Carriers and baskets for the rear rack recommendations

[jilted32]

I was thinking of buying one of these, if I can ever find one, just wondering what bags/baskets/carriers/panniers that people are using on the rear rack. If I bought one of these I would like to be able to easily use it to a little bit of running errands, or maybe going to a park and bringing some stuff, or maybe delivering for Uber Eats.

 

[m in sc]

i use a collapsible milk crate, does fine for running errands in town. theres a whole thread on here from people using ammo boxes, to wooden milk crates to ridiculous workbench top toolboxes, its all over the place.

 

[SneakyDingo]

**cracks knuckles** I've been looking for ages on this.

I've seen a ton of milk crates. The rear rack dimensions are 409 mm × 477 mm or 16.1" x 18.8". A standard eurocrate sizing is 400x600 (15.75" x 23.6"), which would fit great - if centered, you'd have 2.5" hanging over each side. It's surprisingly difficult to "easily" pick up a single eurocrate in the USA; most of the places that sell them want you to buy a thousand of them, or they come in 3 packs, or you pay ridiculous shipping for just one.

to ridiculous workbench top toolboxes

Along the same lines, one of the better looking workbox toolboxes that fits the color profile and the size is the Milwaukee Packout XL Toolbox, 16.25"x22", so very close to the dimensions of the eurocrate. That has a QR interlocking system so technically you could bolt another one to the top of it. The guy that had one of these already had the Milwaukee stuff, so he was using what he had. Also with the fact that it has a mount, you will have a true waterproof solution, as opposed to a mostly waterproof solution. Let's face it though - if you're submarining the bike so far that your holes are letting in water, you probably have bigger problems. You can get those from Home Depot.

The Milwaukee Packout (rigid) Crate is 15.3 x 18.7" x 9", so the same width but slightly shorter and most importantly, in the right color. This would work well if you're a slightly taller person, would give you a little clearance behind your bum. Or if you're thinking extra fuel, the extra 1" lip on the base could provide some additional support to mount a Rotopax 2G (18.5 x 14 x 3 inches) to the side of the the crate while still supporting it. The biggest advantage to something like this is with the power of an electric drill, the ability to mod the ever living shit out of it and start attaching a billion things is yours. Being the packout system, you can hot swap it if you already own Milwaukee stuff. Of course, you lose the ability to have your stuff be waterproof because it's a crate, and you still need something like a cargo net to stop stuff from flying out while you're getting sick air from all those jumps you're going over. You can get the crates from Home Depot though.

If you're looking for something more standard and budget friendly, you can have the exact same thing without the quick release from Amazon for around $20. It's even still within the color scheme of the bike. I don't know how accessible the underside of the rack is, but anything can be quick release through the use of wingnuts, if you get my drift.

If you're not picky and you like the idea of something collapsing, Costco or equivalent often sell Greenmade, Clevermade, etc. crates in a 12 gal size (14.25 x 20.8 x 2.75"/11.75"). These are usually pretty cheap, but I've been using one of these for years and it works great. The biggest problem I found is that you might need to have some lid retention, otherwise the lid can bump loose (it's friction fit). So for that reason, I'd try to find something with a latch.

As always, there's the ye olde apple crate, or something you can fabricate yourself, but with the price of cedar these days that might end up being a little more costly.

Something to be mindful of is the collective weight of all the gear. The rack weight "guidelines" are set at 20 kg or 44 lbs. This is mostly a handling thing, but Honda says what Honda says. So if you're looking at the basic crate (4 lbs), 2 gal of fuel (12 lb), the rotopax can itself (4.7 lb), the mount for the rotopax can (1.4 lb), then before you've put anything on the bike you're looking at 22.1 lb, leaving you with only 22 lb of gear left if you're going camping. Now, these are 'guidelines", but it's just something to think about when you're adding anything else on there. I know my full set of camping gear is 14 lbs but that's a setup that was designed for bikepacking, so it's all ultra light and ultra compact, thus also expensive.

This thread from ADVRider documents several people's ideas for what to put on the back.

Probably the only other thing to note is the paint scheme is SOFT. You're going to 1) want to protect the frame but 2) allow adequate drainage so you don't get water in prolonged contact with the frame. I don't have a suggestion here, but someone suggested a silicone kitchen mat. Others have suggested helicopter tape, and someone had some sort of foam protective tape. No matter what, they're all saying the same thing - spatially separate the box from the rack itself. (I personally am thinking that I will helicopter tape the upper surfaces, use standoffs, and mount everything to the standoffs, but that's also to mitigate rattling)

 

[dmonkey]

I am using the Givi 58L top case. If it fits in a grocery basket then it fits in the top case. It fits my backpacking/camping loadout with trekking poles collapsed and strapped on top. I've also hauled plenty of packages strapped to the top of the case. It's on the pricey end of the spectrum but the benefits are how easy it is to remove, fancy accessories like the backrest, that it's weather sealed, and that it locks. It also comes in a 42L version that might look a little better on the bike, but the extra space of the bigger one has been worth it to me.

I showed up to the dealer with a milk crate and cargo net as my first rear cargo solution when I picked up the bike, then upgraded to the very inexpensive "GreenMade InstaCrate Collapsible Storage Bin 12 Gallon" from Costco which comes in a black and red combo that matches the bike, and finally upgraded to the Givi setup right before winter hit.
https://hondatrail125.com/index.php...back-58-liter-monokey-top-case-and-mount.522/

 

[jilted32]

Thanks for the replies. I did end up buying the bike, had to get one from out of state. All of the dealers here in Houston have a waiting list of several people, but are only expecting to get one Trail 125 this year. I also saw this You Tube video, with a guy using a Pelican case:

 

[m in sc]

i have the clevermade one. nice thing abut it collapsing is.. you can stack something bigger on top of it if need be with it folded down. and if you dont need to hold anything down, well, it folds down nicely.

I use a bungee net as a 'top' to hold stuff in in mine.

down but with a soft tank bag under the net:

2 screws off, seat pad on and 2 up ready. same tank bag behind seat.

when i bought a new desktop last year, (yes im a desktop guy because of work), set it on top of the crate and strapped it down with a ratchet strap . its box was bigger than the rack by quite a bit and did just fine. to me, its the most versatile way to go for multi use and urban riding. just my .02.

 

[op46]

Like the Milwaukee solution(s). Various configurations available from milk crate to large, medium or small waterproof tool box with even a ice chest and soft bag. Picture shows the stuff (ice chest and soft bag ) that was mounted on the now naked base plate in the rear bike, now locked to the top of the tool box on the bike in the foreground. I usually use the open top milk crate but you can put a wooden lid on any that have the interlock system on top including the milk crate on its edges. Part of that wooden top is shown in sitting on the seat in front of the interlock base plate (which is held down by industrial zip ties). Everything in the correct Honda red and black colors too.

 

[sha66y]

I bought the luggage rack and made a mounting plate that is inside the case which attaches in 4 places to the rack. Leaves enough spaces behind the seat for passenger or gear.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Carolina Vagabond]

I’m gonna see if I can make this old aluminum usgi night vision case work. I picked it up for $20. Got the foam sleeping pad thrown in. That pad, slipped over that damn grab bar might work too and at least I’ll have something to get on to work on the bike if need be. This stuff will only be for longer trips, not a permanent set up. The box only weighs 5lbs or so (I haven’t weighed it). The top comes totally off and would make a nice basin to wash cookware, or a ho bath if need be, and maybe to put a few cold beers in ice at camp......

 

[Carolina Vagabond]

 

[AZ7000']

One milk crate, one Wald bicycle basket. Both with fake grass for the dog!

 

[MisterB]

I’m gonna see if I can make this old aluminum usgi night vision case work. I picked it up for $20.

(sad sigh...) I bought one of those from some surplus place 20+ years ago and gave it away a few years ago. We don't have much spare room and I couldn't imagine a future where I'd need one. I'm always wrong about that.
I hope yours worked out for you!
Since we don't have space for me to store everything I just keep lists on Amazon of stuff that might be useful if the need ever arises. The milk crate works fine for me now but if adventure ever calls I've got this box in my Trail list.
Not a motorcycle specific box but scroll down to see it pictured on a couple motos.

 

[zolo]

i have the clevermade one. nice thing abut it collapsing is.. you can stack something bigger on top of it if need be with it folded down. and if you dont need to hold anything down, well, it folds down nicely.

I use a bungee net as a 'top' to hold stuff in in mine.

down but with a soft tank bag under the net:

2 screws off, seat pad on and 2 up ready. same tank bag behind seat.

when i bought a new desktop last year, (yes im a desktop guy because of work), set it on top of the crate and strapped it down with a ratchet strap . its box was bigger than the rack by quite a bit and did just fine. to me, its the most versatile way to go for multi use and urban riding. just my .02.

That looks amazing. Your mods are always so well thought-out, man.

Do you mind explaining your bolt-down approach on that crate? Sorry if I missed it in another thread. I searched your posts but didn't see where you might have detailed that.

Thanks in advance,

Zolo

 

[SneakyDingo]

Do you mind explaining your bolt-down approach on that crate? Sorry if I missed it in another thread. I searched your posts but didn't see where you might have detailed that.

While we're waiting for @m in sc to respond, I used M6 x 40mm bolts combined with 4x 5/16 x 1 1/2" washers. I ran into two problems. The first was that my original washers were too small and went through the holes in the bottom of the crate. The second was that I originally bought M6 bolts that were too long for the job; on the underside of the rack there are some bits of metal that will get in the way. I have a write up here but the biggest problem was getting flange washers that were large enough.

I also added a piece of ABS plastic on the "floor" but i don't recommend that, it gets buzzy at high speed from the engine. I'll be pulling my crate off soon to inspect the underside for any water collecting there; just waiting for a dry day to do some mods since I don't have a garage space to work in.

 

[AZ7000']

I stuck silicone window seal material on the rack then laid this this plywood and used the already there threaded holes with these bolts and washers. Finished it off with some sweet sweet fake grass!

 

[MisterB]

I'm not totally immersed in moto-culture but it seems like small bikes, and especially the Trail series, have the most creative top-boxes.
Wood, plastic, or wire milk crates, Army surplus cases, tool boxes, etc, all look pretty cool on the Trail!

 

[STUBBORN]

**cracks knuckles** I've been looking for ages on this.

I've seen a ton of milk crates. The rear rack dimensions are 409 mm × 477 mm or 16.1" x 18.8". A standard eurocrate sizing is 400x600 (15.75" x 23.6"), which would fit great - if centered, you'd have 2.5" hanging over each side. It's surprisingly difficult to "easily" pick up a single eurocrate in the USA; most of the places that sell them want you to buy a thousand of them, or they come in 3 packs, or you pay ridiculous shipping for just one.


Along the same lines, one of the better looking workbox toolboxes that fits the color profile and the size is the Milwaukee Packout XL Toolbox, 16.25"x22", so very close to the dimensions of the eurocrate. That has a QR interlocking system so technically you could bolt another one to the top of it. The guy that had one of these already had the Milwaukee stuff, so he was using what he had. Also with the fact that it has a mount, you will have a true waterproof solution, as opposed to a mostly waterproof solution. Let's face it though - if you're submarining the bike so far that your holes are letting in water, you probably have bigger problems. You can get those from Home Depot.

The Milwaukee Packout (rigid) Crate is 15.3 x 18.7" x 9", so the same width but slightly shorter and most importantly, in the right color. This would work well if you're a slightly taller person, would give you a little clearance behind your bum. Or if you're thinking extra fuel, the extra 1" lip on the base could provide some additional support to mount a Rotopax 2G (18.5 x 14 x 3 inches) to the side of the the crate while still supporting it. The biggest advantage to something like this is with the power of an electric drill, the ability to mod the ever living shit out of it and start attaching a billion things is yours. Being the packout system, you can hot swap it if you already own Milwaukee stuff. Of course, you lose the ability to have your stuff be waterproof because it's a crate, and you still need something like a cargo net to stop stuff from flying out while you're getting sick air from all those jumps you're going over. You can get the crates from Home Depot though.

If you're looking for something more standard and budget friendly, you can have the exact same thing without the quick release from Amazon for around $20. It's even still within the color scheme of the bike. I don't know how accessible the underside of the rack is, but anything can be quick release through the use of wingnuts, if you get my drift.

If you're not picky and you like the idea of something collapsing, Costco or equivalent often sell Greenmade, Clevermade, etc. crates in a 12 gal size (14.25 x 20.8 x 2.75"/11.75"). These are usually pretty cheap, but I've been using one of these for years and it works great. The biggest problem I found is that you might need to have some lid retention, otherwise the lid can bump loose (it's friction fit). So for that reason, I'd try to find something with a latch.

As always, there's the ye olde apple crate, or something you can fabricate yourself, but with the price of cedar these days that might end up being a little more costly.

Something to be mindful of is the collective weight of all the gear. The rack weight "guidelines" are set at 20 kg or 44 lbs. This is mostly a handling thing, but Honda says what Honda says. So if you're looking at the basic crate (4 lbs), 2 gal of fuel (12 lb), the rotopax can itself (4.7 lb), the mount for the rotopax can (1.4 lb), then before you've put anything on the bike you're looking at 22.1 lb, leaving you with only 22 lb of gear left if you're going camping. Now, these are 'guidelines", but it's just something to think about when you're adding anything else on there. I know my full set of camping gear is 14 lbs but that's a setup that was designed for bikepacking, so it's all ultra light and ultra compact, thus also expensive.

This thread from ADVRider documents several people's ideas for what to put on the back.

Probably the only other thing to note is the paint scheme is SOFT. You're going to 1) want to protect the frame but 2) allow adequate drainage so you don't get water in prolonged contact with the frame. I don't have a suggestion here, but someone suggested a silicone kitchen mat. Others have suggested helicopter tape, and someone had some sort of foam protective tape. No matter what, they're all saying the same thing - spatially separate the box from the rack itself. (I personally am thinking that I will helicopter tape the upper surfaces, use standoffs, and mount everything to the standoffs, but that's also to mitigate rattling)

Stubborn heah, I really like the Milwaukee XL toolbox solution. https://www.milwaukeetool.com/PDFVi...s/Sizing-Charts/PACKOUT-Dimension-Catalog.pdf
I ambled down to Home Depot. I asked if they had https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Storage-Solutions/PACKOUT
/48-22-8429. NOPE. They could order it. I went to Northern Tool https://www.northerntool.com/?cmpid...4112&msclkid=1aefc7fda9ff1b0eaf3ba574f96e4741 and used my various discounts to order it with free S&H. Item# 106746. I shall visit WALMART next and try to find a waterproof pad so as to not ruin the 2022 Honda Trail 125's red rack paint.

 

[Reptoid Overlords]

1st modification to the bike...a yard sale crate. Mounted right into the pre-threaded factory holes in the rack.

Note: Drinking and driving is bad, the beer is for post destination arrival.

 

[etgrundin]

Like the Milwaukee solution(s). Various configurations available from milk crate to large, medium or small waterproof tool box with even a ice chest and soft bag. Picture shows the stuff (ice chest and soft bag ) that was mounted on the now naked base plate in the rear bike, now locked to the top of the tool box on the bike in the foreground. I usually use the open top milk crate but you can put a wooden lid on any that have the interlock system on top including the milk crate on its edges. Part of that wooden top is shown in sitting on the seat in front of the interlock base plate (which is held down by industrial zip ties). Everything in the correct Honda red and black colors too.

View attachment 2035

I really like this setup. I have the base plate, box, and milk crate sitting on my workbench. How did you install the base plate? How has the system held up now that you have had it for a while? I am not sure if I would install it like you have yours or cross wise. I would really appreciate hearing your comments. Thanks.

 

[Harv]

Very cool custom from Dirtfreak Japan here:

Dirtfreak Honda CT125 Survival ADV Custom Declares Adventure Time

Japanese aftermarket parts maker Dirtfreak created this Honda CT 125 Survival ADV to show off all the rugged new parts it's making.

www.rideapart.com

Dirtfreak topbox here:

Dirt Freak x Motorcycle Luggages - Webike