PR: Proprietary Items Craven rack dimensions and drawings

[Albervin]

I am sure the small link, at A, is designed to allow fitment to the variations in seat dimensions. Altho pretty close, the seats we fit have all got to be a little different.
Along that same line of question or fact finding - The bolted joints at "A" are snugged down tight for no rotation or flexing. Yes or No???
Altering the "A" link length would vary the installed height of, what I call, the "V" rack.
These "A" links are installed to the outside of the seat, altho I have seen them routed to the seat inside.
This drawing shows the mounting at "E" points on the rack to be to the inside of the rack, but my rack & arms do not seem to allow this .....so my arms are outside.
The drawing also shows the rear arm with bend to rear, short section up........but if you flip the rear arm, on mine, it clears fender T nut.
Where are the Craven instructions for these racks?
Craig

That bracket (C) is a weak point. It completely snapped off and sent a pannier down the road. I now have that bracket extended around the full arc of the curve. I also have braces welded between the left and right, front and rear Vees.

 

[Albervin]

 

[Oldhaven]

There have been quite a few methods of fastening the bottom of the pannier to the rack, including the Dzus fastener shown previously here and simple threaded connections, but apparently there is a locking type available from the current Craven manufacturer. I have checked the catalogue and the Craven site at:

www.cravens.org.uk/

and cannot find any good pictures or description. Locking the panniers seems like a good idea since it not only helps prevent theft, but is more secure than a quarter turn fastener. Does anyone have a good picture of that type of system? I am looking for a similar solution for my saddlebag project.

I also found a Vincent owner's Photobucket album dedicated to Craven obscura at:

http://s67.photobucket.com/user/1951otter/library/Craven Panniers?sort=6&page=6&postlogin=true

But the Photobucket website is so full of ads that it keeps locking up my computer, so go there at your own risk. Lots of good pictures though.

the same fellow (are you on here under a forum name?) is at:

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/craven-are-back.882754/page-2

With some good pictures and advice, including how to improve the L shaped upper holders by adding a washer to support the rubber bushing and making them a bit longer.

 

[Oldhaven]

Alternate Fittings

I am trying to fit an old set of Buco Twinmaster bags to my craven V rack, and in the course of thinking up ways to do it I came across these clamps that could be substituted for the original Craven clamps that fit on the 1/2" tube lifting handle and the 5/8" tube on the rack. The 1/4" Craven spool fittings on the panniers that the L shaped upper holders slide into could also be replaced with them, but their rubber bushings are tight when installed and tightened down. That is good on the rack tubes. since they will not move, but would make the panniers difficult to slide off the L holders unless a quick rease was used on one side the clamp . I got them from McMaster Carr and they are stainless with TPR vibration damping and not expensive. The flat SS bar across the back of the clamp has to be fabricated unless the clamp is mounted to a flat surface. They also move the 1/4" bolt point for rack attachments away from tube center, but I do not see that as a problem for my purposes.
I can see from the variety of sizes that they might have other uses for mounting equipment requiring vibration damping to round tubes. You do have to put up with the OMEGA stamping on them unless you polish that out, but in most cases you will not see that anyway. The first picture shows two sizes on the tubes just for illustration purposes. I will use different correct length 1/4" bolts and not phillips head screws when I install them.

 

[Ian Savage]

Word to the wise - do not use panniers fitted only to the V tubes i.e. on mountings as per the picture on Craig's post dated Jan 2 2017. the tubes will break.
Only use panniers that hang from the top frame on the mountings, item B, on the drawings. Early Craven frames had welded lugs in this position.
Ian

 

[robin]

Oldhaven,
Why not buy a proper craven rack designed to carry bags?
There are lots of pictures of them on this discussion.
Robin

 

[Oldhaven]

Hi Robin,
I have a Craven rack, (see my B Rapide in post 39 here), but was trying to come up with some easy to source and secure fittings to mount some non-Craven saddlebags on it, since my rack did not come with any of that. Lots of good information here, like Albervin's reinforcements, which I will emulate.

 

[Albervin]

Word to the wise - do not use panniers fitted only to the V tubes i.e. on mountings as per the picture on Craig's post dated Jan 2 2017. the tubes will break.
Only use panniers that hang from the top frame on the mountings, item B, on the drawings. Early Craven frames had welded lugs in this position.
Ian

Easier said than done with some panniers. I have a set of Phil's replica Vincent panniers and it would be impossible to mount them anywhere else than the V. One problem is people put too much weight in the panniers.

 

[Ian Savage]

Correct Alyn, these frames were only designed for the Silver Arrow which were quite small. Mounting on the V only puts all the stress on the tubes near the welds and they are not a very thick section. Wrong panniers on the right frame or vice versa.
By mounting at the top on the frame and at the bottom on the V you have created a triangle and as we all know triangles are inherently ridged.
Ian

 

[david bowen]

I sent some of his Ken Craven drawings to a member,He worked at Vincents 1947/48 watch oz mail full story shortly full story of his life at the factory