Ammo Can Saddle Bags

[Quimrider]

That gives me some ideas. Only problem is how to make it such that some punk doesn't walk by and walk off with your ammo can and it's contents.......

[Badbob]

The whole reason I went to the ammo cans was security. You can't cut it with a knife. Unless you have metal cutting tools your not going to get it off if its locked.

What ever kind of mount you use be sure you put the fasteners in the box and do what you can to keep them from turning.

I've though about drilling through the nut and bolt on the inside of the box and putting a piece of safety wire or a pin through it so there would be no chance of getting it off with a wrench. There is very little chance of getting it off now with all those lock nuts.

Some one who really wants whats in the ammo cans and has the time and the tools will get in. You can't stop that. Most thefts are crimes of opportunity. Snatch and grab some call it. If its difficult to get to get into your ammo cans they will go on to something easier. Locked ammo cans are definitely not easy to get open.

If you mount some 20mm cans they are not going to run far with your stuff. The cans empty weight 20lbs each.

[Badbob]

We went for a ride Sunday. After about an hour I spotted a shady spot to park and pulled over for a butt break and a drink of water. When I stopped I took my gloves off first and reached back to place them on tho p the right can and the dropped to the ground. The right SAW box was hanging by one bolt. The front bolt had snapped. I took th tool bag out and mounted it on the luggage rack with on of the bungee nets I carry and padded the end of the bolt with some tape. Then use two nylon cable ties to hold it up right. I put a little tape on the end of the bolt to protect the chrome. I should have taken a photo with the can dangling down but I didn't think about the camera until it was done.






I rode 150 miles with the can tied on with cable ties.

I now carry a spare bolt and some nuts.

[Quimrider]

well I got me some fat 50 cal. aka SAW boxes. I made some custom mounting brackets out of 3/16" Al. I wanted to move the cans back to where they are just in front of the rear turn signals. The mounting plate is attached to the 2 existing bolts and then the ammo can bolts to the plate so that I could mount it further toward the back. My design sacrificed the ability to quickly and easily remove the cans for simplicity. I still need to paint them and put locks on. I don't know how I got by without these. I'll post some pics when I get them off my camera and/or when I get them painted. If there's interest I'll write up a how to so that someone can easily copy my design.

[Stretch]

Quimrider,

I have been thinking about BadBob's ammo can storage for a while. Your idea is an interesting twist, my concern is how moving the weight behind the rear axle effects the handling and stability of the bike. How far back is the center of the can from the axle center? BadBob's cans appear to be roughly centered over the axle. Your design seems to be shifting the weight fairly dramatically rearward - something I have heard can be dangerous.

Thanks for sharing.
-Bob

[Water Warrior 2]

Quimrider, I don't think the weight would be a problem unless the boxes were really loaded with heavy stuff like a lot of tools or a bunch of fresh steaks for a major BBQ. Whatever weight there is is lower than a passenger and only a little further back than a passenger. The GZ would probably easily carry 25 lbs per side in each box.

[Quimrider]

I'm not really sure how far back they are, I"ll upload the pictures when I get home from work if I remember. If memory serves me right the center of the ammo can is roughly lined up with the base of the sissy bar.

Quite frankly I was surprised that I couldn't even tell they were there aerodynamically or weight wise. I could only see weight being remotely a problem if you were loading them with bricks. The heaviest thing I've carried was a gallon jug of water.

[Stretch]

Sounds good - I look forward to seeing the cans and your bracket design. Could be my next project, the slanted vinyl bags I currently have on there are fairly useless for carrying anything of size or value.

Thanks!
-Bob

[Quimrider]

here's my design for the mounting plate. My original design was for 5.25" x 1/4" thick Al. plate, but I modified it for the 5.5" x 3/16" that I found laying around.
The angled cut was to clear the shock absorber. If I remember I'll post the pictures when I get home.



anybody want to buy my OEM suzuki saddle bag supports that I don't need any more? You don't need to flame me, I plan to post it in the for sale section when I get around to it.

[xt477]

more fun with ammo cans


http://www.metacafe.com/watch/648138/un ... er_mod_10/