/diy/ - Do It Yourself

[Anonymous No.545647]

I'm going to try to use two surplus ammo boxes as saddlebags. They the perfect size. How do you think I could attach them? I was thinking about somehow affixing some kind of screw-tightened clamp to the inside and clamping it onto that black bar right above the tire. This really isn't my forte, though, so any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

[Anonymous No.545649]

This is the kind of clamp that I'm talking about, although I'm sure there's a variation that would be easier to use. I'm hoping to find clamp that I can affix to the box with JB-Weld, although I'm a little hesitant to trust that stuff to hold ~20lbs in 70 mph winds, especially at such a weird angle.

[Anonymous No.545653]

Looks like I wasn't the first person to have this idea, I think it came out pretty well! The other few examples I found all seemed to have a support bar attached to the box, which seems like a much better idea than JB-Welding on a clamp. Gonna do a bit more research on support, I'll share if I find anything worthwhile.

[Anonymous No.545665]

Apparently saddlebags attach via those two bolts on that chrome rack. At least, that's what others are doing. Ideally I could just drill two holes in the boxes and bolt them on. Unfortunately, the rear shock is sticking out an inch further than the frontmost bolt, and the rear bolt is directly on top of the blinker.

I'm thinking my best course of action would be to bolt some kind of custom support to the chrome piece, than bolt the ammo box to that. Not sure how I'm going to make the support piece, but since I'll be moving the box in front the blinker, it won't have to be more than an inch or so thick. And since I'm still running bolts straight through the box, removal should be a simple process.

Sage for blogging.

[Anonymous No.545668]

>>545653
Just noticed that guy doesn't have blinkers. I wonder if he took them off or moved them.

[Anonymous No.545675]

>>545665
this is a good idea OP I would suggest maybe some hard rubber washers for vibration dampening

[Anonymous No.545677]

>>545675
Good call, I didn't even think of that.

[stuart macleod-hogan No.545705]

The saddlebags/boxes should be attached to side racks for safety and stability. I have shown a pic of my Yamaha Virago with side racks attached, these racks come in multitudes of sizes and shapes so you should be able to find a pair for your Honda.

[Anonymous No.545718]

Depending how much work you are willing to do, you can also relocate the turn signals or get new ones. Also, if you mount the ammo cans too far forward, they may get in the way of your legs, and probably also lose the ability to carry a passenger.

[Anonymous No.545724]

Homemade brackets are indeed the way to go here. I'd personally replace that chrome rack with a homemade unit that provides at least three connecting points per side, so it's a lot more stable. Keep in mind you can use the shock mount as another mounting point, provided your bracket isn't too thick.

>>545668
Buy some aftermarket blinkers at a scrap yard, disconnect your own. Cut a neat hole to fit a blinker in each can, mount them inside, extend your stock wiring into the cans, and seal with silicone. Bonus points if you rig the wiring in such a way that you can disconnect the cans, remove them, plug your old blinkers in, put them back on, and be done with it.

[Anonymous No.545826]

>>545705
That sounds like the safest plan, so I'll try to find some factory-made racks first.

>>545718
>>545724
Ideally I won't be modifying the blinkers at all. It wouldn't be too hard to redirect them straight downward, but that would seriously reduce their visibility to anyone not directly behind me. And, honestly, I really like the factory look!

[Anonymous No.545829]

>>545826
You'll have to. Just plug them out, put new ones in the cans, and put them back in when you remove the cans. Easy as that.Directing them downward doesn't work, there won't be enough distance between them for anyone behind you to realise whether you're going left or right.