Introduction: Motorcycle Panniers Made Out of Plastic Ammo Boxes

Looking at other pannier options, I decided to build my own. I made these in an afternoon and think they turned out great. Welding skills were required. I used existing mounting points. I painted them with WINZER high solids paint. The Ammo boxes cost $10.00 each the steel I had from another project.

Step 1: They Are Mounted on the Bike in This Shot.


They where built to hold big bullets so they are water tight.  I would like them to be a little bigger but they are great otherwise.

Step 2:


I cut the steel and bolted it in place using the mounting points already on the bike.
Then I covered the bike with fire proof cloth and held up the next piece. After tack welding evering in place I took the piece off the bike and did the finish welding.

Step 3:


I held each part in place and lined it up to be square and true. One goal is to place the racks in a way to get my body parts off when needed. That was easy to want and hard to get.
I did not miter the joints as I should have, as a result I had to fill the ends of the square tubing.
The brace that ties both sides together fit nicely under the license plate.

Step 4: This Is What They Looked Like After Welding.


It was hard to wait for the paint to dry but its the best thing to do. Dry paint dry.

Step 5: Painting


The WINZER paint I use is the best you can get in a rattle can.

Step 6: This What the $10.00 Plastic Ammo Boxes Look Like.


They are very heavy duty and will hold the bike up in the case of a fall over. The army builds things well, these are water tight.

Step 7:


This view shows how close I was able to get them to the bike.
The whole project was easy but dose require welding skills.
Go down to your local tool supplier and pick up a wire feed welder today.