2007 SV650: Project better late than never

[V1GiLaNtE]

I like camping and exploring. I tend to do most of the camping part in the 4Runner. Recently, I've been getting the urge to pack up my hammock, back packing stove, etc. and hit the road on the motorcycle for some old fashion "sleep where you park it". In order to carry those items I've been wanting to have a more "touring" setup to strap everything down. I looked around and most luggage racks are a whopping $180+. That's way too much money. I got this idea that I could build my own removable luggage rack utilizing a passenger seat.

I scored a spare seat on ebay for $16 total shipped to the house. First thing I did was pull off all the material until it was down to the frame.



I went ahead a bought a sheet of 16g steel and created an extended template to maximize the space between the grab handle.

(Ugly. Whatever, it's rough cut.)




The plan is to continue to cut, grind and shape the plate until it's a good size. I'm thinking about folding the edges over to make a more aesthetically pleasing product. For now, it'll be function > form as I get it to the proper shape and bolted down to the seat with the hardware I bought.



The overall goal is to have a flat rack where I can strap down a duffel for trips and then remove and replace with my regular passenger seat all for less than $50 in materials.