Sears Motorcycle Trunk Mounted on 2005 Triumph Speed Triple
The ’05 Speed Triple doesn’t have much room in the tail section. That means minimal opportunity to do much bolting or bracketing. Couple that with the exhaust cans that extend wide on the sides and you are really limited in your tail luggage options.
For the past few years, I’ve been using a Famsa 22 liter tail bag. It’s base is held to the pillion seat by rubberized straps. The Famsa is not waterproof and requires a rain fly. It has proven to be a terrific bag. I’ve been able to pack a good amount of stuff in that bag when we hit the road.
If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
So why abandon my fabulous textile tailbag, you ask? Well… no real reason, really. Just because.
I fully confess that my purchase of the $32 Sears motorcycle trunk was an impulse buy. I have often thought that having lockable, waterproof storage on the Triple would make the bike even more ideal for me. The dirt cheap Sears box pushed me one step closer to that dream.
The only hurdle that stood in my way over the years was coming up with an effective, sturdy and safe way to mount the box on the bike.
In Search of a Nice Rack
I’d like to introduce you to 2 words that hindered my top box lovin’: slim and pickins. There aren’t many aftermarket luggage box solutions for my model year.
SW-Motech does make a plate to mount a top box onto the ’05 Speed Triple. And it does indeed look like a lovely, elegant solution. But, I’ve balked at the idea of using it because (right or wrong) it just seems like the weight of the box and it’s contents would be so far back on the subframe. A post on Triumphrat detailing a broken subframe served to further feed my fear. So, I’ve just avoided going that route.
The SWMotech rack for 2008 and later Speed Triple models features a different design.
A Top Box Rack with Love in the Stitches
Having kind friends that can weld is a beautiful thing. My dear friend Quacka (of RE-5 fame) hooked me up with a luggage bracket made out of some square tubing that he just happened to have laying around the garage.
He popped the never used passenger pegs out and used their space as a mounting point. The second brace uses the bolt that holds the exhaust to the subframe. The weight of the box and mounting plate hovers more over the pillion seat as opposed to far behind it. 4 bolts and less than 5 minutes gets the rack on and off.
The box is not so far back that I’m (right or wrong) worried about it levering against the subframe. I figure if a person is able to sit in that space and rest their feet on the pegs, then my little little black box can too. And I’m happy to report that I can easily swing my leg over the bike without kicking the box.
All in all – I’m a happy (and lucky!) girl. Now I just need to go somewhere!

























