Ok here goes....

Back in 2000 when I was running a DL prepped 1VJ (XT 600) I was desperately looking for a rack to mount some ally boxes to take to Africa. After a lot of looking I managed to aquire a beautifully built tubular rear rack. It has a flat rear luggage section and side bars to mount boxes on.

I immediately looked for a set of boxes and soon resigned myself to doing without (bloody expensive for what they are really!!!) until a friend asked why I didnt make some. Sounded like a good plan!!!

I bought the aluminium, folded it with the aid of a friends engineering workshop and ended up with two box shapes and two lids ready to be welded or rivetted.

Then it all went rather pear shaped......Prior to this point I hadnt actually tried to fit the rack to the bike, and when I did, it didnt fit......

With such a short time before leaving I binned the rack/box idea, invented the patent Lomax/B&Q side rail system and chucked on some throw overs. I loved the system that much I never went back to the rack/box system.

Last week whilst sorting out the garage both rack and boxes appeared!

First the good news. I want nothing for them!!! Yep NOTHING!!!!

BUT: The boxes will need £40 of (Aluminium) welders time and a little DIY to rivet some clips on and fit some sponge top sealing stuff. (They currently look like boxes and are folded from 1 piece of Aluminium each, but have a seam down the back that needs welding and a base that needs sorting.) They will also need a mounting system devising to attach them to the rack, nothing a little aluminium angle and a pop rivetter wont solve.

Secondly there is the question of the rack....I know it doesnt fit a 1VJ, and I've been told it is an XT rack. For reference it was too narrow to fit my old XT.....I'm not totally sure what it does fit....

So to summarise, if you happen to have the 'right' XT, a mate who welds Aluminium and a pop rivetter you could walk away with the cheapest set of boxes and rack in the world...........

Oh, and I'm in Manchester, UK, and cant be arsed posting them.....

Bit of a long shot I know!!! I hope they can go to a good home. I'm not splitting them yet, they are ideal for someone with a long distance project and not a lot of money, but eventually if there is no interest I'll let the boxes go spereately.

All the best!

Dave

8 hours on the site and no takers, I don't believe it.

Hi there mate, i know about beggers and choosers etc.

Any chance of some photos (of rack particularly) and where/how it bolts on. I'm looking to ship out shortly and this sounds my cup of tea. I have an XT660 R and wondering if i could adapt.

Thanks
Joe

__________________
Thanks
Joe

Yes please if they are still available? I have an IVJ and have been toying with the idea of making a set. Happy to collect or arrange courier etc. Please call me on 07786 321317 if you still have them.

Cheers

Alan

__________________
Be the person your dog thinks you are.

Ok guys,

Photos by this weekend, first refusal goes to Joe, second to Alfow....

Link soon,

Dave

Yes Please! am only 20 miles east of Manchester!

Not sure how to post photos on here and cant Email JoeSheffer.......

Do i need to host the photos myself or can I upload them?

Ta,

Dave

Hi Dave,
"the patent Lomax/B&Q side rail system" - so, what is that all about?
(I like soft panniers!)

Cheers,

Another Dave

__________________
Dave

Hi

Did these panniers and rack go to a new home?

thanks

Peter

CAN JOE SHEFFER PLEASE MAIL ME!!!!!!???????????

If I dont hear anything by the end of this weekend then Alfow will be getting a call on Monday......

Sorry about this, but if I cant contact you, I cant give them to you! I have photos to mail and I need the panniers gone........I have PM'd you.

Dave

Hi Dave,
So, what is the B&Q method of providing side rails? (See my post number 8). Thanks,

Another Dave

__________________
Dave

Panniers gone to Alan, Sorry Joe...

Dave,

If you check out the UK Yahoo Tenere Group and check out photos of the 1VJ belonging to 'The Don' then you'll see my old Tenere and the siderails together with an explanation of where they came from and how they came about. Basically it was £2 worth of flat iron from B&Q cut into two strips and bent to fit between the footpeg hanger and the rear rack mount. They were cheap, indestructable, and kept the soft luggage off the pipe and rear plastics. When I stopped off to see Dave Lambeth on my way south he was using identical systems on his rally and O/L prepped bikes. Never mind all these posh racks, get some iron, a hammer, and a concrete step (to beat the iron over...!!), and save yourself hundreds of pounds!!!

Dave2

Thanks Dave,
I get the broad idea and it is a good one IMO: I had thought about doing something similar in copper piping on the basis that the jointing would be easy (after having done a fair bit of home plumbing) - just use capillary solder joints to make up a frame and then offer it up to fixing points on the bike. Not sure if it would need 22mm pipe or the smaller stuff would do the job!!! This could also go over the back of the bike as a rack; what do you think?

Dave

__________________
Dave

IMHO copper would be too soft. I also briefly considered it. Also if it gets wet it'll make lots of nasty green goo, and will corrode internally even if coated externally.

I think the secret is to keep it really simple. Dont go copper, dont go tube, dont go complex.....As Grant once said to me, 'KISS' (Keep It Simple Stupid!!!) I was a little worried initially, but came around to the idea once he explained it was an acronym....;-)

If you just bash up two side bars and then plastic coat them they are light, look good, and work brilliantly. If they get damaged they can be bent back into place and can be re-welded anywhere in the world. In short, I believe they are by far the best system, as do many others who have more experience than me. But only if you go down the throwover route.

Just as a brief aside, if you want to work some 3D magic in steel, but dont have the kit or the expertise to weld, have you considered silver soldering? Its just like soldering copper or braising but works at a lower temperature, you use a standard blow torch, but with thin soldering rods and a pot of powdered flux. Its not a very well known process (I have no idea why), but if you can solder copper pipe together you can sure as hell silver solder. It would allow you to make up a 3D rack using flat or tubular steel. Its strong enough to run for a few weeks (even permenantly) to check all is good before popping it down to your friendly welders for a final run of weld or two. I have a flat bar system wrapping around the rear of my DRZ400e, including an 'over the top' section to allow weight to be carried, that could easily be made at home from flat section steel, 25mmx2.5mm and soldered up to test in situ on the bike.....no problems with disconnecting batteries and all that MIG/TIG business until after the job is done.

Hope that helps,

All the best,

Dave

(p.s. I know it was my thread, but sorry to hijack it, if there are anymore posts on this I think we should move it to another section....!!!!!)

I had similar thoughts about the Cu piping Dave; one possibility would be the chromed version that is used for exposed pipe runs BUT I would then be using compression fittings I believe and they are a tad unsightly!! The finished product would look a bit "special" however.

One advantage of tube over flat section is the better stiffness, weight for weight, but I take your KISS principle as well. Apart from that, I have the Cu pipe & spare fittings lying around already, having fitted a bathroom a couple of years ago!!

Thanks for your lengthy answer - very interesting and, no, I had not heard of silver soldering of steel previously. I will bear it in mind.

I have also wondered about bolted joints for flat section in addition to bolting the finished article to the bike - any thoughts on that? (A bit like meccano sets of years ago). Still in accord with the KISS principle.

I definitely prefer soft luggage, so I am still interested in the broad concept; no hurry as yet though - got the bike to fix first!!

Your call on the thread aspect - I jumped in because your original topic was sorted out (I believe there is a thread somewhere for homemade panniers!!)

Cheers,

Dave

__________________
Dave