Japanese market rear carrier, side box, and decals

[dmonkey]

Having recently done a longer road trip, and with another one planned, I wanted to change my tool storage method to have my touring travel toolkit and tire inflator stored separately from the larger Expedition 134 top box, because my tool bag is heavy and ends up at the bottom of the top box as well as taking up space there. I decided to try using the Japanese market side box for my tools instead, which also gave me reason to swap out the rear rack for one with the threaded holes for it to attach to. I also think Honda made a good decision updating the Glowing Red color scheme to have a black rack and snorkel on the 2023 (JA65) in the markets where that's available. I personally think it looks better with the black rack on a red bike. I also like the drop shadow on the HONDA logos on the JA65, but haven't gotten around to updating those. Putting stickers on gives me much trouble, I'm no artist and order spares because I will put the first one one crooked and ruin it trying to move it.

For swapping out the rack I purchased the following items through Webike's OEM parts quotation form
81200-K2E-J10ZA - Japanese market rear carrier (rack) in black
17295-K2E-T10ZA - air cleaner duct housing in black
17285-K2E-T10ZA - air cleaner duct cap in black

Here are photos of the bike with the rear carrier removed, and comparison of the two carriers. I highlighted the differences more in this post.



Continued in next post.

 

[dmonkey]

Installing the side box requires a rear carrier with the necessary holes for it to attach to (Japan and Canada have them so far). Other than that it requires the side box bracket (rack) which is a different part:

HONDA Side Box: 08L76-K2E-J10

HONDA : Side Box [08L76K2EJ10]

Honda Side Box bracket: 08L70-K2E-J10

HONDA : Side box bracket [08L70K2EJ10]

The side box was easy to install. The lock cylinder requires assembly which consists of inserting different size tumblers and testing them with the ignition key. If you have vision issues or trouble with handling small parts it could be a very difficult task. I used a lock pinning tray and good lighting. Once you have one tumbler of the right height for the key cut, you can roughly eyeball the others so you don't have to go through testing every possible one in order. The side box can be closed while being unlocked which is a really nice feature. The way that the handle lifts up is a bit clunky, but there is a small hook to pull it over to hold it up and out of the way once opened. When the key is removed the cylinder is locked, but the actual method to lock it is to push the black pin with the white tape on it into a latch. The side box is bolted into place, it does not quick release. The side box is rated with a max capacity of 4.4 lb. There was a warning included not to set items on the lid as they may damage it. There is a weather gasket of sorts on the inside of the box, it is similar to the one on many Givi boxes though the product description on Webike warns it's not completely waterproof. The small shelf at the bottom of the box is designed to hold the owner's manual. The side box replaces the OEM toolbox. I also took the opportunity to replace the license plate stash box that I was using so I can reduce the number of keys used on my Trail and because I wanted to run a license plate holder from Aerostich.

The installation manual can be found in English here: http://cssportal.css-club.net/honda/MCA/contents/20220912125451_2985.pdf
@vintagegarage has a great video illustrating the process here:

 

[dmonkey]

Now for the stickers. In Japan the Hunter Cub wears a sticker front and rear to identify its classification as a 50cc-125cc motorcycle.
The rear sticker (triangle) is a common Honda part, 87141-KWN-700

License plate holder is from Aerostich.

The front sticker is specific to the CT125 Hunter Cub or at least different than the one on the C125 Super Cub, 86611-K2E-J00

Slowpoke Rodriguez is unfortunately not an OEM Honda sticker, but the Trail 125 goes about the right speed for him.

This "REMEMBER Preserve nature, always wear a helmet, think safety" Honda sticker found on the Trail 90 and Trail 70 is one of my favorite decals, so added it to the battery cover plastic on my Trail 125. Part number is 87560-323-670ZA




Here's it all together on my little Postie bike doing some last minute shopping before setting out on the next adventure

 

[SneakyDingo]

My favorite feature is still the safety flag.

 

[dmonkey]

I'm collecting valuable data on what materials DON'T hold up to sustained 45 mph+ riding. So far the 100% polyester breathable safety vest that feels the same as a basketball jersey is the longest lived of the safety flags.

 

[wc.brewer]

Im having a lot of trouble finding the Japanese rack if there’s anybody who’s selling one or knows how to get one it would be appreciated

 

[dmonkey]

Im having a lot of trouble finding the Japanese rack if there’s anybody who’s selling one or knows how to get one it would be appreciated

I bought mine through Webike, you just need to submit their form for a parts quote and they will get back to you with one where you can click the link to checkout with the quoted items.

For swapping out the rack I purchased the following items through Webike's OEM parts quotation form
81200-K2E-J10ZA - Japanese market rear carrier (rack) in black
17295-K2E-T10ZA - air cleaner duct housing in black
17285-K2E-T10ZA - air cleaner duct cap in black

 

[Volant1006]

Now for the stickers. In Japan the Hunter Cub wears a sticker front and rear to identify its classification as a 50cc-125cc motorcycle.
The rear sticker (triangle) is a common Honda part, 87141-KWN-700
View attachment 7207
License plate holder is from Aerostich.

The front sticker is specific to the CT125 Hunter Cub or at least different than the one on the C125 Super Cub, 86611-K2E-J00
View attachment 7208
Slowpoke Rodriguez is unfortunately not an OEM Honda sticker, but the Trail 125 goes about the right speed for him.

This "REMEMBER Preserve nature, always wear a helmet, think safety" Honda sticker found on the Trail 90 and Trail 70 is one of my favorite decals, so added it to the battery cover plastic on my Trail 125. Part number is 87560-323-670ZA
View attachment 7209



Here's it all together on my little Postie bike doing some last minute shopping before setting out on the next adventure
View attachment 7210

Love me some Slow Poke Rodriguez

 

[m in sc]

how much was the japanese rack shipped from webike? total cost? also, with that large of a profile the flag is kind of ridiculous.

 

[dmonkey]

The rear luggage carrier itself was around $160 USD. Couldn't tell you shipping as it was bundled in an order with a dozen other items. You could submit a parts quote request to find out the price with current JPY -> USD exchange rate and shipping cost to the USA.

with that large of a profile the flag is kind of ridiculous.

That's the point! It gets attention and is seen.


It's no Auto Wave 1000 though...

 

[m in sc]

nah, id never buy one was just curious. Me? id just break out the welder and weld the lugs on myself but i dont need all that. was just curious.

 

[SneakyDingo]

I don't have a welder or access to one so I have to exchange money for goods and services. Thinking of breaking into domestic production @m in sc ?

 

[m in sc]

oh no. I design and let others produce when it comes to M/c stuff as a side thing, except for my personal stuff.

 

[dmonkey]

It was worth it to me to just buy the OEM part. Saved time, chance of error, and hassle especially painting. Could probably offset the cost a bit and sell the original rack, but I don't care to right now, it's sitting in a box with other take off parts. I only gas weld due to having a pacemaker, and don't do it often enough, so I usually have someone else arc weld with their equipment for me instead. Luckily they're all pros so whenever it comes to that it ends up being better than what I could have managed myself anyway.

With the Japanese rear rack I'm also using the additional M8 bolt holes with the top box. It wasn't wobbling before with 6 fasteners but it sure isn't now with 8. The original 4 M6 holes weren't spaced well enough for my liking. With the InstaCrate I had before it wobbled a lot.

 

[m in sc]

I wasn't referring or commenting to your welding or fab capabilities, I'm just saying that's what -I- would have done, (which i know most wont or can't). I can tig and mig pretty well & have all the equipment (plus a lathe and a mill) at the house to do it.. prob would have taken longer to paint that to fab up the parts & weld them on. was just curious is all what cost was vs what it would have taken to mod it myself If i was going to do it, which I'm not since I don't ever plan to haul that much stuff.


as a side note... as ive stated repeatedly on here, i find gear indicator useless. -However- i was asked to design one for an RD, this is the prototype for the casting I sent out with a complete set of prints and wiring schematics, data & specs for the indicator on the dash, etc, to retrofit 1970-1985 yamaha 2t twins, for a well known supplier. I only mention this to show that my qs were purely inquisitive on production and modifying, and to back up my statement up above.

 

[SneakyDingo]

I'm mostly being a shit stirrer here to be honest. I've been asked a few times if I want to go into domestic production for some of the things I've made and it's been an emphasized, resounding NO, for so many reasons (occupation, immigration at one point, legal, etc.). But like the conversation on crush washers, sometimes it's enlightening to know why something costs a lot, or if it's just overpriced. There's a lot of things I can make for 1/100th of the price, but also things I can't make for 5x the price (including equipment purchase).

 

[dmonkey]

For doing rear carrier conversions specifically, and hypothetically, I think you'd really have to be into it just as a hobby interest. You could offer a DIY weld in kit copying the exact design of reinforcement stock, tabs, and nut locations that Honda have retrofitted to the original rear carrier and provide a positioning template. The people who might buy that would probably just DIY the whole thing anyway as @m in sc suggested doing though. Or you share the CAD files for someone to cut and weld themselves.
You could offer it as a full service conversion, maybe with a core exchange so people aren't waiting without a rear carrier rack on their Trail. They'd order a carrier that's already been modified, in whatever color they want, and when they swap it out they'd send back their original carrier rack for a core refund which you'd prep, convert, and paint for the next sale. Shipping the modified one to them first could help ensure both racks are transported in an appropriately sized box and packaged so they don't poke through the cardboard in transit.

Realistically I think there would be low demand for that and it wouldn't be very rewarding for someone to offer, either out of hobby interest since it's a kind of boring modification and would be a hassle, and out of financial interest as I'm not sure what the Japanese rear carrier rack's shipping cost was but the item price was cheaper than you could buy a new non-take off original rear carrier rack in the USA for. There also aren't a lot of accessories that take advantage of the additional mounting locations, and the ones that are sold for it are not sold domestically right now AFAIK so anyone with reason to buy one would already be buying large parts from overseas. @vintagegarage and myself are the only ones I've seen to make use of those accessories so far in the USA though others may have done the same. If there *was* demand, I think your better bet would be trying to do a bulk buy of the racks, and even then you'd have to deal with paint color differences - black ones and green ones, and double shipping. Could maybe source the black one from Honda Canada but I honestly don't know if that would be any savings over buying from Japan.

With it being a weld modification to a large OEM part that is painted, I just don't think it's a great item to pursue production of for Honda Trails. You could design and sell an entirely new rear rack that has compatible fastener locations though, and with the grab handle removed in response to all the feedback of folks who find that to be a pain in the tailbone. Plenty of other cool things like that you could make for the Honda Trail, you'd just still need to have the demand for it you wanted it to be financially worthwhile rather than for the love of the hobby and community. You'd also have to consider if you actually want to run something at scale of running a legitimate business with returns, payment processing, liabilities, and tax burdens vs something small batch and person to person.

 

[m in sc]

you know why i went back to school for engineering in my late 20s, after being a tech for years? because, it takes all the fun out of it to do it for a living. I'll probably revisit it later in life but for right now, I just work on side projects I feel, like as i don't need the money or the work. But i always keep my eye on the market.

as far as the rack, would be easy as pie to do retrofits. In a low production mode, id get them blasted, make a fixture, weld and mod them, (add RH lug mounts, etc as well) then get them powder coated. Batch powder coating isn't expensive, at all. and its a far superior finish. then chase the threads and shipem. for what people overpay for parts for this bike, they would sell, especially domestically sourced since shipping wouldn't be nearly as ridiculous.

 

[Tex68w]

What did you pay in total for the rack and air duct parts to swap to black?

 

[dmonkey]

It was on a big order so I wasn't able to figure out the cost for just those items, however, I submitted a quote request for just those parts and this is a price quote from Webike as of today:


Add to cart and these are the shipping options presented for USA:


Total for those three items + the least expensive (EMS) shipping would be $239.97 USD