Altrider Rack cracks

BLW

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Joined
Sep 19, 2020
Messages
48
Location
Reno ,Nevada
Just to clarify that is not hand made. I did the project in CAD (tough part), hand it over for laser cutting and bending
and then i made the assembly and final touches.

CAD , lasers and benders are the tools of the modern craftsman,it would be very very hard to make those holes and cuts without a laser,water jet, or cnc router. I have been working at a sign shop for the last year and a half, it's amazing what goes into signs and I get to weld paint and fabricate all kind of stuff everyday, from 35 ft tall monuments to 3 ft tall blade signs. The guy that used to run the cnc router and the cnc letter bender left so I am learning all that plus CAD. I am making a rear rack for my S10 and will eventually do a skid plate and crashbars, cant wait, I will post some pics.
 

Madlap

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Joined
Apr 15, 2020
Messages
10
Location
Quebec city, QC, Canada
Thanks guys for your inputs to the subject. I went for the Nomadic because of the RotoPak add-on with no change to my usual luggage loading method.
Here I come Hudson Bay!

RotoPak (2).jpg
 

RCinNC

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Joined
Aug 30, 2014
Messages
2,816
Location
North Carolina
Paying premium prices for stuff like this that ends up cracking and failing is a big reason why I make stuff.

I made a rear rack out of 3/16" aluminum plate and a couple of pieces of aluminum angle I bought at a hardware store. I cut out the shape with a handheld jigsaw, and cut all the slots and cutouts by drilling holes and joining them with cuts made with either the jigsaw or a coping saw and a coarse wooden blade. Everything was smoothed out using hand files and sandpaper. At the time I made it, I didn't even have a drill press. The sides are bolted to the top plate. I think I have about $40 in parts; the powdercoating cost more than the materials. It's pretty bombproof so far; it's got to have at least 60,000 miles on it by now, with the kinds of loads on it that you tend to have when you do a lot of two-up touring. If I made it again, the only difference would be that I'd have tapped all the holes, rather than used nuts and bolts to join everything.

Raw materials:




Pre=powdercoating:



On the bike:

 

magic

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Joined
Jul 6, 2015
Messages
743
Location
WISCONSIN
Paying premium prices for stuff like this that ends up cracking and failing is a big reason why I make stuff.

I made a rear rack out of 3/16" aluminum plate and a couple of pieces of aluminum angle I bought at a hardware store. I cut out the shape with a handheld jigsaw, and cut all the slots and cutouts by drilling holes and joining them with cuts made with either the jigsaw or a coping saw and a coarse wooden blade. Everything was smoothed out using hand files and sandpaper. At the time I made it, I didn't even have a drill press. The sides are bolted to the top plate. I think I have about $40 in parts; the powdercoating cost more than the materials. It's pretty bombproof so far; it's got to have at least 60,000 miles on it by now, with the kinds of loads on it that you tend to have when you do a lot of two-up touring. If I made it again, the only difference would be that I'd have tapped all the holes, rather than used nuts and bolts to join everything.

Raw materials:




Pre=powdercoating:



On the bike:

Very nice work RC.
 

AusTexS10

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Joined
Jan 24, 2020
Messages
732
Location
Austin, TX
Outstanding idea and result. You should sell that plan for those interested in following your lead. I have a (so far) uncracked Altrider, but would definitely consider making one like yours should the need arise. First class job!
 

Longdog Cymru

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Jul 21, 2018
Messages
1,665
Location
Swansea, Wales, UK
We've had a similar issue before, around the bolt holes IIRC.

Have a chat with Altrider first - you will find them helpful, just as long as the rack wasn't overloaded unduly.
Usually top boxes are marked up with a load limit and no doubt, Yamaha will have a load limit for the stock rack so no doubt Altrider should certainly have a load limit on their racks.
 

RCinNC

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Joined
Aug 30, 2014
Messages
2,816
Location
North Carolina
Out of curiosity I looked on Altrider's site for the Super Ten luggage rack and I couldn't find a load limit listed anywhere for this rack. It's not even in their installation instructions. Anyone know of a confirmed source that specifies the load limit? If they don't list a load limit, then it's a stretch for them to claim that this sort of failure is due to overloading.
 
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