In modern realities, one of the most necessary things for a motorcyclist is a trunk. This can be especially noted among lovers of long trips and travel. It should be noted that novice motorcyclists often have the question of how to make a trunk for a motorcycle with their own hands.
The luggage racks themselves can be divided into 2 types: these are structures for attaching cases, and separate ones for directly securing cargo. In modern times, the first option is somewhat more practical and popular.
But let's consider both variations.
If you pay attention, on the component market, elementary elements are quite expensive. An ordinary trunk, which you can make with your own hands, and quite quickly, will cost more than 10 thousand rubles on the market. Consider whether you need to buy a motorcycle rack, or whether it is better to make it yourself.
How to make a motorcycle trunk with your own hands
In modern realities, one of the most necessary things for a motorcyclist is a trunk. This can be especially noted among lovers of long trips and travel. It should be noted that novice motorcyclists often have the question of how to make a trunk for a motorcycle with their own hands.
The luggage racks themselves can be divided into 2 types: these are structures for attaching cases, and separate ones for directly securing cargo. In modern times, the first option is somewhat more practical and popular.
But let's consider both variations.
If you pay attention, on the component market, elementary elements are quite expensive. An ordinary trunk, which you can make with your own hands, and quite quickly, will cost more than 10 thousand rubles on the market. Consider whether you need to buy a motorcycle rack, or whether it is better to make it yourself.
What should a bike rack be like?
8 minutes Author: Mikhail Skvortsov 89
Anyone who begins to cover more than one thousand kilometers a month on bicycle trips or just riding a bicycle on business begins to understand that riding with a backpack on your back is not always convenient. A heavy backpack makes your back very tired, because it hangs on your spine, and this has a negative impact on your health. In this case, it is better to buy a good bike rack.
A bicycle rack is an absolutely necessary thing for a cyclist who wants to maintain his health and not continue to injure his spine. Undoubtedly, it is much easier to transport a heavy load on a special device rather than on your back.
Some people prefer to hang their grocery bags on the handlebars, but such luggage makes the bike difficult to control, especially for an inexperienced cyclist.
When riding a bicycle on an uneven road, even a load attached to the trunk bounces up, causing the pressing force on the supporting racks to approximately double. You should know this in order to choose a bike rack with a safety margin.
Luggage rack for attaching panniers
This design is used when it is necessary to transport small loads. It can be made from several metal tubes or rods. If you want a more designer solution, you can make it from a sheet of metal, which will complement the style of the bike quite well. At the same time, if the production is carried out from twigs or pipes, then the creation of additional parts will be required, since it is necessary to create a completely flat plane on which the trunks will be hung. In order not to provide those additional components, it is best to completely manufacture the part from a solid sheet. Or you can make the top part solid, and fasten it using rods or tubes.
This design is intended strictly for attaching the case at the top. At the same time, it is not advisable to use metal less than 3-4 millimeters thick for manufacturing; this will ensure sufficient rigidity of the trunk itself, and will also improve the overall appearance. For a greater design solution, you can engrave the sides or cut out “windows”. You can do this yourself using a drill or grinder.
If you want something more original, you can contact specialized workshops that have equipment for laser cutting and engraving. So let's look at the full manufacturing process:
First you need to cut out the layout from cardboard. We attach the sheet to the trunk and mark the boundaries of the trunk lid along the contour of its bottom. In some cases, the trunk already has its own mounting area; in this situation, it is necessary to make the top of the trunk strictly under the platform of the bag itself. Also, when measuring, we provide protrusions along the width, since the entire structure will need to be secured; for this, the edges will need to be bent.
Next, after measuring, making a mock-up of the site, and directly preparing it, it is necessary to prepare the fastenings. It is advisable to provide elements for fastening to the frame. At the same time, there are no clear instructions for them; here it is necessary to be guided strictly by the shape of the motorcycle frame itself. But you should pay attention that the best variation would be the mounting tubes provided at the edges of the platform that go to the frame.
Permissible load capacity
- Rear, classic - 20–25 kg. You should not exceed the permitted load, otherwise you can break the fastening elements: bolts and threaded holes in the bicycle frame.
- Front trunk, basket - 5–7 kg. The front trunk can withstand more weight, but then you need to rely only on your driving experience, because the behavior of an overly loaded steering wheel becomes unpredictable.
When getting ready for a long journey, it would be correct to distribute the weight in the following ratio: place 70% of the load on the rear trunk, and secure 30% on the front trunk.
- Console, quick-release - 10–15 kg. If you expect to put a load on the contact that has even the minimum specified mass, you need to take into account that all this weight will actually be held by the seatpost and the bicycle frame tube. Even without luggage attached, the seatpost experiences overload under the weight of your body.
Cargo rack
The next type is a separate trunk for transporting goods. This design appeared in Soviet times. At that time, it was made mostly of steel rods. Let's take a look at its features and variations of making such a trunk with your own hands.
Of course, let’s move a little away from the old days, and using the example of manufacturing, we’ll look at a trunk for more modern motorcycles, since they currently dominate the world of motorcycles. Such an example would be the manufacture of a structure only from metal tubes.
First of all, you need a pipe bender. If it is not available, steel rods must be used to obtain the desired beautiful bend. The full bending procedure is carried out using a torch. The metal element heats up and slowly, carefully bends.
Just think that buying a trunk for a motorcycle of this type will cost about 150-200 dollars. But let's move on to the process itself:
Initially, we prepare the site. To do this, you need to cut out the rods, then fold the pieces into the required shape.
Next, the side parts of the trunk are prepared and welded to the overall structure in the same way. Metal jumpers are used for fastening. Moreover, their size depends only on the model of the motorcycle, or more precisely on the features of the frame.
On the frame itself, in the places of intended fastening, the paint is cleaned off. Subsequently, measurements are taken and the trunk is welded onto the jumpers directly to the frame. Depending on the lugs welded to the frame, the location of the “response” lugs is measured and noted.
Basically, all manufacturing is carried out individually, depending on the characteristics of the motorcycle itself, so it is necessary to consider in more detail using the example of any of the models.
Also, it should be noted that when planning the transportation of particularly heavy loads, it is necessary to provide additional support frames, bringing them to the frame, preferably closer to the central part, in which case the weight of the engine will compensate for the weight of the load. It can be made from metal rods. We drill holes in the ends, then fasten them with bolts to the base of the frame; for reliability, you can also additionally secure them with welding.
After installation, the last steps will be cleaning, degreasing and actually painting or varnishing, depending on personal preference.
Thus, two variations of creating a trunk for a motorcycle with your own hands were disassembled, which in turn will help novice motorcycle enthusiasts as much as possible. And perhaps it will be a good cheat sheet for experienced drivers who previously could only buy a trunk for a motorcycle, but did not know how to make it themselves.
Possible damage to bike racks
So, you have purchased or assembled a rack, have already installed it on your bike and are getting ready for a trip. On the road, everything can break, although the trunks themselves rarely break at the welded joints, but very often the fasteners on the frame at the bottom are cut off. The reason for this is always weak tightening of the bolts. Take two spare bolts and nuts with you on a long journey. Insulating tape is also useful, because you can temporarily wrap it around a cracked part by placing a whole rod or a long screwdriver on it, like a tire in case of a fracture.
A broken steel trunk can be welded at the nearest service station. Your grandchildren will also get a titanium trunk.
How to make side panniers for a motorcycle with your own hands
Motorcycle bags are made from various materials: metal, plastic, leather or plywood. The choice depends on personal preferences and skills. If you decide to make motorcycle panniers with your own hands, you can be sure of their exclusivity. And if you approach their decoration with due diligence and imagination, then they will become not only convenient luggage racks for transporting various items, but also a unique decoration of the bike.
Homemade trunks from metal canisters
An easy way to make your own motorcycle side cases is to use two metal cans. The manufacturing process is quite simple:
Durable metal homemade trunks are ready. Now you need to make the fasteners. It depends on the individual characteristics of the motorcycle. For this purpose, you can use clamps or other suitable hardware.
Decoration depends on the individual preferences of the biker:
On a note! To make side cases for a moped, canisters with a capacity of 5 or 10 liters are suitable.
Metal trunks from fishing boxes
The panniers are very easy to make from two fishing boxes. The plumbing work is minimal as the hinges and latch are already installed on the drawer lid. It is only necessary to make suitable fastenings and decorate them (for example, cover them with thin foam rubber and then cover them with leatherette). Thus, a winter aluminum box with dimensions 31 x 20 x 30 cm (volume 18 liters, weight 1.4 kg) costs only 980÷1100 rubles. There is no doubt about the strength of this design due to the fact that the box is designed for an adult in full winter gear to sit on it.
Possibility of installation on different types of bicycles
It is quite possible to install any type of rack on a mountain bike, in particular a hardtail. A cantilever mountain bike rack would be a better choice, especially for a dual suspension bike, as it has no mounting option other than the seatpost.
You can install any bike rack on a bicycle with rim brakes, the main thing is to take into account the size of the wheels.
It is more difficult to install a classic design with four mounting points on a bicycle with disc brakes. You may need to make a homemade mount or bend a vertical post to fit around the brake caliper.
Cases made from plastic canisters
The process of making panniers from plastic canisters is in many ways similar to making side racks from metal containers. The only difference is that plastic cases have insufficient rigidity, so to manufacture them you will have to install additional metal elements (strips and sheets) that strengthen the structure. The main disadvantages of this method include the large labor costs and the amount of time it takes to make plastic luggage racks for a motorcycle (compared to metal counterparts). And although plastic cans are much cheaper than metal cans, additional costs for metal and hardware can reduce the cost savings to nothing.
Homemade leather trunks
Leather has been and remains the most favorite material for various biker accessories. You can sew trunks from this material yourself.
Required tools and materials:
How to make leather trunks:
To make a motorcycle hip bag, leather with a thickness of 1.0÷1.5 mm is sufficient.
DIY motorcycle trunk
Even before purchasing our Honda Silver Wing 600cc maxiscooter, my wife and I were already planning future trips. Well, what’s a long-distance bike without luggage, which is sometimes quite problematic to attach to a motorcycle? No ready-made version of side frames or cases can accommodate as much luggage as a homemade one.
First of all, we need to think carefully about where the mounting points for our trunk will be. It’s great if the motorcycle comes from the factory with a design that allows you to easily attach the rack to the frame. Sometimes it is worth resorting to studying the factory options of luggage racks that are on the market. For example, the company Givi specializes in producing such add-ons for motorcycles. That's what I did: I found photos of my motorcycle with installed side frames in a search engine, then adapted them to my trunk, modifying them a little.
After this, you can begin making the mounting ears. At the top points, my future trunk will be attached to the standard places on which the platform for the trunk is installed by the manufacturer. This makes the job much easier. The material from which the fasteners will be made is a steel strip, the thickness of which is 4 mm.
To give the fastenings the correct shape, the strip must be marked and bent in a shape that follows the platform. Having a yew and a hammer, this is not difficult to do. Here's what I got:
As you can see, I reinforced the design of the luggage racks with gussets on the sides and added transverse rods so that the bag would not sag or fall out.
Next, you can weld the trunk to the mounts themselves. It is best to do this locally in order to guess as correctly as possible with the location of the “ears” on the frame. To do this, it is necessary to protect the motorcycle as much as possible from the effects of temperature and voltage of the welding machine. I completely removed the battery and wrapped the plastic in wet rags, cardboard and old linoleum. This is what it looked like:
Let me clarify right away: on a motorcycle you just need to grab the frame at a few points; you only need to weld it when it’s removed.
To ensure that our frames do not touch the plastic of the motorcycle and are rigid and motionless, they must be secured at the lowest points. I made a jumper between them, which, in turn, is attached to the motorcycle frame:
I also welded brackets of the required length to the frames themselves, allowing me to secure the trunk at the bottom:
And, of course, I painted them. Here's what we ended up with:
And here is my trunk during long journeys:
Material of manufacture
- Steel - density 7.7–7.9 g/cm3. The weight of the assembled product is about 1 kg.
- Aluminum alloys - density 2.7 g/cm 3 . The weight of the welded trunk is from 0.5 kg.
- Titanium alloys - density 4.54 g/cm 3 . The weight of the finished structure is from 0.5 kg.
Although steel racks are heavier than their aluminum and titanium counterparts, they can be easily repaired with the simplest welding machine. In addition, they are more than twice as strong as aluminum structures.
Steel and aluminum bicycle racks can be purchased at any bike shop or market. Titanium bike racks have one drawback - their high price, so even in specialized stores they can rarely be seen. Most often, titanium bike racks are made to order.
