new guy with a few questions

maylar said:

Classic Bike Racks -

https://www.classicbikeracks.co.uk/product-category/norton/

It always bothered me that Norton had an Interstate touring model but they never offered any luggage racks or panniers for it.

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maylar said:

Classic Bike Racks -

https://www.classicbikeracks.co.uk/product-category/norton/

It always bothered me that Norton had an Interstate touring model but they never offered any luggage racks or panniers for it.

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John P. said:

And it’s too bad ‘cause there’d be some approach to follow--maybe even a beefier loop left behind. I guess they just left it to the aftermarket.

I understand your rack attaches to welds under the seat but is it hung entirely off that, or does it also rest on the loop? toward the back. I can’t tell from your photo.

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maylar said:

It touches the rear loop but gently with a rubber bumper. Attachment is via four 5/16" bolts. I'll try to get a photo of that.

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John P. said:

Please do/ thanks.
(and... I went to high school in East Hartford...)
(Not a bad place, but I don't mind being 3000 miles away from it.)

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napanorton said:

I always liked this design. I think I found these pics somewhere on this site, but really can't remember. Super simple, doesn't hurt the rear loop, easy on and off. Really very elegant. I guess you do loose the grab bar...

-- D


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John P. said:

There are few pictures/ ideas here that got me thinking, so thanks (this is all really helpful).

I feel I’m on the right track mounting the load at the shock mounts then somehow tying into the grab rail—the salient move being to then locate the “platform” directly over those points (where the passenger sits). The big geometry problem back there seems to be keeping the load forward, and not creating a lever worse than it needs to be.

When I get further into the build I’ll look into how to post photos (then I can stop trying to explain this with words).

A question arose in thinking about this though—which might be getting me a little too far into the weeds (but I’d like to hear anyone’s opinion)…

I wonder how much of the passenger’s weight is offset be the operator. These seats (with pillion) seem like they can kind of behave like a seesaw board, having a pivot point. My seat has none of the bumpers, so it’s kind of floating (and I’ve taken my girlfriend for plenty of rides already with no weirdness.)

I wonder because if the operator’s weight isn’t doing the heavy lifting—and the passengers load lands below the passenger (aft of the shock mount/ before the end of the seat)—is to say that that part of the loop (alone) can carry 150plus pounds (…at speed, and over bumps too). If compressed my seat’s back end land on the grabrail mounts.

I won’t be resting my rack on the seat, but if I tie into where the passengers weight falls (and load over it—not away from it) I should, arguably, be able to carry a passenger on my rack, yes?

Or, again, the operator is holding them up, and their weight alone would collapse the bikes back end.

Either way, I should be fine, but I did have the thought.

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