hard boxes/battery attachment/tie downsbaja fears

[monte quint]

Pelican 1550's on Happy Trails SU Rack are working great for me. Maybe 60 seconds to remove both and about the same to re-install, no tools required. Lockable, waterproof, guaranteed not to break or free replacement. I know that a guarantee is of little use alongside the road but these things seem pretty indestructible to me. Just about all mariners, law enforcement, float plane company's around here have used these successfully for many years. My Battery Tender came with an pig tail SAE connection for install on the bike that I wound around the aftermarket ATO fuse assembly. Bought another pig tail to install on the DRZ400. No covers to remove, alligator clips to deal with etc. I've not had good luck with ratchet type tie downs, seem to always jam, rust, or something. A word about the Mexican travelers posts from a few days ago; Been to Baja Norte 3 times this year alone (Baja 1000 2 weeks ago most recent). I have never felt threatened in the seediest parts of some of the seediest towns there. I do have a predeliction for border towns though, Tijuana, Kowloon, Macao,to name a few. Walking Calle Cohilla at 4am or Taco's el Frank with the denizens from Zona Norte I feel safer than in North Portland where I lived for many years. While I do have sympathy for those robbed or assualted/etc it will not color my perceptions of a whole town/country/ethnic origin etc. Do not own anything you can't walk away from or in a way it owns you, I believe. Monte cold, dark, wet, in Ketchikan