• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

DIY trunk and hard bags

  • Thread starter Thread starter Roostabunny
  • Start date Start date
R

Roostabunny

Guest
I just saw a picture Basscliff posted of his bike, and that trunk looks great. But it also looks like a plain old vintage Samsonite suitcase in black.

I've been thinking of trolling the local thrift stores - even though hard luggage for our bikes fetches top dollar, hard suitcases of the same vintage are a dime a dozen. So has anyone tried and failed or tried and succeeded yet, or will I be the first?

Bonus points for pictures! :D
 
im interested in seeing what people have cobbled up also....

i want a way to haul some stuff some day too....
 
What Basscliff has is Samsonite motorcycle luggage, no longer manufactured. For a top box all you really need to do is put a luggage rack on the back and bolt down whatever container works for you. We have a member on the forum who used a Coleman ice chest a few years ago.

Side bags are more difficult because you need something to secure them to. Getting bracketry that fits your bike is the reason most people pay extra money for motorcycle specific saddlebags rather than adapting something else. If you are handy with a welder, you would be a little ahead in that game.

If I was starting from scratch and wanted to get out with the lowest bucks I think I would get one of the Givi knock-off boxes from JC Whitney for the back and keep an eye out for a super deal on some soft saddlebags at New Enough or one of the other online retailers.
 
Hi Mr. Roostabunny,

The Samsonite hard bags have a triangle-shaped bottom to fit into the triangle-shaped mounting hardware. They are held in place with a pressure bolt.

DSCF2590.jpg


DSCF2584.jpg


jessie_spit_trunk1.jpg


I wish I had the side mounts. Those cases are 16", maybe 18" wide. I'll measure when I get home if you like.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
Last edited:
I put two ammunition boxes on the sides of my 850. I went to a army surplus store and bought two large ammo boxes and painted them silver. I made all the brackets out of 1/8 X 1 flatbar. sorry no pics yet but I also put a couple led flat mount turn signals on them. I really like that they are military grade because if I wipe out whatever is in them will survive. LOL.
 
BassCliff said:
Hi Mr. Roostabunny,

The Samsonite hard bags have a triangle-shaped bottom to fit into the triangle-shaped mounting hardware. They are held in place with a pressure bolt.

I wish I had the side mounts. Those cases are 16", maybe 18" wide. I'll measure when I get home if you like.
Click to expand...

That's awesome, Cliff, thanks. Yeah I'm interested on the overall width - at your convenience. :-)
 
flatblack850L said:
I put two ammunition boxes on the sides of my 850. I went to a army surplus store and bought two large ammo boxes and painted them silver. I made all the brackets out of 1/8 X 1 flatbar. sorry no pics yet but I also put a couple led flat mount turn signals on them. I really like that they are military grade because if I wipe out whatever is in them will survive. LOL.
Click to expand...

That sounds cool. I don't know if you're into them, but it sounds like the type you see on those adventure bikes. Love to see some pics when you get some - especially the brackets you made.
 
Last year at my rally, Roland gave me two nice nylon cases that came to the media department where he works holding camera/video equipment and they look like mini-suitcases. Yesterday, I spent some time with the bike figuring out different mounting ideas. They're about the size of saddlebags (14x11x6), so that was the first thought, to do throw over straps attached to the metal rings that holds the handles to them, then strap the two bags together from the back of the bike with another strap attached to the side rings (designed for a shoulder strap) across the back of the bike to keep them from flapping. However, I was afraid they were just a little too tall in height and the pipes would melt them, or that the rubber on the feet of the cases would gunk up the pretty pipes upon melting. It was hard to get them high enough to where they sat properly. I have a rear rack, so I ended up playing with the two bags on that, and I think now I'd prefer to strap the two bags to the sissy bar (which I was going to remove because I won't have passengers, but I'm seeing how much it's giving me carry space options) on top of the rack, while my massive, $50 leather sissy bar bag that holds TONS of crap sits pillion attached to the bar, then I can strap on saddle bags or my hard bags (less temporary) if I want.

I didn't take pics when I was fiddling but next time I will. The two media cases are very nice looking and probably equal more space than the Samsonite while being less bulky. Combined with the sissy bar bag, I can't see ever traveling without my rain gear and other conveniences unless I know I'm going to get groceries or something else that will take up a lot of room.

I didn't take pics the other day when I fiddled, but I will next time. I'm looking at different ways to maximize my storage options in a way that is very "quick change" or easy on and off. The rack and tall sissy bar are exp[anding my options... just have to be really limber to clear the bar and the tall seat! As a long time thrift store troller myself, I am sure you could find all sorts of cool options at them, and also, as mentioned, military surplus stores.
 
Cheap Hard Cases!

Cheap Hard Cases!

Well there you have it, around 4hours of time, $75 of supplies including boxes and I can have my most valuable possessions in these military grade cases. Well? oops! They don't lock mind you, but I bet they would survive a pretty nasty wipeout!
Image014.jpg
Image015.jpg
Image013.jpg
 
flatblack850L said:
Well there you have it, around 4hours of time, $75 of supplies including boxes and I can have my most valuable possessions in these military grade cases. Well? oops! They don't lock mind you, but I bet they would survive a pretty nasty wipeout!
Click to expand...

Holy moly, those are great. I'm most impressed, and thanks for the pics.

They look bigger than I thought for ammo boxes. You got me thinking about locks and/or remove-ability. Hmmm.

This is awesome, thanks!

This looks tough to beat, but anyone else tried something different? I started looking for reasonable hard cases at the thrift store and I'm optimistic, but nothing yet.
 
Those are BIG ammo boxes =] I'm sure there are smaller boxes available as well. I think theyre cool! Nicely done
 
Loved my "cooler" trunk! used it on my GS550L for over a decade! it was great to have such a large storage container on the bike, and especially when i had stuff to keep cool it was already setup for the job! We often do with what we have laying around - if I had to do it again I would choose a cooler that already had a hinged top, though! If I find the old pics I'll post them...

Regards,
 
flatblack850L does your right case get very hot at all on the inside or the outside? It looks like it's right over the end of the exhaust. I have a kerker exhaust though so it kinda points up. Anybody with kerker exhaust have bags? Do they get cooked?
 
flatblack850L said:
Please, no more compliments! My head will explode!
Click to expand...
Hey where's you attach the top brackets in the rear? Is that the old turn signal location? And the rear bracket - that's into the plate holder? I'm seriously considering...
 
Gee, I never even thought of that. I've gone on a few trips and not really noticed anything. I don't really go on big trips right now as I am starting a family and so forth, just day trips, but I haven't noticed any problems yet, if I go for a burn soon I,ll check it out. I'm unemployed right now so I am trying to save money by not burning unnecessary gas and so forth, but if I go out I'll check. I've got a V&H 4 into 1, I just went outside to measure it and the outlet is 2,7/8" from the bottom of my box, and only slightly inclined up. I think I would only have a problem in traffic, realistically.

Just in case any of you were curious, the boxes I have are 7,1/2" wide, 17,3/8" long and 14,1/4" tall. I didn't weigh them, they are steel, not too heavy but I had to set the rear shocks to "3" to keep the back from bouncing. My bike is cheap and utilitarian, now with fuel costs I go to the store with it if I can, went to walmart this morning and picked up a couple window fans, they didn't fit in the boxes, but I tied em on top and went home.

Have a good night guys
J
 
yeah, the old turn signal spots are where the rear bolts go and the shocks are where the front of the brackets go on. The tricky part is getting the brackets the same.

As for the rear brace, the top of the triangle. It goes into the fender under the license plate. The reason it is "triangulated"? is because I was having problems with the boxes twisting on the frame. I added the triangle bars on the rear and made sure I had 2 bolts on either side spaced out on the bottom bar to help, now they are not too bad, they flex a little but they seem solid on the road.

Hope that helps,
Later
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top