Well that, tired of not finding a rear grill that suited my needs, I decided to get one. And I like how it turned out! Most of the grills (carrier, stand or whatever you want to call it) that I had seen so far were very large.
They are usually designed to carry bulky bags or even top cases. But I don’t like to carry the weight so high and so far back on my bike, especially to use it in the fields where that mass up there creates strong inertia or makes it very difficult to lift the bike if it hits the ground. I only use my grills to carry small bags where I can put a bottle of water, a raincoat or a spare camera.
They also serve to support and fix the Giant Loop saddlebags that I have.
That is why I was looking for a grill that was as minimalist as possible, that would weigh little and go unnoticed. And that was not found. Another aspect that has always bothered me about the existing grills is that the holes where the straps go to fix the bags are usually inclined following the outline of the grill. This means that the strap does not work in a good position with respect to the bag. And now, why not put the holes where I need them depending on my bags? I first made a drawing that would follow the outline of the little tail of the 790 so that it would blend in as much as possible.
The next step was to put the different bags on top to make the holes in the grill with their anchor points. Then I made it out of cardboard to see how it would look on the bike and the measurements of the bushings that separate it from the tail. My intention was for it to be as flush as possible with the seat.
They are usually designed to carry bulky bags or even top cases. But I don’t like to carry the weight so high and so far back on my bike, especially to use it in the fields where that mass up there creates strong inertia or makes it very difficult to lift the bike if it hits the ground. I only use my grills to carry small bags where I can put a bottle of water, a raincoat or a spare camera.
They also serve to support and fix the Giant Loop saddlebags that I have.
That is why I was looking for a grill that was as minimalist as possible, that would weigh little and go unnoticed. And that was not found. Another aspect that has always bothered me about the existing grills is that the holes where the straps go to fix the bags are usually inclined following the outline of the grill. This means that the strap does not work in a good position with respect to the bag. And now, why not put the holes where I need them depending on my bags? I first made a drawing that would follow the outline of the little tail of the 790 so that it would blend in as much as possible.
The next step was to put the different bags on top to make the holes in the grill with their anchor points. Then I made it out of cardboard to see how it would look on the bike and the measurements of the bushings that separate it from the tail. My intention was for it to be as flush as possible with the seat.
Once designed, I passed the drawing to my friend Kytu who finished polishing it with a design program and from there to production.
It could have been painted black but the ones I have had like this end up being ugly due to the rubbing of the bags so I preferred to leave it in 5mm brushed and anodized aluminum. If it is scratched, it is very easy to polish it and I may even end up vinyl it in the future, I’ll see how it ages.
The funny thing was that I’m in a Whats group of users of the 790 and the idea liked it, so we ended up making 15 grills. The trick was that the supplier sent them without chamfering well the edges that could have ended up cutting the straps of the bags and we had to pull the file and Dremel to leave them well finished … handicraft things.
Regarding the weight: 279 grams and 357 with the screws and spacers.
In the photos you can see how with the great Giant Loop Pronghorn straps I can fix the Klamath tail bag, the Possible Pouch, the Coyote or the Mojavi. Simple and fast.
Now you have to be able to test it well!
