New from Athens, just build saddle bag supports.

[jberejik]

hey folks, thanks so much for this site. it helped convince me to get a gz250

my little blue is an 03, and had 1,100 miles when i got it a couple of months ago ($1,500). just spent the afternoon installing saddle bag supports. the whole thing cost about $10 and took less than two hours to fabricate. really love the bike, and this site.

happy new year to all.

Jeff

http://www.postimage.org/Pq2id9qA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Pq2id9qA)

[alanmcorcoran]

Jeff,

Those look really good. I think you'll be getting a lot of followup questions on the bags and the supports. I like how they match the color scheme of the bike.

Be careful with that loose strap. I'd cut it off and burn it (melt it so it doesn't fray). You don't want the bag to get sucked into the wheel.

Not that I'd know anything about that... :whistle:

[Water Warrior 2]

Welcome to another new member. Good looking bike/bags combo. I see Alan beat me to the dangly comment. He does learn a lot by experience and then says do not do what I do, do as I say. Time on the GZ forum is well spent and we welcome all comers with our common interest.

[jberejik]

thanks for the heads-up!

had a honda a long time ago that turned into a hoover and ate a jacket i had (imperfectly) strapped to the back seat im gonna trim it all up tomorrow (i have to take it apart and paint the supports so they don't rust). maybe i'll take a pict of the supports at that point, just in case a question comes along.

[Water Warrior 2]

Great stuff, a pic is worth a thousand words.

[Moedad]

I have those same bags on my 03, but mine are black. That strap is supposed to be clipped to another strap that is attached to the frame somewhere. Mine is attached up under my seat. I have the tailbag that goes with them too.

Here's how the front strap looks. It's connected to the frame under the seat with the help of a large zip tie.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/danmartin56/Miscellaneous/GZ250LuggageStrap.jpg

Here's the back, connected to the license plate bracket.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/danmartin56/Miscellaneous/GZ250Luggage007.jpg

[patrick_777]

I have always liked the look of sportbike bags on the GZ. It keeps the utilitarian feel of the bike without looking like it's trying to hard to be something it's not.

[Easy Rider]

hey folks, thanks so much for this site. it helped convince me to get a gz250


Welcome. Glad we could help. :tup:

That does not mean, however, that you can then blame us if something goes wrong! :biggrin:

Would that Athens be in Georgia?

[moniebird]

Hey Jeff, I can't seem to figure out what kind of bags those are. Also, do you have any images of your custom built supports? I spent the last two summers using a backpack, but I'd sure like to rig my bike like yours. It looks great! Any info on how to do what you've done would be greatly appreciated.

Happy New Year! And happy riding...

Moniebird from Michigan

[patrick_777]

They are Tourmaster Cortech Sport bags. They are slanted because they're generally mounted on a sportbike and the boxiness of normal cruiser bags doesn't look right with the normally high tail and up-turned exhaust.

Here they are at NewEnough: Tourmaster Cortech Sport Saddlebags (http://tinyurl.com/5bzjo3)

[jberejik]

Hey Moniebird

They are attached to the holes left by the reflector on each side of the rear fender support. These bags are narrow in the back, so my support is probably smaller than if the bags were box-shape. I got the steel from Lowes in a width that was the same size as the (reflector) bracket I replaced. It was just a matter of bending the metal by hand in a vise and drilling holes. I used the old brackets as a template for the drilling holes in the supports. I also needed to get new, longer bolts because the supports are thicker than the bracket.

I decided on a "C" shaped support because it provides more surface area against the inside of the bag. These are soft sided bags and so I thought that was a better choice. I also bent the support outward to get better clearance (cant really see this in the picture)

The photo was of my first try. These are too small for my bags, even though i only need support in the back (the front of the bags currently rest outside the rear shock (see photo above) Anyway I made some bigger ones. The camera is acting up, but I'll try to post a pict of the final product.

It was a really simple job, once I wrapped my head around it.

Love the bags, even though, as noted above they were made for a trail bike.


http://www.postimage.org/aV2B4GXA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV2B4GXA)

[jberejik]

Oh, one final note. with the bigger supports, I was able to mount the bags under the rear seat rather than on top. They were initially designed to sit atop the seat and strapped down. This way is more permanent, and its a commuter bike for me so that works out fine.

Moedad: How are yours holding up? Im curious about the long-run.

Easy Rider: Yup, Athens Ga.


http://www.postimage.org/aV2B64fA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV2B64fA)

[Moedad]

Moedad: How are yours holding up? Im curious about the long-run.

So far, so good.

[mrlmd1]

jberejik and Moedad -- Do you have enough room under the right bag so it doesn't burn or melt from the exhaust, or did you put a metal plate underneath the bag?

[Moedad]

jberejik and Moedad -- Do you have enough room under the right bag so it doesn't burn or melt from the exhaust, or did you put a metal plate underneath the bag?

Haven't measured it, but there's at LEAST two inches between on mine, maybe closer to three. And they already have heat-resistant panels built in.

[Water Warrior 2]

Hey Moniebird

They are attached to the holes left by the reflector on each side of the rear fender support. These bags are narrow in the back, so my support is probably smaller than if the bags were box-shape. I got the steel from Lowes in a width that was the same size as the (reflector) bracket I replaced. It was just a matter of bending the metal by hand in a vise and drilling holes. I used the old brackets as a template for the drilling holes in the supports. I also needed to get new, longer bolts because the supports are thicker than the bracket.

I decided on a "C" shaped support because it provides more surface area against the inside of the bag. These are soft sided bags and so I thought that was a better choice. I also bent the support outward to get better clearance (cant really see this in the picture)

The photo was of my first try. These are too small for my bags, even though i only need support in the back (the front of the bags currently rest outside the rear shock (see photo above) Anyway I made some bigger ones. The camera is acting up, but I'll try to post a pict of the final product.

It was a really simple job, once I wrapped my head around it.

Love the bags, even though, as noted above they were made for a trail bike.


http://www.postimage.org/aV2B4GXA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV2B4GXA)

That is brilliant. No more hi $ aftermarket stuff. Have a suggestion for anyone contemplating this and in no way reflects on the originator of this design. I never would have thought of it. Use a somewhat longer piece of bar and make a box shape so that the ends are both bolted to the bike. A bit more rigidity and no free end to ever get bent in towards the wheel if the bike falls over.

[jberejik]

A big box design would be great, and because there are two holes left from the reflector post we could use one for each end of the box. Literally, any size and shape would be possible. Great idea!

Happy Riding.

[Water Warrior 2]

A big box design would be great, and because there are two holes left from the reflector post we could use one for each end of the box. Literally, any size and shape would be possible. Great idea!

Happy Riding.

The great idea belongs to you. Improving and altering an already existing design is easy.