Lowered position for OEM luggage rack

gv550

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I rarely have my pillion seat on the bike and I'd like to lower the rear rack so it is flush with the under-seat carrier. I found the utube video demonstrating the procedure (on a Gen1 bike), my 2016 has the removable rubber grommet and tapped hole but my stock rack is too wide to fit between the passenger grab handles. My owners manual tells about the additional carrier under the seat but no mention of lowering the rear rack. Has this feature been eliminated on Gen2 bikes? Or am I missing something?
 

AVGeek

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gv550 said:
I rarely have my pillion seat on the bike and I'd like to lower the rear rack so it is flush with the under-seat carrier. I found the utube video demonstrating the procedure (on a Gen1 bike), my 2016 has the removable rubber grommet and tapped hole but my stock rack is too wide to fit between the passenger grab handles. My owners manual tells about the additional carrier under the seat but no mention of lowering the rear rack. Has this feature been eliminated on Gen2 bikes? Or am I missing something?
The stock tail rack was actually too wide on the Gen 1 bikes as well. When I had mine in the lower position, I used a Dremel to create a relief for the stock rack, so I could keep the stock grab handles. The other option is to remove the grab handles altogether.
 

gv550

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Thanks. The video of the Gen 1 shows it being tight but he is able to screw it in place without interference. On my bike the space between the handles is 9.5 inches, and the rack measures about 10 inches where it needs to fit in. I'd need to grind away 1/4 inch each side.
Did you remove material from the rack or the handles?
I also thought of adding washers to space the handles further apart.
I'd like to keep the handles for the few times wifey does want to ride pillion.
 

yamabob

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Just add a couple washers to move the handles out a bit. I've been running it this way for a few years.


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EricV

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As Yamabob said, just add some washers. The oem bolts are plenty long enough for this.

The first production bikes had a slightly narrower rack or wider handles and it drops down like in the video. Everyone else has had the same issues you are experiencing. I just removed the handles since I don't carry passengers and the pillion seal is also removed. I used some additional spacers when installing my racks so that the spread of the Touratech mounting bars would allow me to carry the wide item I want on the back. On my Gen I, I skipped the spacers and just installed the pannier racks w/o the grab handles and it worked fine. I just had to modify the rear cross bar slightly to bolt up with the narrower spacing.

Oh, and lots of riders just took the dremel tool to the plastic rack and clearanced it so the rack would drop down. No biggie.
 

fredz43

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That is me in the video and the bike I was using was one that Yamaha was sending to some dealers for display in early 2011, before the first shipment of USA bikes got here. They were actually Euro bikes with USA body panels to look like what we would be getting later that year. As you saw, it was no problem fitting the rack between the handles on that bike. Like others, I was surprised when my 2012 got here at the end of July 2011 and the rack wouldn't fit. I just did a little Dremeling on each side of the rack and it fit fine. I had to do the same with my 2014 model when I got it.
 

gv550

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Thanks for all the advice, I'm going add washers and do some grinding if needed. I need to get a #50 socket.
My service manual does show how to install the rack in the lower position but the hand rails are removed.
 
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