Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => Freewheeling => The Dark Side => Topic started by: CAMRAMan on 21 April, 2008, 03:20:26 pm

Title: HP Spirit Pannier rack fitting
Post by: CAMRAMan on 21 April, 2008, 03:20:26 pm
A bit of a specialist topic this one, but here goes...

I got a Spirit under-seat pannier rack off eBay Canada last year. Worked out about half the UK price. Nice weather here at the weekend, so I thought I'd fit it. However, I opened the box only to find a bit of metal tubing that looks right and one fixing screw.

Has anyone fixed one of these to a Spirit? Did you have any instructions or can you advise me how to fit it please?

TIA
Title: Re: HP Spirit Pannier rack fitting
Post by: Cunobelin on 21 April, 2008, 08:00:25 pm
From the description, and a look on the website -  I think the fitting is similar the the Street Machine.....

On the Street Machine you need to remove the two bolts through the rear suspension and the carrier is then fixed in place with these. Underneath the frame is a "boss". The front of the rack then bolts using your single bolt to this.

So three point fixing

Cross piece of rack to boss underneath frame, two rear holes in rack fixed to suspension pivot. This piccie from the HP Velotechnik site shows what I mean

SMGT
(http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/images/produkte/sm/gt/smgt_lowrider.jpg)


Spirit
(http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/images/produkte/spirit/p2140073.jpg)

Edited....

You will need two allen keys to loosen off the pivot bolts, otherwise they will simply rotate, and secondly - be careful the "rear triangle" does not drop out. It is easy enough to replace, just a bugger aligning the  washers, and plates with the bolt holes.


Title: Re: HP Spirit Pannier rack fitting
Post by: CAMRAMan on 22 April, 2008, 08:45:43 am
Thanks for the info and pictures - very useful.

I downloaded the latest Spirit manual and it alludes to the lowrider rack. It suggests putting a skewer through the rear suspension tubing to retain the alignment.

I definitely need the panniers, as the rear rack is pretty useless.
Title: Re: HP Spirit Pannier rack fitting
Post by: Mr Larrington on 22 April, 2008, 09:40:17 am
If it's anything like the Speedmachine, the suspension pivot bolts used with the rack are longer than those required without it.
Title: Re: HP Spirit Pannier rack fitting
Post by: CAMRAMan on 22 April, 2008, 11:30:14 am
If it's anything like the Speedmachine, the suspension pivot bolts used with the rack are longer than those required without it.

Point of order, Mr Mayor...

I didn't get any bolts with the rack. Are you saying I'll have a problem with the current bolts being too short?
Title: Re: HP Spirit Pannier rack fitting
Post by: Mr Larrington on 22 April, 2008, 01:29:17 pm
If it's anything like the Speedmachine, the suspension pivot bolts used with the rack are longer than those required without it.

Point of order, Mr Mayor...

I didn't get any bolts with the rack. Are you saying I'll have a problem with the current bolts being too short?

When I removed the rack from my Speedmachine, the bolts were then too long, but the reverse may not be true.  However, I'd have thought that if the standard bolts were long enough, HP Velotechnik wouldn't go to the trouble and expense of providing longer ones to use with a rack.  An e-mail to mail "at" hpvelotechnik "dot" com may be indicated - they've been very helpful to me in the past with issues on the Speedmachine.
Title: Re: HP Spirit Pannier rack fitting
Post by: CAMRAMan on 22 April, 2008, 03:07:37 pm
Thanks!

HP got back to me pretty quickly, but with a pretty generic reply. With the photos posted by Cunobelin, and down to the fact that options are limited as to what goes where, I'll give it a go tonight.

Totally off-topic, but CSI - Ambleside is out next Monday  ;D
Title: Re: HP Spirit Pannier rack fitting
Post by: CAMRAMan on 28 April, 2008, 02:16:08 pm
Well, either the bolts on the Spirit are from very soft steel, or my allen keys are crap, as I stripped the inside both of the rear suspension hex bolts on Saturday!

Any tips? They are well and truly knackered now.
Title: Re: HP Spirit Pannier rack fitting
Post by: PhilO on 28 April, 2008, 03:11:56 pm
Well, either the bolts on the Spirit are from very soft steel, or my allen keys are crap, as I stripped the inside both of the rear suspension hex bolts on Saturday!

Any tips? They are well and truly knackered now.

A common fix is to hammer in a slightly oversized Torx bit and see if that will make it turn...

If that doesn't work, you'll probably have to chop their goolies off, er... I mean, drill their heads off.
Title: Re: HP Spirit Pannier rack fitting
Post by: CAMRAMan on 29 April, 2008, 12:11:40 pm
Thanks for the tip. Think it's a trip to the LBS to see what they can do...
Title: Re: HP Spirit Pannier rack fitting
Post by: Luke on 01 May, 2008, 12:29:47 pm
Probably a little late now, but I took this photo last weekend (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2187.0).

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2048/2455359420_3657741754.jpg?v=0)
Title: Re: HP Spirit Pannier rack fitting
Post by: CAMRAMan on 01 May, 2008, 06:47:46 pm
Ta! By process of elimination, I'd sort-of worked it out, but good to have confirmation.

It's a 4-day holiday here, so my LBS is shut & it being Hungary, it doesn't open on Saturdays!  :(

Was it your bike or at the show? Is that a Heinzmann motor in the rear wheel?
Title: Re: HP Spirit Pannier rack fitting
Post by: Luke on 03 May, 2008, 02:52:10 am
Ta! By process of elimination, I'd sort-of worked it out, but good to have confirmation.

It's a 4-day holiday here, so my LBS is shut & it being Hungary, it doesn't open on Saturdays!  :(

Was it your bike or at the show? Is that a Heinzmann motor in the rear wheel?

Not my bike unfortunately, it was on the HpVelotechnic stand. ::-) I'm currently recumbentless.

I think the elec-assist was the 'bionX' system - although such things don't really float my boat, so I can't be sure.