RE5 Rear Luggage Rack

[drz400e]

Hi Gents;  I have a 1976 RE5 and want to install a rear carrier rack so I can carry a few "odds & sodds". Are there any other Suzuki model  rear carrier racks that will bolt on to the RE5 with minimum modifications ?
    Thanks

[wayne]

To my knowledge, no. There are two basic styles of rack (there are also grab rails but that's a separate issue). The original factory rack which is very small and is really only suitable for odds and sods as you say.

The touring Kit rack which was "Suzuki" but actually made by a local US manufacturer. They are much larger and quite substantial with 3 mounting points (six if you count both sides). They will carry a good load but they are a bit ugly (think barbeque grill).

This is the basic Japanese rack. There are a couple of versions of this but they are basically the same:




Sorry I haven't a better close up, but this is the more substantial touring rack, look closely under the top box. They sometimes come up on ebay but nearly always need TLC and a rechrome:

[wayne]

This is a good overview of the Suzuki Grab Rail and carry rack by Glenn Reay on FB. Glenn has extensive dealership experience with Suzuki UK:

Suzuki themselves back in the 70's made and sold their own carriers for GT and RE5 models. They were bought from Suzuki main dealers and called a "Sportsrack".

The one in the picture above is a genuine suzuki supplied sports rack that is the style they were made in. They also made those for GT 380, 550, and 750 2 stroke models but each one is slightly different to fit ONE model bike only.

They all look the same shape but it's how they were made to fit individual model bikes only where the differences lie in each. Many countries had aftermarket companies that made and sold chrome carriers to fit models like these, but the better made ones are the genuine Suzuki sports racks they are always the shape of the one you see above.

Most of these model bikes could be factory fitted with maybe six washers on either side of the top rear shocker mounts you have to drop or remove a couple of washers from the top suspension mounts on either side to fit the sports rack or similar aftermarket carriers to them, because the bikes and those in particular sold in the USA were supplied without pillion grab rails.

Here in the UK we got pillion grab rails fitted standard on GT and similar models but those sold in the USA were always accessory buys, they never came factory standard with them new and carriers themselves like the sports racks were always an accessory buy. Suzuki never supplied any new model bike with a carrier standard from factory new.

People wanting to fit carriers had to first remove the pillion grab rails from the bikes in places like here in the UK

regards,

(Glenn Reay)

[wayne]

Randy on FB has found a manufacturer in Thailand making replica racks for the GT550 and they fit the RE5! Randy says he needed to spread the front ears slightly as they were a little too tight but otherwise it went smoothly.

Thanks to Randy for taking the plunge for all of us:

Not sure which ebay but search for VintageAvenueShop