A place for everything and everything in its place-it's the key to organization. Sounds simple enough. While some of us have it all figured out, it's a constant battle for others. When you're out on a bike trip, it becomes quickly apparent that if you don't know where your stuff is packed on your bike, you can become a big drag on the group when it comes to making stops in an efficient manner.
We know all too well that no matter now much room you have on your bike, it always seems as if you have just one more piece you can't find a place for. In an effort to add just a bit more easily accessible storage, we turned to our trusty Harley-Davidson Parts and Accessories catalog. From the touring section we selected a Premium Tour-Pak Luggage Rack, which is designed to fit all King and Chopped Tour-Pak lids (part No. 53665-87; MSRP: $99.95). The rack would allow us to add various items to the top of the Tour-Pak for stable storage while allowing easy access to our belongings without ever having to flip a single latch, open a lid, or fumble for a key.
One important thing to remember when loading your bike is the total weight you have packed onto it. When filling saddlebags, be sure to distribute weight evenly between both sides, and when packing a Tour-Pak (or attaching items to a luggage rack), observe Harley's recommended weight limits. Failure to follow these simple steps can be detrimental to the handling characteristics of the motorcycle.
Harley-Davidson recommends the following weight limits:
Tour-Pak can be loaded with 25 lbs max. This includes the 10 lbs of cargo that may be on the Tour-Pak's lid/rack (still 25 lbs-not 35 lbs-total). There is a warning sticker inside the Tour-Pak stating this weight limit. The same is true for original-equipment Tour-Paks, as well as detachable Tour-Paks.
Installation of the rack is a simple matter of marking and drilling the holes for the mounting bolts, and then securing the rack with the supplied hardware.