800 - fitting Ardcase Panniers and Holan racks.

[Klanky]

Thought I'd post a few thoughts on my experoiences fitting Rogers' excellent Ardcase panniers and the Holan rack system.

In a nutshell, it's dead easy. There. Job done. I've posted a few piccies of wot I did.

But first...if your GS has spent all winter scuttling around on the salty crap-laden roads you may wish to attempt to remove your pillion pegs well before pannier fitting day comes around.

Why?

Because I needed these:

So I could spend 3...yes, THREE hours beating the shite out of the clevis pins with hammers, molegrips and penetrating oil...

..before I could get the siezed bartsards off


After that it were dead easy. One man job.
Three bolts per rack plus two on the cross-brace...Coppaslipping everything.

Panniers:

Rather than fanny about with marken pens, tape measures etc whilst balancing panniers up against the rack I put some sparky's tape along where I wanted the panniers to sit against the frame - this made alignment with the frame whilst holding the pannier and placing the mounting devices simpler - it also meant that by replicating the tape on the opposing pannier, they would sit level with each other without any ponsing about measuring everything 20 times...

Note the mistake - the tape should be a 'mirror image' on each pannier


Then simply line the frames up with the tape and stick on the mountings in the required position with the double-sided tape. It's worth noting that the mounts don't have to sit perfectly aligned up and down (it'll make sense when you see the mounts close up) it's more important to ensure they are as tight up against the frame as you can get.

First mounts stickied in place:

Pilot drill or punch both holes first, don't be tempted to drill the smaller hole out to the correct diameter (5mm) with the mount in place - you'll knacker the thread inside the mount if you do. Remove the mount and drill out accordingly.

Obviously, there could be a bit of movement when you are drilling. So when assembling the mounts, I put the 5mm locking screw in first to hold the mount in place and then ran the 8mm drill through the mount and pannier wall to ensure a match when I put the 8mm bolt through.

You may find you have to vary the amount of washers to ensure a solid fit. One pannier was fine with two washers on each mounting bolt - the other pannier has different amounts on the bolt (2 with two washer, 1 with one washer, one with no washers). but it doesn't really matter how many it needs, the whole set-up was rock solid when I had finished.

Shot of mounts in place with guide tape still attached to panniers:

Job done! Piece o' pish.

Many thanks to Roger for making such an excellent product - well chuffed.

A quick look round the bike:

BTW the tape is Black reflective tape (off Ebay).


Job done, time for these:

 

[divelandy]

Check with a 'hose' test that the panniers are waterproof. I found that the bottle rack bars leaked like a siv and added some tap washers. As a precaution, i also taped up all other attachments (under catches, etc).

 

[Gany]

So I could spend 3...yes, THREE hours beating the shite out of the clevis pins with hammers, molegrips and penetrating oil...

..before I could get the siezed bartsards off

Stupid question, but did you try pushing the pillion peg into the bracket and then pull the pin? The peg is held under tension from the 'thrust washer', that plastic piece at the bottom of the peg. Mine were tight too, but push the peg in and the pin slid straight out.

How did you mount the bolts at the pillion peg? This was the part I wasnt sure about when I fitted my Holan racks.

 

[Klanky]

Stupid question, but did you try pushing the pillion peg into the bracket and then pull the pin? The peg is held under tension from the 'thrust washer', that plastic piece at the bottom of the peg. Mine were tight too, but push the peg in and the pin slid straight out.

Aye, did that, I couldn't understand why it still wasn't moving.
I even phoned Roger to make sure I wasn't missing something. It could just be the Winter riding I've done. The roads up here are heavily salted and diecast alloy peg + steel clevis pin might not be a good mix?...or I've just been unlucky. Who knows.

How did you mount the bolts at the pillion peg? This was the part I wasnt sure about when I fitted my Holan racks.

I replaced the clevis pin with the bolt running in the same direction and had the frame lug on the outside of the rear peg lug. Then simply bolted it together. The bolts could do with being slightly longer, methinks as I could only just get the nyloc to bite.
The pegs are a lot stiffer to move up and down - but I don't see that as being a problem.

 

[Gany]

This is how I did it, who knows if thats the way its supposed to go. Sandwiched the pannier frame between the bolts so the pillion peg still functioned, well until I crashed it and destroyed the thrust washer. Suprisingly they are cheap to replace (for a BMW part):

 

[divelandy]

Q: So can you now use the centerstand?

- i found that i initially setup as in the last picture, but i could not get my foot in, to lower the center stand as it sat against the new frame


I had to not use a nut between the peddle and Holan frame and it was easier...

 

[Klanky]

That looks the correct way of doing it to me, however the bolts I got were too short and I could only just fit them with one (the nycloc) nut.

It would explain the presence of the other nuts in the pack!

 

[Gany]

Yeah there is only a small tip of the centrestand as it does rest against the frame. It can be used still, but its a little tricky. I guess you get used to it. Bit of a flaw in the design but still happy with the frames. Now if only they did a 'balanced' version...