Any constructive suggestions please

[HORIZONTALLY OPPOSED]

It was at the Eurotunnel just before we boarded the train on one of your one-day jaunts. He was taking the bike across for a test ride.

I don't have panniers & use soft bags on a home made rear rack by choice therefore a front crash bar mount version of your excellent looking bottle carrier would be my choice, I bought two 1.5ltr bottles for a trip & couldn't find anywhere at the rear to dangle the damned things, on the downside for you I may be in a minority of one................in which case not be good for business & will get my coat or go polish my semi redundant bottles for a few more years.

 

[(RIP) Bobble]

Ok after looking at your bottle mount, two things sprang to mind, one has been covered about rubber, but I don't think its needed, the second it that the bracket looks big.

What about = cutting off the edges where the last fold is so that you end up with a more 'U' shape, and then cut two slots in each of the sides (4 for two straps) and then feed the strap through like a watch strap, the bottle will then be pulled onto the strap instead of the steel (hence no rubber needed). It is only the same as the TT one then (bottle on straps), but smaller than your original design.

 

[JayC]

Hi Mark,

this may come across as a spanner in the works but then that's the beauty of inviting opinions, isn't it?

Is it your intention to market few with high rewards or market many with a lower reward? High volume and low price can often be more financially rewarding than low volume and high prices, as I'm sure you are already aware.

The reason I state the above is based upon your concept , i.e why the elaborate design?
What functionality do all the holes have other than to cost more money to produce, which in turn means you need to claw that expense back?

It strikes me as a design with 'bling' as the primary and 'function' as the secondary concept. Don't get me wrong, it looks well neat, but wouldn't function, as the primary concern, be more appealing to the market?

You have stated that you have made it as expensively as possible, within reason, and so I can only assume you have carried this prototype out in the knowledge that you have severely limited your market...or do GS11/12 owners have no financal limits?

I am thinking simplicity, 4 mounting holes, spacers and strap loops on a st/steel mount.

 

[joe4550]

also how may of these will fit on the back of panniers? im guessing 4? 2 on each? and if you have 4 on are the locks still perfectly usable?

joe

 

[deangsadv]

Hi Mark
I like it, my only suggestion would be to put smaller width slots instead of the larger lightening holes as the larger diameter holes are dragging on the heel line. I'll have one when you finalise your design.

 

[Mark Hooton]

Trouble is, when I use the panniers & table - I've got nowt to sit on

So what about a flat pack chair Mark

On the bottle holder, could you do one for the 2 litre petrol container that HG sell ? I find it flatter & more useful than the round ones

http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/reserve-kanister-2-liter.html

I`ll draw one up to fit the square container mate, you should see it on this thread in about a week.

 

[Mark Hooton]

Ok after looking at your bottle mount, two things sprang to mind, one has been covered about rubber, but I don't think its needed, the second it that the bracket looks big.

What about = cutting off the edges where the last fold is so that you end up with a more 'U' shape, and then cut two slots in each of the sides (4 for two straps) and then feed the strap through like a watch strap, the bottle will then be pulled onto the strap instead of the steel (hence no rubber needed). It is only the same as the TT one then (bottle on straps), but smaller than your original design.

Ok, I`ll redesign one like that and we`ll see what it looks like eh?

 

[Mark Hooton]

Hi Mark,

this may come across as a spanner in the works but then that's the beauty of inviting opinions, isn't it?

Is it your intention to market few with high rewards or market many with a lower reward? High volume and low price can often be more financially rewarding than low volume and high prices, as I'm sure you are already aware.

The reason I state the above is based upon your concept , i.e why the elaborate design?
What functionality do all the holes have other than to cost more money to produce, which in turn means you need to claw that expense back?

It strikes me as a design with 'bling' as the primary and 'function' as the secondary concept. Don't get me wrong, it looks well neat, but wouldn't function, as the primary concern, be more appealing to the market?

You have stated that you have made it as expensively as possible, within reason, and so I can only assume you have carried this prototype out in the knowledge that you have severely limited your market...or do GS11/12 owners have no financal limits?

I am thinking simplicity, 4 mounting holes, spacers and strap loops on a st/steel mount.

No spanner mate - just artistic design, stupidity, more money than sense and a very unfocused commercial head on my shoulders

But seriously, everything you`ve said is right and a fair observation and the following may answer your questions - I don`t actually make the parts as a business `per se` though I do sell them. I have a day job (M.D. of Cymarc Eng Ltd - we make vehicle floorpans, stuff for weapons & other bits and bobs) and what I do is use the considerable assets we have to indulge in my love of bikes, especially the GS. Most of the stuff I do consequently has little regard to cost and rarely it throws up stuff which is simply `better` and consequently has an appeal from a different direction. A good example of this is that BMW Park Lane (blatant name drop ) pay me a daft amount of dosh for the BBQ`s I make - to be honest they are that expensive, over engineered and heavy that I wouldn`t buy one! So, please don`t misunderstand me, I don`t want to appear arrogant - some fellow tossers have expressed opinions that although my stuff does not need to be purchased (but is) it represents a refreshing change to have something which is not stack `em high sell `em cheap and made in Britain by someone who cares. I`d be knackered if i had to do it for a living - I`ve just made a rack for an RT chappie - charged him £60 but spend 3 days on it, even at £50 per hour it should have been circa £1,500 and the industrial laser I have goes out at £180 per hour on stainless!

Hope this answers you questions and explains why I have done it the way i have, in the meantime here`s one of the BBQ..........

Ride safe and I appreciate your comments.

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[Wapping]

It was at the Eurotunnel just before we boarded the train on one of your one-day jaunts. He was taking the bike across for a test ride.

That's the fellow I couldn't remember when or where I saw it.

I'll see if I can find the snaps I took.

 

[Mark Hooton]

also how may of these will fit on the back of panniers? im guessing 4? 2 on each? and if you have 4 on are the locks still perfectly usable?

joe

I think you will get two on the larger pannier but only one on the thinner one mate

 

[Mark Hooton]

Hi Mark
I like it, my only suggestion would be to put smaller width slots instead of the larger lightening holes as the larger diameter holes are dragging on the heel line. I'll have one when you finalise your design.

Mate, for all the tea in China I wish I knew what you was going on about

I am sure it`s not you - too much red wine with too little remaining brain cells doesn`t make me the sharpest pencil in the pack anymore!

 

[Mark Hooton]

I reckon it needs some form of foam/rubbery lining on all contact points with the bottle itself.

I've had three aluminium 1 or 1.5 litre cans wear through after prolonged off-road vibration when they were strapped (firmly I might add) to a flat metal surface.

For the Ace cafe adventurers, a metal to metal contact surface might suffice, but for 'proper' extended use, the bottle needs better protection against chafing.

Mate, I`ve taken your points onboard and here are the images. They show the strips and pads for you to consider as an answer to your kind opinion. Personally IMHO I prefer the pads (although very pratical I don`t like the look of the rubbery strips) and a fellow tosser has expressed an opinion that they might not be needed at all (for him) so what I would do is do whatever anyone wished regarding vibration control. So, if you did want one (and please believe me, I aint trying to sell you one) I would send you whatever you liked

Thanks again for the input, it`s kind of you and I do listen

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[MikeP]

Admittedly, not on a 1200 but this is my solution that has worked for over seven years without the bottle wearing-through, jumping out of the carrier or being nicked.

The small cable-lock is only ever going to stop sticky-fingers but it also stops the fuel bottle jumping out of the carrier and it stops anyone undoing the cap (either out of curiosity or because they may want to watch my bike go up in flames).

I put the foam on the carrier to reduce the chances of abrasion and the straps under the carrier fixings to prevent them being removed.

The problem for anyone wanting to manufacture such a system is that we probably all use the fuel-storage in different ways. I, for example, never remove the fuel bottle from my stove except to top it up from this external bottle that in turn can be topped-up from the fuel pumps when re-fuelling the bike.

The cable-lock would be of no use for the owner of the fuel bottle in the OP's photos.

 

[Mark Hooton]

Knock yourselves out boys

id go for one of these aswell

joe

Is this what you are thinking of?

I made one ages ago for a fellow Tosser

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[Mark Hooton]

Mike P

Brill idea mate - I was actually looking at cable locks last night to suggest something to the chap who suggested some sort of locking mechanism.

I have a rifle that has a padlocked cable trigger guard lock and its ideal for the job.

 

[JayC]

No spanner mate - just artistic design, stupidity, more money than sense and a very unfocused commercial head on my shoulders

But seriously, everything you`ve said is right and a fair observation and the following may answer your questions - I don`t actually make the parts as a business `per se` though I do sell them. I have a day job (M.D. of Cymarc Eng Ltd - we make vehicle floorpans, stuff for weapons & other bits and bobs) and what I do is use the considerable assets we have to indulge in my love of bikes, especially the GS. Most of the stuff I do consequently has little regard to cost and rarely it throws up stuff which is simply `better` and consequently has an appeal from a different direction. A good example of this is that BMW Park Lane (blatant name drop ) pay me a daft amount of dosh for the BBQ`s I make - to be honest they are that expensive, over engineered and heavy that I wouldn`t buy one! So, please don`t misunderstand me, I don`t want to appear arrogant - some fellow tossers have expressed opinions that although my stuff does not need to be purchased (but is) it represents a refreshing change to have something which is not stack `em high sell `em cheap and made in Britain by someone who cares. I`d be knackered if i had to do it for a living - I`ve just made a rack for an RT chappie - charged him £60 but spend 3 days on it, even at £50 per hour it should have been circa £1,500 and the industrial laser I have goes out at £180 per hour on stainless!

Hope this answers you questions and explains why I have done it the way i have, in the meantime here`s one of the BBQ..........

Ride safe and I appreciate your comments.

I get exactly where you're coming from Mark being in engineering myself. I have recently stopped building CDL (Centre Diff-Lock) linkages for the Discovery Series II because I just don't have the time to manufacture in volume. You will appreciate that being a mechanical item directly related to a gearbox it not only has to be built to last but also to not be the cause of expensive drivetrain failure.

As you were then and good luck!

 

[Pukmeister]

Fuel can holder - top product

Is this what you are thinking of?

I made one ages ago for a fellow Tosser

Many apologies Mark, just caught this thread and realised I haven't posted any pics of the fuel bottle holder you made me like I said I would. I'll have to reinstate my photobucket account and get some uploaded.

For those interested in the 2 litre H-G plastic fuel/oil bottle holder made by Mark, it's a superb bit of kit that holds the fuel can very securely plus it keeps your kit free of the tainting smell of petrol.

All made to the usual high standards of finish that Mark is known for.

FWIW I ran out of fuel on the M6 on my way home from Scotland and the stove fuel petrol I had in the can allowed me to restart the bike and ride to a truck stop for petrol, those few precious miles it gave me made a difference.

 

[B4ndit]

Is this what you are thinking of?

I made one ages ago for a fellow Tosser

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Gimme Gimme Gimme. I want one of those. Waaah.

 

[sidestand]

That's the one Mark - I'll have one of those as well please

 

[Dainese Brave]

On the subject of padding to prevent friction due to vibration...wouldn't it be easier to put the bottle in a neoprene bottle sleeve and then just strap it as normal?

They're not too expensive, come in a range of sizes, and to be honest would look better, and last longer, than the padding strips or rubberised pads?

....just a thought.