forums on the net. Overall less profanity, not too many p---ing contests and one upmanship kind of things. Just take us with a grain of salt and enjoy the different personalities riding the famous GZ. Where would we be without this one and only GZ forum.

[Easy Rider]

I think people get scared away on this board... So Sad...

There hasn't been a real "fight" on here for a LONG time.....maybe 6 months or more.
Stop by more often.
:rawk:

[caroledee1]

I read the post on this board often. I don't post often because, alot of the posts turn into a fight. I have to admit the S40 board is nicer and I don't even have a S40. I think people get scared away on this board... So Sad...

It can be entertaining from a certain perspective, IMAO! Things usually work themselves out. Don't take it too seriously. :)

[alanmcorcoran]

I read the post on this board often. I don't post often because, alot of the posts turn into a fight. I have to admit the S40 board is nicer and I don't even have a S40. I think people get scared away on this board... So Sad...

Was this posted to the wrong thread? I went back through the discussion, perhaps it's related to the spelling business. In any event, I agree there have been a few posters that have gotten slapped pretty hard for minor offenses, but overall, I find the disagreements on this site to be more constructive that the typical flaming and name calling of most Internet discussions. I posted a long while back about the "dividing lines" (gear, helmets, modders, etc.) but people seem to be pretty tolerant of those. Frankly, I don't find the occasional disagreement "sad" at all. I think the lively discourse is healthy, more informative (and far more entertaining) and would not want to muzzle our more pugnacious posters.

I haven't been to the S40 site, but my general impression is a thick skin is a good prerequisite to posting on any Internet site.

[jonathan180iq]

There hasn't been a real "fight" on here for a LONG time.....maybe 6 months or more.
Stop by more often.
:rawk:

Yeah, once EasyRider started putting smilies on his srcastic comments ( :tongue: ) and happy faces at the end of everything, we've become a pretty "Kum-ba-yonic" group. :2tup: :banana:

[Easy Rider]

Yeah, once EasyRider started putting smilies on his srcastic comments ( :tongue: )

Yep....and the sarchastic ones too......or is that sarcastic. :??: :roll: :biggrin:

[jonathan180iq]

Señor Castic.... Spanish abbreviation, duh.

S-a-r-c-a-s-t-i-c

my bad

[SavingFuel]

I signed up for this forum just so I could add to this thread. My two luggage rack questions are at the bottom, but first I have some comments...

I don't normally join forums, but sometimes end up on them when Googling a specific subject. Today's subject happened to be luggage racks for a GZ250. Reading the subject line, I thought I had struck gold. Unfortunately, Google took me to p. 2, the first posting of which referred to 6-year-olds spiking food with ExLax and hiding toilet paper. Huh? I scrolled down only to find a bunch of whiny messages having nothing to do with the GZ250 let alone luggage racks. I navigated to the top of page 1 to find the first posting which did indeed ask a question related to the subject of interest and which was answered by at least one person fairly soon afterwards.

However, the fact that this thread goes on for 3 pages (most of which is off-subject) really reduces the usefulness of the posting. Who wants to scroll through that much text when at least 75% of the postings relate to spelling, grammar, and posting etiquette in the hopes of picking up a few more tips on luggage racks?

As a new forum member and first-time poster, I still have this idea that all postings in a thread should relate to the original question asked. It would seem logical to invite people to a new thread if you want to bicker about or otherwise discuss off-subject issues. People who have better things to do than chat online will soon find other ways to get their questions answered than using this forum. You will drive away potentially helpful members if you spend too much time off-subject (like I'm doing now... but this thread is already pretty messed up!).

In principle, I LOVE the idea of a forum specific to my exact bike. I will give this a try with fingers crossed that it helps more than annoys. You - I mean we - all have the potential to make this site a valuable asset to many GZ250 riders. I hope to be more impressed by future visits to this forum.

Here are my two questions about racks and storage...

1. Isn't there a better option than cutting the backrest off a $300 sissy bar/rack combo just to mount a useable trunk? My previous ride was a cheap Chinese scooter that came with a backrest/rack combo and a trunk that had a lid that hinged a few inches behind the backrest, so it opened without having to modify anything. Can anyone suggest a specific trunk mfr/model of that style that works with an unmodified Suzuki OEM sissy bar/rack? I'm kind-of wishing I had kept that trunk!

2. Although that OEM rack looks sturdy, the paperwork that came with mine says it's limited to 4 # load. I know that's just their liability thing, but can any of you give me examples of how much weight you really carry on your OEM racks without apparent stress on the rack or the bike?

Thank you!

[alanmcorcoran]

Saving,

'Twas I that posted the response to which you took offense. At the time, I hadn't stopped to think of the damage I was doing to the site's reputation as a valuable asset capable of impressing future users.

If you had read the thread, you would have seen I was making the point that one should not generalize (and assume that all poster's to this site are native English speakers) after a previous poster had been somewhat harshly taken to task for bad grammar. Now it seems the harsh light of bad behavior is shining directly on me.

Seriously, I thought the site was mainly for entertainment purposes. Sorry for contaminating the thread (and for now contiuing to do so!) I will restrict my future participation to the non-informational threads to keep the site's info pristine and uncluttered.

[Easy Rider]

I hope to be more impressed by future visits to this forum.


This is not going to be nice but here's the stark reality:
Online communities "form" around a common interest. Once that happens, the community discussion is not ALWAYS about the original subject of common interest. For one reason, OTHER subjects of common interest are discovered.

All online forums are like that to some degree. If you can't live with that, you might as well not come back again.

AND.....it is the height of rudeness for the first words out of your mouth to be scathing criticism when you are "invited to a stranger's house". Bad. VERY bad.
:skull:

OH, and after riding in here on your white horse and kicking our collective asses, you won't be getting any serious advice from me.

[Easy Rider]

I will restrict my future participation to the non-informational threads to keep the site's info pristine and uncluttered.

Right. :skeptical:
Thank you for your consideration! :cool:

[patrick_777]

I hope to be more impressed by future visits to this forum.

Thanks for generalizing and basing your opinions of this board on one post. Your due diligence is admirable.

We also hope to be more impressed with your future visits to this forum.

[Sarris]

:plus1: :fu: :skull:

[mrlmd1]

I guess we all told him off.
One can't help the free association that goes on here as well as on every other message board/forum.
That's one of the things that make it more lively and interesting, after we voice our expert opinions on trying to help out get a question answered. We are a fairly large and diverse community with a common interest, but all individuals.
It all gets sorted out in the end and nobody on here really takes much offense at other's comments if they offer a different opinion.

[music man]

There is something I have noticed, that the common outsider of this group might not notice, we might have our little squabbles over grammar and "how much of a wuss you are if you wear ATGATT or how much of a idiot you are if you don't" :poked: but you see what happens when someone comes in and tries to flame one of us(or in this case, all of us) we join together as a group and let him/her know that we are still a band of GZ brothers at the end of the day. And we don't take any shit off of anybody but each other(and sometimes we dont do that well).


Later

[jonathan180iq]

I'm with SavingFuel. You guys suck and don't know anything about motorcycles.

Why do you even bother maintaining this forum? :shocked: It doesn't have any useful information inside this ONE post that we were searching. How dare you A-holes :curse: have conversations outside the context of the very generic thread title/topic.
It makes me sick to think that I once considered myself apart of this blatantly useless organization :crutches: . There is absolutely no information on this site that might answer this guy's question.... Where do you people get off? :banana: :crash:

[mrlmd1]

I beg to differ with you, Oh "LOF". Out of the 4 pages on this particular thread, there is at least a page and a half early on dedicated to luggage and racks, and you even directed someone on page 2 to a link. It's true, the last 2/3 of it are way off the track, but that's tough. There are a lot of people out there with too much time on their hands and we all miss talking to each other. Maybe SF never read the early parts of this thread or looked at any others on here in his search on this forum.

By the way, did you get his previous ride, "A cheap Chinese scooter that came with a backrest/rack combo and a trunk that had a lid that hinged a few inches behind the backrest, so it opened without having to modify anything" ?? when you sold your GZ.?
And did you join the Chinese scooter forum too, to become their Lord?:??: We have to know these things.
(Don't take it so hard, we all jest with our friends and loved ones.) :) :roll: :cool: :poked:

[jonathan180iq]

I don't spend much time on the China-bike forums. They spend so much time talking about dropping the front and covering the whole stupid thing in chrome. They don't really offer much. Plus, the scoots are so simple anyway, it's not really necessary.

This guy downgraded by buying a GZ250. These bikes fall apart and aren't fast enough to beat my grandmother in a street race. If I was going to buy a Gz250, I'd first buy the big bore kit that I saw in another post. That looks like a really cool idea. I'll bet installing that beast will get me up to 90mph and a 1/4 mile time in the low teens. BOOYAH!!!

[mrlmd1]

:bong:
LOF has totally lost it. His mind went with the bike. :poked: :) :) :haha:
Or maybe he's trying to keep SF from coming back again??

[alantf]

Replying to "Saving Fuel" about the weight that can be carried in a box mounted behind the backrest (Why on earth do you call them "sissy bars"?)
I just keep loading my box until I can't get any more in, & the bike has never done a wheelie. Having said that, last week one of the brackets between the side arm & the rack (around 1" x 1/8") snapped, but I think that this was down to a flaw in the metal. I took it down to the local car repair shop & they welded it up. Unfortunately the guy who welded it would have been better employed sweeping the street, as it snapped again within two days.
Not to be outdone, I cut off both brackets, ground the welds off, & made 2 new bolt on brackets out of angle steel. A quick spray of black paint (to match the bike) & I've now got two sturdier (& I think , better looking) brackets. I'll just have to see if I can get any more weight in the box!

Replying to "alanmacorcoran" about different styles of back boxes. The SHAD range of plastic boxes are both stylish & quickly removable with a key. Over here they're not cheap, but they are strong & they look nice. I don't know if you can get them in America. Mine is a SHAD 46, & it's big enough to get two helmets in, when we park up, but they do them in a host of sizes & colours. (Hey guys, note the English spelling of colours!)

[Water Warrior 2]

I am way too familiar with Shad boxes. Have 3 on the VStrom. A 46 top box and 2 / 39 sides. The 46 is good but the side cases are junk in my opinion. A matched pair with all the same molding defects and poor fit which means extra work to mount then on the racks. The racks themselves are a horror beyond belief. A simple bolt on rack should not take a week of modifying said racks and bike to make things usable. I even had to enlist my local Yamaha dealer to use his shop for some of the mods to the rack and brackets. I thought I would save a small amount over the Givi cases and also support a Canadian distributor rather than American. Never again will I go that route. Really didn't save any $ and the stress/mods were too much...............Yup this is a bit of a rant but I would have been better off with tupperware and bungy cords.

[Water Warrior 2]

RavingFool er uh......SavingFuel hasn't visited us for a few days, but in case he does......here's a nice, relatively inexpensive luggage rack for ya buuuuuudee

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SUZUKI-G ... enameZWDVW (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SUZUKI-GZ250-GZ-250-MARAUDER-LUGGAGE-RACK-NEW-IN-PKG_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ10066QQihZ012QQitem Z220299120541QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW)

Best of luck and much love

MHF

80 flippin $$ Not in this lifetime.

[jonathan180iq]

A single bolt mounted rack? That's not going to hold anything heavier than a pair of shoes.

[music man]

I Agree that rack is completely worthless.

[alantf]

Here are a few pictures of my carriers. The leather pannier over the exhaust has a steel plate pop-riveted under it. The box is a SHAD 46. I can fill it up, & it makes no difference to the handling of the bike. I've also added a picture of the back rest that I removed, & the two packers that I made to replace it, before I made new carrier brackets out of angle steel.

You'll notice that the bike is European spec. It's got "Marauder" logos on the tank, & "Suzuki" on the side panels.
http://www.postimage.org/Pq214HY9.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Pq214HY9)
http://www.postimage.org/Pq215aTS.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Pq215aTS)

http://www.postimage.org/aV1NVYl9.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV1NVYl9)

http://www.postimage.org/Pq2167Li.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Pq2167Li)

[alanmcorcoran]

Thanks Alan.

Yours looks less like a bike attached to luggage, but I think it's still too much for my taste. You did a nice job mounting it, and it looks pretty well integrated with the bike. If I don't ever see something a tad smaller, I wouldn't rule this one completely out.

[alantf]

Like I said before, the SHADs come in all sizes. On my last bike I had a SHAD 36, but since I tend to carry a lot of gear (I'm a retired electrician, but still do the odd job or two) I decided to upgrade this time. If you like the SHAD, & find a stockist, they will probably have a few different sizes on the shelf.(at least they do over here)

[warrior]

.................................................. .....................

https://www.bike-design.com/detail.php? ... _year=2001 (https://www.bike-design.com/detail.php?p=26275&page=1&shp_category=0&shp_make=7&shp_model=5433&shp_year=2001)

[VTXorcist]

I think what SavingFuel missed (sorry to go off topic just when it was getting back to luggage again) is that this is a community, not a bunch of support specialists waiting to answer questions. The folks here have gotten to know each other for the most part, and engage in playful jabs, bickering, humor, and just regular old free-association conversation.

Even if he's not a fan of all that stuff, he'll still never find a better site for GZ info or expertise.

[bonehead]

I think what SavingFuel missed (sorry to go off topic just when it was getting back to luggage again) is that this is a community, not a bunch of support specialists waiting to answer questions. The folks here have gotten to know each other for the most part, and engage in playful jabs, bickering, humor, and just regular old free-association conversation.

Even if he's not a fan of all that stuff, he'll still never find a better site for GZ info or expertise.
I was reading that post and was about to go "Dupo" on his ass, then I looked at the post date.

[music man]

Yeah the last time he logged in was the day after that post, so we ejected his ass in a hurry.

[VTXorcist]

Holy smokes, I didn't even realize that post was closing in on a year old. Sorry for bringing it back up!

[bonehead]

Holy smokes, I didn't even realize that post was closing in on a year old. Sorry for bringing it back up!
Ya, some really wise person on here said to look at the post dates and I am glad I remembered or I really would have looked stupid(er)