DR650 Soft Pannier Bars

[cooneyr]

Because I'm cheep, don't plan on using panniers much and already had some mountain bike panniers I decided to make some bars for the DR650 myself.

Basically they are a 10mm bar (with plates at either end) from the upper pillion peg bolt hole the forward grab rail bolt holes. The 10mm bar is from a hilux toneau cover support bar, the 2mm ish plate steel is from some electrical mountings in a ex military V8 109 soft top landy and the paint (silver grey hammerite) is left over from when I made a high ground clearance rear bumper for my wifes ex shorty 70 series cruiser (We've been through lots of 4X4's). The webbing across the seat (bight pink!) is a 2.5m rock climbing sling I bought in 1998 so needs retirement from climbing anyway. I'm using bungies to hold the panniers to the bars so they cant rotate sideways out from the bike.

In the pics they are sitting well forward which I think I can get away with for space and the webbing is nice and soft so hopefully doesn't annoy the nether regions.

Worst it about making them - I didnt want to tack weld the plates to the bars on the bike for fear of frying electrics, so to hold the plates in place relative to the bars I super glued the joints on the opposite side to where I was going to weld. This worked great to hold the places but when I started to weld I was engulfed in foul smelling fumes. I knew the super glue would not handle the heat but seems is must have some pretty foul shit in it.

Anyway - some pics of the master pieces are attached. The bars are slightly outside the plastics to try and stop the plastics being pushed onto exhausts etc. Weather they work any good or not remains to be seen but was a fun little project trying to bend the bars to the right shape.

Cheers R

[Transalper]

Lookin good there R.
I'm also thinking about visiting a pushbike shop and checking out their front saddle bags with a view to hanging them over the tank.

[cooneyr]

Lookin good there R.
I'm also thinking about visiting a pushbike shop and checking out their front saddle bags with a view to hanging them over the tank.

The yanks seem to like tank panniers. Suspect that front pushy panniers might be a little big though. Let us know how you get on.

Cheers R

[clint640]

Looks good! I made something similar for my KTM.

Cheers
Clint

[NordieBoy]

I like these ones off ADVRIDER.

[cooneyr]

I like these ones off ADVRIDER.

Now that is a damn simple way of doing it. I like simple as long as it works. No welding etc etc. Note sure about getting past the stock can though.

Cheers R