(crosspost from ADVRIDER): I love my Scrambler, but with those big, high pipes on the right side, it's difficult to get luggage on them. Other bike manufacturers have lots of choices when it comes to aftermarket rack systems, but AFAIK the only one available for the Scrambler is made by an English company called Metal Mule and is very hard to find in the US. However, I was fortunate to get one from a guy over on ADVRider.net early last year.
They'd been sitting in my garage since last February and I got tired of looking at them, so yesterday when the wife suggested I take the bike out for a ride (since it was so nice) I said "no, I think I'll go ahead and install that rack that I've had for so long!"
My previous setup was a Renntec rack (chrome) which I had to tweak a little to fit around the exhaust mount (at the time I got mine in 09, Renntec didn't make a rack for the Scrambler. My understanding is that they do now.) Onto that I mounted a cheap JC Whitney top case which has lasted much longer than I expected it to. Then, for my Sturgis trip in '09, I added the Triumph number boards as low-tech "saddlebag guards" and ran an inexpensive set of nylon throwover bags.
Anyway, first step was to remove my old stuff. The Metal Mule rack and pannier set comes in three pieces, the rear rack and the two side racks.
In addition to removing the seat, you also have to remove the rear fender (or as they say in England, "Mudguard.") I had never done this before so I had to interrupt the installation process to run down to the hardware store for a T30 Torx bit, since the fender is held in by 4 Torx-head bolts.
The reason the fender has to be removed is that Triumph for some reason put a threaded hole onto the inside of the shock-mounting bracket. This is the forward mounting point for the rack.
Once those bolts are in, there's a special bracket that goes on top of the rear frame bracket, this attaches both the rear rack and the side racks. The special bracket is the flat piece in the center of the picture.
After that is hooked up, the rear fender can go back in and then the side racks go on pretty easily. The side racks attach to the upper shock mounting brackets (on the outside) just like the Renntec rack did, and also to the back of the passenger footpeg brackets.
The side racks attach on the rear to the special bracket on the frame and also to another "bridging" bracket that connects the two side racks underneath the license plate.
Yes, it's a close fit to the rear turn signals, but once everything is bolted in, nothing touches the rack. It's SOLID!
Top case mounting plate attached easily and then the case went right on.
Seems like a very well built item. Too bad it's so hard to get and so expensive in the US.
Not only will it hold racks, it also makes it easy to put the bike on the center stand.
Now all I need to get are some side cases (no, not going to put the 40mm ammo cans on there - too heavy!) Anybody got any side boxes or pelican cases for sale?
They'd been sitting in my garage since last February and I got tired of looking at them, so yesterday when the wife suggested I take the bike out for a ride (since it was so nice) I said "no, I think I'll go ahead and install that rack that I've had for so long!"
My previous setup was a Renntec rack (chrome) which I had to tweak a little to fit around the exhaust mount (at the time I got mine in 09, Renntec didn't make a rack for the Scrambler. My understanding is that they do now.) Onto that I mounted a cheap JC Whitney top case which has lasted much longer than I expected it to. Then, for my Sturgis trip in '09, I added the Triumph number boards as low-tech "saddlebag guards" and ran an inexpensive set of nylon throwover bags.
Anyway, first step was to remove my old stuff. The Metal Mule rack and pannier set comes in three pieces, the rear rack and the two side racks.
In addition to removing the seat, you also have to remove the rear fender (or as they say in England, "Mudguard.") I had never done this before so I had to interrupt the installation process to run down to the hardware store for a T30 Torx bit, since the fender is held in by 4 Torx-head bolts.
The reason the fender has to be removed is that Triumph for some reason put a threaded hole onto the inside of the shock-mounting bracket. This is the forward mounting point for the rack.
Once those bolts are in, there's a special bracket that goes on top of the rear frame bracket, this attaches both the rear rack and the side racks. The special bracket is the flat piece in the center of the picture.
After that is hooked up, the rear fender can go back in and then the side racks go on pretty easily. The side racks attach to the upper shock mounting brackets (on the outside) just like the Renntec rack did, and also to the back of the passenger footpeg brackets.
The side racks attach on the rear to the special bracket on the frame and also to another "bridging" bracket that connects the two side racks underneath the license plate.
Yes, it's a close fit to the rear turn signals, but once everything is bolted in, nothing touches the rack. It's SOLID!
Top case mounting plate attached easily and then the case went right on.
Seems like a very well built item. Too bad it's so hard to get and so expensive in the US.
Not only will it hold racks, it also makes it easy to put the bike on the center stand.
Now all I need to get are some side cases (no, not going to put the 40mm ammo cans on there - too heavy!) Anybody got any side boxes or pelican cases for sale?