Making an SF luggage rack fit a GT

general_piffle

general_piffle

Senior member
Location
London/Hampshire
So, it seems I have an SF luggage rack, which is the wrong proportions for my GT.

However, I want to try and find a way to make it fit without buggering it about too much.

My first thought is getting some brackets made that would fit to the rear frame loop that the rack could then attach to. These brackets could be very simple and painted or powder coated gloss black so they blend in with the frame.

Rather this than cutting the rack about.

Has anyone ever done something similar? Any ideas?
 
Quick update on this, trying to find an early GT rack is like looking for the proverbial needle.

So, I think I'm going to use my SF rack as reference and get a very talented local fabricator to make one that is as close as - but fits. Possibly out of stainless rather than mild to be chromed.
 
So, it seems I have an SF luggage rack, which is the wrong proportions for my GT.

However, I want to try and find a way to make it fit without buggering it about too much.

My first thought is getting some brackets made that would fit to the rear frame loop that the rack could then attach to. These brackets could be very simple and painted or powder coated gloss black so they blend in with the frame.

Rather this than cutting the rack about.

Has anyone ever done something similar? Any ideas?
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Generali Piffle:-

Yep, almost no chance of finding a rack for the '68 GT/American Eagle, I tried just about everyone 15 years ago!

However... There is quite an easy solution.

The SF rack is about right at the back end, but the arms going forwards to the shock mount are too short.

JotaRob, aka Rob Lawton, very kindly modified mine to fit. The forward arms were cut off. Rob machined inserts on his lathe such that these inserted into the by maybe 50mm either end (for strength). The inserts also has a central section with the same O.D. as the arm, and of the right length to extend the arms to fit. He then seam welded them in place, and dressed them off. Perfect fit. I then sent the rack off for re-chroming.
 
I recall someone here showing the chrome racks he made for various Laverdas, about ten years ago …. 🤔 who the hell was that?

Vince the rack whisperer might remember?
 
I remember the thread but not who it was; they were more decorative than structural. They were pretty, but looked like a case of Beer would break it real quick. My rack started life as a Craven that first fitted my '64 Bonnie. I had a mate who was a great Fabricator and loved modifying stuff. It was horribly way too big and ugly, so it got sectioned to a more svelte size, and then it got modified to fit my 3c. Plus braced and made way stronger. All good fun
 
Vince said:
I remember the thread but not who it was; they were more decorative than structural. They were pretty, but looked like a case of Beer would break it real quick. My rack started life as a Craven that first fitted my '64 Bonnie. I had a mate who was a great Fabricator and loved modifying stuff. It was horribly way too big and ugly, so it got sectioned to a more svelte size, and then it got modified to fit my 3c. Plus braced and made way stronger. All good fun
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Put a case of beer on a 750 rack and you'll break the frame.
Paul
 
Anyone got a photo of a GT rack? Bryan whose SF2 I'm working on has an odd looking rack that won't fit - long shot but maybe it's off a GT?
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This rack is the modified rack that I have for my '68 American Eagle/GT.

I don't remember which 750 it was originally fitted to, but most likely SF1, but could be an SF, SF(0) or SF2.

Not easy to tell how much the arms going forward were extended, best guess is 75 - 80mm.

Measurements in the pictures are accurate to +/- 1mm.

J
 

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OneThinBloke said:
This rack is the modified rack that I have for my '68 American Eagle/GT.

I don't remember which 750 it was originally fitted to, but most likely SF1, but could be an SF, SF(0) or SF2.

Not easy to tell how much the arms going forward were extended, best guess is 75 - 80mm.

Measurements in the pictures are accurate to +/- 1mm.

J
Click to expand...

That’s fantastically helpful, thank you. Do you happen to know if your ‘68 is a ‘wide frame’? My ‘69 is so I’m wondering about width as well as arm length.

But with this info I think I can get my rack adjusted then re-chromed. The teak inserts will need to come out, heat will do that. It’s a bugger but at least I’ll eventually have a rack that fits.
 
pf1 said:
That was the guy whose idea of customer relations was a barrage of abuse if I remember correctly.
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That’s right …. 😀
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Iirc he chap in question was John Akay. He appeared and disappeared quite quickly. I gather he made racks and traps rails for 750 & triples.

Some customers were delighted but by no means all.

Complaints varied, whether fundamental or subjective, they all appeared to be met by abuse,

I was liaising with him regarding my 750 rack when he took his bat & ball and checked out from this forum.
However, he honoured our agreement for the chroming of my modified rack. Whether he used it or not for speccing up replication or not, I know not.
Suffice to say that if my invoice for the chroming was higher than it was I would have complained. If the invoice was 3x what it was but was a top notch job I would have been happy.
 
general_piffle said:
That’s fantastically helpful, thank you. Do you happen to know if your ‘68 is a ‘wide frame’? My ‘69 is so I’m wondering about width as well as arm length.

But with this info I think I can get my rack adjusted then re-chromed. The teak inserts will need to come out, heat will do that. It’s a bugger but at least I’ll eventually have a rack that fits.
Click to expand...
Mine is #1303, very early wide frame '68, maybe Oct '68.

Model year1968 starts Sept '68 ends Aug '69. Etc. for Moto Laverda.

'68 GT frame has spikes locating the seat at the front, '69 seat has spades. Seat is wider and the frame tubes are wider under the tank. I.e. later seats and tanks will not fit!

My photos give the dimensions, i.e. suspension bolt centre to rack pivot bolt centre 385mm, rear mounting bolt centre 285mm, width (internal): shock mount 276mm, rear 175mm.

J
 
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OneThinBloke said:
Iirc he chap in question was John Akay. He appeared and disappeared quite quickly. I gather he made racks and traps rails for 750 & triples.

Some customers were delighted but by no means all.

Complaints varied, whether fundamental or subjective, they all appeared to be met by abuse,

I was liaising with him regarding my 750 rack when he took his bat & ball and checked out from this forum.
However, he honoured our agreement for the chroming of my modified rack. Whether he used it or not for speccing up replication or not, I know not.
Suffice to say that if my invoice for the chroming was higher than it was I would have complained. If the invoice was 3x what it was but was a top notch job I would have been happy.
Click to expand...

That’s the one, he racked off pretty quickly.

 
OneThinBloke said:
Mine is #1303, very early wide frame '68, maybe Oct '68.

Model year1968 starts Sept '68 ends Aug '69. Etc. for Moto Laverda.

'68 GT frame has spikes locating the seat at the front, '69 seat has spades. Seat is wider and the frame tubes are wider under the tank. I.e. later seats and tanks will not fit!

My photos give the dimensions, i.e. suspension bolt centre to rack pivot bolt centre 385mm, rear mounting bolt centre 285mm, width (internal): shock mount 276mm, rear 175mm.

J
Click to expand...

Interesting! So, my GT must be a '68 model year. It's not an American Eagle as it wasn't destined for the US market, and seems to have spent most of its life in Italy, before being brought to the Netherlands in 2018, where it restored, then to the UK in 2024 when I bought it.

It has the 'pointed' prongs to retain the seat, and the frame rails measure slightly wider than standard. So, I'm thinking while yours is an early wide frame mine is a late one.

VIN is 2763, but I have documents from Italy that date it as having been manufactured on Feb 28th 1969, then it was sitting around for 7 months, maybe in a warehouse or a showroom, or both, before it was registered for the road in Italy (Reggio Emilia) on October 4th 1969.
 
Generali:-

Your frame/engine number indicates that your GT is a '68 year model wide frame, but actually made late '69!

Your profile info says you is London/Hampshire, really not far from where I is, in south Oxfordshire. You are most welcome to visit c/w your SF1 rack. Compare and contrast... I make good coffee

J
 
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