This is a review/install walk-through for the Back Roads Moto racks made for Wolfman Luggage. Berg Briggs is the mastermind behind the racks and designs each set of racks personally. He and Eric have come up with an ingenious way to mount soft saddlebags to the Lil' Blue bike, and we're going to take a closer look at the racks now.
This is the rack system you get for your hard earned dinero. Looks simple enough...
12 years ago, when Lynn Hodges needed a cargo rack for his bike he spent his spare time designing what would be his first billet aluminum cargo rack. It turned out he wasn't the only one impressed with the way the billet rack looked and functioned. Seven years later, at the start of 2004, the motorcycle division was split off from parent company Production Automation to become Pro Moto Billet Incorporated. The new name brought a new 25,000+ square foot facility and double the production capacity. Two years later Pro Moto Billet acquired Fastway Performance (and their amazing footpegs)--but that's another story. For more about the Fastway Pegs, see HighFive's review >>here<<. The moral of the story is when you do something really well, it's contagious and people tell other people.
So, what is this cargo rack that started it all? Take a look before we dig into the install.
I must admit that I've been less than thrilled with the stock footpegs on my WRR. Don't get me wrong, they have performed fine. They are just too narrow to suit my riding style and comfort. I exert a lot of force through applied peg pressure when I ride technical stuff. I'm always pulling and pushing, twisting and grinding.....to hold a line or maintain traction. This has caused me some discomfort after long rides in the rough (i.e. my foot arches have been sore). So, you know I've been looking for a new peg solution. And I'm very pleased to say that I think I've found it.
These babies rock!
ProMoto Billet Fastway Performance pegs: Part # 22-3-005 (F5 Standard Footpeg). And I'm about to show you why.
In the Land of Farkles, Flatland Racing is a champion of bolt on protection that does a fantastic job of balancing value and quality. Sure there are more expensive solutions available in some corners of the world, but part of the draw of Lil' Blue is her uncanny ability to outshine so many other bikes in many an owner's garage--at a price point that doesn't require a German venture capital company to finance.
Am I averse to paying for quality or protection? Not at all. In fact, I'm rather obsessive about it. But I also want to feel I'm getting value for my farkling dollar. Enter the Flatland Racing Skid Plate.
The WR250R is an incredible bike, but it has a few issues that need to be addressed. The first glaring issue in my opinion is the stock gearing. When I'm loaded up with camping gear and heading down the highway uphill into a headwind, I just won't pull 6th gear. Downshifting to 5th to gain some speed, then up shifting to 6th just to loose it again can be real aggravating and makes for a long day in the saddle. Gearing the bike down eliminates this. I swapped out the front sprocket for a 12T and that gave the bike plenty of power to pull 6th gear down the highway all day long. Keeping the stock front 13T and going up in the rear to a 46T will give you the same results, but requires a longer chain.
Many folks have wondered if they could use Wolfman Enduro Bags on the WRR. Well....me too. So, it was time to spend some top secret R&D in the mad Highfive Laboratory. I spent a little over a month messing with the setup. Tried several different methods. What you're about to see is the best solution I have developed (for me). The best part, is it can ALL be done on the cheap, by hand, in your own garage. That was one of my self-imposed stipulations for this particular task....for a challenge!
This falls under the category of "why didn't I think of that"....BEFORE I needed it. I met a guy who invented his own tool (of sorts) and said "WOW...CooL...I need that". So, he went back into his lab to custom make one for R². A few trial & errors, fits & refits, then Voila!
Here is the end result. It packs small & weighs less than one pound:
Finally carved out some time this evening to work on my gearing changes with my Sidewinder stuff. Here's the goods:
The 10,000 lb "Smart Chain" in silver "half of forever" version:
Well....here it is. I received the Force Radiator Guard today. Following are some pictures of the install. This is a really nice piece of work. Strong too. Best protection of any guard I have seen yet.
Here is where I ordered it from: www.forceaccessories.com.au Total, including shipping was under 80 dollars.
