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This page is a "how to" page for installing
the first generation Fire & Steel Luggage Rack for a
VN700/750. Word of advice; don't do it unless you are very
determined and don't mind permanently altering parts of your bike.
The problem is that the backrest bar would not fit correctly into the down tubes on the luggage rack and would cause the bar to ride about 1-1/8" too high. Kaw had supplied a kit for this, but IMHO it made the bike look like shit and I chose not to go that direction. Also, I never got a kit with mine... |
 This is how the rack looked before modifications. Notice, the backrest bar is on top of the luggage rack which would not allow the seat and tool trunk to fit correctly. |
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 Bad close-up of how the backrest bar sits on the luggage rack downtube. |
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 We have started removing some metal that is stopping the backrest bar from sliding into the downtubes of the luggage rack. I recommend about 1-1/8 of material. |
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 Final cut - ready to install. Time on a grinding wheel, about 3 hours. Damn bar got hot as hell even through gloves... |
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 Ready to go. Don't try this mod unless you are sure you want to have that luggage rack or unless you have a spare backrest bar. I picked this one up on eBay along with a set of grab rails that I needed to replace my left one which had some stripped threads... |
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 In place awaiting fasteners. I used M6-1.0x25mm socket heads. Unfortunatly, this required me to have to cut a little of the trunk with my dremmel tool to allow the box to fit where it belongs. |
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 All done and ready for the snow to melt. Notice, the backrest bar looks normal and you cannot even see the modification. I relocated the reflector off the tool trunk to a tab on the luggage rack. This is only temporary as I will be adding another LED brake light to that tab. |
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 Done... I'm going to bed... |
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