Any Need For Luggage Racks Anyone?

[ron bayless]

mY GS 1000 HAS A LUGGAGE RACK ON IT.I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION RACKS WERE AVAILABLE FOR THESE BIKES.IS THERE ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A CUSTOM MADE ONE OR OTHER SUCH SIMILAR PARTS IF MY BUDDY AND I WERE ABLE TO MAKE THEM.I REALLY WANT TO BE A GO TO GUY FOR GS AFTERMARKET STUFF LIKE THIS.SOMETHING FOR MY RETIREMENT YEARS I GUESS.

[rgierer]

racks

do you have a pic and price? how bout 1100e's?

[Rake78GS]

Yes

mY GS 1000 HAS A LUGGAGE RACK ON IT.I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION RACKS WERE AVAILABLE FOR THESE BIKES.IS THERE ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A CUSTOM MADE ONE OR OTHER SUCH SIMILAR PARTS IF MY BUDDY AND I WERE ABLE TO MAKE THEM.I REALLY WANT TO BE A GO TO GUY FOR GS AFTERMARKET STUFF LIKE THIS.SOMETHING FOR MY RETIREMENT YEARS I GUESS.

If you do decide to do this I would like to order on e for my '78 GS 1000.

There was one on my '82 750Tz. It also had a back rest incorporated into it, that could be adjusted for the passanger or slid forward for the driver to use. It was great for long trips.

Man I miss that '82...........

[Jethro]

May I suggest a style for the 1100E's?

Not to toot my own horn, but I have seen a lot of racks, and for the 1100E (sporty style, mind you) I believe I have one of the best looking and best functioning rack I have come across.

It's a simple home made rack that I picked up off Ebay, for a pretty penny as well. It has a removeable back rest that slides into holes in the rack and attaches with pins underneath the rack.

[ron bayless]

REALLY WANT TO BE A GO TO GUY FOR GS AFTERMARKET STUFF LIKE THIS.SOMETHING FOR MY RETIREMENT YEARS I GUESS.

first of all, let me say, my gs 1000 has a factory rack on it that is higher in the back because of the orinal stepped king an queen configuration of the seat.I wonder if anyone would like that or not? Secondly, the 1100 is the most beautiful of all the gs bikes in my opinion,but i truly do love my gs 1000l, and the 1100 footpegs are too far back for me, thus i am making the forward controls for that reason.Jigging up for a rack is possible, but lots of work and the 750,850, and 1000 would hopefully take the same rack.the 1100 looks like a one of a kind, and we would have to have a 1100 rack to use for a pattern.

[semerm]

85-gl?

Depending on the price, if one was available for my 1981 gl 850, I might be interested.

[ron bayless]

Message To Smerm

I Was Wondering, What Do You Think Is A Fair Price For Something Like Luggage Racks,highway Bars,forward Controls.i Can Tell You My Cost Alone For The Forward Controls Is Pretty High.i Do Not Intend Trying To Pass The High Cost Onto Any Potential Customers,but Folks Need To Realize When You Make Something Useful And It Doesnt Otherwise Exist,the Price Will Not Be Real Low,but Tolerable.i Would Think Chromed Forward Controls Would Be About $450 And Black Oxide About $400, Highway Bars About $150, And Luggage Racks That Mount To The Existing Frame Points Of The Gs Bikes Should B About $250.many Aftermarket Companies Ask Much More, And My Prices May Seem Too High, But When These Are All Handmade And Not By Cnc Machines Or Robotic Welds, The Labor Time Is Quite High.

[Rake78GS]

Well i can tell you that in the reatil sector you cont the cost of the machinery in as a portion of the cost. You expect to sell X number of items and average the cost of your equipmet and general supplies into that.
I would be willing to drop $300 on the forwards, $150 for the hiway bars, about $200 for the luggage racks.

Another part of the equation (what you are trying to find here) is what will the market stand to pay.

The restuarant industry works on the 30% rule. 30% food cost, 30% wages, 30% fixed costs, 10% profit. If you can reduce any of these then you are doing GREAT!

[ron bayless]

I would be willing to drop $300 on the forwards, $150 for the hiway bars, about $200 for the luggage racks.

Another part of the equation (what you are trying to find here) is what will the market stand to pay.

The restuarant industry works

Thanks for the information.This helps.And yes, you don have to price yourself into business,not out of it.So far our costs are high, and we are hoping to find bulk supplies that drive the cost down for us.The couplers costing $2000.00 just for the tools to cut them with was a hard thing for me to ante up for.I hope to sell several sets to recoup my expense on that.it would take a long time for me to tell how much this project has already cost me in time and considerable money, but that is noone else's fault and i dont intend a handful of people paying me back in the sale of only a few items sold.I would rather try and most likely be able to sell 20 sets for $300 whereas i might sell one at $500.00.Do you think I am on the right track Rake?

[Rake78GS]

I would be willing to drop $300 on the forwards, $150 for the hiway bars, about $200 for the luggage racks.

Another part of the equation (what you are trying to find here) is what will the market stand to pay.

Thanks for the information..I would rather try and most likely be able to sell 20 sets for $300 whereas i might sell one at $500.00.Do you think I am on the right track Rake?

So far you sound good. But what about trying to broaden the range? The CB750 is in HUGE demand for custom work. How hard would it be to modify your design to accomodate that market? I know you want to stick with the GS but it IS a limited market.

Look into http://hondachopper.com/ they might be another market you could tap into.

The guys are more into preservation but you never know : http://cb750.org/

[ron bayless]

message to rake

i agree,honda chopper site is one site i have explored a lot already.it seems a lot of stuff including forward controls are already available to them,plus amen choppers has a complete book of custom parts for them already,plus there are page after page of custom 750 honda choppers,so i figure i am too late for that market.if you have a mind to, go to seeger cycle and click on forward controls for the cb 750.you will see what our forward controls will look like when finished.plus their controls cost $549.00 and the footpegs dont even fold up and there is no choice of changing to some you might like.i guess the honda guys dont mind spending money as much as i do.I am basically a cheaper is better person as long as the quality is good,so 549 for their controls is outrageous to me.

[Rilla]

ok im reading about these hand made parts that you want to sell. when can we see some pictures of your work? im tryin to make my GS850L a nice cruser.

let me know if you can do anything with this... http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/inde...3-73c5c82f5eff

[ron bayless]

reading about these hand made parts that you want to sell. when can we see some pictures of your work? im tryin to make my GS850L a nice cruser.

let me know if you can do anything with t

i AM AT WORK, CANT SEE YOUR LINK FROM HERE.WILL BE OFF WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY,26TH AND 27TH.WILL LOOK AT YOUR LINK AND RESPOND THEN.OUR FORWARD CONTROLS WILL LOOK GOOD.THERE IS A PRELIMINARY PICTURE WE POSTED A LONG TIME AGO IN APPEARANCE MODS TITLED PICTURES OF RON BAYLESS' FORWARD CONTROLS.IT IS ONLY THE SHIFTER SIDE AND A CRUDE REPRESENATION OF WHAT OUR FINISHED PRODUCT WILL BE.WE PIECED TOGETHER SOME ROUND TUBING, A COUPLE OF RODENDS, AN A HARLEY TOE PEG FOR THE MOCK UP TO GIVE ANYONE SOME SORT OF IDEA.GO TO SEEGER CYCLE,CLICK ON THEIR FORWARD CONTROL LINK, THEN CLICK ON CB 750 AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT OURS WILL LOOK LIKE PRETY MUCH.ONLY OURS WILL HAVE FOLDING FOOTPEGS AND COME IN CHROME OR BLACK OXIDE.PLUS, I HAVE A TOTALLY NEW DESIGN TEMPLATE NOW WE MIGHT USE TO MAKE THEM LOOK A LOT LIKE THOSE BY MAJOR COMPANIES.SINCE THOSE WILL HAVE SOME OUTSOURCING DUE TO US HAVING NO PLASMA CUTTER, THE COST WILL BE HIGHER.THE LUGGAGE RACK IDEA WILL MOST LIKELY FOLLOW THE LEAD GIVEN HERE OF THE GUYS SILVER 1100 POSTED HERE.GREAT LOOKING BIKE AND GREAT LOOKING RACK IDEA.ALL OF THEM WILL HAVE THE SAME LOOK, BUT HAVE DIFFERENT MOUNTS FOR THE 750,850,1000,ETC.I WISH SOME GS EXPERT HERE WOULD TELL ME IF THE 750,850, AND 1000 WOULD MOST LIKELY HAVE THE SAME MOUNTING POINTS AND SPREAD FOR RACKS AND OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS.

[ron bayless]

Second Message To Rilla

One More Thing, The 850 Is A Really Nice Looking Cruiser.what We Are Doing May Seem Sacrilege To Some, Changing The Way A Gs Bike Looks.that Is Why All Our Stuff Will Be Bolt On.the Classic Look Can Be Maintained Or Reattained By Simply Unbolting Them And Putting The Old Parts Back On.a True Gs Rack Doesnt Exist Any More.the Forward Controls Never Did.until Now.i Am Hoping By Week 1 Of August I Will Have The Forward Controls Done To Take To Cassville Missouri Gs Convention.

[ron bayless]

ok im reading about these hand made parts that you want to sell. when can we see some pictures of your work? im tryin to make my GS850L a nice cruser.
Whew!!!! i am home now,what a cool looking bike you have.Love those pipes,love that seat.Yep, imagine riding easy rider style with your legs stretched out comfortably on forward controls made by my little business venture.Hours of riding,cruising,touring,whatever,all in a comfortable relaxed position.I intend making a luggage rack at some point for gs bikes.i doubt you would want one on a bike like yours.beautiful bike brother.