Luggage Racks

Hi All pretty new to forums, so this may have been asked before. I have a 2009 VL800 with an original Suzuki sissy bar, however it has no luggage rack attached, I have searched everywhere for a rack to fit the original sissy bar but cannot find anyone who will commit to say the ones they sell will fit it 100%, even Suzuki cannot give me a straight answer apart from buy a complete new sissy bar & rack combined at approx £380, anyone else had this problem or have an answer for me. Its frustrating 

Thanks

Sorry I can't help you with you question as I don't know, however to let you know  your question will be ignored by many members unless you introduce yourself in the C'mon in and say hello section.

Hi Anthony I see you have now entered the welcome area   

Antony I know of nobody that has put an after market rack an to the stock Suzuki sissy bar. Best thing you can do is measure distance between the two mounting holes, center of hole to center of hole. Also the external distance between the two outside edges of down bars. If you post that we will probably be able to find a rack that could fit

  We would love to help but your after a mix of parts not mentioned before, give some measurements and we will do our best to help out.  


.............................................................................................................
PS. Sorry for confusion guys, I have closed the loop hole that allowed some non introduced members to post before introduction.

Hi Anthony
Perhaps does this help you?     
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=suzuki+M800&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.X+suzuki+VL800+2009+rack&_nkw=+suzuki+VL800+2009+rack&_sacat=0

Yes thanks for the link, I have contacted most of these and the all tell me that they do not know if they will fit but to check the holes etc, which i have done but they all seem just out a little, not going to buy something i have to try & modify an may botch up, so i have decided to get a local engineering company to make me one the get it chrome finished, daft that Suzuki do not make of sell racks to fit their own branded sissy bars

I wonder if the shortage of a 'Suzuki' rack to match the sissy bar might be connected to the usual 'hang-up' of how much weight you can put on the rack ?

Even after-market manufactures tend to be conservative on rating the loadings their products can carry.

My VX has a genuine Suzuki aftermarket rack which I acquired off a mate's VX prior to him selling it on. This is a variation on the cast alloy grab rail. I have mounted a Givi plate on the rack section so that I can mount my top-box on it. One thing that I have noticed is that this assembly is only mounted by two bolts - those that fitted the grab rail. However what seems to have happened is that the previous owner of my VX must have drilled out & re-tapped the holes for a larger sized bolts - I reckon this because I had to open out the holes in the cast grab rail/rack to get my bolts through. This should offer a better clamping force, but what I have found is there is some flex in this assembly, and I have to periodically check the mounting bolts for tightness. I have since used thread-lock compound on the mounting screws to help.
When looking at my VX, there are two holes in the rear sides of the mudguard (one per side), and I suspect that at some time in the past my VX had a different rear rack arrangement, and that there may have been some stays or check bars running from the rack to the (plastic) mudguard as that would take out some of the flex that I seem to have been suffering with my current arrangement.

I only thought it worth mentioning in case you are having something made up. Static loading is not the same as the 'dynamic' affects that mounting points can be subjected to in use. Not sure how you would intend picking up a rack. Whilst two bolt fixings may seem adequate when assessing how it might all fit together ... you might find that in use (especially loaded) the two bolts alone might not be adequate .... certainly 'food for thought' ... & don't get the bracket chromed until you have thoroughly tested it in use on your bike.   
That said - sissy bars on cruisers are usually better fixed than the simple two bolt connection of the grab-rail on my VX .... so some/most of the above might not apply. But I thought it might be worth sharing for the benefit of others.
For other VX owners .... I know 'Rentec' used to do a rack that fits the VX, and that would have been my choice for my bike had the Suzuki part not come my way. I may even look out for one in case I have further issues with the Suzuki part.