"How to make a double backrest/rack system for your SuperMagna."

I had been toying with the idea of reinstalling the rear seat for about a year.

I had been running with the David Cates single seat/backrest and rack system, very successfully, but on a couple of occasions, I have had to leave someone behind on a ride out, due to the single seat set up.

So, how can I install the back seat, give a backrest to the pillion, keep the drivers backrest, and put a rack out back to carry my GiviBox???

The original rear rest/rack system is like hen's teeth, and too expensive. Also that does not give an option for the driver. Utopia does the driver’s backrest, but that means cutting into the pillion seat to mount it, and it is also too expensive.

What a problem!!!

Easy? Yes and no.

Fixing points are to follow the pillion seat's. Two at the front, one at the rear. (I tried putting brackets down to the indicator mounts, but that was unsuccessful)

I started by making the basic shape out of 1/2" copper tubing. It's light, easy to bend with a bending spring, and cheap enough to bin if you foul-up and have to start again.

The flat pieces were made by flattening the 1/2" copper to make flat bar, and bolted into place.

The rack was made from a cardboard box, cut and shaped, and taped to the 1/2" tubing.

Not being too handy at the welding, I took my 'project' to my fabricator, and left it with him.

He made the main frame out of 16mm solid square bar. The rack is made from 10mm solid round bar. And the hoop out of 1" x 3/16" flat bar.

Heavy enough to make the job solid, but not too heavy.

THE FIRST ATTEMPT.

The rails for the rear rest and rack fit outside the pillion seat's front legs, and the hoop on the inside is needed to carry the extension out for the drivers backrest.

There is enough room for the hoop to fit outside the front legs, and to be welded to the main rails.

The hoop also braces itself slightly off of the plastic lugs under the seat, and is shaped to follow the outline of the front of the seat's fixing legs.

This means that the rear seat has to be fed into the framework from the rear.

REMODELLED SKELETON.

The first attempt was fitted, and I found a couple of miscalculations.

The front rest was too far back, and the rear rest was too far forward.

So, rather than start all over again, I compromised.

I stepped the sissy bar back about 1 1/2", and re-designed the front pad holder.

Stepping back the sissy bar compromised the rack a little, but luckily it wasn't enough to force a rebuild.

When I got my 'project' back again, I painted it with gloss black Hammerite.

Fitted it to the bike, and just for pig-iron, sat all of my 94kilo on the rack. Barely a deflection.

Then I attached the GiviBox mounting base. When the box is mounted, it is tight to the rear rest.

The bike looks a little long, but I can travel and carry in comfort now. And that was the plan.

Phil (503)