Nice bike couch, Dave. Fyi we had our frames braced in a similar way at the bottom of that triangle (see link below) but watch out all the stress is not then put at the point just above that plate on the back tube. That is where one of the bikes (or 2?) cracked (heavy loads, long range).
I would consider welding some sort of sleeve over that back bit of subframe but the more I think about it the more strengthening slender subframes for overland load-carrying is an inexact science prone to errors. There will always be a weak point and too heavy a rack can make things worse.
The only answer is a chunky OE subframe if you're into that sort of riding.
I rode an XRL for the first time in years the other day (its for sale btw; all the fruit) and next day finally got to run in my new Tenere for a few hundred miles (MHO on my website soon - many good points JMo).
For what we used them for in 2003 the XRL was a great bike for the money and did not miss a beat and parts/know how are easy to come by and cheap. The XRR was never in the running for that job. I briefly rode a well set up XRR in the desert last Jan and sure it had a lot of poke for point and squirt rallying but for real-world travelling an XRL or new XTZ is more like that cushy couch above
Ch
Adventure Motorcycling ~ Desert Riders XR650L preparation
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