What in the world is Chris doing?

Stay tuned for more details.

hmm... Assuming that's the top of the bike near the back, I'd say setting up some custom panniers. Just a guess.












so am I right?

You will just have to wait and see.

You're such a tease!

I definitely want pics!!

Whew, when I saw the thread title I thought I was in trouble.

Who let Chris have access to power tools??

When I bought my bike it had Happy-Trails panniers on it, but I decided against using them as they were just to big and I don't think I'm going around the world any time soon. I have been able to carry everything I need in my tankbag and strapped to the pack. I wanted a little better system to carry just a little more stuff. I had been looking at the Ortlieb dry bags from Aerostich and like those, but they are not cheap.



I started thinking I have plenty of drybags, There should be some way I could strap those to the side of my bike. Well on a brain storming session at Lowes I came up with this idea.



10" L brackets, six of them to be exact. The whole thing changed a few times in the process of putting them together. Pretty simple idea really. All I needed was a shelf to put the dry bags on so I could strap them down.



One of my concerns was the exhaust getting anywhere near a vinyl bag. I had an extra 50 cal ammo box laying around so it got bolted on. I need to get some different bolts for it, this is just all I had at the moment.



I did a test load when I got the mock up done. what is currently on the bike is

Two man tent
tent poles+extra steaks
large thermarest
sleeping bag
stove (ammo box)
fuel bottle (ammo box)
Misc cooking stuff (ammo box)
3 days worth of clothes

In my $40 Tractor Supply tank panniers is
pots and pans that work well for two people
and the kitchen sink, a vinyl bowl that the pots and pans sit in.

I don't have any food on there but I'm thinking I'm going to move the fuel bottle to the tool tray on the back which would let me put some food in the ammo can. I should be able to put two Nalgene bottles on top of the ammo can + my big camelback should be enough water. I have some platypus bladders to that should be pretty easy to carry.

I'm going to clean up the grinds and rund them off, and I'm going to make a brace that connects the two sides in the back.

Total cost ....$30.00 for the brakets,everything else I already had. Since it's all pretty much 90 degree bends I may try to bend some aluminum to make the whole thing a little cleaner.

+extra steaks Ribeyes or T bones , I'm ready to go . SEYA

Very functional, wearing safety goggles while grinding too....smart.

Get some blue Loctite and nylon aircraft nuts, and you are road ready !