I just finished my set-up for mounting a 1 gallon Rotopax can on the left side of the bike and I thought it turned out pretty well, so I thought I would share. Time and miles will see how it holds up.

Nothing was moved except for the helmet lock. Only modification was a hole drilled through the plate that originally had the helmet lock.

The plate is attached in three places: two clamps that grasp the frame, one on the battery support and the other just after the frame junction on the tail; the third is a bolt through the helmet plate. This last one was primarily for positioning as I felt the two clamps around the frame should bear the majority of the weight.

I have learned a lot on the site and it feels good to hopefully return something.

 

Looks good. Are the clamps around the frame steel?

 

No, I made them out of aluminum. Bad choice?

 

Nice that looks awesome. Do you think if there was no battery or coolant tank, that this rotopax could partially fit behind the side panel?

I've relocated my battery and coolant tank and am debating building a storage bin or putting a rotopax there.

 

Could be more prone/quicker to fatigue. Just keep an eye on them.

 

ttakata73 - The Rotopax tank is thicker than the side panel, so it won't slip behind it. I suppose you could cut the end of the side panel off and then you could move the tank forward about 4".

ol'klx-er: I will keep an eye on them. I did throw them in the oven for awhile, don't know if that will help or not. The clamps are two identical pieces that wrap around the frame.

 

Nice job. I agree, keep an eye on the aluminum mounts, thin ones like that will eventually crack from the vibration. I considered mounting one there, but was afraid of damage if I crashed the bike on that side. Here is what I did:

 

mtnmac - Looks good. I considered something along those lines also. I have seen a couple of nice mounting set-ups on the Nomadic racks. I was worried about the weight on the tail, it sounds like there have been issues of overloading the frame. I figured if I put the gas on the side, I could put some bags on the tail.

I will watch the clamps. I guess if I could find steel ones in the right size and shape I could replace them.

 

VERY nice job, I like that alot, I had mine mounted on top that same rack but have also been wanting to mount it where you have yours.
I am inspired and might have to put this project on the list!

 

jtice - I made a plywood template for the plate. Let me know if you are interested. I could photocopy it or something. I can post a photo of the clamps I made also. It sounds like the aluminum might not have been the best choice. Each half of the clamps are about 1/4" thick at any spot.