Tom's BMW R850R - Installing an R1150 Rack
My older side cases didn't fit the R1150 racks quite right. I had to file and trim the racks. I didn't do this until I was sure everything fit because I'm sure the dealer won't take them back after this.
The fit to the motorcycle frame was very tight. I had to install the rear two bolts first. Also, I had to remove the grommet from the rear of the body work, and use two washers as spacers on the bottom rear bolt. The front bolt of the rack was very difficult to install. I had to force the rack foward (it flexes a little) and carefully force the bolt into it's hole. The rack is very well made, and has metal bushings in the bolt holes. Since it has bushings, there is no way to just enlarge (with a drill) the mounting holes on the rack.
Another problem was that the R1150 racks interfere with the R850 turn signals. This forced me to trim about 1/4 inch (5 mm) off the end of the rack. The problem is the pointy end of the rack. The trimmed off part is only a little triangle of plastic 1/4 inch thick, and about 1/4 inch wide. The trimming is a little scary since these racks are $50 each.
