ASK DR RUSS:GIANT LOOP LUGGAGE ON HUSKY TE610
Hi Guys: I read your magazine all the time and have paid attention to the recent Husky TE610 Project Bike articles, because I have a 2008 TE610. This is my second bike having upgraded from a 2004 DR-Z250. I am really happy with the Husky, it does everything that I want it to and has the capability for a heap more than that. Anyway, I recently bought a Giant Loop Coyote bag. I have mucked around with the fitting of the bag and while it’s pretty easy to install, I could probably do better with the fastening location for the longer fasteners. In mucking around with the fitting of the bag, I ended up connecting to a bit of frame under the airbox, this looked a bit agricultural and I couldn’t get a good bit of tension in the fastener. I have not yet used the Giant Loop and wanted to know where you fastened the bag to. Did you use the pillion pegs as the mounting point? I’m sure these would be strong enough. Thanks in advance for your help!
-- Mario Buterin, via www.trailzone.com.au
Thanks for your email, Mario.The Coyote bag is pretty easy to fit and I strapped it directly to the pillion pegs. More than adequate even when fully-loaded. It was very secure and on the rare occasion that Clubby was able to keep up, he said that it didn't budge an inch. What you do have to watch out for is the abrasion on the rear guard, sidecovers and muffler. Put some thick clear 3M contact over the back guard to start with. The Coyote kit also contains additional heat guards with the bag for left hand mufflers. Make sure you have a double layer where the bag rests against the muffler. Plus be careful of what you pack in that section of the bag: rubber thongs or shoes will never be the same after a day on the road. The Fandango Bag simply loops through in front of the tank and the rear straps under the rear of the tank and around the main backbone of the frame. The whole kit stayed secure on every ride. Finally, enjoy the TE610 -- it's the best fun I've had for a long time!
-- Lance 'Russ' Turnley, www.offroadexplorer.com for TRAIL ZONE Magazine
Cool 610! Giant Loop headquarters chiming in here regarding mounting points and heat defense:
ReplyDeleteYou can obviously use the passenger footrest brackets on this machine but we have also used the subframe (right where it meets the main frame)for a sportier fit. Either way, make sure you have those connections as tight as possible and trim the excess strap material when you have fitted your bike. We left those straps extra long for some of the larger bikes like KTM 950, BMW F800, etc..
We have found that the sewn in heat shield and self-adhesive material will not survive sustained contact with the exhaust pipe. We are now including one stainless steel hose clamp to be positioned on the exhaust pipe to create a 'stand-off' with the clamp portion to allow air to pass through. Check it out here: http://giantloopmoto.blogspot.com/2010/01/update-simple-heat-solution-from-giant.html
This simple but bomber solution can be found at just about any hardware store for $2. Super moto exhaust sliders make a sweet protector too.