Bike Rack for Triumph TR6

Like many people, I'm a guy with too many hobbies. In addition to my LBC hobby, I'm also an avid bicycle racer. Matter of fact, when I first built my '73, I was getting heavy into MTB and Road racing, soon thereafter on the collegiate level. My Six was my daily driver, so I needed a way to get my bikes to training rides and races.

The rack below evolved over a period of a couple years and has stood the test of thousands of miles with the bike up there. Most recently, I added the wheel rack so I no longer have to drive with a muddy wheel sitting next to me in the passenger seat or on parcel shelf. The rack also evolved to provide proper balancing of the bike on the rack, allow access to the gas filler cap, and allow the trunk to be raised without hitting the convertible top.

My bike rack design works with the welded/brazed tubular style rack, but I'm sure it can be adapted for the square tube modular TR6 luggage rage.

Most of the materials needed can be bought at your local hardware supplier and local bike shop.

Use this design at your own risk. I know it has worked for me, your mileage may vary.

Oh yeah... the bike on the rack in this pic is a classic as well - A 1985 Colnago Super Saronni WC Special with full Campag Super Record. Gotta have a classic on a classic!

 

So what do you need to build this thing?

From the Hardware Store:

QTY3 - 1"sqx 48" Aluminum tubing
QTY1 - Sheet aluminum (minimum 12" x 6")
QTY2 - 1/4-20 x 4.5" Stainless Bolts
QTY4 - 1/4-20 x 1.5" Stainless Bolts
QTY6 - 1/4-20 Stainless Locknuts
QTY10 - 1/4" Stainless washers.
QTY2 - 1/4 Large Brass Washers
QTY10 - Stainless Self Tapping Screws
QTY1 - Large Velcro Strap
QTY1 - U-bolt (big enough to go around the rear most tube, long enough to go through the 1" tube.

From your Local Bicycle Shop:

QTY1 - Traps Brand (also known as Saris) Fork Mount Bike Rack (about $15)
QTY1 - Traps Brand Wheel Mount (about $20)
QTY1 - Old innertube.

Tools:
DrillPress
Hacksaw
Metalshears
Wrenches, etc

 

I'd suggest building the rack in two sections, the rack/tray (lengthwise piece) and the base (crosspiece). Dimensions are in general based on your car. I've filled in the blanks where I've found a specific measure works better....

Rack/Tray:
Cut two of the 48" tubes to 43" in length. I've found this length to be the best for anything from a MTB to a touring bike.

Set the two tubes down on the ground parallel to each other and set the traps fork mount on the end. The outsides of the tubes should be the width of the base of the Traps casting. My tubes and casting formed a 43"x 4.5" rectangle.

Drill the end of the rack for the two 1.5" bolts that secure the Traps casting to the tubes. Bolt the casting to the tubes.

For the other end of the rack/tray, cut a 12"x5.5" rectangle of aluminum sheet. Bend up a .5" edge on the two long edges. This part should be bent so the edges wrap up and around the edge of the tubes.

Secure the sheetmetal to the tubes with sheetmetal screws.

You can test fit a bike on the rack/tray you've just built to ensure what you have will mount there.

Use a wide velcro strap for use in holding the rear wheel to the tray.

To finish the base/tray, drill a hole in each tube 7" back from the leading edge of the rack/tray. (in this pic, you can see the first holes I drilled at about 5.5" back, but they did not get the CG of the bike right on the rack, so I moved it back to 7")

Next, its time to make the base.

Start by cutting a 24" piece of the 1" aluminum tube. This is the part that bolts to the AMCO rack.

Set it up on the AMCO rack and mark the locations for drilling the fixing bolts. You'll want the bolt hole on the left end to be approx 1" from the end. The hole needs to be offset to the rear of the tube as well. (pics show this better than I can describe)

This base piece will be offset to the passenger side of the car to allow for mounting the wheel rack.

Drill the remaining mounting hole in line with the luggage strap loop on the AMCO rack.

You'll fix this tube to the rack with a 1.5" stainless bolt. Use washers under the bolt head, and use a brass washer under the nut.

You'll insulate the aluminum tube from the rack with a 2" long piece cut from the old innertube you grabbed.
Time to finish the base.

I found that a stack of 2" worth of alu tube raises the fork end of the rack high enough above the car to prevent fouling the gas filler cap, and also pulls it away from the convertible top when raising the boot.

Mark the center of the base piece. The center is the the center between the two holes you drilled to mount the base tube to the AMCO rack.

With the tray stacked on top of the base tube, drill through the holes in the tray through to the base tube.

Finally stack two scraps of alu tube on top of the base tube and drill the holes all the way through.

As you drill these holes, You'll get much better results using a drill press than using a hand drill. The work will also look much more completed if you chamfer the holes.

The final base assembly looks like this.

Bolt up the base to the rack/tray with the 4.5" stainless bolts, washers and nylock nuts.

also took the time to use a longer scrap piece on the bottom and a shorter on the top and then cut them on an angle with my hacksaw.

For the rear hold down, I used a U-bolt at the rearmost AMCO rack crosspiece. I slid some plastic tubing over the rack bolt to protect the AMCO chrome.

Mount the Wheel Rack on the passenger side of the base tube. I mounted it outside the AMCO bolt point, this allowed the wheel to sit outside even the widest handlebars. I used the wheel rack as a drill template and used the stainless hardware that came with the wheel rack.

 

 

To protect the AMCO rack, I made sure to put a piece of innertube in between the AMCO rack and the aluminum of the bike rack. Its cheap, quickly replaceable and easy to do.

Where the bike rack bolts to the leading edge of the AMCO rack, I used brass washers to keep from damaging the chrome at the strap loops. A slight bend in the washers allows the racks to come together more easily.

A word on AMCO rack mounting. No Sheet Metal screws to mount the rack. Use strong quality hardware and something that bolts all the way through the trunk and uses fasteners on the back. You don't want poor quality hardware risking your paint, sheetmetal or your bike!

I hope this thread allows someone to benefit from my experiments and helps someone build a good rack.