Smuggler Alternative (TailGunner)

[beemerdons]

I am in for $75 bucks off the original. I will put it on my GS.

That sounds good to me too. I wanna put mine on top of the OEM Top Box Plate. It'll be perfect! No more soft tail bags for me!

So why don't you use an OEM topbox?

Great minds do think alike SkooterG, I can understand a Smuggler Alternative if it's indeed mounting where a Real Smuggler would install. But if you're going to put it where the top box normally goes, it's dumber than a box of rocks not using an OEM or Givi box! Of course, we can never lose sight of the fact that we are dealing with John and Vic in this thread: Mr. Dumb and Mr. Dumber!

 

[majicmaker]

The answer is simple boys. The OEM top box is way too big to be lugging around all day unless you have a passenger. That's like using a 22" carry on suitcase to keep your wallet, gloves and gadgets in. That's what Mutt and Jeff in the picture would do.

And I'll never have to say No to a very pleasant looking Hitch Hiker!

 

[Chuck35]

If i had an empty top box, I'd have somewhere to stash my stich at stops. Its a ***** to roll that thing up well enuf to fit in a side case. I havent taken a road trip since I got the stich, so a side case is usually empty.

 

[majicmaker]

Chuck, if you have a stitch then you have an incentive to get the top box. It definitely has its uses. I use it for all my major road trips. It's always used for a back rest for my passenger and all the "Stuff" that she can't live without. It's also handy as Hell for major grocery shopping. That thing can hold a case of beer with a lot of other stuff packed around it. I'm not against the box at all. It's just ridiculous and useless for me to carry that big thing around all day for nothing. That's what the side bags are for. But, I do need a smaller box to have all the "Stuff" I can't live without at the ready.

 

[Chuck35]

Suit storage is my only incentive for a top box.

Not enough of one I'm afraid.

I have no need for that much carrying capacity or for a rear seat for that matter.

 

[majicmaker]

Suit storage is my only incentive for a top box.

Not enough of one I'm afraid.

I have no need for that much carrying capacity or for a rear seat for that matter.

Oh, I see. Ok then you have a unique niche to fill. That's cool. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for. There are all sorts of options out there for everyone's needs. I'm thinking the Smuggler might just be the thing for you. That price is the thing that's kept me away from it. The fact that I can't put a Honey on the back seat is even more important to me than the price.

 

[johnny80s]

How far out is the rear seat mount?

 

[Chuck35]

The tailgunner may be usable in the rear seat space before I choose to let go of the fundage a smuggler requires

 

[majicmaker]

How far out is the rear seat mount?

He eyeballed some measurements but, bottom line is that he'll need an FJR to play with and he mentioned that the volume would have to be there for it to be worth doing. If there isn't a large need, it probably won't be worth the effort. We talked about it and he said that's probably why the Smuggler is so expensive. That's when he mentioned that it might be better for someone here to try and make one because this is our world. His boxes are pretty much generic so they can adopted to just about any bikes rack. The seat mount, not so much.

 

[majicmaker]

The tailgunner may be usable in the rear seat space before I choose to let go of the fundage a smuggler requires

I'm thinking if you want one bad enough you can strip your spare rear seat to the plastic and see what can be done to put a flat surface on it. There is nothing that CAN'T be done if we set our minds to. I want one too. You wanna send it to me so I can play with a couple ideas?

It's made for that pocket and lockable. That's two large steps in the right direction!

 

[Chuck35]

I'm thinking if you want one bad enough you can strip your spare rear seat to the plastic and see what can be done to put a flat surface on it. There is nothing that CAN'T be done if we set our minds to. I want one too. You wanna send it to me so I can play with a couple ideas?

It's made for that pocket and lockable. That's two large steps in the right direction!

I had thought of that when I first saw this thread. I went out to the bike, removed my tailbag and closely examined the rear seat. It isn't flat, The pan isn't flat. I went out hoping it would be a matter of striping foam and bolting down the Tailgunner but it is not going to be that simple.

 

[majicmaker]

I'm thinking if you want one bad enough you can strip your spare rear seat to the plastic and see what can be done to put a flat surface on it. There is nothing that CAN'T be done if we set our minds to. I want one too. You wanna send it to me so I can play with a couple ideas?

It's made for that pocket and lockable. That's two large steps in the right direction!

I had thought of that when I first saw this thread. I went out to the bike, removed my tailbag and closely examined the rear seat. It isn't flat, The pan isn't flat. I went out hoping it would be a matter of striping foam and bolting down the Tailgunner but it is not going to be that simple.

I'm thinking there has to be a way to fasten it to the seat. That's what I've done with my tail bags for a long time. Velcro straps on all four D hooks with U hooks on the ends that hooked around the bottom edges. It worked great and lockable because there was no way you can unhook them without talking the seat out.

 

[johnny80s]

That's not what people want. They want a smuggler pack for the back seat. I would focus on that. Anyone can cut the straps, and take the box with them to open later if you use straps. If I was running this I would work with gsessories to get a real seat mount made. I think if you started another thread focusing on the smuggler backseat alternative with the pictures and details you could enough people to show interest. Bring the guy your bike and a get someone to send a seat pan. He should be able to make something up. This thread is all over the place and needs to become more focused if your really want to get this going. I think this could be a good seller at $400.

My two cents.

 

[majicmaker]

Johnny, there have been 1340 views on this thread so far and lately its been only the three of us talking about it. What's say you start a poll and see what the real interest is around here for something like that. If there's very little interest the guy isn't going to invest his time and money to make something that isn't going to make him any money. I saw the look on his face when we talked about this very thing. He went to a flat bottom box to expand his product. This guy's a business man above all else. You wanna take the reigns on this? Be my guest. You know where to contact him.

 

[beemerdons]

make something up. This thread is all over the place and needs to become more focused if your really want to get this going. I think this could be a good seller at $400. My two cents.

$400! When you can buy a "real" 30 liter case from Givi for $109 (including the mounting system)? Florida must be growing better Mota than I knew about, please ship me three ounces! https://www.amazon.com/Givi-Monolock-E300-Tour-Case/dp/B002ZU76GE

 

[majicmaker]

Yeah but, can you put that thing in the rear seat pocket? That seems to be the issue right now.

 

[beemerdons]

Yeah but, can you put that thing in the rear seat pocket? That seems to be the issue right now.

Victor, if you are telling me that the developing Smuggler Alternative will hard mount in the rear seat pocket then please put me down on the "interested" list. However, when I read that straps had to be utilized to carry that TailGunner thing on top of the existing seat with straps: That is like washing your feet with your socks on or wiping your *** with ****! Please clarify this pic to me, please!

"He said that for the people who want to mount it on top of the rear seat, a creative Velcro strap will do the trick until a mount is made." 1) Why can't a side mount lid, with the locking mechanism to the side, be fabricated so that this unit can be mounted low in the rear seat pocket like the REAL Smuggler does? 2) If he does not modify the lid to side application, I would want to see just how high this is going to sit above the original seat. Sorry, but to me he is simply trying to adapt an existing case to a situation that does not accept it. Still interested though, I just have to see a better finished product before I commit to $400!

 

[majicmaker]

Yeah but, can you put that thing in the rear seat pocket? That seems to be the issue right now.

Victor, if you are telling me that the developing Smuggler Alternative will hard mount in the rear seat pocket then please put me down on the "interested" list. However, when I read that straps hat to be utilized to carry that TailGunner thing on top of the existing seat with straps: That is like washing your feet with your socks on or wiping your *** with ****!

I'd like a rear seat mount too. But it's not as easy peasy as people seem to think it is. The straps idea was for those who absolutely want that thing in the seat area and they want it NOW!! I don't fall into that category. I'm fine with that thing on my top box plate. Have you been paying attention?

 

[beemerdons]

Yeah but, can you put that thing in the rear seat pocket? That seems to be the issue right now.

Victor, if you are telling me that the developing Smuggler Alternative will hard mount in the rear seat pocket then please put me down on the "interested" list. However, when I read that straps hat to be utilized to carry that TailGunner thing on top of the existing seat with straps: That is like washing your feet with your socks on or wiping your *** with ****!

I'd like a rear seat mount too. But it's not as easy peasy as people seem to think it is. The straps idea was for those who absolutely want that thing in the seat area and they want it NOW!! I don't fall into that category. I'm fine with that thing on my top box plate. Have you been paying attention?

https://www.corbin.com/yamaha/yfjr13_smug.shtml majicmaker, have you been paying attention to the Title of your own Thread? You said to us you were developing a Smuggler Alternative, but what your fabricator has come up with does not resemble a real Smuggler Alternative - NOT EVEN ******* CLOSE! johnny80s gave you good advice that you really should heed, start a new thread for folks looking for "that thing" mounted on their top box plate. Stop advertising this as a Smuggler Alternative, because it is not!

…to get a real seat mount made. I think if you started another thread focusing on the smuggler backseat alternative with the pictures and details you could enough people to show interest. Bring the guy your bike and a get someone to…

 

[majicmaker]

Yeah but, can you put that thing in the rear seat pocket? That seems to be the issue right now.

Victor, if you are telling me that the developing Smuggler Alternative will hard mount in the rear seat pocket then please put me down on the "interested" list. However, when I read that straps hat to be utilized to carry that TailGunner thing on top of the existing seat with straps: That is like washing your feet with your socks on or wiping your *** with ****!

I'd like a rear seat mount too. But it's not as easy peasy as people seem to think it is. The straps idea was for those who absolutely want that thing in the seat area and they want it NOW!! I don't fall into that category. I'm fine with that thing on my top box plate. Have you been paying attention?

https://www.corbin.com/yamaha/yfjr13_smug.shtml majicmaker, have you been paying attention to the Title of your own Thread? You said to us you were developing a Smuggler Alternative, but what your fabricator has come up with does not resemble a real Smuggler Alternative - NOT EVEN ******* CLOSE! johnny80s gave you good advice that you really should heed, start a new thread for folks looking for "that thing" mounted on their top box plate. Stop advertising this as a Smuggler Alternative, because it is not!

Understood! So I guess the issue is the wording in the title of the original post? Really? So after reading all of this, that's your problem with it? It was looked at and talked about and the Forum now has a lot more information than it had before I posted the Question of "How many people might be interested in a Smuggler Alternative". From what's been discussed so far, we can determine that this seat mount is not going to be easy or cheap. We can continue to discuss this further to get some productive ideas on how this can get done from the people who have some or we can start psychoanalyzing the words used in the title. Personally I think that's Silly. So...... Which way do you want to go?