I converted this 1983 R100RS into an RT by adding the RT fairing. The RT fairing comes with hard plastic side pockets, but they are much too close to the gas tank for my taste.

So, I decided to install a set of cloth bags that provide storage and don’t get very close to the gas tank. I used Fairing Pockets from “Kathy’s Journey Designs”, that are designed to work with the RS fairing. The bags are designed to mount  on the middle fairing bracket using a wide piece of  Velcro to attach the bottom of the pocket to the bracket. But, that part of the RS, and RT, fairing is narrow and the bag rubs against the side of the fairing and the gas tank.

I bought a set of Kathy’s bags and mounted them on my 1977 R100RS. Unfortunately, the material is rough and it scuffs the clear coat on the RS gas tank and the matte black paint on the inside of the upper fairing panel. To fix that, I glued a smooth piece of vinyl on the sides of the bags that touch the fairing and the gas tank and it stopped the scuffing.

I decided to mount the RS fairing pockets on the RT fairing using the existing bushings that the plastic fairing compartments mounts to. There is enough room between that part of the RT fairing and the gas tank that the bags won’t touch the gas tank when they are mounted.

To attach the bags, I use a grommet kit I have for installing grommets in tarps. I picked this up at my local Army/Navy store several years ago. The idea is to attach the bags to a three of the six bushings on the side of the fairing using M6 bolts through the grommets. I plan to use the top front bushing and the top and bottom rear bushings to secure the bag. The top rear bushing is shorter than the other two, but the bag is flexible so it will fit on that bushing without any modifications to the bag.

To get the layout of the grommets to align with the holes in the bushings, I use a piece of 8-1/2 x 11 paper and lay it against the fairing bushings and press my finger on the front top and the bottom rear screw holes in the bushings to create an indent in the paper. I poke a hole through the indents with a pencil and then use a white paint pencil to mark the holes on the outside of the pocket so they are about the same distance from the side, top and bottom edges of the bag.

Next, I use the tools in the grommet kit to punch a hole through the bag fabric and then install a grommet in the two holes.

To get the correct location of the hole in the shorter rear top bushing, I use the paint pencil to put some paint on the boss. Then I mount the bag on the fairing with M6x10 hex bolts and stretch the bag and press it against the lower rear boss transferring some wet paint to the bag to locate that hole on the bag.

I remove the bag and install the third grommet in the upper rear hole. I mount the bags using three M6 bolts with a flat and wave washer to the side of the fairing.

To keep the bag expanded and the bottom flat, I cut some foam board to fit the bottom of the bags.

There is space between the bag and the gas tank so the bags won’t rub against the tank. I think these will work well for holding a variety of items such as gloves, oil containers, spare parts, extra cables, etc.

Revisions

2021-07-18  Correct some typos.
2021-07-04  Corrected section number to “46” for Fairing.