Adding a Luggage Rack

Yamaha XJ650 Maxim was a very successful bike in the late 70’ and early 80’ (before launching of the current cruiser bike). It beat all British bikes at that time in terms of engineering, reliability and horse power. Many of the Yamaha Xj650 or similar models are still running on road after 30 years in the North America. A lot of the XJs are parked in the garage for years. My 1983 XJ650 Maxim is bought in 2011 from the previous owner with only 9600km on the speedometer. Owners who intended to own the XJ as a collector bike would spend money to make sure it is running and carrying them from state to state or province to province. One of the short coming to make this dream comes true is the difficulties to get an OEM luggage rack in the market. Even you are willing to pay for a US$170 (excluding shipping) for a used old luggage rack, the design of the OEM luggage rack in the 70 is really not suit with the style of the XJ650 Maxim. Here comes with my experience for a complete installation of a new luggage rack.

After receiving the product from the ebay seller, I look at the bike again and discover that there are 2 bolts at the back of the bike (each side) which can be used for mounting of the extending mounting accessories. Two ¾” x 1/8” aluminum flat bars can be used to support the luggage rack by mounting them to that bolt after forming holes. The luggage rack itself (with 2 bolts holes on each side) is good enough to withstand the weight of the future loading of the luggage. However, the problem will be aluminum flat overturning effect upon loading. The solution of that is to bend the bottom of the aluminum flat to form a rigid restraint to prevent overturn of the whole thing upon loading.

Spending one hour in the local hardware store, I finally procure with the following materials:

M1, one piece 3 feet long, ¾”x1/8” aluminium flat

M2, 4 each flat head M6 bolts

M3, 4 each M6 spring washers and lock nuts

Spending almost a whole Saturday afternoon in my garage using very ordinary home tools, I measure the exact length of the aluminium flat to the desired height of my wish using a cardboard jig (about 1” above the rear light cover), trial and error to the angle for the supporting flats. At last, the mounting flats are installed properly and leveled to what I want. The luggage rack is measured and tailored marked to make sure the mounting holes are aligned with the support flat bars. After drilling of the required holes onto the flat bars, the luggage rack is successfully mounted as shown on the photo.

I have rode my bike for about 500km after installation and discovered the luggage rack is seated very solid at the back of the bike and proof no overturning sign of what so ever.

Hope this sharing is helpful.

 

nice rack. is that an oem rack? Do you know how it was supposed to be mounted?

my rack had a back rest mounted to the shocks and the bolts that held in the rear light brackest, unfortunatly the grab bar was removed to do this.

 

Xj550, this is not an OEM rack. It is only a universal sissly bar rack. Personally, I think the original rack in the 80' has been overdesigned and too big to the XJ. Please check my photos on how it was mounted. Thank you.

 

Nice conversion.

 

I see how you mounted it good job.
to clarify my question I was wondering if it was oem and how it (oem)would be mounted but is is not so there is no question about mounting to answer

 

Nice looking. I already have a sissy bar, so don't have the stock rear handle on my XJ550. However, looking at yours, I might be able to craft a similar bracket to mount a luggage rack. I like the looks of yours.

 

Thank you cgutz!