74 Honda XL 350 - The Turd

Thanks Eric.

I was able to reuse the old spring and rear stop switch from the 360 to replace the junk one. I wedged a flathead between the spring coils and then pulled it to stretch it about 1.5" to fit.

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Replaced the front switch with a new Honda switch and the brake lights are up and running.
 
Wow, you've come a long way with this bike! The rack looks good. Are the panniers going to be 40mm cans? I'm eager to see how you mount them.
 
iatethepeach said:
Wow, you've come a long way with this bike! The rack looks good. Are the panniers going to be 40mm cans? I'm eager to see how you mount them.
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Thanks! Yep, I bought a set of 40mm cans that I'm going to use for now. I've been researching a few different ways to mount them, and I think I have a good strategy in mind that will allow me to quickly disconnect them from the inside. I want to add locks to each side, so they will effectively be locked closed and mounted all with one lock.

My one concern is being waterproof, however. I can always use a dry bag if I need to. Should be able to get to that over the weekend.
 
Been sitting on these ammo cans for way too long, so I decided to tackle the mounting today. First I bent up a piece of steel for the bottom, so I can slide them into place. I spaced it out 1/4" to allow for more clearance up top. Just tacked up for now.

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I wanted to do quick release fasteners up top, but I had a bunch of these 3/8" threaded inserts from another job, so I decided to go with them to get it done.

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Pretty happy with the outcome, and once I add locks to the ammo boxes I will be able to lock them on and the bolts will only be accessible from the inside. I'll do the other side and then weld everything up for real.

Next step is to mount directionals. I am thinking of using the matching signals and mounting them on the back, or just getting some small flush mount LED ones.
 
That looks awesome! I used carriage bolts to secure my cans to the rack on my CL, keeping the nuts inside the cans for security just like you did. Don't want anyone to walk off with my hoagie while I'm in the arcade chipping away at the high score on Donkey Kong. It'd be cool to have a quick-release setup but I think you were smart to skip premature optimization in favor of just getting it done. You're already halfway there if you decide you need more flexibility later.

This guy's locking hardware worked great for me, in case you don't plan to DIY: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018EYU5HQ
 
iatethepeach said:
This guy's locking hardware worked great for me, in case you don't plan to DIY: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018EYU5HQ
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Those are pretty handy. Do you use a padlock type lock for your panniers? I'm worried that something like that will rattle around while I'm riding and drive me crazy...
 
Yes. I got a slightly-longer style padlock and cut strips of MTB tube to slide over the bodies to quiet rattling when I ride around with them attached, but usually I leave them off when I'm in motion. I picked them up at the hardware store so I don't have a link I can share, but I'm pretty sure they're Masterlocks. If you want I'll look for a product number tomorrow. They work very well.

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I also sandwiched PVC blocks between my cans and their mounting points to dampen vibration and protect the vintage chrome on the rack. I have no idea if it makes things better or worse but it seemed like a cool idea at the time. My cans don't buzz or rattle so I'm keeping them.
 
iatethepeach said:
Yes. I got a slightly-longer style padlock and cut strips of MTB tube to slide over the bodies to quiet rattling when I ride around with them attached, but usually I leave them off when I'm in motion. I picked them up at the hardware store so I don't have a link I can share, but I'm pretty sure they're Masterlocks. If you want I'll look for a product number tomorrow. They work very well.
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Ahh that's a great idea. I may even glue a piece of neoprene under the lock.

Are your lids completely removable? I am going to weld the front latch in place so it acts more like a hinge, and maybe put some small pistons in to keep them up while their open.
 
advCo said:
Are your lids completely removable?
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Yes. At first I thought this would be a cool feature- in theory I could carry objects in the panniers that were much larger than the panniers themselves (much like when shopping for large furniture or lumber with a two-seater convertible). But the first time I tried it my cargo ejected pretty much immediately. I knew I shouldn't have sold that convertible.

advCo said:
I am going to weld the front latch in place so it acts more like a hinge, and maybe put some small pistons in to keep them up while their open.
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Gas struts would be wicked! My lids flip open 180-degrees and stop, so when open they serve as a nice tool/parts table, tea and cookie tray, etc. Pretty convenient. The less convenient bit is that they often detach on their own if you're not careful. I've been meaning to insert a little bolt through the can to the side of the hinge to prevent this. It'll be easy and will completely solve the problem, I just haven't gotten around to it.
 
If you go with that lock setup and they rattle you could maybe also open up the holes a bit and heat shrink the tops of the lock hoops where they make contact. I ultimately decided it's unnecessary despite the awesome speed and vibration of the 100cc host machine.
 
iatethepeach said:
Are your signals going on the taillight bracket or on the panniers?
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I'm still working this out. Now that I have one pannier mounted, I can mock up how I want to run the signals. I'm thinking I will probably mount the 360 signals to the rear of the panniers or the taillight bracket, and use a small flush mounted signal on the side of each pannier. Now that I'm typing it out, attaching the signals to the frame or taillight bracket might be a better idea in case I want to remove the panniers and luggage rack at any point down the road...

How are yours mounted, got any pics?
 
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