Cheap Mod Motorcycle Tail Box Under $10.00 Cheap Luggage For The CSC TT250

Not quite luggage but this tail box is a fun easy mod that costed under $10.00 and now I have a little extra storage on the dual sport. It holds some tools, a duffel bag, and a few tie downs perfectly, with room for a 6 pack, bottle of booze, or a small bag of groceries.

Harbor Freight had 50 Cal. Ammo cans on sale the other day. I’m on their mailing list and received a coupon for $7.99. I’ve been eyeing these up for this project for awhile and at that price I had to break down and buy one. Plus, I’ve been getting the bike ready for winter, and the little extra storage space will definitely come in handy. Total cost for this mod was under $10.00!

I bolted the ammo can to the CSC luggage rack. I could of just as easily made a pattern for the holes where the luggage rack mounts but decided to just bolt it the luggage rack itself. I used 4 1/4 inch phillips head bolts, 4 1/4 inch fender washers, and 4 1/4 lock nuts.

Stock CSC TT250 luggage rack.
Here’s the aftermarket luggage rack. I used the 4 slots on the back of the rack to bolt the ammo can too. If you wanted to lighten the load you could also make a pattern of the mounting bolts, remove the luggage rack, and just use the bolts for the luggage rack to secure the ammo can directly to the tail of the bike.

I mounted the ammo can to the tail of the luggage rack. I didn’t get over technical. I placed the ammo can on the back of the tail, just after the mounting bolts of the luggage rack. When it was close to center, I grabbed a scribe and etched my marks for the two side bolts, drilled the holes then bolted it up. Once I had the ammo can mounted I added two more holes to the back lying on my back and using the luggage rack as a guide. Bolted it all together using 1/4 inch bolts, a fender washer inside and out, with locking nuts.

The luggage rack was an option and costed $90.00, you could easily mount this directly to where the luggage rack mounts. Just make a pattern of the bolt pattern, drill out the holes, and order the luggage rack bolts directly from CSC or your motorcycle manufacturer. Many dual sports will have a place to mount a luggage rack, just mount the ammo can instead, and save some money and some weight!

Inside of ammo can luggage box.
The bolt pattern from the inside of the box. I secured the two sides first, then laying on my back drilled the two holes on the backside, using the luggage rack holes as a guide.
Underside of the ammo can luggage box.
The ammo can was secured using phillips head bolts, fender washers and locking nuts all 1/4 inch.
Ammo can mounted on back of CSC TT250
Here’s what it looks like mounted to the back of the CSC TT250 luggage rack. Plenty of room for gloves, sun glasses, some tie downs, a duffel bag, with leftover room for a 6 pack, or even a small bag of groceries.

I tested it out on the trails today, and it seemed to handle the rough riding pretty well. I even laid it down once while I was clearing out some some new trails. The handle rattles a bit while you’re riding, but you could always cut the handles off if you found it too bothersome.

IMHO this is the perfect luggage box for under $10.00! It serves it’s purpose well, and I’ve already found the extra storage incredibly handy. I’ve also seen guys using these as panniers too. The entire project took me under a half hour. This was kind of a spur of the moment project, with a little research and some planning you could probably clean up the design a bit. Ammo can shown was purchased at Harbor Freight, but you could easily find something similar at the local army / navy surplus store.

If you’re looking for cheap storage on your dual sport, this Ammo can luggage rack is cheap, and personally I think it looks pretty cool too. On top of that, it’s waterproof! Just squirt a little silicone sealant around your bolt holes to insure no water sneaks in from the bottom. Hope you found this useful, and happy trails!

5 thoughts on “Cheap Mod Motorcycle Tail Box Under $10.00 Cheap Luggage For The CSC TT250

  • January 11, 2019 at 1:20 pm
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    Morning to you!

    Just ran across your blog looking into TT250 reviews – I’ve been considering it as a next purchase to gain more experience in the rough stuff without the worry of damaging a $$$$ adv bike.

    I ride a V-Strom 650 currently and I McGyvered a pair of these Harbor Freight Ammo cans into little panniers – excellent little rugged luggage and very cheap too. It always annoys me looking at manufacturer luggage options. $300+ for a top box? Bracket and bolts are another $100?

    Not thanks!

    Happy Trails

    Reply
    • February 20, 2019 at 5:33 pm
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      Hey man, sorry for the late reply. Happy trails to you too! I love my TT250, it has proven to be a really fun bike! As for a cheap bike to play around with in the dirt. It’s the perfect motorcycle for that. I love it as a second bike, and I ride it more than Shadow 750 lol.

      Reply
  • February 20, 2019 at 3:56 pm
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    Nice write up. I have a 2018 TT250 as well. I’ve been using the Apache 3800 case from harbor frieght, bolted up the same as you. Works great, waterproof. Carries a tool roll and a ton of other stuff.

    Reply
    • February 20, 2019 at 5:45 pm
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      I was looking at those too… I love Harbor Freight! I may go that route this summer. That Apache case is really nice! I’ve been looking at a lot of different options for travel storage. Also trying to get a bit minimalist with my camping trip packing. I should be doing some blogs or videos on that shortly. After my awesome experience with the CSC TT250 I’ve been considering a new CSC RX4 adventure bike. It comes with a lot of nice luggage options too. How do you like your TT250 so far?

      Reply
      • February 21, 2019 at 2:36 am
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        I’m really happy so far. I had an xr200r for s year before I got this bike, very similar engine. I have a Viking Enduro Tankbag, fits well. Thanks for the 4000 mile review. It’s good to know these bikes proving some initial reliability questions. I’m planning to stay way ahead of the oil changes, etc.

        Reply

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