Attached is my first and only attempt at building a rear rack for my Suzuki V Strom. I have been doing some research on rear racks and have been looking at a lot of really nice options. Touratech and SW-Motech to name two. Unfortunately, those options all come with a nice price tag as well, and as I am still trying to figure out how I am going to actually pay for my upcoming trip to AK, I figured I would take the 10 dollar option.
Putting a little DIY ethos into any thing is always a good choice by my standards. Good for the soul and the ego. You can probably get something that is lighter, stronger, more durable, and ultimately better suited for the job, but where is the fun in that. A scrap piece of Baltic birch plywood, a trip to the hardware store for some bolts and washers and Voila!, instant rack.
Will this thing hold up? I expect it should do fine, barring any crashes. I am a bit concerned on a couple of my strap holes (Ooh hoo. Did I just say strap hole? Ha) that they might not have enough wood when strapping something down. I’ll just need to be careful. Oh yeah, I will be bringing my OEM bolts along for the journey just in case
Here are a few pictures of my project: From paper to motorcycle, a journey in pictures.
P.S: In the making of this blog post or this rear rack no fingers were lost due to unfortunate cutting accidents. Be safe out there and always use a really long push stick and don’t leave home without your safety goggles.
Handsome Chaps Motorcycle 
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