Making aluminium panniers
 

Anyone got any experience of making their own aluminium panniers that they would care to pass on. A sheet of aluminium looks very cheap compared with ready made panniers and anyway I like a challenge !

Cheers

Ian

Ian,
I just purchased my first set of hard panniers - a set aluminum boxes from www.Happy-Trail.com. I was surprised at how simple the construction appears - basically an aluminum box with a rubber-sealed lid that has clasps that allow padlocking.

My understanding is that these are your concerns:
1) Durability - sorry to point out the obvious, but I would check to see what grade of aluminum is used in the high quality boxes and how the welds are done. You really wouldn't want the welds to crack open out in the middle of the desert, dumping your gear out everywhere.
2) Being water tight and Dust-proof - make sure of this - it's no fun having all your gear soggy and dirty after a long day. My boxes require holes to be drilled in them, but I'm using rubber washers where bolts go through them so that they remain dust & water proof.
3) you should mount them so that they're easily and quickly removable - and you should consider how you're going to pack all of your gear so that you can make a good decision about how you want your lids to open.

I think if you can ensure the above, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to make yourself a decent set of panniers. Just be sure to test them on a few weekend rides before you set out on something substantial.

Best of luck,
Wright

------------------
Wright Bagwell
http://www.geocities.com/wwbagwell/

I made some Ally panniers for anXT600 tenere.
I ve used them across Aus and around NZ, crash tested and still going!
Hardest thing was making the racks, but its all possible......
I still have them and all the dimensions/plans etc
I had sliding lids,and they were made to carry a 10 litre plastic jerry can each and accomodate a pillions feet for NZ
If you want more info email

email address removed by Grant see the faq for why.

[This message has been edited by Grant Johnson (edited 10 February 2002).]

options...
 

I recently saw someone who had used army ammunition boxes, to make his panniers. They needed a bit of customizing, but they had proved strong, and cheap... Pretty strong stuff.

also...
 

saw someone using large metal jerry cans with the top cut of, a strip welded in around the cut to form a lip, and some clasps bolted on for padlocks - very strong, very cheap and a nice look too

For more on making panniers, see:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tri...e/panniers.php

i got a how-to for making your own panniers. haven't made any yet, but the how-to looks good.

unfortunately in GERMAN only.

http://www.zooomclan.org/files/17/alukoffer.pdf

wooden panniers
 

Hi
I met a guy from New Zealand with an Africa twin while travilling in southern Chile, he had made wooden panniers, two on the back and two on the front, he swore by them, he said that they were water proof and quite strong i have to admit they were well made, but with a red bike and white panniers he looked like an advert for the red cross, a nice guy. Skip

I had what i thought was a rather good idea regarding making panniers. I looked at propper job ones, but they seem kind of expensive for a piece of alliminium with a few folds and rivets in. i had a bit of look round to see what else was pannier shaped and found some steel ex army ammo cases and only a tenner each. downside was they were nearly 15kg each!!!!
so then i thought, why not just buy the army cases and cut a square out of each face, leaving half an inch or so round the edge. then just cut some sheets of alluminium to fit so they overlap around the edge and rivet them in place. that way you have a heavy weight alluminium pannier with a steel framework so it should be pretty bombproof. get it powder coated and it should be pretty water tight aswell as it says the lids are. i haven't researched this any further than looking at pictures of ammo cases and dreaming whilst i should have been working, but feel free to add constructive critisism.
:thumbup1:

That sounds like a bloody good idea! I've been toying with the idea of making my own ali panniers, you may have just saved me a lot of head scratching! Nice 1. Reckon they should come out fairly light providing some thin ish ali is used. I can't see the need for thick stuff as all the strength will be in the steel frame. Don't you love it when a good idea comes into your head!

SKIP mentioned wooden panniers, using a stitch and glue method any shape is possible with plywood. The joins are made inside using glass fibre strip and resin, the outer joins are rounded off and glassed as the inside making a very strong join. The lid could be made lockable with padlocks, and be virtually water tight. Finish off the boxes with the colour paint of your choice, even silver to look like alloy, cheap enough. :cool4:

This wooden pannier thing is genius!
I made a stitch and glue canoe when I was a lad and it was extraordinarily light and perfectly strong. The plywood I made it with was special 'Marine Ply' which differs from normal ply in ways I'm not sure of but as it is designed for boat construction I'd imagine the glues are waterproof etc. Might be good stuff for pannier construction.
As to finish I think I'd have to use clear marine varnish! How different would you look cruising around with a set of beautiful, natural wood boxes on your bike!
Matt

link for alluminium panniers
 

There is a useful link here, it is in Italian but it contains pictures:

Borse in alluminio per moto autocostruite (Sahara.it)

use your keyboard's arrow keys to scroll the page if u are using Mozilla Firefox, the site is an Italian "mini" HU.

I am building my own panniers on the same style plus rack for my XTZ660 3YF, will post some pics soon along with instructions, I am using 2mm thick allu sheets and 3x3cm "Ls", no welding, the major problem at the moment is how to make them 100% waterproof.
Will keep posting.

Regards to all.

Use 'Sikaflex', it's what they use in the auto industry, this stuff sticks better than nuts and bolts, and is 200% waterproof:thumbup1:
Try here TSW-Comsat


Trophymick

Alex,
I was going to suggest a thin layer of rubber/neoprene/whatever between both sheets, along the length of the joint, prior to riviting them.
But I since read Trophymick's post and like the idea of an applied adhesive/sealant as well - if it has some flexibility.

The problem with both methods is what happens if there are extreme forces applied - like falling, an accident or using the box as a support for other activities such as wheel removal.

Please report your progress. I am most interested at I am close to buying a set of Metal Mules which look, feel and are reported as superb, but they do cost a lot compared with the raw materials. Maybe there is no shortcut to knowhow, but it seems sence to explore alternatives..

I think i will use rivets and "low module" sealant the same used in the glass facade industry (also used in the light carpentry, air conditioning and car conditioning/caravan industry).
I think spreading a thin layer of this sealant in between the "Ls" and allu sheets before riveting and then fill the gaps and the rivets ends to seal the inside of the boxes before glueing the padding inside (for this my choice fell on regular cheap camping/exercise mats) would do the job.
The only real problem are the corners, especially when the lid meets the rest of the case, a very easy solution is to make a sealed lid bigger than the body then fit a rubber seal to the upper edges of the case, a cars door protector is flexible enough and durable, so the water won't be able to "go up" and flood the panniers.

On the internet I saw some really beautiful cases but I never thought i was going to get those expensive "solution" from touratech :nono:, i used to make alluminium cases for myself a few years back (I have been a DJ with a very low budget start then for friends etc. - see some example below) and i know it is a job anybody can do with a low level of DIY experience.
I am willing to help anybody wanting to make their own cases as it is a very easy job and it can be done with a basic set of tools: drill, hammer, rivets, saw, screwdriver... that's it...
for the rack u may need some welding skills but not necessarily.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2144/...bdfdd3a998.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2004/...8eddb1bdbc.jpg



I estimate 100 euro as the total cost but I am still working on them and will post some pics and more details in a few days.

Right click on mouse / click page info / click translate page into English

You will be better using a 'polyurethane' sealant/adhesive, silicone is acidic (which also attacks some metals) and not really designed for the rough and tumble of motorcycling/motoring:thumbup1: .
Stick (pun intended) to the Sikaflex or similar (Tiger seal eBay.co.uk - tiger seal, pu adhesive, Garage Equipment Tools, Motorcycle Parts Accessories items at low prices) product for long term waterproof/reliability,I have used this stuff, there is no substitute:nono:


Trophymick

I made my own top box and have the panniers cut and folded already. Need to weld them up and put all the fixings on it still though. I've intergrated a fuel or water tank in the bottom chamfered area of it. I didn't want square angles on the outside on areas that would hit the ground and leg side. But did want square angles on the inside. It's about 4 liters on each side. It will have a ball valve tap on the front back side of the pannier leaving enough clearance to the swing arm, and a filler neck from a boating shop on the inside of the pannier. Couldn't figure out a way to have it on the outside without compromising on the shape of the pannier.

Just didn't like the dimensions of the ones for sale. So I thought I would pack up my gear first and put everything in Eagle Creek pack cubes. Hate spending forever packing up everything all the time to keeping organised. Those cubes are the right dimensions to keep the total width within the handle bar widths which for me is the most important requirement.

This is the shape in cardboard and some CAD

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...P2170256-2.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...n/P2170257.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p.../3DPannier.jpg


This is the top box with electrical plug and hinged at the back on the DIY rack to keep access to the F650 seat latch.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...en/6240515.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...n/P6240513.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...n/P6240516.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...n/P6240518.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...n/P6240517.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...n/P6240521.jpg

Trophymick,
my mistake in the description:
I will use a Butyl Rubber based sealant on the outside in between the bits before riveting and the low module silicone will fill the remaining gaps inside.

Tmotten,
I like the electrical plug, its a good idea. Just one thing: you cant remove the topbox from the bike?
Just an idea thrown in: there are sone take-apart (or slip-apart) hinges on the market they work as the normal ones with the added advantage that they can be taken apart letting you taking the lid completely off the case (the box from the rack in your case). If fitted instead of the normal ones u could still swing the topbox to access the saddle latch but also you could take the box off in a second.
Some pics below:

Take-apart hinges:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/...53a2b8e439.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2121/...3499eef6ef.jpg

or Slip-apart hinges:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2034/...4653c415_m.jpg

Get Alpos boxes - half the usual price.

OH NO not another giant top box on a big trailie!!!:censored:

Very nice boxes indeed especially the F Series but do they make something the size we need? 782x585x412 mm seem too wide IMO.

link here by the way: Alpos - F Series

Not to worry. It's only for big overland trips. In Aussie on weekends or longer I ride like this. No camping though but I'd probably go for a strap on tent and sleeping bag arrangement.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...n/P6100424.jpg

I'm not too worried about the size if the weight is kept down. Last time we rode accross northern Asia on a Tenere that Dave Lambeth setup with 2 x 6 litre Acerbis tanks on the back. He really liked the setup so we thought we'd go with it. It was pretty successfull, but that weight would be more than we will be putting in those boxes. That's why I like building boxes around the luggage rather than the other way around. On trips like that it's all about the getting there eventually in any way shape or form, so you tend to take it easy.

I would have to remove the 6 nylock nuts, but that is the idea as I would only use this on long trips I reckon.

I have had a quick look at those hinges, but wouldn't I need to build a brace or something to stop them sliding off?

Take-apart hinges
 

Only the Slip-apart ones may need something that stops them from sliding off sideways but i noticed your mechanism to secure the topbox to the rack, that woudl be enough.

The Take-apart ones dont slide sideways, in order to take the lid off u need to open it at least 90degrees.
Here is a better picture:

Has anyone actually made wood panniers? - just curious about:-

What detail was used to fasten them to the bike.
How they are performing.
If there is a "cutting list" for whatever size was made.

Marine ply is water resistant because of the glues used in manufacturing it and WBP (water and boil proof) glue might be appropriate for the joints. Modern glues for timber are stronger than the timber itself. Nevertheless, a painted, or other similar varnish, finish would help to shed water.

IMHO it is very important to minimise any potential injury to yourself by rounding off corners and avoiding sharp edges and brackets .
In case of an accident I would not want to get my leg stuck under the sharp edge of a pannier or be whacked in the back by a large hard top box .

Panniers should be strong enough to support the bike if it falls off the stand or in a slow speed tumble .You will only get that kind of strength by welding and maybe double skinning the bottom and sloping sides [ refer to tmotten" design ] , or by adding a steel frame underneath [ Grant's design ] .
Wooden panniers would be fine with a steel frame around them to give added support in case of an accident [also the condensation would be much less in a wooden case] .

Made the racks and welded brackets to the ammo boxes and they work great,ammo boxes 10 kg,alloy boxes 7.5 kg each,I might not bother to upgrade to the alloy ones.

Nice. Where did you find them?

the picture here:
Hardware - PlanetDJ.com

also a nice selection of hinges here:
Penn Elcom - Flight Case and Speaker Cabinet Solutions

u can find this tipe of accessories where they make flightcases or custom alluminium cases, they are nothing special really, i used to buy them from a shop where they also repair luggage and trunks.
U can also try a big hardware shop.

After a little Google search it looks like marine suppliers keep these kind of things. Try to Google this: "take apart" hinges.

What about paper machè. Its ever so cheap and easy to do. Perhaps I'll make some this week-end, and post some pictures.

:cool4:

I remember "Blue Peter" kids tv show , they could make anything with sticky backed plastic , toilet rolls and paper mache .
"This week children we will make a nuclear reactor" , "take an empty washing up detergent bottle and cut it in half - now take the bigger half and place the ---------get down Shep ! bad dog !

Panniers should be easy .[don't ride in the rain ]

Keep it simple
 

You all getting to tied up in aluminum this and steel that.
What you need is some old plastic wine barrels. We cart wheeled our bikes and bashed the luggage over rocks, dogs and bounced off cars.
The lids always went back on and the boxes never cracked.
Get on the plastic freedom barrel bus baby.
Just ride you techno heads.
We went around the world on XT250s with wine barrel luggage.
Lo tech-Lo worry-Lo maintenace.
Just ride you techno heads.
Oh yeh! and it only cost about AUD$85.00 for both bikes. BANG!!! gotta like that.

Wow! How big was each barrel? It looks pretty wide too, but I do like the idea.
Do you have any more pictures, especially side on?

Regard

Nigel in NZ

Look at the size of those barrels!
 

Double Wow! But how much stuff do you want to carry on a 250cc & did you have to drink the wine first?:rolleyes2:

Your pics remind me of self-built, home-built rafts (I've done a few of them!) - you were not thinking of crossing rivers etc using those as floatation, by some chance?

Yes, more pics please - 10/10 for thinking outside the proverbial box of the management text books!

More info on the our little Donkeys
 

Each Barrel is 20 litre. My bike was packed with parts and heavy gear. Lauras was half full for for ease of riding. (she got her bike license 2 days before we left.) We were planning on coming into russia at magadan. So the barrels were for floating across rivers. 8 barrels per bike.
They protected Laura a couple of times when she came off.
And made it easy to kick away while sliding down the track.
Every now and then in deep mud I ran over my self but being plastic and held on with rachet straps everything moved and i paddled on.
Here are some more pics. I carried about 40kg and Laura about 20-25kg.
We are both new to this travel thing, so slow and steady was the plan.

Hi Scott and Laura...
 

Hmmm unfortunatly Scott we only buy our wine in bottles, and they are small and awkward to pack you can't get a lot through the necks also they break a little to easy...no wonder you keep falling off buying wine by the drum!!!!lol Hi How are you both?. Nice to see some pics! we met just west of Chita,(Laura seemed very animated about the golf ball size gravel!!! Jimmy and Laurence XT600 and Pan European. I,m off with the family to New Zealand this December and planning on riding to Thailand next summer (see thread) how did you settle back into "normal life"?.Shame we never managed to meet in Europe...hope to see you both one day soon...Have fun..Jimmy

is $800 (singapore dollar) ok?
 

came across a set of ally panniers for $800 singapore dollar! including brackets & rack! Is this reasonable or what? & Its 41 litres.

:scooter:

I have made these..
check out this link from the XRV site..
Home made panniers... - Honda Trail Bike Forums

Almost there....!!!!

Still a bit dirty from the sealant that needs to be trimmed once hard, the lid is missing from the pics and the inner padding needs to be glued but i am slowly getting there..!!
I thought I posted some pics because I am excited they are coming out the way I wanted (water-proofing test by immersion in my tub is scheduled for tomorrow...:helpsmilie:)

Will post some instructions and the list of the materials i have used. It's quite chaep and easy to produce spending just a couple of hours after dinner for a few days.

How to spend my weekend nights... "sadly" somebody commented... any satisfaction from the hubb community..?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2121/...11b20be6_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2295/...d00f990f_o.jpg

HI Alex,

Nice job, I am making my own at the moment, nothing as fancy as yours.
I am going to use 2mm alloy and and make my racks as narrow as possible.

FYI you can find some Latches and rubber seals listed below, the latch company have lockable catches as well.

Fasteners ~ Protex Fasteners Ltd

door seals, rubber seals, rubber extrusions, window rubbers by seals direct

I am using some adhesive vinyl on the inside to stop the alloy covering everything black.

Steve

Hey Alex, i really like these boxes! Nice job! I've built two sets of boxes with racks so far, one set for my R100GS, the other set just recently for my 1200GS. I welded the aluminum on both, but will go your rout next time. Rivets is stronger and more flexible, leaves you with greater options if you need to do repairs. I like the corner re-enforcements, like they use for stage boxes. Nice :) I never painted,powdercoated or anodised my boxes. It's easier to weld if you really need to. I discovered this to be the most practical for me. I get someone to make some simple bag liners that just drop into place and are held in around the top edge with velcro, the hook portion sewn into the liner. Easily removeable for when you spill that bottle of red wine, and easy to keep the inside of your boxes clean in case you need to weld them. Come to think of it, you could add handells like a shopping bag to simply pull all your stuff out in one pull.

Mr. Ron,
I agree with you about not painting the boxes on the inside, if I ever need to re-seal them on the inner corners at some stage along the way I will have to scratch the paint for the glue/silicon to make a good grip.
In my case (with the rivets) I will have to put some thickish padding inside as the ends of the rivets will damage the contents of the panniers as well as the sealant that will go on the them as i couldnt find the "blind" rivets on time here.

For the inside i thought:
1) normal cheap camping sleeping mat. Cut it into size and held in place with some glued-on velcro strips. Benefits: light, strong, if flooded easy to dry, cheap to replace and widely available. Cons: it may not stay in place wery well if the panniers are half empty but i dont think this will ever be the case.
2) fake leather. The same used to make saddle covers, i dont know how u call this material in eng. Simply glued on, big benefit is that is very strong and can be easily cleaned/sanitised and it doesnt rot.
3) in some supermarket (in Germany i think...?) I saw they give you a big rectangular canvas bag with two hard edges that can be clipped-on the edges on your shopping trolley, it has two strong handles for easy removal once you have finished so you can take ur shopping with you at once. One of them made the size of the boxes it would be handy.

I wanted the corner reinforcement because in case of a crash they will distribute the force equally to all 3 sides of the box (as they are riveted to the 3 walls, not to the edges) and this will make them stronger and substain the impact with less chance to crack. Also they protect the bottom corners and their seals from torsion and wear.

About your linen bags: maybe u could try to copy the idea of those supermarket bags and have some small plastic "U" shape clips (or four long ones) around the top of the bag to keep it in place. Look I found a pic here:
http://www.geccobags.co.uk/images/trolley6.jpg

If you can find a way to cover the rivets on the inside, like with RTV silicone or gaffers tape, I would suggest something thinner and more durable than a camping mat. By the time you line the entire box, you will lose quite a bit of interior space. Could you just possibly file a bit of the rivet to smooth it out and do nothing else to them?

I wanted to line my panniers to prevent the black stuff from getting on everything, so I went to an office supply store and bought the heavy gauge plastic sheeting for cold laminating. It is used to laminate papers, etc. and I use it often for insurance papers, copies of travel documents and such. It is very tough and sticky on one side, so I just cut it to fit and applied it like one would a decal. I lost no interior space, it is slippery, so packing is easier and it is bombproof as well as cheap. I bough it in sheets about 18 X 24 inches.

KneticNrg,
the plastic sheet was my first idea and the most practical but then i had to chose:
-hard and thin laminating (ie. the plastic sheet) then pad well some items individually to prevent rattling, chipping and (hopefully not...) breakages, items includes the camping stove, some tools etc
or
- add some soft and thicker padding around the edge wasting some space as you said but avoiding the too much individual wrapping. Will keep the heavy stuff at the bottom anyway.

I havent decided yet, both seem good solutions to me, perhaps the thick padding will add some insulation as well - i figured out that if i leave the panniers directly under the sun the inisde walls will reach crazy temperatures and if in contact some plastic would melt or something. I havent tried either way so i cannot know...maybe i wilmake one each type and see...? or, even better, will put the laminating sheets as u suggested in both and then the velcro-camping-mat "solution" on top and if I see itis a bit of an overkill I will simply get rid of the mat padding along the way (will put in recycle bin, i promise..:innocent: ..)

The rivet ends are not really in the way but because the water will run through middle of them, in order to make them waterproof I will have to coat them individually with an heavy duty sealant, the one used to glue windscreens to the chassis in the car industry (very expensive by the way, almost 20euros per cartridge but i have been assured it will stay in place) and, yes, i will put some gaffer tape or something similar to protect this crucial coating.
The was a solution though but it came too late: there are some "blind" rivets on the market called Closed End Blind Rivets (didnt even know they existed until last week unfortunatelly...) that when pulled are sealed. Will def. use them next time if there will be a next time. A picture and a link here:

http://www.indiamart.com/rivtools/pc...ll/c-blind.jpg
link to the page is: Google Image Result for http://www.indiamart.com/rivtools/pcat-gifs/products-small/c-blind.jpg

by the way my panniers are (in cm): 40x35x20, 2mm thick.

Any more suggestions are appreciated as they will be finished by tonight or tomorrow so, guys, if u have a revolutionary idea please throw it in before i start with the glue...!!! :welcome: :welcome: :welcome: :welcome:

If your looking for a good sealant, i would go to a shop that supplies nautical gear, like a marine shop. I use a product called Sikoflex, less expensive than what you were describing and nearly bomb-proof.

Very Nice Design!!
 

Hey Alex!

Very cool looking boxes:thumbup1: , & guys very good support too. Cant wait to see the final results! How do you attach the box with the rack?



:scooter:

I've had a mate make me up a set of panniers but our first attempt at creating a good fastening system to the rack / bike failed miserably.
What type of system are people using to attach the cases to the racks?

was going to ask the same question.... how to fasten the box to the rack?

You can buy the pucks and racks from Touratech. Attach any box! Racks can become VERY complicated to build, especially if the boxes are quick detachable.

Brilliant, thanks. KIS- I like it.

Hinges
 

Keeping it simple, I was thinking about 3 or 4 of these (2 at the top +2 at the bottom or 2 top +1 bottom, I will see), they are shed door hinges:

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/IMG_5264.jpg



attached to the pannier this way they will work as "hooks"
The gap between the pin and the plate is 1cm, I will build a frame from (hollow) iron bars with a rectangular section of 1cm x 2cm.

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/IMG_5265.jpg



Here is a pic of the very first approach to the issue of calculating the frame's shape, note the string and hinge temporarily attached with mask tape:

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...s/IMG_5269.jpg



I will first make a rectangular sub-frame where the pannier will hook on then I will build the rest of the frame around this first one.

A further idea: making the sub-frame a bit wider than the actual pannier with some dents on the top bar I will be able to chose the position where the panniers will stay being able to slide them toward the back of the bike in case I will need carry a pillion or to the front if I feel like re-organising the balance/weight for a different riding style? It sounds like a nice idea but not sure how useful it would be.

Last thing: to secure the panniers I may use one or two latches (like closet or toilet sliding latches, eventually with a small lock) at the bottom or at the sides next to the "hooks".
I probably want the latches to be a bit weak but not too much, they will have to withstand the impact if the bike falls from the central stand but they will have to break setting the panniers free in case of a serious fall at speed, what is your opinion? In this case both the bike and the boxes (and the rider too...) will have more chances to survive? Or shall I make everything strong and solid? This way I am afraid the motorbike frame will bend...

Aluminium panniers webpage
 

Hello all,
I have completed the alu panniers, I have posted some pics plus text on a webpage although the page is not complete, I will upload the rest of the pictures and add some more details once I have finished the rack hopefully by the weekend, as a preview:

rtw.xtz660 - Home made aluminium boxes

Let me know if something is missing (...please somebody check the grammar.....!!!!).

Very Nice!
 

Checked your website, nice stuff!! very detail, love it! gonna have a new hobby soon..... :thumbup1:

got to go take my mom to hospital now....:scooter:

Making panniers?
 

Hi All, Just found this wilst looking for a air compesser, might be the start of a pair of home made panniers!:thumbup1: size is based on the can... but weight?? go look in a store and ask....
:helpsmilie:Clarke - Jerry Can Vehicle Bracket - Trimmers & Brushcutters - Machine Mart
TDMalcolm

rack for the alu panniers
 

hello all,
I am in the process of welding the rack for the panniers, any suggestion on the position? I mean, I usually see in pics panniers like Touratech etc and they are quite high and pushed back on the tail, is there any reason for this?
I was thinking at a lower position and not so far off at the back (I will not carry anyone). Is there something I havent considered or it's just to keep them away from the rider?
Any advice?

positioning of panniers.
 

a few things to consider.......Before final fixing.

Will you constantly bang legs/knees etc getting on or off bike?

Will they interfere with kickstarter ? (if one is fitted)

But the main thing, the most important thing to consider is will you be happy with them where they are? if yes, fix em on!

and by the way, they look the business!:thumbup1:

good point
 

good point

no kick starter by the way

excellent thread, seems like a great idea making them ourselves. How much would the materials work out at ? Will the riveted joints withstand the sort of vibration you'd experience doing a trans africa trip? and also why not just get someone to weld the seams and save hassle of riveting, sealing, cutting corner bracings etc? The idea of using barrells looked good but I wouldn't like to be walking away and leaving them unattended for long in populated areas

I think riveted joints are more flexible than welded ones and in case of a damage you just rivet/screw them together but maybe this is me because I cannot weld aluminium...:(

IMO the weld shouldnt be on the edges because being the weld more rigid than the alu itself it may crack, probably a case made of a single alu sheet bent atthe four corners with only one joint falling in the middle would be optimal. then fit the bottom sheet somehow. But I will have to pay someone to do this.

materials worked out at about £100 with the possibility of saving something, there is the breakdown of the total cost at the end here: rtw.xtz660 - Home made aluminium boxes

Rivets V Weld
 

You are correct Alex......... a rivet gun and a handfull of rivets, although a pain in the ass is a hell of a lot easier to lug about the world on a bike than a TIG welder....... and is easier to use in remote places.....:thumbup1:

Properly done, and you seem to have a good idea of how to fabricate, a rivet is as good as a weld, after all ships used to be riveted before they were welded ( my grandfather was a riveter in Sunderland shipyards in the days when the rivets were heated white hot and thrown up, then caught in tongs and hammered in with sledge hammers!) anyway rivets are good!!

great thread!

why not go soft
 

I think soft luggage is the best, you can take it into the hotel/tent or whatever after a days riding. I would be always thinking if someone is about to steal my stuff with ALLY panniers at night. If you use the box bags then you might as well use soft panniers.

Sod rivets, I know sinderland fairly well being from that neck of the woods and as an example to why shipyards turned to welding and boats moving to fiberglass - look at the Titanic !

Been using the soft ones for some travelling in the past year and my biggest concern was to come out of a shopping centre and dont find them any more as the straps arent very secure, to open the alu boxes you need more than a small pocket knife
... well, i suppose they can just load the bike on a van and run off...

You know what? If these jerrycans were a big bigger and wider I would cut them horizontally to have a "lid" and a "box" then I will heat the lid's edge and bang it with hammer &anvil to make it slightly wider so putting the two pieces back together the "lid" would overlap the "box" a bit, put a seal and a couple of latches and there you go, the pannier is done!:clap:
You even have half of the rack ready...
Havent tried it, it may work...:mchappy: it may turn out to be quite heavy though but really chep and strong.

cheap, strong and..........
 

they look like jerrycans...
 

but..... nobody will try to steal them unless they run out of petrol... :rofl: :clap: :clap: :clap:

I am in the process of welding the rack for the panniers, any suggestion on the position? I mean, I usually see in pics panniers like Touratech etc and they are quite high and pushed back on the tail, is there any reason for this?
...you need to consider how much clearence is needed when you put your foot down, so you don't run over the back of your leg with your pannier. This will happen when you are off-road, especially in sand.

You are correct Alex......... a rivet gun and a handfull of rivets, although a pain in the ass is a hell of a lot easier to lug about the world on a bike than a TIG welder....... and is easier to use in remote places.....
...don't be silly ;)...just because boxes may be welded together in production doesn't mean you need a welder to fix them. You most likely wouldnot be able to re-weld aluminum boxes because of contamination issues from either paint or anodizing...rivets would be the most likely alternative an any given situation.

I think soft luggage is the best, you can take it into the hotel/tent or whatever after a days riding. I would be always thinking if someone is about to steal my stuff with ALLY panniers at night. If you use the box bags then you might as well use soft panniers.
...with my bike parked safely either inside the hotel or in a secure lot, my ally boxes are by far the most secure place to keep my valuables. Would you rather trust a hotel safe, or the lock on your hotel door?

...just my two cents, nice boxes BTW!

...err, i didn't post that, that was a quote. Some very good points above!

position..
 

Alex!
I think you need to place it way back (like touratech) so that if you have to push the bike, you will have some space between you & the box. Picture yourself pushing the bike with the box near the pillion area, the box will bang your back of knee!! :funmeterno: I had same problems before.....but luckily I had soft panniers! If its ally, im sure gonna be painfull!:nono:

Btw are you going to weld it permanently or design a quick release thingy?

:scooter:
Ride safe/save

Yes, it does make sense, I wont be able to "paddle" if they are too close.

what the? lol
 

I know you have made em waterproof, but flotation aids too? where do you store the oars? roflmao!

only joking Alex, I know what you mean. but pushing is easier than paddling, more so if you have short legs!


Martyn

yeah right!
 

Youre right Martyn! Im only 5' 10".
I had problems when I have to push the bike to the nearest rest area on a highway! Luckily it was only 1km away & its downhill too.
This was a long time ago,
I was so excited to do my 1st "long distance" trip from Kuala Lumpur to Penang (its only 380km) I forgot to turn the fuel switch back to 'ON' after filling it up at the petrol pump. It was in 'Reserve' mode..... :funmeterno::rofl:

Which latch system are you going to use?

yep, done that too!
 

Yep, I did that on a BMW R80RT, fully loaded with gear, raining, at night, no idea where the nearest fuel stop was ( 21 miles down the motorway in actual fact!) took 8 hours of walking and hitching to get fuel.:(

Martyn, I actually had to push the bike further, but since the R&R were just 1km away, I decided to push there 1st, then look for a "victim" to help me get fuel, since after calling the motorway backup team does'nt seems too convincing. They said "Sorry we only assist automobiles!" :nono: (because automobile pay toll/bike dont) but youre on a 'Big Bike' right?
maybe we'll try... :confused1:
Once reaching the R&R, I went and ask the cleaners wheres the nearest petrol pump. So the kind old man ask me to go & see his partner who is free at that time to take me on his moped. So we went on his postie bike to buy petrol (in bottles) in the oil palm estate, we also took a short cut through the estate. :thumbup1: :oops2::offtopic:

Alex, I actually wanted to ask... after looking at your pics how do you lock the box? & arent you going to do anything with your saddle? The shape are very similar to my Dommie, after a 100Kms they will start to bite:thumbdown:



:scooter:
Ride Safe/Save/Sober

securing the alu boxes
 

Hi there,
a padlock prevents the boxes to slide backward and come off the frame. And theft too (black tape around the body and a spring eliminate most of the rattling noise), see picture:

4 padlocks will lock the lids (where the yellow carabiner is in the pic), I had them made with the same key just to avoid looking for the right key every time.



http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...ses/rack20.jpg



http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...aluboxes00.jpg


http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...aluboxes01.jpg




http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...aluboxes02.jpg

Very Good how to on your site.
 

They look Great Alex. The how to on your site is a peach also. Props for that. Im now wishing i hasnt just spent £600 on box's and a rack :(

Do you mind if i put a link on my site to your "how to" ???

Regards. Darren

Link
 

Feel free and please let us see your website as well.

Regards.

Thanx man! Very nice pics!

Cant wait to start rolling!:scooter:
With a minute..... I felt as if im the one who's going to doing the RTW:thumbup1:
What about the saddle....? Sheepskin maybe?


Anyway,


Good Luck, my friend!

The saddle? I will probably shave a cm of foam from the top because the bike is a bit tall for my liking. Need to get a proper stampler first...
Sheepskin? definitely not!

Take care.

Modded Jerry Can Panniers on my Postie
 

Hey all.
Thought you might like to see the panniers I made for my postie bike, Im travelling 2-up with my girlfriend, Perth(Aus) to Morocco. In Indonesia at the moment.
We have been on the road for about 4months now and these boxes have proved to be VERY practical.
Before I made them I weighed all the prefabbed options and thought I could make some lighter.
The ali ones at my local dealer were 6kgs each. Plastic Givi like ones were 4kgs each.
After all the mods Ive done to these boxes they come in under 4.5kgs each AND they can be welded by any roadside mechanic, no need for TIG/MIG.

Im planning to do a blog and a how-to but these things are difficult to do on the road as you all know.

The locking mechanism is sturdy and secure but also easily released once the latches are unlocked and open. I didnt want more than one lock on each side. I can unload the bike in literally 1minute.
Its difficult to see the system in these pics, sorry. Will update when I can find time.

They took a long time to make but Im happy with them and my girlfriends legs are just that little bit safer due to all the round corners on jerry cans.

See you out there.
Nathan and Akiko.
Attachment 1447

Attachment 1448

Attachment 1449

Nice looking Postie!
 

:welcome: to the HuBB Aussie,
let me know if you happen to be in KL, I'll buy u guys a local tea!:palm:

Hi Guys,
I have been meaning to post these for a while.
Here are my new panniers, took me a long time to make em .. First seen at the HUUK.. The paint job is not great but it is function over looks!

http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...SC_2590-sm.jpg
Yes they are on!!!
http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...SC_2591-sm.jpg http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...SC_2592-sm.jpg http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC09592.JPGhttp://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...s/DSC09594.JPGhttp://www.xrv.org.uk/forums/images/smilies/toothy3.gifhttp://www.xrv.org.uk/forums/images/smilies/toothy3.gifhttp://www.xrv.org.uk/forums/images/smilies/toothy3.gifhttp://www.xrv.org.uk/forums/images/smilies/toothy3.gif
http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...SC_2587-sm.jpg
http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data...SC_2586-sm.jpg

I must say they are very NICE:thumbup1:

Youre a genius:clap::clap::clap:

How long & how much$$$?

If everybody is like you the pannier company would run out of business:rofl:

How much.. Not that much actually.. The Ali, was cheap Like under $20 AUD, I did all the folding myself and the initial welding was done by a mate. So that cost me 2 beers. I had them mounted on my XTZ for a couple of year but the box's were not scalloped to that bike. Then i moved them to the AT.. Much of the rest of the panniers (handles mounting, racks, slides ect) and racks are made from recycled materials (read for 6 months I could not pass a industrial skip with out looking inside). So most of that was free. I did have to pay for the nylon vibration reducer but this was only an industrial cutting board, and that was only £5, the scalloping to fit the AT Although i did all the cutting, fitting, and finishing I had to pay a guy for the welding and that cost me £30, (the job was done strong but not pretty). But the most expensive thing by far was the latches.. They are Hepco's and all are keyed alike and that cost me £58.. But I like the idea of not having standard wire drawhasp (as this give a leverage or cut point) and I love having one key that does them all.. Then there was all the consumables (angle grinder disks, paint, nuts/bolts.) But all in all I would say they cost me well under £200 fitted and gone!

Time.. well that was a long time.. as I only worked on them sporadically (as i had a set of alpos) and there was more pressing jobs to do.. total hours would still be high as a lot of it was trial and error. especially the rack (as this also required raising the end can.. I think i went though 4-5 different versions until I was completely happy with the set up.. Totally worth it now.. Only thing i think i did wrong (other then a cr*p paint job, which i dont care about), it that they are really big (on the inside) and that means more stuff... :thumbdown: so this mean I now have to be careful packing as I dont have such a physical limitation!

I also wishi took pictures along the way.. but Like i said it was a lot of trial and error so i never knew what to take photos of..

BIG THANKS :thumbup1: to Alex Pezzi for comprehensive instructions on making the panniers! Just made my pair, rack in progress. Some notes: 10 mm rivets are WAY too long, if those 7 mm did good job, and your boxes are still in one piece, then no need for longer ones.

Just a thought
 

I'm wondering, people have suggested cutting the tops off jerrycans, and it occured to me, you can get plastic ones as well as metal, so why not use a couple?

Yeah, I took note of this idea of jerries, but got hooked on the alli. As for now, would certainly go and try cutting those plastic ones: minimum labor, minimum weight, minimum price, and if broken, can be found and replaced anywherere in the world, think.

Sounds like a good idea. :thumbup1: Here's ones I made earlier - about 10 yrs ago, and still in (just about) daily use.
The plastic is still flexible and hasn't cracked. I've wrapped them in duct tape to keep the contents from prying eyes and to give me something to mend it with if it did get punctured.


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...k/IMG_0025.jpg

little KLR 250 loaded and going wild
 

The pic with the boxes on bike. In W. Sahara couple of weeks ago.

Off topic: hard to believe, made more than 23 k on the rear tyre, and it still had some shit left, the front one will go 30 k minimum. Crazy.

Aluminum Motorcycle Panniers and Boxes
 

Hi all,
Here're some duriable and economic alum motorcycle panniers and boxes.
If you're interested in them,you can contact us.

Aluminum Motorcycle Pannier
MODEL:A2-9,A2-7.5
SIZE:18x15x9",18x15x7.5"
FINISH:Powder Coating
COLOUR:Black,Slivery,Grey

0.08" thickness
8pcs steel round corners or right-angle corners
4pcs tie down points for straps
2pcs steel latches
Universal fit
Excellent TIG aluminium welded
Removeable top lid
Sealed rubber around the opening
Waterproof,Leakage proof,heat preservation
Hard and steady structure
Excellent steel case fittings