DRZ pannier frames:

[Steve Pickford]

Just finished building these pannier frames for my partners DRZ in preparation for her trip to South America starting mid-August:









Few more here: DRZ PANNIER FRAMES - Steve's Photos

Started with the Suzuki rear rack and a pair of Givi pannier racks for an airhead GS:



Once I removed all the bracketry, I wrapped some 3mm x 25mm steel bar around the 5 litre fuel can before welding. Once I'd mounted the right hand loop, I lined up the left hand loop before mounting it. I could have kept the width down by locating the frames more rearwards but wanted to keep the centre of the frames in line with the rear wheel spindle. The two main mounts on each side are made from steel tube, 16mm OD with a 1.5mm wall thickness with 10mm stainless capheads passing through, secured with Nylocs.
I then turned down some steel bar to match the internal diameter of the 16mm tube & then drilled 8mm holes through. In to 20mm sections of tube, I welded 5mm lengths of drill steel bar. Four of these provided the mountings for the mounts on the footpegs & the frame on to which I'd already welded a 6mm thick lug. By mounting to the frame itself, I've used the pannier frames to brace the subframe. Stainless 8mm capheads slid easily in to the front mounts.

I also incorporated a Tooltube for Tyre Levers etc, a bolt through the cap plus an O'ring will prevent the cap coming loose. The final part was the rear brace, 16mm tube used once again in conjunction with 10mm stainless capheads.

The Givi frames cost £50 & I reckon I spent another £50 on 3 metres of steel tube, flat bar, welding gas & wire plus stainless bolts. So far I've spent between 30 & 35 hours on them, they still need to be removed, blasted & powdercoated. They'll be fitted with waterproof Ortlieb panniers. Total width is very slightly wider than I'd like but the weight distribution is much better for it. She'll be riding away from the cities, mainly in Argentina & Chile so width is not that big a deal as she won't be filtering through heavy traffic.

We'll be fitting blue bodywork from the other DRZ plus a Clarke tank, rad guards, Wolfman tankpanniers & tankbag plus a front mudguard brace. I've already fitted Talon lowering links & 'bar risers to allow the forks to be pushed through by 20mm. Rear preload is on max at present which is why it doesn't look that low. Once new chain & sprockets, pads & more suitable tyres are fitted, it will be pretty much ready to go.

Thanks to Louisdut for the idea for the additional can.