Howdy Again,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> Do any of you use the alum. boxes and mounts from KLR 650 site? I have ordered a few things from them and have not been disappointed yet. If so how do they compare to the other systems out? I can't believe how cheap they are..... Thanks for the help!<o></o>
I'd advise you take a look at the Mermite can conversion to pannier use. Do a search and you'll find some sweetness waiting for you; they'll make the 'cheap' ones seem like they're out of the Ferrari showroom or something...
Thanks for the help. Mine is an 03 as well. I think they look really sweet. I did do a search, but no how to's, just talk. Were do the cans come from and what is a nice system to build them off of? Thanks again.
[/QUOTE] I just bought a set of these boxes, and they do not look too bad. I have not installed them yet, as it is the dead of winter here and I do not have heat in my garage (it just warmed up to -20 C from about -40 the week before) . Time will tell (or the miles), to see how robust they are. But I am happy with the looks of them so far. (about the same guage of aluminum as Tourtech Zega's). The lid looks like it will keep the water out nicely. I have bought a bunch of stuff from KLR650.com as well, and I have been happy too. I have heard some people call their stuff "knock-offs", but I have yet to see a problem.
Like KLR650Canuk, I also have a pair that I haven't mounted yet. The quality should be good enough for anything short of an around the world slog. But there are a few things you should know: 1. You have to mount them yourself. The Happy Trails SU (Something Unique) racks seem to be the cat's ass. The bags come with some brackets and such, but you'll have to do some drilling at the minimum and some engineering at the maximum. 2. They're unfinished. If you don't coat them somehow, your stuff will get black residue on it. Some people anodize them, some powdercoat, some use bedliner, and some use a rattlecan paint job. Probably more, but I have to get back to work! Later. I hope this helps.
This is correct, but you have to drill holes and hope they are in the right place, with the expensive tourtech boxes as well. I bought the bags made to fit in the boxes in hopes to avoid the black residue. If that does not work, I might try the bedliner option (on the inside only, because I like the look of the unfinished aluminum exterior. I have a little skill with solid aluminum riveting and sheet metal, so If there are any problems, these type of boxes look easy to fix. Ag_streak: if you get to mounting your boxes first, could you post a few pictures?, and I will do likewise. Thanks
A good writeup on mounting them here: http://klrworld.com/forums/index.php?topic=2991.0;highlight=happy+trails
Sorry bro, here's a link for ya of my install: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54683&highlight=Mermite Man, looks like Bikepics moved the URLs... Okay, here's all the photos on a Photobucket page for ya. Fish around in there and take a look; it's pretty easy stuff. http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x61/johnny_monsoon/Mermite%20Can%20Install/ Hope it helps, and sorry if I came off sounding like a smartass; I just figured it'd be easy to find, but even I had a little trouble with it. Good luck!
Better yet, Abruzzi's write-up on this thread... http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6254165#post6254165 I did my homemade bag mounts similarly... http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237047&page=11 Dread, that link requires a log-in. Can you cross-post any pictures? Thanks!
Mounting these boxes was fairly straighforward. I used some Rok staps to hold them in place while I decided the proper placement. Then did a little drilling and voila, done. (I did not wait to wash her off before I did this, cause a clean bike is just wrong!)
I have put about 7000 km's of hard use on my KLR650.com boxes and rack this year, and no problems so far. I went up to Alaska and then over to the Dempster highway and up to Inuvik with everything but the kitchen sink in and on the aluminum boxes and they worked well. I would buy them again.
