Trunk Sourcing
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The question is where to find a trunk and how much you want to invest in this project. EBAY is my favorite weapon in this challenge. I bought an old 1960ish Shovelhead trunk off EBAY for a total of $97 shipped to me. I elected not to use I because I didn't feel it accented the lines of the bike as well as I had hoped, also it was too big. Yeah I know, I said that, too big. Besides that, it is 40 year old fiberglass and it is really drying out and becoming brittle and I couldn't see spending $300+ on a custom paint job. You might want to ask yourself the following questions before you leap into the trunk world.
1. How much do I want to spend in total on this? Don't forget to add the rack cost. Just to make you feel better, did you know that a replacement saddle bag for a Nomad is $1000? Ouch, ok now go ahead with the trunk stuff..... This is the part that hurts, but you make the call. What's in the budget? Like soup? Like steak? Up to you, but remember, you have to look at the end result a long while.
2. How much work will be required to fix what might be broken? Holes, cracks, replacing latch hardware, it that hardware still available? The deal might look great but you really don't know what you have until you get it. Pictures on the internet can be deceiving or the seller just might not mention everything that's wrong with it. Like, "Oh by the way it has a 6" crack in the bottom of the trunk", which will affect the stability of the trunk on the rack. Always ask for more pictures of the trunk and ask question before you commit to a purchase.
3. How much do I want to spend on "making it look like it came with the bike"? Painting (and pin striping) isn't cheap, places that do auto repair use various brands of paint which are a more of a "high volume, mass painting" type. The results may be much less than desired in depth and actual color match. I am paying a good chunk of change to have my trunk painted by a guy who paints bikes for a living. He is much more creative and intuitive with regards to design ideas and layout. You get what you pay for. Luggage racks are many and varied in price. EBAY has them for all prices and bikes, I just bought a mini rack for $12 for my Tour Pak. It will be for decoration, not function. Other racks can go up to $100-150 as it just really depends who else wants the item worse than you. You really need to watch the curvature of the top of the trunk you are buying before you buy the rack. Not all racks are intended to be mounted on a flat surface or a curved surface. Homework and research is required.
Here is a snap shot of EBAY and what to expect.
EBAY - For around $10-100 shipped...
Lot of these types out there both old and new. These aren't touring trunks they are the small single helmet type. If you just need to lock your helmet up and a pair of gloves, this is for you.
EBAY - For around $100-140 shipped....
These are ok trunks of reasonable quality for the money. I have one on my bike now until my EBAY Tour Pak is finished.
$200 and on up and up and up...Harley used... New Tour Paks are pricey, heck the used ones are too at times
NON-EBAY Trunk
Scootworks is not EBAY. They cater to riders and their needs... www.scootworks.com - Check their site for trunk pricing and the wide array of products and offerings.
It appears to be a really nice trunk but you still have to get it painted. With the mount, trunk and backrest your looking around $850. If I were looking at a new Tour Pak or this trunk, I would have to go with this trunk over the Tour Pak. This trunk does not have those Harley Side Marker Lights on the bottom side of the trunk which I am having painted over on my EBAY Tour Pak. It is probably the best choice for a brand new trunk if you can afford it.
