Behold! The whale!

Actually it doesn't look too bad.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Mounting the rack was a complete bastard of a job, no shit. Like most non factory stuff the fit was crap. Fuque me drunque its a bloody heavy bit of kit too. To answer the question nobody asked? No, you can't use the Mistral which is a PITA as I really like it as a pipe both in looks and performance. I was really hoping that the rack would be easy to install and remove and would work with the Mistral but it was not to be. I haven't ridden anywhere yet because I haven't re-mapped it for the Termi. I'll hopefully do that tomorrow after I've addressed the other main issue.

The pannier racks are attatched to the rear rack and supported by only two 6mm button head bolts!  The rear one has a bobbin on that you slide the rack over before tightening it and the front bolt that does the locating. Quite simply, as I feared, the racks wobble around and I fear that two 6mm bolts flexing and working in shear are a rece for the dreaded  disappearing pannier syndrome. In this case having the bag jump ship with the rack still attatched.

Because it is such a prick to get the rack on and off and it requires re-locating the indicators, (That's another story!) I reckon I'll have to stick with the Termi or decide whether I'm going to use the luggage enough to keep it. Hmmmm. Its a hard ask. The rack itself isn't *Too* fuggly. I can live with it although it does upset the brutal lines of the GRiSO which I love. I think I'll be keeping it as is for a few months anyway. If any of the Aussie crew would like to borrow the Mistral to see how it performs they're welcome to try it. Loaned on a 'You bend it? You mend it' basis of course.

Pete

oh that's a generous offer, but i fear it would cost me more in the long run..

cya
Scot.

Why??? You have a perfectly good Mana for the touring thing.

They actually don't look too foul. It's a shame you had to pull the Mistral off. 


Scot, you would definitely be forking out if you rode a G with that Mistral. That pipe plus my Mistral map =   

Why? Because I really like touring with hard, QD, luggage. One of the shittiest bugbears of the Cali 14 was that it's bags weren't Qd.

The Mana is ideal for Jude and I to travel together but when I get a chance to cut loose on my own I want to both GRiSO and 'Carry'.

The semi-rigid kit I have is fine but it leaks like a bastard and is inelegant, much more so than this set up.

Just what I want really. It's another one of those 'No right or wrong' things. Just what I want to use my old clunker for......

Pete

beetle wrote:

Scot, you would definitely be forking out if you rode a G with that Mistral. That pipe plus my Mistral map =   

I fear he's right. Scot, the Mistral and his latest map is the fucking biz! Warm up is still not perfect but other than that.......

You're just up the road. You want to try it? G'wan, you know you want to.........  

Pete

Pete Roper wrote:

Mistral and his latest map is the fucking biz! Warm up is still not perfect but other than that.......

Pigs Arse! Warm up is most excellent. How old is your copy?   

Fuctifiknow? It was the last one I was aware of . I'll drag it our tomorrow and have a look. Remember I'm a lot higher than you and its been cold as an ice-maiden's dildo up here for the last week or two!

Pete

Yer, it's academic now you've gone back to the Termi.

If I can work out a way to swap the shit out quickly it'll spend most of its time in the shed! No questions. I do use both my bikes as pack-mules too though and I'm not 'Ricky Racer' any more.

Believe me Mark, I'd love to be 50 again! I'd love even more to be 25 and not have shitty eyesight, be half deaf,R-E-A-L-L-Y slow reactions and arthritis in my bloody hands. Oh, you can add having the skills of a GP rider and a ten inch willy! Alas none of these things are going to be immediately forthcoming so I reckon I'll just have to put up with being an old, fat, grumpy bastard with an ugly motorbike!

Pete

That set up doesn't look bad at all Pete, and seems very utilitarian to boot. I run the C-Bows which are great for a weekender, but in all practicality, there's not much room to speak of, especially if you want to bring tools, spares, first-aid, patches/pump etc. I'm still on the lookout for an ideal solution. I don't think you are far off there.

Pity about the poor fitment, but I am not too surprised. Stucchi offers some nicely designed stuff, but poor fit is pretty inexcusable.

I have the same bags with custom made racks since Givi doesn't make them for the GRiSO.
I'll be in the Mountains on September 6th so I'll mount mine pretty soon.

Pete, it doesn't look bad at all. Those Monokey Givis are the best looking ones for our bike anyway...

Yah, it was your home made system that made me plump for the Stucchi option. Given my time again I think I would of gone your route and got Fitzy over the back to copy your system, (I can't weld for shit, really, nothing more than soldering!). The Stucchi system is well made and looks OK but it is stupidly heavy, it must weigh five Kg at least, but its greatest failure is that shitty two-bolt mount system!

I'm sure if you read the fine print you'll find an 'All care, no responsibility' clause but quite frankly its completely inadequate. I haven't looked too closely at a resolution but there are ample points under the tail to triangulate a bracing mount and really, that's all it needs. It won't even need to be massive, 5 to 7mm bar with an eye at each end braced to the bungee bobbin bolts will do just fine. I can't see why they aren't part of the kit!

It'll all be good. I wish it had arrived earlier as I would of liked to do the 'Flat Tappet Swansong' trip I wrote about before. Alas that is not going to happen. Over the next couple of months though I hope to have it rollerised, smartened up again, maybe even of fitted a cruise control and then I'll be going off on sabbatical for a couple of weeks, (With Jude's permission.). It would seem my body is wearing out a bit quicker than I thought. As the old saying goes, use it or lose it. I reckon I've got a good few sets of tyres in me yet but I don't want to waste what remains of my arthritic joints on riding too and fro to Canberra! Fuck that!

Pete

Shit Pete that made coffee come out my nose, out to have a warning sticker....

Believe me Mark, I'd love to be 50 again! I'd love even more to be 25 and not have shitty eyesight, be half deaf,R-E-A-L-L-Y slow reactions and arthritis in my bloody hands. Oh, you can add having the skills of a GP rider and a ten inch willy! Alas none of these things are going to be immediately forthcoming so I reckon I'll just have to put up with being an old, fat, grumpy bastard with an ugly motorbike!

Pete[/quote]

I thought you were talking about me for a second! At 64 things are going south rapidly and it's harder to recover from every little physical issue. 5 years goes by in a heartbeat, or engine throb, if you prefer. Get out and walk more or ride the bicycle a bit. That's my plan, anyways.
BTW I think your touring set-up looks fantastic! Some kind of strut to keep it from bouncing is the ticket. You'll figure it out.   

I'm with ya Pete, as well as being short, fat, old, half deaf, short sighted with aches and pains, and can't ride out of sight on a dark night, I've now developed Hoigof syndrome;
Highly Opinionated, Intolerant, Grumpy Old Fart.

Not able to comment on the 10" willy, can't find it.

Was in hospital yesterday for a check up on my left ear, had Calosteatoma removed 2 years ago. Bony growth in inner ear, sends you mad like a flea bitten mongrel dog, forever scratching at an itch you can't get to. Think Vinny Van Goff. My good ear is rated at 40%. But to make you feel better the clinic was filled with retarded kids all with ENT problems, poor little buggers will never have opportunity to even know what a Guzzi is. Coincidently, every mother was grossly obese. Wonder if that has anything to with the kids health. Hang on a minute, my mum was fat too.

Well I de-whaled it this AM after loading up the latest iteration of the 'Aftermarket with dBk' map. That was very nice and probably for touring would be more suitable than the Mistral no dBk map but it didn't have the 'Edge' and 'Fuck Me Drunk'! Midrange and top-end in the middle gears that makes the Mistral combination so addictive. A bit of frigging around but I reckon I'll be able to work out a way to mount and dismount the bag system reasonably quickly AND reinforce it too.

As Mark sez I hand tha Mana for *Normal* touring duties. I'll sacrifice an hour or two of my time installing/uninstalling the bag system when I need it. For everyday use I'm afraid I have to keep the GRiSO naked!

I also finally got around to installing my 'Shock-Sock' and taking off the hugger, (Skidmarx.) that I've had on for the last year or two. Never had any problems with it but it does foul the Mistral at full compression so off it comes. Its for sale if anyone is interested.

Pete

Pete, do you have the racks that came with the bags? Mine were for a 800VFR...
If so, send them to me and I'll make you a rig.
My contribution to you for your contribution to the rest of us.  

Mate, its a lovely offer but I now have the POS stuff from Stucchi which I have mates who can help me make work.

If you do feel altruistic though I suggest you DO doppel a set and offer them up here for auction or sale and give the proceeds to some worthy cause. That way there are more winners than me!!!

Pete

PS. The reason I am so active on some boards, here and elsewhere, is because I enjoy it. It neither needs or deserves any *Reward*! I'm essentially a very selfish person.

so youll be ready when that russell day long comes back....maybe do it in pink naugahyde 

Now yer talkin!

What was involved in hacking up the VFR mounts for the GIVI bags to get it work on the GRiSO?

As much as I like soft bags like the Wolfman and Ortlieb's I really miss the locking panniers I had on the Quota. Everytime I open up Pete's thread those bags look better and better (the man has way too much influence....).

You all make me think I should hang with a younger crowd! Dang! To be fair, since you're riding bikes you're younger than the old farts that don't.

rboe wrote:

What was involved in hacking up the VFR mounts for the GIVI bags to get it work on the GRiSO?

I made a thread about making those mounts:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
You'll need a welder and... a ruler. You know, measure twice cut once.   

@Pete: I'd make a set for auction but I still need the actual part (the square ring) that secure the bags and all and I hate to buy a set of mounts just for that.

Thanks!

I have the Hepco Becker kit, but those Givi bags looks good.

Now to find a nice pipe and tune for my G11 that completed the package.