Build your panniers
This is the start of a page on building your own panniers.
Some travellers have promised pictures of the panniers they have built.
Here's the first few:
Roger Hogg, New Zealand
Roger copied the following Touratech setup to create his own (pictures to follow soon)
Touratech Panniers that Roger copied from
Roger will be sending in the final results of his efforts real soon now...
Brad Houghton, New Zealand
Protection bars for stock BMW panniers
"I bought a new BMW R1200GS in Anchorage, and didn't want (nor could really afford) a set of Jesse's. I heard horror stories about breaking the standard BMW panniers later, and as I am on the road to Argentina figured I should stop somewhere and relieve myself of the worry.
Here's what I came up with, I made them in a muffler shop in Oaxaca. I can email more photos or explanations if required. Email address and other photos are on my website www.oneworld-twowheels.com."
Alex Pezzi, UK / Italy, has built a set of panniers and done a great job of documenting the build.
More to come - send in YOUR home-made pannier story and pics - and don't forget the rack and some specs - material etc.
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There are a few pictures of my panniers I made here in Tanzania on my profile 'Burb'. I am a Sheet metal worker by trade so its a fairly easy task for me. I borrowed two 3mm Aluminium sheets from the VETA college in Lindi. They have a modern Fabrication workshop where I did the cutting on a Hydraulic Guillotine and the folding operation's where carried out on a Press Brake. I then TIG welded them together. The loops on the lids were recycled from an old medical leg brace. I then moved to VETA Mtwara where I carried out the final assembly and painting. I had to make a 1200km round trip to get the etching primer for the base coat. I made the subframe out of 1/2 BSP pipe, for the bike to carry them. The art work was done by local Tingatina artist Charles here in town. See photos. Any questions about fabrication please ask.
burb, GREAT boxes, and I LOVE the artwork! Let us know how it worked out for you after some miles. :)
It looks like your bike is most definitely Chinese, and many of the Chinese enduros come with seemingly great racks standard. However, are they up to the task of holding down weight? My bike's rack sticker warns not to exceed 5 kg. However, since I live on the US side just north of the Mexican border, I would like to point the bike south, and not only want to strap on luggage on the rack, would like to have some pannier racks made like you did (I would probably have some friends do the fabrication/welding part).