Trunk box fitted to M50

My 2012 Boulevard M50 (M800) has a non standard bolt hole set up for mounting lugage racks or sissy bars, 200 mm centres against the C50/C800 8 1/2 inches.  I bought a Chinese manufactured double helmet trunk box which has a wrap around back rest so my wife would feel secure when pillioning.

I got two mounting plates cut out of 6 mm marine aluminium and have spent today mounting the trunk box onto the bike.

Looks great, space for two helmets, lockable, and I didn't notice any adverse weight or wind effects when I took the bike out for a spin.

Photos attached:  Damn, how do I post an image?

Make sure the cursor is on the part of your post where you want to add an photo. Click on the 'host an image' icon on the above menu bar where your editing/creating your post. Then click the 'browse' button and find the image on your computer and open it and then click the 'Host It' button. Then copy and paste the text from the bottom line that is titled 'Image URL' so that it starts with 'http' and ends in 'jpg'
Once you have done that click on the 'Insert Image' on the above menu and left click in the box that says http and then right click and select paste.
Then click the 'Insert ' button and your image will be added.
It sounds difficult but it is dead easy once you have done it a couple of times, honest!!

https://i.servimg.com/u/f21/19/27/72/88/top_bo15.jpg


Thanks v-twin.  Image attached.  I've got a pair of saddlebags to fit but they have a smaller bolt hole centre than the M50 fitting bolt holes.  So I'll use one of the mounting points and drill another fitting hole on the mounting plate.  That's a job for another day though.

Wife and I went for a ride and she loves the security of having the wrap around backrest.

Thats looking really good Steve

Project completed.  Took the whole thing apart, added saddlebags then put it all back together again.  Also attached handles on the trunk box as added security for the pillion.  The trunk box looks high, but the AirHawk pad on the pillion seat raises everything about 60 mm/2 1/2".

Ready for some big miles...whats the plans Steve ?

Looks good now Steve! As Alan says ready for some miles now with the good lady!

Looks plenty sturdy, shouldn't flex when the misses sits back. 

Looks so much better with the bags fitted. I very quickly glansed at this thread yesterday without reading what you were going to do. Must be honest, I really didn't like what I saw, however with the bags fitted, all has changed dramatically. Now I really like it, good job done my friend.

It's mounted on two 45 mm x 6 mm marine aluminium plates, and I'm thinking of even adding an extra 4 mounting bolts out at the edge of the brackets to give even more stability.

Very functional, gives a level of comfort and security for the Missus on the back, and that's what I was aiming at.  The side brackets and luggage carrier would have cost over $NZ700 from Suzuki NZ (no after market suppliers for the post 2010 M50 down here), and I've brought this in at under $NZ300.

put the same box on my bike over the weekend for £35 more then happy with it

Looks good! it'll certainly give confidence for the wife on the back, nice job 

Looks well Steve, have you thought of painting it black to match the frame and bags, also good to do your own mods, very satisfying.

I like it Steve, looks the business.
DaveK £35 sounds like its within my budget, do you have a link?

Mmmm ... I like it 

Damn, those brackets look proper sturdy !!

Cool that is great for comfort and the extra feeling of security 

We've done many hundreds of kilometres on the bike since I fitted the trunk box and saddle bags.  Have found that the trunk box doesn't quite take two full face helmets.  But it will take a full face helmet and two jackets and gloves.  I usually carry my helmet with me or put it over the right hand mirror if we're not going too far from the bike.

The wife loves it.  It does seem to be designed for an American figure so there's a couple of inches clearance either side between my wife and the side pods of the back rest, but it makes her feel so much more secure.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the whole exercise.

Not forgetting it looks good too Steve    Have you thought about doing Mr I's helmet lock mod to save carrying your helmet round? Link I know the VZ mudguard is smaller but there's got to be room surely?

Thanks for the link simbo, I can just (with a bit of grunting and a fiddle around) get at the helmet lock which is just forward of the left hand saddlebag.  But I'm going downstairs right now just to have a look at the front mudguard and how the helmet lock is attached to the rear mudguard with a view to relocating it.

On the post 2010 M50 the helmet lock is mounted to a small bracket on the mudguard by a location pin and a single pin centre torx bolt.  And I don't have a set of pin centre torx drivers.  So I took the small bracket off the rear mudguard with the helmet lock attached.  The bracket was attached to the mudguard with two hex drive set screws, and one of these was covered by the mudguard and I couldn't get the hex key into it.

That meant that I had to loosen the rear mudguard, and to do that I had to take off the front and pillion seats, remove the saddlebags and the take off the trunk box mounting brackets, then loosen the mudguard.

Well, 2 1/2 hours later and I have the helmet lock assembly off and sitting on the workshop bench and the bike is back together again.  And there's a nice spot on the left hand trunk box mounting bracket where I can reattach the helmet lock and have tons of space to lock the helmet D rings into it.  It'll look just like a bought one.

But I'll need two 6 mm locknuts, and looking through the nuts and bolts tin will be a job for tomorrow.  Then all I'll have to do is drill two 6 mm holes on the trunk box mounting bracket, a few turns of the spanner, and it'll be all in place.

Done, two 6 mm holes (one for the locating pin and one for the set screw) and it's attached.  The post 2010 M50 has tonnes of space under the mudguard so no problem with tyre interference.  It's not really obvious either.

I didn't have the T30 centre pin Torx socket to remove the bracket off the back of the helmet lock, so popped into the local lawnmower shop and asked if they had one.  "Bring it through" said the serviceman, and took the mounting bracket off the lock for me.  I got  a longer M6 socket head set screw, locknut and fender washer out of the nuts and bolts tin, and it was a piece of cake.


https://i.servimg.com/u/f21/19/27/72/88/hekmet10.jpg

https://i.servimg.com/u/f21/19/27/72/88/helmet10.jpg

Looking good, very good modification, one I have done.

Ordered mine today. I have been looking at this box for awhile now. Finally pulled the trigger. Oh hell, can I say that.

Had many enjoyable kms riding with that layout, until 7.20 am 28 Nov 2016. A taxi turned through a line of traffic and took me out, there I was sliding down the road on my visor, elbows, knees and boots, thinking, "This isn't so bad," and then my shoulder hit the gutter.  Three out of four rotator cuff tendons torn and I've just had a laproscopic shoulder reconstruction three weeks ago.  One tendon had been completely torn through and the surgeon had to pull the two ends of the tendon out from behind the shoulder socket and join them.  When he visited me after the operation he thought that it had been completely successful, It's great to see your surgeon smiling at his own abiliy.

But the bike suffered too, usual mirror, gear change lever, clutch lever mudguard and headlight surround damage, but the left hand saddle bag and the left side of my top box were ripped to shreds.  Insurance replaced the saddle bags with genuine Suzuki bags but couldn't locate the same top box locally, they asked if I minded a GIVI MAXI 3 55 Litre top box instead, I thought about it for 5 nanoseconds and said yes.

So the bike is looking like new, I've fitted Oxford heated grips and mirror extensions.  The new top box does hold two helmets and is demountable (monokey system) so I can take it off and use it as a small suitcase.  Right now though, I have my arm in a sling for 6 weeks and not to drive/ride for another 6 weeks after that.

Occasionally I hear the bike whimpering down in the garage so I go down, Sit on her and go "Broom, Broom!"  Only another 9 weeks before I'll be back on her.

Shit, that sounds bloody painful! On the bright side though - the bikes OK .  Seriously though - glad you're on the mend and soon be able to get back on the bike.  Any action against the taxi driver?

Yeah he got 'Dangerous driving causing injury' and 'Leaving the scene of an accident' (he pulled up, then drove off, Police asked him if he'd helped me and he said "I walked over to him and asked if he was OK and he didn't answer me", they asked him for his security camera footage and it showed he'd stopped, got out of the car, stood by the door and got back in and drove away).

I also got $1000 in reparations above what the insurance didn't cover.  So new gloves, jacket, helmet visor and boots (I use steel tip work boots cos my feet are wide and most riding boots don't fit me, the scraping wore a 2" x 1" hole through the leather of my left boot and polished the steel cap inside.)

I've always worn ATGATT, but now I won't even look at the bike without all having all the gear on.  I can imagine what would have been ripped without protective gear - face, elbows, knees, toes.

Well I for one have got to take my hat off to you ........ A devastating smash like that and still raring to "get back on the horse"! 

Wow, what a scary experience. Glad you're on the mend and the bike looks like new.

Wow, glad you're on the mend Steve 

Steve I'm glad you are on the mend as time will help you to sort things out in your mind as well as physically 7 the bike will be how you want it ready to hit the road! Best wishes mate!

@ kiwi steve 
pleased all is mending well ,and you are not put off riding again ...what does your missus think ,..
hope the driver feels guilty for leaving ya in the road ....scum bag ....
get well mate and keep us informed how ya gettin on ....all the best

yes steve hope you are on the mend and all goes well when your back on the bike again

goshhub wrote:

...what does your missus think ,..

That's the biggest problem I face.  I loved riding to work, 70 km round trip.  Riding the bike also cut 20 minutes off the time it took me in a car.

Now my wife doesn't want me to ride to work, she's scared about me on the motorway (whereas the accident happened in an urban street).  On the motorway (about 25 km each way) I always ride in the right hand lane that is up against the centre barrier so there are F***WITS only to the left hand side of me and there's no-one to my right that'll suddenly decide that they need to get off at that exit and scream across three lanes of traffic to get there.

But the wife's dislike of me riding to work is a problem we're working on.  I've only got one more year of work anyway.  But she doesn't mind my idea of doing some classic rides here in NZ and maybe writing about them, check out Auckland to Cape Reinga and back, Waioeka Gorge (Opotiki to Gisborne), Napier - Taupo Road, Napier - Taihape Road, and the Forgotten Highway and Whangamomona.  In fact she'd like to come with me, and on a circumnavigation of the USA (I've already got a title for that - "Counterclockwise!") too.  But I'd probable have to buy a Harley Ultra or Honda Goldwing for that one.

Wow, that sounds like some retirement party... enjoy!

steve 
keep working on it .time will tell..
get well soon

Thats really something to look forward to counter clockwise sounds great