Thanks for all the great info so far and also the safety advice. I have been around welding and cutting for a long time but my welds look like a smashed chiuaua terd. I defeniately want it to be functional for passenger and some type of bag for traveling (dont like saddlebags). I would think that 5/8 mild round stock should be strong enough. I will try and get started on it and post pics. I think the old school sissy bar look rocks.

 

Blue oyster huh?

 

Good call on that. I HAVE made some home-built parts in the past that I wanted to modify slightly after I tried them out.

 

It will be black powdercoat

 

What timing! I just picked up a tig welder last weekend and am waiting to get in the garage and make....stuff. Ironworks magazine and cyclesource magazine both have great articles on welding and setting up.

 

If your welds look like chihuahua turds they are what is known as "cold" welds. Turn up the heat, slow down and push the puddle. You are fusing two materials together with heat. The wire (or stick) is only there to replace material that is lost. You have been piling it up.

Properly welded and with 4 bolts, my guess is that 5/8" rod would be strong enough to hang the entire bike up from the ceiling without breaking.

For those of you considering heat treatment of your sissy bars for additional strength, cold rolled steel isn't going to get you much from heat treating. A 1020 CRS has no alloying elements except for carbon and about the best that can be done with it is to have it "case hardened" which is going to give you a little wear resistance but no additional strength. If I were to use something other than mild steel, I would go with 1045 which gives a little more strength and forget about heat treating altogether. Keep in mind that 1045 is going to put up more of a fight than 1020.

You could go retro and make that thing out of square or rectangular stock. I've got a very old sissy bar for the sporty that's made out of square stock. Add a Maltese Cross and you're ready.