Rear Rack Weight Limit 800CC

[Trall]

Great looking setup.......Love the look and exhaust with tips is way cool

[Tfrank59]

Tfrank: That's a nice rack. The length probably spreads the load over the fender. I have the short curved on and never put much on it. I like the way yours comes down and meets the license plate holder. The aesthetic is good.

Yep, its length is likely why it's quite sturdy.  And when I removed it I learned it mounts with 10mm bolts, also pretty beefy.

[grinnell]

Thanks everyone for their feedback. Come to the conclusion that mine (stock addition) is just for looks and I'm not going to test that theory.

[kw-retrorider]

Tfrank: That's a nice rack. The length probably spreads the load over the fender. I have the short curved on and never put much on it. I like the way yours comes down and meets the license plate holder. The aesthetic is good.

[Tfrank59]

 Yeah  actually  the rack has just come off of my bike as it turns out because check out the latest evolution video. I couldn't resist stripping her down a little bit because at least for the moment I think it's a better look with the bald fender:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1T4vosvaN8I

[CDNRatMan]

  that for sure is a different looking rack, wonder what it came off of or what it is for. Very unique......

[Old Drifter]

Look at this shot from the side, which is about the best one I can give you with all the stuff attached to it. You can see I even have my flag pole mounted to it. It is longer than any rack I've seen on a drifter 800. (BTW if you click on the little globe icon below my USMC you can see my photo bucket which has both my bikes in a slideshow)

Nice Drifter, the rack looks great on there. Glad it's working out for you.
BTW, nice Miata too. I have an NB '00 project car (wife's) I'm working on.

[Tfrank59]

Look at this shot from the side, which is about the best one I can give you with all the stuff attached to it. You can see I even have my flag pole mounted to it. It is longer than any rack I've seen on a drifter 800. (BTW if you click on the little globe icon below my USMC you can see my photo bucket which has both my bikes in a slideshow)

[CDNRatMan]

  Well Thomas, perhaps you should have a few pictures, photographs of said strange and different fender rack posted in your gallery so we could see it and comment on it.....just saying......lol.....

[Tfrank59]

I have a somewhat strange Fender rack on my bike. I've checked on the internet and everywhere and I can't find another one like it. It's long covers most of the fender and it has four mounts directly to the fender. I don't know about the maximum weight it can hold but it's quite a bit. I have a tail bag plus 2nd tail bag mounted to it and probably 25 pounds in one of the bags and there's been absolutely no stress or strain on the thing at all. I think it depends on which Fender rack were talking about and how it's mounted to the fender would determine the actual weight capacity and strength. just my 1.5 cents

[CDNRatMan]

   I think it does come as a shock to a lot of people just how much that rear fender bounces about on a long ride.

[OR Seedman]

Ratman, I appreciate the nod....

Regarding the fender rack;  I had put one on my rear fender as well.  Occasionally I would strap a light bag to it, but when the bag worked loose one day due to constant bouncing on the freeway and I almost lost my lunch (it was in the bag..no pun intended), I decided that I needed to do something else; thus the idea for the rear rack/mount I came up with.  There is constant and down movement along with side-to-side flexing of the rear fender when going down the road.  ANY additional weight will only increase this flexing, which can easily lead to stress cracking...Unless you really want to beef up the fender with layers of fiberglass on the inside as some others have done (on 1500's), I would not recommend putting any weight at all on it.  Plus, as mentioned earlier, everything gets bounced around whole lot more than you realize while riding.  I know that the looks of the rack on the rear fender are cool, I really liked how my looked....but trying to find a replacement fender is hard and very expensive these days.....I would rather use the type of rack system I have when I need it and just remove it when I don't...

Anyway, that's my nickle's worth on the subject....best of luck and, as a new rider, be sure and post some pics....we all love pics from new drifter riders.....

[Old Drifter]

I wouldn't put much more than a light jacket on a Drifter fender rack. They're basically just for looks. The Drifter fenders really weren't designed to carry any weight. 

[greenbarn]

It seems like I've seen 15 lbs listed somewhere as a weight limit.   I'm not sure about it, but that's just what I seem to remember. Now keep in mind weight limits such as these, by nature, are on the light side.

The limiting factor is not so much on how much the fender can "hold",  but the effects of said weight and the force the weight exerts on the fender bouncing up and down.   A frame mounted rack will hold a lot more.

[CDNRatMan]

  grinnell:
I do not have a solo seat nor a rack on my fender, so take this as much as you want. But I have ridden behind another 800, I near had a birth, when I saw how much that rear fender moved up and down. You can put a bucket of ice and some ice cream and flavouring on that rack and at the end of a mile you will have one heck of a smoothie.
Better not submit this or Zoar will have a new food idea for his pizza truck......
But if I were you and I had the funds then I would look at Mr. OR_Seedman's idea. That being said, if your out for a day ride and want a place for your rain gear or a jacket then that rack on the fender would be enough......

[OR Seedman]

The rear rack and mount that I manufacture and sell in the classifieds will hold at least 240 lbs (my weight).  Works with the saddlebag mounts I also sell here.

[mittico68]

If the rack sits right on the rear fender, keep in mind that:
1) the fender floats really high & low while ridin', so everything you should ever put on the rack, it will be really shaken up...;
2) the fender is just plastic (or something quite similar), so it wouldn't stand for much weight...
I can't help you much further, because my bike doesn't have any rear rack. I prefer to go with the saddlebags.
But just keep on waitin', as someone else of this Forum will get in for sure!

[grinnell]

Hey Guys/Gals,
Had a question about the rear rack weight limit for my 800 drifter. I am not going to have someone ride on it pad style or anything but wondering A).) what trunk/bag has worked well size wise for the rack ie: overhang, positioning, etc. and B.) what kind of weight (even aprox) has worked without rocking the fender up and down too bad where it affects ride quality? I am a new rider in general and am probably going to hold off on saddlebags for now bc I will not be doing any riding where I would need to carry much more than what would fit in a rear trunk/bag. My bike already came w/ the rack so trying to utilize what I already have if its actually functional and not just for looks. Saw another similar post but I thought mine was different enough I didn't want to highjack that one.