Warchild
Banned
Ever since I saw the first Pelican Case mounted on a bike many, many years ago, I admit I just shook my head. "What an eyesore" I thought to myself.
Then, several years later, I finally was forced to carry a laptop on a trip on my FJR. Ack! The silly-a$$ laptop bag consumed the vast majority of the Givi V46 topcase (this was before the slim neoprene bags were widely available.) I was wishing for that Pelican case then!
Now I find I have to carry a laptop on my K8 quite a bit this summer, as I am a Scorer during the Iron Butt Rally next month. I need to carry a laptop about 6000 miles during the end of August/first week of September. This is a real problem if you are riding a Hayabusa with tiny Givi bags. The hefty-a$$ Dell Inspiron ain't going in any existing luggage. Damn.
So.... finally, it has happened, it has come to this.... I have become one of those Pelican dudes.....
The Pelican case resides on the SW-Motech rack where the 1-gal insulated water jug used to reside, so the latter is relocated down to the left pillion footpeg:
You may not be able to tell from the photos, but this is actually one of the smaller Pelican cases.... Model 1500. The Dell is still a tight fit.. only about a 1.5" spare room on all sides.
The floor of the Pelican Case is sandwiched between two 3/32" aluminum plates. Passing through the plates are three beefy 12mm bolts, and tension locknuts are run all the way up the bolts to the very bottom of the outside aluminum plate. The tension locknuts are then encased in a short segment of thick rubber heater hose. The remaining bolt shaft had its threads ground down and polished smooth. Then, a hole was drilled in each bolt shaft so that it can receive a bailing wire-style cotter pin to facilitate quick removal/installation. As a practical matter, I will probably replace one of these pins with an appropriately small combination lock when on trips:
Using this arraignment, the Pelican case stands off from the SW-Motech rack, and thus the transfer of harmonic vibration to the case is almost eliminated!
When all is said and done, the Pelican case actually doesn't look too bad on the bike. I did a 600-mile test ride last weekend, and I couldn't even tell the case was back there. I know the case probably looks jarring to those who don't do serious touring on the Busa, but it sure does the job for me!
Then, several years later, I finally was forced to carry a laptop on a trip on my FJR. Ack! The silly-a$$ laptop bag consumed the vast majority of the Givi V46 topcase (this was before the slim neoprene bags were widely available.) I was wishing for that Pelican case then!
Now I find I have to carry a laptop on my K8 quite a bit this summer, as I am a Scorer during the Iron Butt Rally next month. I need to carry a laptop about 6000 miles during the end of August/first week of September. This is a real problem if you are riding a Hayabusa with tiny Givi bags. The hefty-a$$ Dell Inspiron ain't going in any existing luggage. Damn.
So.... finally, it has happened, it has come to this.... I have become one of those Pelican dudes.....
The Pelican case resides on the SW-Motech rack where the 1-gal insulated water jug used to reside, so the latter is relocated down to the left pillion footpeg:
You may not be able to tell from the photos, but this is actually one of the smaller Pelican cases.... Model 1500. The Dell is still a tight fit.. only about a 1.5" spare room on all sides.
The floor of the Pelican Case is sandwiched between two 3/32" aluminum plates. Passing through the plates are three beefy 12mm bolts, and tension locknuts are run all the way up the bolts to the very bottom of the outside aluminum plate. The tension locknuts are then encased in a short segment of thick rubber heater hose. The remaining bolt shaft had its threads ground down and polished smooth. Then, a hole was drilled in each bolt shaft so that it can receive a bailing wire-style cotter pin to facilitate quick removal/installation. As a practical matter, I will probably replace one of these pins with an appropriately small combination lock when on trips:
Using this arraignment, the Pelican case stands off from the SW-Motech rack, and thus the transfer of harmonic vibration to the case is almost eliminated!
When all is said and done, the Pelican case actually doesn't look too bad on the bike. I did a 600-mile test ride last weekend, and I couldn't even tell the case was back there. I know the case probably looks jarring to those who don't do serious touring on the Busa, but it sure does the job for me!
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