KLR650: Mounting 40mm Ammo Can As Panniers – Part 2 of 2

Installing the 40mm Ammo Panniers on my KLR650

Now that the prep work is complete, the ammo boxes are ready to be converted to panniers for my KLR650.  (See ammo can part 1 for details)

Mounting the 40mm ammo boxes

However, I’m still missing one critical element, I don’t yet have a rack to attach the ammo boxes to my KLR.  Originally I thought of purchasing the SW-Motech SU rack for the KLR but I found a set of racks on eBay that fit both my price and function requirements.  These KLR side racks are manufactured by www.dualpurposebikes.com and are sold through eBay.  I’ll write a separate review for the racks but based on my initial experience they are going to work well and I’m satisfied with my purchase.

KLR650 Ammo Pannier front

My new KLR side racks arrived the other day and I couldn’t wait to finish my ammo box project so I got to work ASAP.  Installation was a snap and took no time at all.  Once the side racks were unpacked, I temporarily installed one side to serve a guide to determine how the ammo boxes would be mounted to my KLR.  Once the rack was removed I measured and marked the holes needed to install the mounting brackets that were provided with the side racks. (I measured three times before drilling the first hole and made sure to get it right on the first try).

KLR650 Ammo Pannier Side View

As mentioned, installing the side racks on the KLR was easy. There are two mounting points on each side and a support bar that passes under the rear fender that connects the left and right racks.  The first mounting point is on the rear foot peg, the second is at the base of the top rack and then I connected the left and right sides using the support provided.  It took approximately 15 minutes to install the side racks (don’t forget the loctite!).  With the rack installed, all that was left was to attach my 40mm ammo panniers to the bike.  It took a little persuasion  to get boxes on at first but now they can be removed and installed again with ease.  The last thing thing left was to install the reflective sticker (safety first) and produce a load test on my new ammo panniers.


To date I’ve had my ammo panniers loaded to the top, used in the rain and on dirt roads. I have yet to notice any flaws or notable issues.

KLR650 Ammo Pannier Top

Notes:

- The entire system cost just under $250.  This includes: ammo boxes, side rack, mounting hardware, paint and reflective stickers.

- The ammo box setup for the KLR650 is heavy.  Each 40mm ammo box weighs 20 lbs and the side racks add another 5-10 lbs.

- If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me at klr650reviews@gmail.com

Stay obsessed.