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I too owe WARG a nod for this. Diamond plate and sheet steel was too expensive when I compared it to the cost of an old yield sign I had 'laying around'. It is thin enough to cut easily and rigid enough to work. One of the best/easiest DIY mods I've seen on here.
I am getting ready to mount my swingarm bag using this setup and was wondering if you guys had to drill holes into the bag or could you use the slits that are in the bag for the leather straps. I am mounting a leatherworks 312xl bag
So here's a few pics of the way I mounted mine. I decided the plate inside the bag would provide much better support for the bag, and the three mounting points would eliminate the torsional stresses on the top two bolts. I used large fender washers on the backside of the bag to prevent the threaded couplers from pulling through the leather over time. The plate I cut out of 1/8" aluminum and sprayed it black. Everything else was from the hardware store, total cost for materials couldn't be more than $20.
Last edited by jreichart; Apr 4, 2013 at 05:46 AM.
I agree that it's too pricey. But you guys said early in this thread that someone should make a kit. Well, someone has.
Plus, though DIY is fine and can save some bucks, there's a time factor in doing that. Maybe you'd rather use the few hours another way. And not everyone has diamond plate laying around, or a garage for that matter.
So, there's a kit if you want it for 100 bucks. Don't shoot the messenger.
I agree that it's too pricey. But you guys said early in this thread that someone should make a kit. Well, someone has.
Plus, though DIY is fine and can save some bucks, there's a time factor in doing that. Maybe you'd rather use the few hours another way. And not everyone has diamond plate laying around, or a garage for that matter.
So, there's a kit if you want it for 100 bucks. Don't shoot the messenger.
Wasn't knocking you...just the price of the kit. I mean seriously...how hard is it to go to the hardware store and pick up the nuts, bolts and washers for this? The backing plate does not have to be metal...I'm using Plexi-glass. Anyone can cut and drill plexi with a drill and a box cutter.
I suspect you'll see the price of that kit drop pretty quick...and i'm betting it still will be too high.
I finished mine over the weekend and went with the diamond plate on the back side and it was $27 from Lowe's and had about $10-$15 in all the stainless steel nuts and bolts. The diamond plate sheet was 1'x2' and I still have over half of it left. Easy to do. Mocked everything up first and cut the sheet big and just kept making it smaller till I got to where it fit good and looked right. Blue loctited everything. I took it out for a spin and I don't think it is going anywhere. I also have a side license plate mount mounted in the rear axle and still got my bag on there
Wasn't knocking you...just the price of the kit. I mean seriously...how hard is it to go to the hardware store and pick up the nuts, bolts and washers for this? The backing plate does not have to be metal...I'm using Plexi-glass. Anyone can cut and drill plexi with a drill and a box cutter.
I suspect you'll see the price of that kit drop pretty quick...and i'm betting it still will be too high.
It's all good. I went the DIY route this weekend myself. I used black artist canvass (more rigid than aluminum, lighter than plastic and aluminum) inside the bag, in addition to fender washers outside and inside. Used all three mounting points.
It seems very strong. I will say this about the kit though, if it were priced at like 60 bucks, it would be worth it under many circumstances.
First, as someone just pointed out, you are already going to pay about 40 for the hardware and materials if you don't have them handy. If a trip to the hardware store is a pain in the **** for you -- it often can be in a big city like mine -- then the extra 20 bucks for a cleanly fabricated kit is ay ok, I would think.
YMMV. And it's still 100 bucks, now, which is too expensive.
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