...and so, an update...
I've taken this project down two separate paths:
1 - the originally planned hard shell project
2 - a water resistant, soft sided unit
To make things easier, I have removed the aluminum bars strung across the top of the gas tank. Partly this was due to the interference I encountered after installing the Heli Clamp and relo-ing the handlebars. The new arcs the handle bars rotated through made contact with the original upright bolted to the original front gas tank mounting bolts. Cool bit of work, now resting on the shelf doing it's best to catch dust...
Knowing that getting to the hard shell version was going to take time, I almost threw in the towel and went with a simple magnet mount tank bag.
After searching forever, I found the
Chase Harper MANTA X2 bag (you'll need to scroll down the right hand side to find it - a little more than half way down). This unit (
another view), when mounted as I have, has zero interference with the handle bars at full lock. I know this is a "detail", but it was a goal I set to reach - no touching that could result in flipped switched, etc.
Now, this soft-sided version was meant more to hold me over until the hard shell unit is done - if the quotes prove reasonable enough to pursue it, that is...
For now, let's review the SOFT Sided version I now have to try out:
I used the tank mount system from
Luggage Locker (Les, the owner, has been great to deal with.). The mounting system itself consists of the ring which mounts to the tank, and another ring that mounts to the bag. His system has a dedicated base plate with a zipper, but he sold me the mounting hardware itself separately.
Here's a pic of the mounting system with his plate on it, installed on a Suzuki... I think it'll be strong enough for my needs...
The two rings fit one inside the other, and a simple twist secures the rings, then a barrel lock locks the rings together. Here are some pics of the mounted rings and the tank bag install. The really nice thing about an install like this is it keeps the tank OFF the paint of the bike.
I'm also including a short video to show how the unit actually mounts onto the bike, in action.
Video clicky - FYI, in the video I call it a "manta XL, and it is really a "Manta X2"...
Making with the photos to explain some of what I talked about in the video:
I can think of a couple questions that might come up, so I'll answer them now:
1 - it's a Sargent seat, and it's great
2 - the mounting cap is just shy of 3/4" tall
3 - the ring is ABS plastic
4 - no, I haven't washed the bike since I bought it home last June
Now, this bag is secured to the bike, so someone can't simply walk away with it. I'd need small locks on the zippers to really secure the contents, however. It's also "mostly water resistant", which might work for me, but only a real test will tell.
These main points of security and water proofness are what led me in the direction of a HARD sided tank bag.
You can see in the earlier posts on this thread, the foam and metal mocks ups for this idea, so I'll simply skip those points now and provide an update.
One fine, sunny Friday afternoon, I ended up at a local company which I was told could make the hard sided unit for me. Turns out, they could not make the final product, but they did outline the process for me and get me pointed in the right direction. So, last weekend, after a few prior days of chatting, I met the gent doing the 3D rendering and file compilation for me. I handed over an entirely reasonable sum of cashola, and he slipped me a USB drive with the files needed to power the machines to make the mold of the unit.
I'm expecting a quote from the model-making guys later this week (tomorrow, in fact). They are game to see if they can do this on the cheap for me, as I'm funding this out of my own wallet - the same one in the pics above, in fact.
(It's made of sail cloth and it rocks!) We're going to make the male buck out of 40 lbs foam. Ever held that stuff? Foam it is... and you'd be hard pressed to put a dent in it! Tough stuff. Tough enough to stand up to a small run of units, maybe...
Anyway, I have the CAD work done, so now it's quote time. If the quote for the vacuum form mold comes back realistic, then I'll get that and the vacuum box built. After that is a run to Auburn to a company to actually make the vacuum formed units.
One step at a time, though. I need to see what the cost for the mold is first.
After that, I need to finish the unit to incorporate a hinge and locking mechanism, as well as some sealing around the joint. Oh, and I'll need to epoxy bases onto them as well!
IF this moves forward, the final product will be smooth ABS plastic and paintable to match the bike.
So there we go:
Soft-sided unit is complete for now and usable.
Hard-sided unit is still a work in progress.
