Bugger! Alternatively, the joke is on me.

[Tony Smith]

More than 25 years ago whilst I was at the town dump I spotted a set of Krauser pannier frames, if I am correct they were what was known as a "T" set in that they had the top plate mount for a top-box.

At the time of "spotting" they were fitted with a set of much modified "universal" struts and braces, the blinkers that were fitted were correct for a Yamaha trail bike, which might have also explained the thick encrusting with red dirt that I am still scrubbing off them.

A casual inquiry at the State Distributor revealed that they still had one BMW mounting kit for these old frames, albeait that one of the upper struts (in Krauser parlance, bracket in anyone else's) was missing, as were the blinker mounts. I bought the incomplete mounting kit, disassembled the frames and chucked the lot into a box.

Somehow in the intervening years the only things I managed to lose where the chamfered head M6 screws that held it all together.

Last week I decided that I'd like a top box on my R65 project so 9i decided to resurrect the krauser frames.

First I cleaned and scrubbed the things for hours, there is now only a trace of red soil still remaining, next step have them soda blasted then paint with Krylon "dull aluminum" rattle can paint.

But first i could not resist a trial assembly.

in the second photo discerning readers will spot the small problem. But just in case, the third photo makes it very obvious.

The top plate is about 2" too wide for a BMW.
 
My options are:-

• Forget about the top plate and find/fit the low rise blinker mounts such as the ones on my wife's bike (4th photo)
• Find the correct top plate (any one know of one lurking in a treasure cupboard somewhere?)
• Modify my plate so that it fits, presently I'm thinking of bolting 2 1/2" * 1/2" pieces of alloy to the plate and then tapping holes to match the risers.
• listen to other people's ideas.

Lastly, the joke is one me given the time I've owned these things and it has never once occurred to me that there might have been different models made and that there might be different sizes.....
[/list]

[Luca]

I can give you one idea that's only slightly crazy...

have somebody cast a new top plate for you.  More specifically, make that somebody a student at a fine arts college that has the ability to pour aluminium, if there is such a thing these days.

P.S. I was hoping I'd get to see your bucket of laundry detergent turn those racks sparkly clean  

[Burt]

Or a 3mm sheet of alloy bent to required size/shape with holes made for tie downs or ocky straps.  I enjoy working with aluminium and recently was looking at a number of options fitted to R1200GS models for my F650GSD.  

I will see if I can drag out a photo of what I was I am suggesting.  

[Tony Smith]

I can give you one idea that's only slightly crazy...

have somebody cast a new top plate for you.  

I thought of casting up a new top plate myself, it would be a simple pour and I have a couple of alloy wheels waiting to be turned into something more useful. However, a simpler solutions beckons, a piece of 1/2" * 1/2" square alloy bar drilled and tapped so that the bar is mounted to the risers and the top plate then mounts to the bar.

P.S. I was hoping I'd get to see your bucket of laundry detergent turn those racks sparkly clean  

YOU were hoping it would come out of the bucket clean.... I was disappointed, but enough of the muck has come off so that once I sort the mounting issue I will give them a quick coat of aerosol "dull aluminum".