[MJ83]

I purchased a US-20 bag from Kriega, which I have been riding around with for a few days. It fit great on the back seat. Though it hung over slightly, it did not block the tail light. The quality is great, and it is perfect for taking things to work and picking up food or small grocery runs.

I wanted a luggage rack as well, so I ordered the DM Telai rack in black. The tail rack showed up today, and I went to work getting it installed. While several members mentioned theirs went on fairly well, mine was a bit more of a hassle. The mounting brackets did not quite line up the holes on the bike, so it had to be torqued and twisted into place. It should have taken 30 mins, but ended up taking over an hour. There was also one bolt holding the black plastic piece to the fender that would not come out of the bike. It just turned and turned without backing out. I managed to work with it in, but it disappoints that a brand new bike has a stripped nut already.

Anyways, I am pretty happy with the results. I took some pictures below of the bag in various orientations. The first few show the bag on the bike sans rack. With the rack, I am sure I could get a US-30 bag on the bike, which stacks with other Kriega bags. I also think the rack looks pretty cool on the bike. Cheers!

 

[MJ83]

removed bad links to pictures in first post and trying again...

 

[Rob]

I have the same set up works great with two 10s as well as the 20

 

[Asiaoildude]

The DM rack weld/fab jig they use is either very slight off or they are not compensating for heat shrinkage/cooling movement in the jig. I also had to torque it get all the bolt holes to line up but it's not an issue now it's on.

 

[MJ83]

The DM rack weld/fab jig they use is either very slight off or they are not compensating for heat shrinkage/cooling movement in the jig. I also had to torque it get all the bolt holes to line up but it's not an issue now it's on.

The instructions mention that post-manufacturing cooling can cause misalignment. It does help to put the rear bolts on first.

 

[linux]

There was also one bolt holding the black plastic piece to the fender that would not come out of the bike. It just turned and turned without backing out. I managed to work with it in, but it disappoints that a brand new bike has a stripped nut already.

I had the same issue with one of my bolts, it just turned in place and didnt back out. Now it's useless because it wont go back in, will need to figure out a way to secure if I put the fender back on.

 

[Motorhead1977]

The instructions mention that post-manufacturing cooling can cause misalignment. It does help to put the rear bolts on first.

Wow, you got instructions! Mine arrived without any but having lots of mechanical experience from doing vintage bike rebuilds I just started removing parts and installed the rack. I had no issues with bolts being "pre-stripped" from the factory and all came out easily. I too had to torque the rack to have the bolt holes line up. Took some serious torque to the point of having to use a ratchet strap attached to my Goldwing as an anchor. The rack has proved very useful though and allows two up riding with the ability to carry rain gear or other stuff. I have a Nelson Riggs expandable bag that fits on the rack and can accept a full face helmet (provided nothing else goes in the main compartment). Aside from the misalignment I thought the rack was very well made and fits the lines of the bike very well.

 

[Joe Bar]

The instructions mention that post-manufacturing cooling can cause misalignment. It does help to put the rear bolts on first.

That's the basic key to it. I've fitted a couple of these racks now - one to my wife's bike and another for a friend. By fitting the rear most bolts first it's a simple job to pull the open end by hand to get the other bolts in if the rack is slightly mis-aligned.

If you put the forward bolts in first, you effectively 'close' the open end of the rack and then you'll have a nightmare. It's a similar tale if you put both bolts in the same side first, to align the other side you are pulling against the triangle of the rack which acts as a bracing.

So - the simple rule is, fit both rear bolts first, then the forward bolts, and tighten none of them until all four are started. It's a simple 15-20 minute job at best doing it this way.