Added A Trunk

[Chuck A.]

I have been kicking the idea of adding a trunk to the 1500 Nomad. Kawasaki themselves didn't give us owners an option. Most use a trunk from an older Yamaha Adventure, some spend the big bucks on a cracked up Harley box. I went with a 1987 Kawasaki Voyager. Plenty big! I found one in Canada that still had the backrest and taillight with it at a good price. Most parts are removed and sold separately for a larger profit. It was 2 toned red and had road rash on the back right corner. I kicked around the replacement paint color for few days and then saw a Mini Cooper that was black and gray. Yep. That's good! Got a neighboring body shop to give me an overprice paint job. It'll work though. Here's the painted trunk.


Then I needed an way the mount the trunk. Sense Maw Kaw didn't provide us a box, they didn't make the trunk rack either. Folks took to making and marketing garage made racks. I bought the Wompus Rack that is made in Georgia. It is one piece aluminum, hand cut and folded to form, and then power coated black. All edges are slick as a peeled onion.

[Chuck A.]

Ok, we are mounted! I left the chrome rack in place as the Wompus rack sits just over the top with 1/4" clearance. All I removed was the passenger backrest, 4 bolts, and put on the Wompus which uses those and the two bolts toward the front of the chrome grab rails. In other words, now the trunk and rack can be removed and stock backrest remounted in 15 minutes. YAY! The trunk has 1 wire for ground, 1 for brake lights, 1 for stop lights, and 1 for interior lighting. I used a trailer 4 wire flat plug for this so it would disconnect fast and clean.


Then I found a problem. Plunger on the interior light switch was broken. Found one on ebay so $14 and 5 days later, it was installed today. Works good.

[Chuck A.]

Yep, you can guess it. Nope! No keys came with the trunk. I cleaned all the chrome parts with steel wool and WD40 while the trunk was gone for paint. I took the latch/locks the Brooks lock and key in Decatur. Next day they called and told me the keys were ready. $25 for the first key and $4 for any copies. Got a lockable trunk now. YaH!


Anyway, Like it so far. Wife hasn't ridden with me yet but I think I got it mounted where she'll be compfy. Thanks for reading.

[zdc1775]

Looks good, but you're going to have to knock Steve over the head for over charging you for that paint.  ;D

[Chuck A.]

OH LORD!! Steve don't paint!!! Much less see colors good. :o It was Foote over on John D long Drive. Colors are good together but I used the gray cause I may go with gray and maroon on a bike repaint.

[zdc1775]

Thought he did. Only been about 10 or 12 years since I last talked to him . But I distinctly remember his personal color choices were horrible as evidenced by the yellow F-250 with polka dots.

Gray and maroon will look good too.

[Chuck A.]

 I think anyone that ever saw that truck remembers the paint job. When he bought that pick up it did not have a spot of paint left on it. The man who was going to paint it ask him what color he wanted to paint it. Steve said I don't care you can make it yellow with purple polka dots as far  as I am concerned.  That is definitely what he got

[lazeebum]

That looks good. Maybe Mrs Chuck will like it.

[Chuck A.]

Thanks! Can definitely tell there is extra weight back there when stopped.