Welcome to the Dual-Sport/Dirt Motorcycle Equipment Forum!

[Moses Ludel]

The burgeoning interest in overland motorcycle travel and dual-sport conversions has many incentives. Aside from the relatively inexpensive nature of motorcycling when compared to four-wheeled travel, there is also the unique sensation of open-air, two-wheeled adventure, traveling overland to far away, dirt road places...Every dual-sport enthusiast has his or her idea of the ideal motorcycle adventure. Mine happens to be twofold: the Himalayas (specifically Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet) or Mongolia! Oh, then there's also the Silk Road...

 

To even consider such a grand scale trip would require solid planning and the right equipment. Motorcycle stowage space is limited, and fuel is scarce at distant places. Fuel capacity is always a concern, often remedied with an aftermarket tank during a dual-sport conversion. Camping gear must be compact, light in weight and effective. Despite space limitations, your physical needs will be the same. Quality, life-preserving equipment is the order of the day. 

 

This forum community is for those of us earnestly outfitting for long distance travel to remote places. Even shorter jaunts across a remote mountain range, a desert like the Mojave or Black Rock, Death Valley, Central Nevada or whatever, requires provision for the temperature extremes in an arid climate.

 

I've lived at high desert and higher altitudes the majority of my life, so temperature swings of 40-degrees F or more in a 24-hour cycle are not foreign. I've worked outdoors at -20-degrees F with wind chill added from there. I know what materials are life saving in extreme cold—whether running heavy equipment at Winnemucca in December or riding a motorcycle over the Sierra in the late fall or spring. 

 

Enjoy this Dual-Sport and Dirt Motorcycle Equipment Forum, it's a community where we can all share our enthusiasm and insight for safely and practically traveling to remote places!—Moses Ludel 

[DavidEasum]

Hi Moses,

 

I just checked out your videos on the TCI racks and Nelson Rigg bags for the video platform XR650R. Very nice. I was wondering if the rack understructure would fit all the XR650R models though.

 

Mine, as an EU model, has a steel tubular subframe under the fender and attached to the regular aluminum subframe. This extra subframe serves to support the rear fender and license plate bracket (and light). I have a feeling that it would interfere with the TCI set-up, which is unfortunate. You can see the extra part on the EU parts fiche (part number 84710-MBN-651).

 

If I ever got the itch to take my XR on more than just a day trip, the TCI/Nelgon Rigg setup would really be optimal, but if it wont fit then I'll have to think about other solutions... Your thoughts would be appreciated.

[Moses Ludel]

David...I looked at the parts diagram, and your under-fender bracket does not attach with the same four bolts as the TCI support bracket.  However, you might be able to substitute the TCI Products bracket for your stock EU bracket under the fender.  If the TCI part could support the rack, the fender, your taillight and the license bracket, you would have one bracket for all these needs.  Do you have the four screw holes in the bike's aluminum frame for the TCI bracket to attach? 

 

It might be possible to use the TCI Products bracket with its four screws going forward into the frame, then add some links from the TCI support to catch the rear of the fender.  The only issue would be the height of the fender above the support, the point where I drilled the holes and put the spacers.  Even that could be adjusted if necessary.  The idea with the TCI under fender support is that it eventually must take a good load. 

 

TCI stated flatly that they regularly place 60 pounds on this kind of rack.  There was no weight limit in the literature, and the rack itself would support a considerable amount of weight with no issue.  However, considering the four 6mm screws that hold the under-fender support bracket to the bike's frame, I will likely limit my total load to 70 pounds, including the weight of the bags and rack.  That weight would be distributed between the two seat bolt points (where I show the rack pivoting) and the brace point where the two through-the-fender screws attach to the under-fender bracket.

 

I'm happy to take measurements or provide close-up photos if you want to pursue this.  The racks and bags are terrific.  I had concerns that the aesthetic line of the bike would suffer, losing the spare "Baja enduro racer" look.  I quickly got over this with the utility and sleek design of the racks and luggage.  The result is a true dual-sport profile that's very functional and at the same time proportionate and attractive.  I like it!

 

Moses