My Toyota had an unexpected need of more than $1100, pretty much draining what I had set aside for tires and improvements to motorcycles for this riding season. $1100 might not break the budget for most people, but I recently got laid-off from work, and in my early 60's too far along to re-tool in a different career, so I converted my 401k to income and vested my pension and retired. Not as comfortably as I would have liked, but it will work, just not as much fun money.
The K75 has been with me a year, and I paid $600 for it. It came with side-bags that needed hinges and latches re-fastened, which I have done. I find the top-case thng to be the most convenient for just running around and doing errands. Thus my quest for a top case.
Found one near here, the wrecker has it listed on e-bay for $275usd or $400cad. Plus the bracket. Firm. I've dealt with that wrecker before, buying a fuel tank that was "clean and like new" only to install it and its rusted through on the bottom corner by the fuel tap. Tried to get a refund or other tank, nothing. Fool me once.
My last e-bay adventure was buying a sidecover for the K75, more than 100 euro with shipping, it never arrived, e-bay global shipping verified it shipped, can't track it through Canada Customs, never arrives, 100 euro down the toilet and no sidecover.
It seems that these top-case things still bring a pretty good dollar, $250 usd and up. Fellow motobricker has one in Montana reasonably priced. Seeing what they look to be going for, its not fair for me to ask a fellow motobricker to take less. Shipping and tax and such ends up being like 2/3 of what I paid for the bike.
Long story short, top case worth more than I'm able/willing to pay.
So off the the shop and fabricate... Pelican case that carried my oscillioscope when I had a job becomes my top case. A piece of 1/8" thick aluminum plate bent to shape to fit the rear rack gives the Pelican case a place to sit. Bolt it on. All with stuff I had laying around the shop, so zero dollars out of pocket. The pelican case is a small one, some 13 litres capacity.
Nothing changed on the K75; no holes drilled, no cuts or hacks, so if this pelican case does not work out and my finances improve, I can unbolt this and get a real top case.
The back of the bracket is a vertical surface, 5" high and 10" wide. The perfect place to do like most senior citizen motocyclists around here, and plaster that surface with blue and white reflective decals like a police bike.
