The luggage rack/rear turn signal mount attaches to the chassis via the upper rear shock bolts on the outside; virtually all the pictures of '79 models show this mounting strategy. It sure looks like the rack could be secured on the inside, anyone tried this? Best
I think it’s supposed to stick out a bit so a pillion can hold onto it as an alternative to the rear grad rail. To put it inboard of the shock mounts, each side would have to bend inwards about 1.25”. The the angle of the mounting ears would be wrong, so they’d need bending. It’s all doable, but it’d no doubt need re chroming afterwards. Not sure what you’d gain from the exercise though...?
It would look better mounted to the inside of the top shock bolt, I don't know why they did it like the above after all the T160 grab rail mounted to the inside, so no 'orrible brackets on the outside
It's the lifting handhold for the centre stand. (Number plate brackets are in the wrong places as the deeper 83-4784 bracket should be the top one and shallower 82-6850 is the lower one. http://www.tioc.org/partsbookstriumph/pb-tri-1979-T140-late 99-7102A.pdf)