Home made panniers on my XY200

[kevshek]

I had a few days off and was itching to do something useful so i decided to make my own panniers for my winter bike. For those who have seen them, Touratech do some very nice panniers, but not at a very nice price, somewhere in the region of a grand!

Anyways, i decided to go cheap and make some using a couple of tool cases. Heres a list of what i used. Some stuff ive had lying about for a while so it cost me nowt.

2x Dewalt Drill Cases
10mm Steel Round Bar
1.25 inch Angle Iron
15mm Pipe Clips
Chequer plate
Some Jack Chain
Screws and Rivets
Stick Welder
Hammerite

First of all, i used some angle iron, cut and drilled it, then welded a length of round bar to it. Four of these will be used to mount the pannier frame to the bike.



Next i used 4 length or rod, heated and bent them into right angles, then cut them down and welded them to make a rectangle. There are 2 of these, one for each side which the panniers will be mounted on.



Next i test fitted the mounts and frames, so i could get them welded together.




Once happy with the position and angle, i welded them into place using some cut down bits of angle iron for strength.




This was then repeated for the other side, and then a support rod was welded into place to hold them together/apart.



Once ground down and cleaned up, i painted it with hammerite and when dry, fitted it onto the bike.




Now with the pannier frame done, it was time to set about the panniers themselves.

First off, heres the cases, i paid £13 for the pair delivered.



First thing i did was to remove all the internal partitions.



Next i spent about 3-4 hours measuring and cutting out panels of chequer plate to cover the sides of the case. Then began the task of riveting it all on. I used some pieces internally to help brace them into place. I also installed some jack chain so the boxes dont drop open.




When i find it, i will used some black foam sheets to line the inside.

Next up was to figure out how to mount them onto the frames. I decided to go for a simple option of just to use pipe clips, this would allow me to remove them. So the panniers were offered upto the bike and measured, drilled and clips installed.




For now, they are secured inplace with some cable ties, but i am working on something a bit more secure longterm.

Here they are all done and installed.





Ive also got some Red LED rear markers and White LED front markers to install once they arrive. Cost, about £30, Labour about 18 hours.

[SpudRider]

Your work is very creative; you did an excellent job! Thanks for documenting your work with photographs.

Spud

[Weldangrind]

Those look store bought! Very nicely done, and I commend you for your patience with a small stick welder. How much do the frames weigh?

[FastDoc]

I am very impressed. That's really some expert fabrication right there.

Are they waterproof? How much do you think the setup weighs?

[kevshek]

Thanks guys, the whole setup weight about 5 kilos maybe, just a guess, cant see that being any more than a proper kit. Tonight ive lined the panniers with a foam mat (a camping roll mat!) so the stuff inside dont rattle around. The drill cases have a interlocking lid, which does provide a fair seal against water, but theres nothing in there that im gonna worry about getting a splash of water.

Tonight, ive removed the rear top box, im gonna spray that up in matt black. Ive got so additional lighting to go on and will do that once they arrive.

[MICRider]

Very nicely done! I like panniers and top boxes, they make a bike infinitely more useful! 8)