Better design for a front rack?

[OlderNow]

Some CT125 riders have installed front racks on their bikes. They are generally described as being for only light loads (and their relatively light structures seem to support this intent). Frequently they comment that they have limited functionality and identify potential steering and handling problems with carrying too heavy a load on them. One approach may be to get this front load lower thus acheiving a lower center of gravity for this added weight.

Take a look at these two offerings from Revolution:



Is one better than the other? Does the fender-mounted rack address some of the steering impact issues of the higher mount? Does the fender-mounted unit introduce other consequences? What do you think?

 

[dmonkey]

I would trust the fender with less weight than a headlight rack. The fender is not well supported for carrying a load, 4 bolts through metal that is flexible. Anything on there will also be unsprung weight that can make the steering and handling worse, and the cargo will be bouncing around more. Perfectly fine for mounting something like a small fender bag with light tools or something in though like this: https://wolfmanluggage.com/products/enduro-fender-bag-wp

If you want to put more cargo up front you're probably best off moving the headlight for a lower rack mount like the Super Cub 110 Pro has:


Which is improved from the Super Cub 50:


For the CT125, Mooneyes makes a rack that does this https://www.mooneyes.jp/product/10869


There's also this one from Thailand, but it sits a bit higher:

LED Headlights from Thailand

Hey everyone, I'm new here. My Trail 125 should arrive any day now, and I am looking for the first few mods. I have seen some people complain about the headlight saying its not bright enough, so I was looking and found these...

hondatrail125.com

I have a front carrier rack that I use to clip down loose items like hat, gloves, mail, etc and I like the small Pelican/Apache case setups others have mounted on their front racks. Anything too wide like a bedroll or sleeping pad for camping would block the turn signals if you're needing them in traffic. I think the front rack is a great convenience, but for any serious cargo I'd use the rear rack instead. You're likely to overload the bike's capacity before you run out of room and mounting options in the rear. https://hondatrail125.com/index.php...awa-front-carrier-rack-black-with-spring.497/

 

[m in sc]

while the fender is strong enough its still un-sprung area. bad idea IMHO. The headlight mounted one seems better but def no more than 3-4 lbs IMHO. not because the mounts will break, its plenty strong enough... but its just unwanted weight on the part of the bike that steers, i always found that to affect handling in a bad way as well.

 

[G19Tony]

I use the front rack for tire repair supplies. I have 2 tubes, compressor and the tools to change a tire. I've cleaned up the straps since these were taken.