Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Hi again. Been a while since I've been on here.

I'm in my final year of a teaching degree, and decided that I'm probably going to need a way to cart all my books to school and back so I started looking into getting a luggage rack for my gpx 250. From what I could find out, the Ventura racks were going for about $300 - $400 but I managed to find secondhand gearsack rack and bag for $50. I hear that they're better/stronger anyway?

Just wondering if anyone here can tell me how to go about sticking it on the bike, pics would be great if you have them. The guy at the shop reckons it'll fit, but I might need to do some bending to get it all snug?

Did I make the right choice in grabbing it straight away?

I have 2 Gearsack racks - mount it properly and it will be fine. On my 500 the rack has 2 tabs on each side that bolt onto the rear frame. Pretty easy to do or have done for you.

$50 seems to me to be a good price

I WISH we could still get Gearsack racks and bags

They had another rack there. Had a bit of rust on it, but he only wanted $35 for it. He might post it?

seiko1 wrote:I WISH we could still get Gearsack racks and bags

As far as I am aware, the bags are still available. I know I bought one to years ago brand new!

Strika wrote:

seiko1 wrote:I WISH we could still get Gearsack racks and bags

As far as I am aware, the bags are still available. I know I bought one to years ago brand new!

I know about the bags....it's the square (tougher) tubing that I want

waynemorgan, Would you be able to post a couple of pictures so I can see how you've attached it? Just trying to work out where is the best place to bolt it to.

is the rack made especially for youre model bike?

Tim, I think they are all the same? The shop guy reckons it'll fit but I'm not quite sure of the best place to attach it to on the bike. I have a rough idea, but I figured if I could get a look at a couple already attached I can work it out. I just didn't want to go bolting to something that won't take the weight properly.

There are normally two methods of fitment depending on the rack you buy. A custom rack like a Ventura (which by the way, the racks they make are actually OK, I have never had a ventura rack fail, only the bags!) it bolts straight into where the luggage hooks are on the ducktail. (The silver flip up bits of metal you hook occy straps to) Just remove the hooks and the rack mounts bolt straight into them.

If you have a Gearsack rack, then it is all about using common sense. As common sense is pretty uncommon these days, it might pay to have someone who is good with there hands to help you. Now I am not saying good with there hands as in happy ending hands! As then you would most likely end up fitting incorrectly if at all. However, if you have a mate who is a builder, plumber, sparky or such, they could probably manage it.

As a guide, the brackets they give you usually mount up under the side of the ducktail into whatever bolts you can manage to find.

Honestly it isn't that hard, just remember a few simple rules.

1. make sure you take a special note of how you pull things apart, just so you can get them back together.
2. Take your time. Rush it and you'll fuck it!
3. If you are really dumb, tag all the parts with a label and seperate them into labelled boxes/containers.
4. drugs and alcohol usually speed up the process.
5. If you have any bits left over, just hide hem.....it'll be ok....promise!
6. If the rack falls off on your first ride, you've done it wrong!


Hope all this helps!

That's pretty much how it was explained by the guy at the shop.
I'll have a look at it on the weekend and see if I can nut it out. I was just a little worried about trying to attach it somewhere that will snap off as soon as I put something in the bag. Thanks for the tips though

A bike shop hey..................that's where I learnt the spiel too!!

One last bit of advice, remember when doing all the nuts and bolts back up. Just do them up tight till they strip, then back them off half a turn!

I think the guy I bought the bike off followed that last one, but forgot to back off half a turn at the end. I'm going to have to drill through the screws holding the belly on if I ever want it off.

Will let you know how it goes.

Dinnes wrote:I think the guy I bought the bike off followed that last one, but forgot to back off half a turn at the end. I'm going to have to drill through the screws holding the belly on if I ever want it off.

Will let you know how it goes.

Just check that last one mate. You might find that all that is happening with your fairing screws is the following.

Most fairing screws have a nut on the other side which is encased in rubber. The rubber squashes and spreads as you tighten the bolt into the nut and secures the fairings. However, over time, the rubbers go hard and perish. Then, they lose there hold on the inside of fairing and just spin with the bolt when you try to unscrew it. Try sticking one hand inside the fairing and holding the little rubber encased nut and the bolt may unscrew. HTH

Nah it doesn't spin. Its stuck good and tight. Had to get the hacksaw onto it after I stripped the head with the screwdriver, still wouldn't budge. Figured it could stay there until I really need to get in there and then I'll drill through it.