So on my 08, I have a E52 case and when traveling, I load it up and put another bag on top of it. I have an aluminum rack with a backrest attached to it.
It's not until I purchased my new 2013 that I hear the grab rails are made out of plastic and need to be careful not to overload them. On my quest for a new rack to use with my new V56 case and the backrest, I'm now not getting confident this is the right thing to do and have my wife use the backrest while the case is also loaded. Did I risk her life all of this 38,000 miles we put on that bike?
What to do what to do???
Brian, the extra bolts you put on your rack, did you tap into the center mount of the grab rails?
Thanks
Tony
The lifting rails on a C-14 are plastic- my guess is a thermoset plastic such as epoxy. Very strong stuff. I did a stress analysis on that plate and the forward holes are really quite substantial, especially since the factory holes are both so close together and so far toward the rear of the plate. Picking up two additional holes at the very front of the plate makes a huge difference in strength.
By the way, the bottom of that plate is not flat; it must be stepped or cut at an angle to lay flat on the forward grab rails. If left flat, it will not seat in the well provided for the luggage rack.
Brian
