KLR Happy Trails rack and Givi E21 boxes.

Finally got my Happy Trails rack after being back ordered for three weeks. They look great and have tough looking powder coating. The only thing is the rack is for any kind of box set up you can imagine. For mine I went with the Givi E21 boxes. The price is very good and the size is not so big the bike looks odd.

This is the template they send out as a option if you go with Givi bags. It worked well but because I don't have a drill press I had some drill bit dither. That made the holes good but not perfect.
Simple enough to do, just four holes.

A lot of other racks dwarf the bags. So you end up seeing the back plate on the side of the bag. That to me is a little unsightly.
The instructions want you to extend the turn signal farther back so there out of the way. They don't even come close to the E21's. I just drilled a hole through the original turn signal plate.
Almost looks like it meant to be there.
Not too bad of a look.

Ride out to the Baumgartner Cheese Store

9AM with the usual suspects.
(left to right) Dave, Jim, Mark, Martin, Martin, and Jim E
Mark's new ride!
First stop for fuel and bathroom at the Belvidere Mobil.

The old Baumgartners cheese store. N42 36.113 W89 38.396





This is the bar ceiling where the toss dollars and get them to stick with large tacks. I can't explain it you just need to go see it for yourself..

I think we know who the real trouble maker is in the group!! :)

cold and short ride!

Well the game plan was to go from my house to Utica and back. The group I ride with didn't really want to come since the weather was taking forever to warm up. My buddy Dave called and we were pushing the idea of going anyways but we called it off. When he called it was still 35 degrees at 11am. Too cold!!
Later, my other friend Jim instant messaged me who is the process of breaking in his bike. He asked how my ride was and I said it was too cold in the morning but it's warmer out now. Temp was around 50 degrees and bright sun. He rode over and we cruised over to Lemont , IL. We did some dirt back roads up and down the I&M canal. We also cruised under the new part of I-355 since there were no signs against it. You don't realize how high that bridge is until your under it.
I only did 35 miles which was fine considering I needed a short run to check over the little modifications that were done over this forever lasting Winter!!

kids riding there shared bike