Ammo boxes for panniers?

There's no way I can afford fancy-pantsy aluminum panniers for my r65.

I CAN, however, afford to buy heavy-ass ammo boxes that were made for 40mm rounds.



These boxen measure 18 x 14 x 9 inches, so I'm thinking they'd be pretty darned handy for motorcycle luggage if I can find a way to mount 'em up to the old luggage rack.

Yes, they're heavy. They're strong and inexpensive and waterproof (that is, before mounting).

But boy, it'd be just lovely if I found a way to mount them quick-release style to the ol' R65.

Any suggestions?

Back in 75 fell on ice and ruined pair of Bates bags on 73 GT550. Replaced with Harley bags and mounts (then cheap).
Know or find welding metal shop willing to help.
Harley used solid bar stock in L shaped loop. Short L loop fitted (spring) C channel riveted to bag bottom. Btw L uppers a flat supported DZUSE fasteners clipped inside box.
Appriate mounts welded to loop.

Get some Hockey Pucks and screw them to the cases from inside with some self tappers or something relatively strong fastener.
Apply four pucks per side so they'll grab the rack, whatever rack, at the four corners.

Shave the bottom pucks a little so as to add a lip that will rest on the rack tubing.

Get somebody to weld a piece of square stock bar to a piece of all-thread, so they form an "L"
Drill holes in the upper pucks so the all-thread will go thru. Position it so it grabs the rack tube with the square stock bar, and tighten it down.

Its a Zega case style technique rip off.

I bought a pair of these same boxes to do the same thing, and then my girlriend bought me the Zegas, becuase she didnt want to see me suffer.

I thought about mounting some 1" angle iron to the cases to grab the rack tube as well, but I never fleshed out the idea.

Can you elaborate on this a little? :huh

I have a '92GSPD with factory cases and racks. While they are ok, I like the look and volume of the Mermite cans. Use the site's search engine and you'll come up with tons of info for the mermites. Anyhow,I bought two cans and have sand blasted the outside and gutted the inside. They weigh 10# each and if I crash them no big deal.

There's a thread in the Hall of Wisdom covering the Merimites. In that thread, there is a link to "Penny Tech Panniers". The thread's author in HoW does it a little differently than I did. Read both, and see what you think.

...'cos I know folks want to make their own panniers and mounts on the cheeeeaaappp.

Raw pannier. Trimmed off some of the lid and back bracing (diagonal piece on back)

Here's the makin's for your mounts: 3/8" hardened bolt, fender washers, cut-up hockey puck, neoprene-lined big-ass washer, and a knob (heh!).

This here's what you get when the box is painted and hardware installed.

Bottom mounts - little quarter sections of carved up hockey puck- permanantly mounted.

For mounting, I unscrew interior knobs, place the can mounts (which are on the cans!) in the luggage loop rack, fed in the mounts and bolts (all joined together as a stack unit), screw on the knob.

Here's an inside view of the panniers. Note the twist knobs, and the white spray paint I used to help me see what I'm doing when I'm fumbling with the damned knobs.

After using this setup for over 30,000 miles, I'm hating this style knobs. Gotta find shorter, smoother profile knobs so they won't snag stuff I've got in the box.

Touratech knurled knuts? Naaahhh...

Cool stuff. Wish I could find pix of my ammo cans on my R80G/S. I've since sold them and bought Jesse's bags. I like the Jesse bags but, ultimately they're really not any better than the ammo cans. They worked fine and the Jesse's only feel maybe a couple of pounds lighter each. I bolted on a piece of 'L' bracket to hang them from the top of the stock rack and the used some electrical conduit clamps on the bottom w/ rubber washers to keep things dry. Not exactly 'quick release' but then, neither are the early vintage Jesse bags.

...and here you go:

Terrible idea. It will never work.



John

I used a pair of ammo boxes on my NX650. I just bent some thick flat iron strips and screwed them to bike and boxes. Kept those strips as simple as possible, 1,5" wide, 1/4" thick, length as needed, 2 bends each, 2 pieces per box. Worked as a charm.
No pix on that, it was before the digicam was invented. But boy, did those heavy boxes way at the back make the NX a wheeliemachine

EDIT: Hej, it looked just like the KLR up there!

You could also try using 25mm ammunition cans (25mm is the stuff that goes in the Bradley AFV). They're plastic (lighter than steel) and just as waterproof.

they measure 13.5"L x 6" w x 14" h

Here's a pic

i've seen these in person and they're cooler than they look in pictures. i didn't get to see the bike rack though. very nice.

Seems a great idea! Let me know the result ASAP as my shoulders are getting cut by my day sack!

Dammit, bmwblake, I keep putting off writing you and your lovely bride a thank you note.

Hope you guys are well.

Only weigh 4 lbs. and cost $16 per: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200153124_200153124
Might mount some up on my XT350.

no note needed. we were glad to have you. you'd been radio silent on here for a while. glad to see you're doing well.