Topic: DIY Hard Panniers?

[RAFster122s]

Anyone built their own Panniers?
My search only found posts about commercial soft or hard panniers

I'm considering building a set as I like to take my laptop when I go to Tucson along with a change or two of clothes from riding gear to street or dinner time attire. The top box can handle a helmet and jacket but not enough room for other things. Plus there are times I carrying a laptop for work.

I don't plan on building the top box but a set of side panniers big enough to carry my Mac Powerbook and other things is desired. I plan to make them detachable and am looking for ideas. Was considering Duz fasteners to the frame and have a locking bar over the DUZ fasteners to slow casual theft.

I have a bicycle panniers that are soft and large with dry bag style protection and may fabricate something for them first with more rigid mounting...
If they will be mounted high enough to clear the  exhaust comfortably.

Any thoughts or comments?  Anyone built their own they'd like to share photos of?

Thanks!

David

[camelman]

I have a set of hard panniers in white/cream if you are interested.  They come with complete mounting brackets, keys, and lights.  If you are interested, then PM me and I'll send photos.

Camelman

[754]

 I bought a vintage turkey roasting pan 2day, aluminum, 2 halves about 6 inches deep, it will become hard bags, trunk or, carbsoak/engine teardown trays

 each half is  23 x 38cm x 11cm deep..

[paulages]

I made a set for my BSA out of ammo boxes... already water proof, and they fit a six pack perfectly!

[tiptopdadddy]

Funny, I was actually talking about this today.  I 2nd paulages, ammo boxes make excellent panniers.  I have seen chopper guys make them out of 20mm boxes, but 50 cal might work too.  My local surplus less them for $25 and $15 respectively.  The 20mm should be big enough for a helmet, clothes, laptop, etc.  I think it would be fairly easy to fashion brackets from stiff 1/8" by 1" steel strap using the passenger peg bolts and rear fender bolts as anchor points.  From there simply bolt the boxes to the steel and you should be in business.  If looks are important, paint the whole thing black using automotive laquer. 

[MidTNJasonF]

Ammo cans are heavy and they are also wide. I would go with a Pelican Case or a good knock off of Pelican to protect a laptop.

I saw a very slick mounting setup some time ago. I can not find a link to it now but the person used bicycle U bolt lock as the mount point. The U of the lock was mounted to the bike frame via brackets and the lock bar was secured to the pelican cases. There was also a puck, actually made from a hockey puck, that was fixed to the case as well. The puck sat down in the U of the lock and the bar locked down on the ends. It made the cases quickly removable with a key lock. Pretty slick setup really and made from commonly available relatively cheap parts.

This was the style of lock but I think he used a cheaper Walmart sourced item.

http://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-Fahgettaboutit-Bicycle-U-Lock-6-Inch/dp/B000OZ9VLU

[paulages]

Ammo cans are heavy and they are also wide. I would go with a Pelican Case or a good knock off of Pelican to protect a laptop.

I saw a very slick mounting setup some time ago. I can not find a link to it now but the person used bicycle U bolt lock as the mount point. The U of the lock was mounted to the bike frame via brackets and the lock bar was secured to the pelican cases. There was also a puck, actually made from a hockey puck, that was fixed to the case as well. The puck sat down in the U of the lock and the bar locked down on the ends. It made the cases quickly removable with a key lock. Pretty slick setup really and made from commonly available relatively cheap parts.

This was the style of lock but I think he used a cheaper Walmart sourced item.

http://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-Fahgettaboutit-Bicycle-U-Lock-6-Inch/dp/B000OZ9VLU

the ammo cans aren't really all that heavy... i made mine so that they had three pins that dropped into nylon bushed holes in the frame i built to mount them, and then had a spring-loaded latch to hold them down. it's really convenient to be able to pop them off in seconds and take them inside it you are storing something valuable.

any manufactured panniers are going to be lighter, but i thought the OP was asking about DIY versions...

[MidTNJasonF]

the ammo cans aren't really all that heavy... i made mine so that they had three pins that dropped into nylon bushed holes in the frame i built to mount them, and then had a spring-loaded latch to hold them down. it's really convenient to be able to pop them off in seconds and take them inside it you are storing something valuable.

any manufactured panniers are going to be lighter, but i thought the OP was asking about DIY versions...

I have more than a few ammo cans at the house and they are heavier than any pannier setup of similar size I have seen on a motorcycle. That may not matter to the OP though. If heavy is no problem the Ammo cans can work just fine. The setup I am mentioned is very DIY. Using a bicycle U lock as part of your mounting hardware along with a hockey puck. Only real cost in that setup is how fancy you want to get with the cases. Pelican and the knock offs of them come in a huge variety of sizes, configurations, and costs. http://www.pelican.com/ I bought a pair off ebay for about $15 each plus shipping. They were used and had no foam liner but they are nearly indestructible cases.
 

[super pasty white guy]

Funny... I was just going to post using Pelican cases seems like a fine idea for DIY cases.  I was considering it myself till I got a really good price on a set of vintage panniers.

http://www.crucialrealm.com/klr650/PelCasePans/PelCasePans.html

[RAFster122s]

MidTNJasonF,

Thanks for the idea on the bike lock and hockey puck mounting method. That's a cool solution.


Tiptopdaddy, Paulages, 754, Camelman, Super Pasty White Guy,

Thanks for the input and info everyone.

David

[vanaman]

i myself want to find a pair of zero halliburton cases or knock offs and turn them into panniers.

steve

[RAFster122s]

Zero Halliburton cases would be cool!
You'd have to take them with you or alarm them as that would be a desirable bit of affluent eye candy...