Farkalized stuff.

[outpost22]

After the recent Big Mak tank bag upgrade, I decided to add a GIVI V46 Center Bag with top rack. Been doing much more two up riding and the stock bag for the 1100RT is too small with the top taper and bottom indent. The new bag seems to be dimensionally similar to the stock bag, but holds about 40% more due to its internal open chamber. It sits higher on the bike with the new mounting bracket, but in turn adds a nice back rest for the pillion along with nice rear reflectors for better visibilty to cages.

If anyone orders the top rack like I did, the template that GIVI supplies to mark the drilling holes was off over 1/8" to the actual holes in the rack. I "finessed" the bracket to shape these holes to fit the mounting holes without too much bother.

 

The next project was the PIAA 1100X lights on a "Cycle Gadgets provided" bracket and light kit with the auto switch (turn the lights on/off with the turn signal cancellor).

 

Wiring it was fairly simple and mounting the bracket wasn't too bad at all, except for what followed:

 

The bracket is held on by two phillips head bolts (that should have been Hex or TORX) that screw into retaining nuts on the bracket. After hand tightening the screws into the bracketwith a screw driver, I noticed one of the screws stopped turning about 1/16th of an inch from being tight. Upon backing the screw out about 2 turns, it bound up in the locking nut...HMMMM... Subsequent attempts to loosen or tighten it resulted in going nowhere. Unable to move it either direction, I had to get my drill driver to try to convince it to come off. Result= broken bolt..no surprise. I then decided to back off the other screw by hand and "through bolt" the lights instead. Well, the other bolt did the same thing as the original one. Out comes the drill driver to convince it too, but rather than breaking off, it strips the head...UGGG. Now for the B*tch of a job to remove the dashboard and nose fairing to get to the hidden bracket. Then it was working the dremmel to cut off the offending bolt. Drill out the worthless studs and retaining nut... and 4 hours later from the start of this, all was well.

 

I contacted Cycle Gadgets about the "quality" of the bolts/bracket issue. I was immediatley told by a gal (with a smirky attitude) there to call the manufacturer of the bracket in Dallas as it wasn't CG problem but the manufacturer instead. Excuse me??? I informed her that I purchased the bracet from CG, Not the manufacturer. She said there was nothing she could do. Upon escalating the pass the buck conversation and being told I was the only one in 4 years to have a problem with this product line yada yada, she finally agreed to credit back the bracket cost just to get me off the phone. We'll see... Then at the end she again insisted I call the Manufacturer....I guess her dialing finger must have broken

I guess the next time I get a bad can of peaches at the grocery store, I'll have to call S&W foods for a refund instead of the grocer...yeah right.

 

Sorry for teh long-winded writing, I just hope others who might install this stuff may benefit from my experiences.