Quick release luggage system

The assembly I constructed in the Cheep hard case project will work for the purpose intended. I'm not crazy about the look or the difficulty I experience in getting past our vehicles into the garage for parking. I'm keeping then installed just for testing. What I really want is a simple snap on, snap off method of carrying junk when I need to. One of the side saddle boxes would be ideal for my laptop and lunch when off to work.

I want to incorporate the underseat hardware that allows the seat and rear cowl to simply click on and off. I went to our local "thieves" to buy a used seat just for the metal bits. I'm not ambitious enough to fabricate it myself. They wanted close to a $100 for a worn, used item. No thanks. I found dozens of offerings on Ebay in the $20-$30 range, shipping included. Today after 2 weeks of waiting...


Five minutes of work and I've got a sturdy base to start with, some spare foam and a piece of soft vinyl to make a hat from.


Off to my favourite metal suppliers and I scored a nice chunk of diamond plate for $10. It came home to roost with a couple yards of duct tape security.


The purpose is to have a secure method to carry small amounts of goods without using a backpack. I carry too many hard bits. I have a tank bag, but it's very limited in capacity and I don't trust the non-abrasion qualities.

This little side project turned out to be a lot easier than expected. I wanted to use diamond plate to mount a small box behind me to carry my work gear and lunch. It turns out I was over analyzing the problem.

Using the same technique as the saddle luggage boxes, I mounted those shelf brackets to some chunks of UHMW plastic.


The Chinese rear seat I purchased is made of fairly substantial plastic. With the mounting rails screwed on, the assembly is quite rigid.


I'll probably keep the two parts married and just install as needed. The whole assembly snaps on and off in seconds, with the added advantage of it being lockable. Just as easy as installing the rear seat... wait, that's what it is


If I want to carry the contents of the box with me, the two over centre latches, also lockable, allow quick removal. They double as a lock to stop the box from departing the bike during hard acceleration.



This was an exceedingly simple project. I spent more time removing staples from the seat base than actually constructing the rest of it. And my new rear decal stays visible.

Nice idea! Ive loved how handy a top box can be but hate having the ugly mount when its not needed. Might have to make myself one of these, I have to carry a pelican case in a rucksack currently and its not super comfortable.

Well, I'm a happy camper. I stuffed a laptop, lunch, snack, two phones, keys and a fork into the back box. I reinstalled the carrying handle and when I arrived at work, slid it off the rails and carried the box proudly through the office. It's the biggest briefcase anyone has seen.

[Nutsinatin]

Originally Posted by Ben.tattooer

Nice idea! Ive loved how handy a top box can be but hate having the ugly mount when its not needed. Might have to make myself one of these, I have to carry a pelican case in a rucksack currently and its not super comfortable.

The easier option is to just mount a top box plate to an old rear seat (drill straight through install 4 coach bolts add some penny washers and tighten up) but if it's aesthetics you're after Terry's inventions are beautiful!

Originally Posted by Nutsinatin

The easier option is to just mount a top box plate to an old rear seat (drill straight through install 4 coach bolts add some penny washers and tighten up) but if it's aesthetics you're after Terry's inventions are beautiful!

Thanks for the compliment. I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of making the two parts separable other than the self imposed requirement of keeping the storage area covered and locked when the box is on a walkabout.

[Davemurphy007]

Genius!