Just another cheap SOB who is trying to get some cheap luggage together.

[matman1972]

After seeing the collection of articles here about ammo can panniers, homemade boxes, and great looking krauser hepco becker, etc... i decided to try to create something of my own. I had a pair of givi e21s but thought they looked a little too modern for the bike. Sold the e21s and picked up a pair of aluminum night vision boxes.



I bought these from this seller, and got them quickly, in good solid condition in case anyone else wants to try this.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Black-aluminum-n...efaultDomain_0

I had also looked at the plastic ones but they seemed a little narrow.




I had seen one of the plastic cases at a local army-navy store. they seemed as tough as pelican cases and would probably make decent offroad panniers.

I chose these aluminum ones because they are lighter than the steel ammo boxes. The downside is that they are not top loading like the ammo boxes.


I started by stripping the old paint. A little bit of a bitch, but I have gotten one almost clean. I used aircraft stripper. It loosened most of it, but as these cases are made in two sepperate pieces, they were obviously painted at different times, and with different paints. One layer would come off and underneath I'd find yellow or blue. I will probably not leave these bare aluminum. The corners and beads are pretty scratched, so they will end up painted. Just not sure what color I want to go with. Something light to keep the heat down. Here is 1/2 almost stripped, the other fully stripped with one light coat of primer.



The insides are black. The paint seems pretty solid, so I will lightly sand, primer, and paint the insides to prevent the aluminum from marking up my stuff.



The cases seal with a rubber strip running in a channel in the bottom half. The rubber was cracked and hardened, so I removed it. I will most likely replace it with a tubular rubber seal.


The draw latches are pretty simple and solid, but the catches are curved steel, and a lot of them have started to straighten out. I have heated and recurled these, and we'll see if they hold while riding. if not, I guess I'll just show up at the old school rally minus my drawers and tent. not a good combination.


These things also have a pressure relief valve on them. I plan on removing these and using the hole to mount a keyed lock.

Asfar as mounting them to the bike, I had found a cheap krauser rack on ebay and planned to mount the cases to it. I don't want to modify anything on the bike itself, and would like the cases to leave no Non-BMW evidence behind when they are off. The rack turned out to be plastic. That may have worked out all right, but not for these aluminum ones.
Not the seller's fault, i didn't pay very good attention when I looked at the auction.

I went ahead and mailed the rack off to another inmate this weekend who can make use of it, and was lucky enough to get offered a steel tubular krauser rack by zap2504 for a good price so I plan on taking him up on it.

I Should have the cases stripped and the hinges installed later this week, so I can start painting. Got a set of hockey pucks, so when i get the racks, I'll post more.

It is a good thing I have been able to do this cheaply. Started getting inconsistant charging problems on the bike including no or dim gen light function when the key was switched. The connections were all pretty crusty, so I did a good cleaning/ dielectric grease application and evaluated all wires. Checked the diode board per Jorg,
http://jhau.maliwi.de/mot/r-elec.html

Got to the rotor and got no current across the rings. Dangit. time for a new rotor.

[matman1972]

On that last note, I have been shopping around for rotors, and have found a huge variety in pricing. i am aware of higher output systems, but I am once again trying to get a decent one for less, so I could use some advice.

I found several on ebay used described as "working" for around $50. I also found one at euromotoelectrics for $87 http://www.euromotoelectrics.com/Sea...ults.asp?Cat=1


On the other hand, Bob's has theirs priced at 488.

http://store.bobsbmw.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=2109

is this a higher quality, higher output one??

I was planning on going ahead and purchasing 2, to have one as a carry on spare.

Would it even be worth it to pay toe 40 or 50 for ebay "might work" ones?

[matman1972]

Ok, rotor prob solved. The flea market is your friend.

Now on to the baggage. (of which my wife says I have plenty)

[bmwhacker]

[matman1972]

OK, after looking for a while, I have definitely decided to go with the same hammered silver color for the exterior that Hondo used on his mermite cans. i think it gives a decent impression of a metal finish.

I think that color will be cooler than black.
Of course I could just camoflauge them...

[matman1972]

Annnnd, this is turning into the "the guy that said he was building a set of panniers, but keeps playing around with wires" thread.

Got in the new rotor, cleaned all connections and checked over wires. Put on some dielectric grease and hooked everything back up. Turned the key annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd, nada.

Pulled off the diode board (after the battery cables, of course)
Put it back on and we have light!!! Don't get it, just pulled and re connected all wires.?? Tried to start the bike and ..... click.
lights go out, no indicators, nahzing.

Start messing with wires and realize the second wire on the B+ terminal is shutting the lights on and off when it moves. Crap.






trace it back annnd....





this still look ok?? is this how it should look?? Could someone else send me a picture of theirs to compare??

really, I am going to continue with the panniers someday!



Fook it, Beer time!

[matman1972]

OK, haven't stopped working on cases, but I did get delayed with another type of wiring. Had a storm the other night. Didn't unplug my desktop. next morning desktop appeared to be running fine, so I shut it off. Went to turn it back on and no power. Led on the back of the case was lit, but nothing to the motherboard. Took out the power supply, and had a burnt capacitor. Figure the flickering power and brown outs were a little much for it.



Sad thing was, I had an APS sitting on the shelf new in the box. Yes, I have been tested to see if I have special needs, and it turns out, I just don't think.


Computer fixed, back to the cases. Not much new to report other than the removal of the draw latches and a little more sanding.





latches are about to be cleaned in the carb can, then I guess, painted.



Cases are turning out easier to sand than strip. Stripper is having a hard time cutting through the crap on the second set of shells, so I just used my sander with some 150. Working well, but I will probably use my small grinder with a sanding disk for the small areas.



I was going to use a set of stainless piano hinges, but I may now just use two seperate stainless hinges on the bottom plates where those two latches attached, and reuse four of the better draw latches for the top and sides.



Only problem so far is that when the handles and holes for the locks are on top, the "US Property" is upside down. Guess that will get filled before painting.

[matman1972]

Ok, got a question. My cases are a little too long for the stock position. If I put them right next to the rear turn signals, they are pushing the passenger's feet off the pegs. I am planning on either, cutting down the stalks on the rear turn signals and bringing them insite the boxes. Or,making a plate to move the signals about 3 inches further back under the tailight. They look pretty good there, and it would require no hacking of og parts. Any opinions?

I picked up a second r90 in pieces today. No frame, no forks, but pretty much everything else is there. Good cylinders, burnt oil in heads, shiny snowflakes in the pan. good rear end, etc... Only paid $150 for it, so I figured it was good for scavenging parts from. It will makes my parts shelves match the bike I have now. Lotta Chevy Blazer and yzf parts up there. I have neither one of those anymore. In one of the boxes, I found a pair of krauser chrome tubular racks. Yay. Chrome is flaking, so I will be stripping the rest off tonight via some muriatic acid and electricity. Then cleaning them up, modifying them for these cases and painting and mounting them. They have the tabs for a rear rack on them, so I plan to make one.

[Sniper X]

You could move them back or integrate them into the cans like the old Wixom bags. Then whe you don't have the bags on just put the stock blinks back on.

[Plaka]

Originally Posted by matman1972

Ok, got a question. My cases are a little too long for the stock position. If I put them right next to the rear turn signals, they are pushing the passenger's feet off the pegs. I am planning on either, cutting down the stalks on the rear turn signals and bringing them insite the boxes. Or,making a plate to move the signals about 3 inches further back under the tailight. They look pretty good there, and it would require no hacking of og parts. Any opinions?

I picked up a second r90 in pieces today. No frame, no forks, but pretty much everything else is there. Good cylinders, burnt oil in heads, shiny snowflakes in the pan. good rear end, etc... Only paid $150 for it, so I figured it was good for scavenging parts from. It will makes my parts shelves match the bike I have now. Lotta Chevy Blazer and yzf parts up there. I have neither one of those anymore. In one of the boxes, I found a pair of krauser chrome tubular racks. Yay. Chrome is flaking, so I will be stripping the rest off tonight via some muriatic acid and electricity. Then cleaning them up, modifying them for these cases and painting and mounting them. They have the tabs for a rear rack on them, so I plan to make one.

I have a plate already made up for that. it moves the entire rear brakelight/turnsignal assembly back a couple inches. You don't have to rework the wire---but it's at max. extension. You do drill two more holees in thee rear fender (the plate gets 4 bolts to the fender) but red assembly tape could work too. It pretty heavy (and HARD) stainless and could have it's edges neatened a bit but it doesn't show much. You can have it if you want it for the shipping.

[matman1972]

Originally Posted by Plaka

I have a plate already made up for that. it moves the entire rear brakelight/turnsignal assembly back a couple inches. You don't have to rework the wire---but it's at max. extension. You do drill two more holees in thee rear fender (the plate gets 4 bolts to the fender) but red assembly tape could work too. It pretty heavy (and HARD) stainless and could have it's edges neatened a bit but it doesn't show much. You can have it if you want it for the shipping.

that would be great if you aren't using it. No problem on the wiring. the whole set is in the process of being replaced.

[matman1972]

Originally Posted by Sniper X

You could move them back or integrate them into the cans like the old Wixom bags. Then whe you don't have the bags on just put the stock blinks back on.

I thought about putting a hole in the side of each case for the turn signal stem, and splicing blade connectors into the wires. then the signal housings could come off, and the stems could slide into each bag through a grommet. the bags themselves could have a signal on the back that would connect to the turn signal wiring. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Plaka]

Originally Posted by matman1972

I thought about putting a hole in the side of each case for the turn signal stem, and splicing blade connectors into the wires. then the signal housings could come off, and the stems could slide into each bag through a grommet. the bags themselves could have a signal on the back that would connect to the turn signal wiring. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

The rear stems are actually one long tube welded to a central plate. You can just take the whole thing off, put nice LED signals on the bags and have plug-ins.


But you don't get signals w/o your bags fitted.

[Plaka]

Originally Posted by matman1972

that would be great if you aren't using it. No problem on the wiring. the whole set is in the process of being replaced.

I'm never making bags that big again. Turned out to be a mistake---talk about taking too much crap wherever you go.

[matman1972]

Originally Posted by Plaka

The rear stems are actually one long tube welded to a central plate. You can just take the whole thing off, put nice LED signals on the bags and have plug-ins.


But you don't get signals w/o your bags fitted.

I'm just going to fix the bags permantly to the bike.

I might regret that when it comes time to unpack.

out of all the ideas, i think I like the idea of moving the signals back a couple inches best. less work.