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Pelican "quick release"

10K views 27 replies 14 participants last post by  RWJC 
#1 ·
I saw the thread and a few others on here, for mounting Pelican side cases. I have 2 pelican 1550's I was planning on mounting, but want the ability to remove them without too much hassle. I have seen lots of guys fab things, but starting doing some last min searching and found these >Pelican quick mounts

They look right. Anybody have experience with these? I have bought stuff from TT before with much laud.

Thanks in advance.
 
#3 ·
I've seen that TT mount on another bike and it looked pretty dang solid, though I can't say how it compares to other $200 options. I have Givi racks on my 2012 and Seahorse brand cases. I couldn't bring myself to spend that kind of money on brackets and so after staring at the cases in the living room for two weeks (my girlfriend was very understanding...) I rigged them up with a homemade set up based on stuff I saw online.

The bottom part is made from two 1.5 x 6" 1/8 steal mending plates with a U shaped slot to fit with the lower "buttons" on the Givi rack. They are spaced out with pieces of a white nylon cutting board and bolted with SS bolts and locknuts, fender washers, rubber washers, etc.

The top attachment point is kinda quick release. I removed the Givi latch point. I ran 1 quarter inch SS bolt and a clevis pin through the holes in the Givi rack and jammed a pair of rubber bumpers over them to space the cases out and seal out rain. The bolt and clevis pass through holes in the case. I use a wing nut and fender washer on the bolt to tighten the case back to the rack, then slide a hairpin cotter pin into the clevis pin to lock it. When the cases are locked there is no way to remove them from the outside. It only takes a moment to pull that cotter pin and spin the wing nut off to pop them off the bike when I want to though.

I'm sure my setup is not entirely new but I'll take a couple pictures later today if anyone is interested. Once I actually started working on them it didn't take very long to put it all together.
 
#5 ·
Sounds like a copy of a copy of my set up. I use two clevis pins and no bolt. Mine didn't budge even when I laid the bike down on the case at around 25 mph.

On my second set, I mounted the buttons to the cases and the "forks" to the rack. Both mount designs are solid and were cheap.
 
#4 ·
I used them on my FZ6



I liked them. I did have to modify them by clearancing the part where the lock tumbler goes to clear the passenger grab rail, but I was expecting something since they are "universal" fit.

They were tough as well. I was able to lift the bike by the side cases (from laying on it's side lol) with no issue. The weak spot on this setup is the GIVI rack itself IMO. The brackets are built heavier than the racks.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Duratool Cases Photos by Thirdjohn_photos | Photobucket

Make sure you look at the Duratools Part 2 as well. I changed the material from aluminum to HDPE plastic (Walmart cutting board).

My brackets on the rack look a little wonky, but they work fine. The slots need to be exact. The buttons sit down in the slots and the cases do not move. Pull the pins inside, lean away from the rack a bit and lift-off!

If you look on my Photobucket account, you'll see my earlier mounts for my Seahorse cases. These worked fine as well and are the ones that sustained a crash. Don't be afraid of the plastic; it's strong enough and easier to work with if you don't have a metal shop. That said, the Happy Trails pucks avoid most any labor and just work. There was a guy on here that took my first set-up and did a nicer job than I did. RCnNC's set-up is great too; better than mine.
 
#9 ·
I found some pictures of my mounts.

These are the slotted brackets for the bottom



Rough picture of the inside, all fasteners got stainless and rubber fender washers.



Close up of the wing-nut/clevis pin on the inside. I tighten the wing nut as tight as I can then shove the hairpin through and back the wing nut off a couple turns to balance the tension.



The rubber furniture bumpers on those bolts to seal and space them out. They compress a bit.



And modified Givi removable rack without cases mounted. I added rubber bushings and stainless washers to the "buttons" to keep the slot on the lower bracket from shaking back and forth



Probably $10 in parts, plus cases and rack. I don't think its good enough for a RTW trip bit it's held up great so far on pavement and fire roads.
 
#12 ·
Ok, So I got the Moose Racing Expedition Racks [Made by TCI in California]. They come with the bag mounts, hardware and a spring loaded 'pull the pin' quick release. I like it because of the integrated luggage rack and all the lash points. System was under $400 this Spring. Found it on -- Go figure -Amazon after MC Superstore sent me the wrong one.
 
#15 ·
Same here. SW-Motech racks. Pelican 1550 cases from Ebay $200 shipped. Picked up some beach bags at Target. Load the bags and put them in the cases. The bags are easier to carry into a hotel, grocery. Leave the cases on the bike.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I don't see the bottom forks listed separately anymore. You'd have to email him I suppose. Seeing as they were around $20, maybe he was selling too many and too few full kits. There is virtually no fabbing involved with these and a bolt or two/clevis pin up top. Sure, not as nice as the full locking setup, but 80% as functional as a quick release install.

Check out Meefzah's link above. He used the Caribou cleats.
 
#22 ·
They look right. Anybody have experience with these? I have bought stuff from TT before with much laud.

Thanks in advance.
I bought them in the kit that included the cases for my wife's DL1K. I couldn't find decent cases and the mounts cheaper than TT's price. They are mounted on GIVI racks, Very solid, good quality.My time is more valuable than what I MIGHT have saved by fab'ing them myself.
 
#23 ·
If you decide against DIY, I have the Caribou setup on my 06 Wee and it's been great - same key locks the cases and mounts, on and off with a simple turn (no tools or loose hardware and no unpacking the cases) and the bike has taken a brief nap on the mounts (with cases on) with no damage beyond a few scrapes on the outside of the cases.

My $0.02. I'd do it again.

- Spad
 
#24 ·
I'm with you: I got the caribou setup along with the rack they stock. Not cheap by any means but I didn't trust my fabbing skills. They're very solid, lockable and relatively easy to remove when unlocked, though mine are a little stiff. I got the Peli1440 cases as I don't like the idea of side openers.

I had a bit of a nasty spill at speed using them for the first time, and the cases are scraped but stuck on solidly.

My only worry is the weight; my spill was from a tank slap that may have been the extra weight - and they're not light, even just carrying clothes...
 
#26 ·
Thanks John. Yeah, I could not find just the cleats listed. I would like to keel the Lock & Remove feature. I also may mount them "lid" side against the racks, so when they open, the "stuff on the bottom will be accessible. I have some spare "spider bungee webbing" I will user to secure the items in the case, and a riveted strap to top/bottom to keep the opening to 90 degrees.
 
#27 ·
OK, my 2c...my experience is that simpler the better, and strongest design available.
My pannier setup is SWMotech Frames and Pelican 1550s bolted on in 5 places using stainless bolts with big washers to spread the load. I rarely need to remove them - it takes a few minutes in the rare case I want to. Leaving them on keeps most of the bike off the road in the event of a fall, and protects your legs/feet from the weight of the bike. Cost is under $10 for bolts and 20minutes setup time. I strap the pannier where they fit best and mark the holes from the inside of the racks, then drill to suit, bolt it on and walk away, never had water get in without any sealant.
 
#28 ·
Thx DJ. I understand what you mean. In my case, with work and electronics, I use my side bags as luggage, especially when raining, so lockable and quick detach, like the current Givi MKs are what I need. The givi's are by no means water proof. I already have a Pelican 1600 for my top case, mounting 2 1550s on the side.
 
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