My next project was the 1200GS, which i sold last year. This bike was a challenge. The sub-frame on the 1200gs is very flexible, and building a new one was not an option at the time, so i opted for a more sacraficial type of box made from 1.5mm aluminim and connected them to a tubular frame.[IMG]
[/IMG] I used small stainless steel bolts to attach the panner hooks, which i milled myself from aluminum blocks.[IMG]
[/IMG] The idea was, in the event of a crash, the box will crush, or the soft stainless steel bolts will shear, saving the sub frame from harm. Both instances are easy to fix, a twisted sub frame is not
This time i chose to build the pannier racks from 3/4 stainless steel, as i really had no plans on entering the 3rd world with this bike, and anyways, welding stainless still is much more common that most people think.[IMG]
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[/IMG] The boxes were welded simple and rectangular, without a re-enforcing angle, again with removable lids which proved extremely useful on previous travels as tool trays or whatnot. [IMG]
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[/IMG]I coppied the tapered pattern of the stock Vario cases to keep the lines of the bike square. I also purchased a muffler from Metal Mule that allowed me to keep both boxes the same size. [IMG]
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the building process:
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BTW... all the primary fitting was welded on the bike without disconnecting the battery or ECU and i never had a problem, but then again, i know where to place my ground and start my arc.
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