If there’s one thing every guy knows, it’s how to appreciate a front rack. [OK, that’s a dumb joke, but it had to be done.]
Putting weight on the front forks of a motorcycle is not necessarily wise. But some folks got in the habit of doing so and I think front racks just have an awesome Mad Max vibe that I can’t help but appreciate. I suspect the original idea was for when you’ve got a huge elk quarter on the rear and need a counterbalance to keep the front wheel on the ground. Or maybe that’s a bullshit story and I’m just believing crap I saw on the internet?
All I know is I very much wanted a front rack for several reasons:
- It looks cool… zombie apocalypse approved.
- If I need to grab hold of the front of the bike and physically drag it somewhere… like with a z-drag… I want a nice solid anchor point.
- You can never have too much carrying capacity.
- Did I mention it looks cool?
Unfortunately, a front rack is expensive. But as luck would have it, I found some fella on the internet that had bought a used TW and was trying to get rid of the front rack that came with it. I helped out, a few bucks changed hands via paypal, and $20 worth of shipping later I was looking at a used (not new!) rack on my workbench.
It came with no hardware. No instructions. It had a little rust, but nothing too bad. I got it for under half of what new would cost.
Here it is next to the skidplate I mentioned in my last post.
After a few days sniffing around the internet I figured how to install it. It took virtually no effort and it’s integrated into the front fork rock solid. It might actually protect the front a bit if I run into a tree or something… or not. Point is, it’s solid.
Also…
IT LOOKS COOL!
It’s not particularly practical. If I put anything heavy up there I might alter the steering balance. If I put anything bulky there I’ll block my headlamp. BUT IT LOOKS COOL!
I immediately tested it out and it was indeed handy. In these photos I’m lugging a big ass hunting ground blind on the back. I had a little propane stove in the blind and I couldn’t figure out how to carry it at the same time as the blind. Viola! Strap it down to the front with a cheap old bungee net and it worked slick as snot.
The little mule is shaping up to be an even better cargo hauler than I expected. This particular location is a stone cold bitch to get in there with an ATV. There are big rocks that hide in the grass to pound my ATV’s undercarriage and even high center it. The plucky TW is too narrow to understand the concept, it just zips to the left or right of any big rock and sweeps through just as fast as I can lift my foot out of the way and hang on. Wow!
I began a search for the perfect thing to carry on my new VERY COOL LOOKING rack. I came up with a Redcamp Wood Burning Folding Camp Stove:
Ignore for a moment that the wood stove appears to be hovering in space and the background has a hipster chick in a pretentious hat and a blonde eating a marshmallow that might be beat her in chess. The stove itself seems pretty solid.
I’ve used mine 3-4 times and been pleased with how it handles combustion. It’s pretty slick, you can have a fire in wind without hassles, and toss a bratwurst on the top for damn near instant lunch.
I got the large size. I’ve been wanting a stove like that anyway. I have an Ohuro “twig stove” that I’ve enjoyed but is also small and finicky. I simply have more carrying capacity when the bike does the work.
It’s too heavy for backpacking but folded up and zipped in it’s nice case, it should fit perfectly on the front rack. I haven’t tested it on the bike yet. I need better straps before I try. But all indications are I’ve found the perfect thing to sit right beneath the headlight beam and make camping more fun.
Here’s another photo. It’s stainless steel and fairly beefy. After you use it, it’ll lose some of the gloss. It’s a firebox, not a laptop. I give it the thumbs up for combustion, but haven’t tested long term reliability… then again it’s $35, not a lot to risk. YMMV
Ooooo, iron pony heap big shiny now! Where mini ball mount for boat trailer?
Very cool motorscycle add-ons. Thank you for describing the front rack and the shout-out for a wood burning stove.that doesn’t break the bank. May even serve as a hunting blind heating stove, given very dry fuel.
I’m not an off-road rider, but my brother has been in the past. His biggest complaint about the activity was having to watch the road so intently for road hazards, he did not have much time to appreciate the view driving by. Our rurals are south Texas brush country which earns its name when the road crew has got sloppy.
Thanks again and have a great weekend – hope you find time for a ride out there.
I’ve seen people use the front rack in order to hang a light set of panniers off either side. Great for light stuff like clothing and tarps, wouldn’t recommend heavy stuff.
Though a rack in the back and panniers back there for heavier stuff would be great, too.
I haven’t been willing to spend the scratch to get panniers or saddlebags with saddlebag supports yet. That may have to wait until 2021. If I could carry a half gallon of fuel and a half gallon of water on the front or as pannier that’s would be cool.
That front rack looks like an excellent riding location for a squirrel!
🙂
THIS:
http://itaintholywater.blogspot.com/2020/05/pure-genius.html
is what you need before next winter!
I like it! I’ve got a pile of old garage door track and I keep wondering how I can turn that into a labor multiplier; it keeps not happening. A treadmill is clever. It’s the only “pre-made” conveyor belt likely to be hanging around in a junkyard somewhere.
First, thanks – I’ve been planning on selling the large touring bike (ST1100) and replacing it with “something MUCH lighter, smaller and multi-purpose.” I think the TW200 may be the answer. But…
Fuel – you mentioned adding 1/2 gal fuel on the front rack; have you looked at larger tanks? The ST (7.4 gallons) and its predecessor (BMW R90/6 with a 9 gallon Krauser tank) have spoiled me regarding “range.” I’m not expecting 375 miles from a TW, but the 1.8 gallon factory tank is too little. Online discussions RE: aftermarket tanks are mixed as to how satisfactory some of them are. Have you done any research?
ST1100’s are excellent machines. However, you’ll most certainly like the TW200 if you’re looking for something different. The little TW is just a whole different animal from a different continent on planet motorcycle; and it’s dirt cheap.
I’ve done a ton of research about fuel. There’s an aftermarket larger tank that everyone says is something of a bitch to fit but once you’ve installed it it works well. I think the brand is Clarke? I was semi-planning to go that way.
However, when I got my TW I just plain liked the svelte little tank. I like how it fits and looks. It seems unusually pleasing for a basic component on such a cheap machine. I decided I’d be better served by a Rotopax gas container and while I’m at it I ought to get an equal sized Rotopax for water and balance the two out. I just haven’t had time or access to shopping to pursue it lately.
Keep in mind that an ST1100 and a TW200 are so different as to be different dimensions of time and space. An ST1100 is a mile eater for the highway. The TW200… isn’t. I tend to get off and smell the flowers every half hour. (I may do that less as I get used to the hard seat?) I think, for the logical use of a TW200, there’s no real penalty for getting off the bike and filling up from a spare gas can. But there are advantages in that you can put the weight lower or leave it home on short rides.
I’m still testing out ideas so YMMV.
Also, you can keep the ST1100 and get a TW200 anyway. I sure as hell didn’t sell my Honda Shadow 1100 ACE. Very different machines, they don’t live in the same habitat.
I should also mention that the little bike is more fun. It’s just more smiles per pound than a big machine. You can have lots of fun on a bigger machine, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that the little bike which you can dump without scratching expensive chrome or faerings and which you can bounce into tree stumps and stuff… it’s a lot less mental overhead. (Unless you’re into riding though the woods very fast.. and a TW ‘aint made for that.) So you may find that stepping “down” from your awesome ST1100 will relieve a lot of stress when you’re riding. Just my two cents.
Last note: Have you read my series about The Ric Ocasek / Honda ST1100 Conundrum? It begins with “this is the story about Ric Ocasek’s mechanical analogue and the ensuing smokin’ hot babe.” One of my favorite stories. (And it’s all true!)
Hope you’re doing well. Heads up: SpaceX will be launching two astronauts to the ISS today at 4:30 PM Eastern time. It will be the first manned launch by the US in over 9 years.
Fingers crossed for a successful launch. There will probably be a livestream somewhere on the internet.
Space! I may watch it. Thanks for the head’s up.
Looks like it was delayed.
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