Customising panniers used by army dispatch riders for my old Bullet 350

On the army Royal Enfield Bullets, the panniers are clamped to the bottom of the frame using bolts. I wanted them removable like suitcases.

BHPian Vaastav recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

One thing that did bug me a bit about the bike was the lack of any form of storage. After considering various options, I decided to go for the frame and panniers used by army dispatch riders, since they look good (retro) and the panniers can be removed from the frame. I managed to source the frames and panniers from Mayapuri and then proceeded to have them modified to suit my needs.

On the army Bullets, the panniers are clamped to the bottom of the frame using bolts. I wanted them removable like suitcases and decided to get a latch made that would secure the boxes from on top and could be locked. I spoke to a welder in Dadri who agreed to do the job for Rs. 500.

Heating the steel patti with a gas torch before bending it.

Marking the location for the latch.

Cutting off the excess material.

The right side latch was done.

After this however, the power went, and despite waiting for 2 hours it didn't return. I had to go to Delhi early the next morning, so I convinced the welder to come at 6 AM the next day and finish the work, and paid him half the money for his work. Sure enough, he showed up the next day at 6 and got to work on the other side.

Welding the latch on the other side.

Left side done. I spray painted all of it black later.

This is how the bike looks with its panniers (photo taken before the latches were made)

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