After mounting a pair of Pelican cases as a "top box" on my R1200GS, I had to remove the stock luggage rack. I had previously mounted the ballasts for my HID lights under the luggage rack, so I had to find another spot for them. I thought there would be room under the seat.
It turns out that there is room, but it can't be used due to the stock seat mount bar running right through the middle of it. The photo above shows the seat bar (in the high position, marked with the #1 arrow) and you can visualize how it would prevent full use of the space under the front of the seat.
What I did was to take a couple 10mm diameter bolts, and cut two 35mm sections with the angle grinder. One is shown in the low-seat position (arrown #2) in the photo above. The result is that nothing extends through the large space under the front of the seat, and I have room for two HID ballasts to be fitted there.
Though one end of the shortened mounting "bars" is held by a rubber retaining cap, I didn't want the short pieces to slip out during use. So I cut and bent a thin piece of steel and screwed it into place as shown in the photo above. The result is that the 35mm bolt pieces are now trapped in place, and won't come out inadvertantly. True, it isn't easy to swap now between the high and low seat positions, but I always keep the seat in the low position.
This trick might be useful to others, as it really does free up a respectably large space under the seat -- big enough to stuff a tool roll, or a modest sized first-aid kit, or a pair of winter gloves, etc. If you keep your seat in the high position, you'd have even more room!
Copyright © 2006, by H. Marc Lewis. All rights reserved.