Saddle bag install

[xt477]

Well I tried for an hour to copy Sarris but could not for the life of me get the bolts off of that chrome trim piece without taking the rear wheel off. Just too lazy to do that. So what I did do was put my bags inder the seat and then extended the reflector brackett to keep them from flying around or going into the wheels.


http://picasaweb.google.com/xt4770/UntitledAlbum03/photo#5076860292469543090

[Easy Rider]

Well I tried for an hour to copy Sarris but could not for the life of me get the bolts off of that chrome trim piece without taking the rear wheel off.

You need metric open end/box wrenches and someone with long slender fingers!
I barely managed with short skinny fingers. And I did it twice, once for the backrest and again later for the bag supports.

[xt477]

I tried jacking the bike up with no weight on the rear end and just could not coil my fingers around a wrench inside there. Could get my fngers on the bolt and feel it spinning around but not with any kind of tool.

But hey I carried 2 dozen doughnuts home in them this morning, so I'm happy :drool:

[Easy Rider]

I tried jacking the bike up with no weight on the rear end and just could not coil my fingers around a wrench inside there. Could get my fngers on the bolt and feel it spinning around but not with any kind of tool.


Well Jeez......now I feel kind of dumb. :blush:

Taking the weight off the rear should have helped.
Adjusting the shock pre-load to Max. probably would have helped even more.
And it was right there, an inch from my nose !!! :roll:

[xt477]

"Adjusting the shock pre-load to Max. probably would have helped even more.
And it was right there, an inch from my nose !!! "

I never thought of that and your right literaly an inch from my nose! Shock would have probably given enough room too. I work on all my own stuff but never said I was good at it!

[Sarris]

Xt; I did not loosen anything to install the bags. I just trimmed the leather narrower than the bolts, then stuffed it in the crack between the fender and the chrome. When it came out the bottom, I pulled it down to the bottom of the bag support rail. Then I fastened it with the black wire ties. No bolt or chrome removal of any type.
:tup:

[Easy Rider]

When it came out the bottom, I pulled it down to the bottom of the bag support rail.

I think we were talking about installing the SUPPORT RAILS, not the actual bags ! :roll:

I find your bag installation interesting. I thought I was going to a lot of trouble just putting the "throw over" UNDER the rear seat. :)

[Sarris]

No, I'm not talking bag rails. Yes they are installed & used. But the bag "tongue" goes behind the chrome fender support.

http://upload8.postimage.org/929853/DSCF0165.jpg (http://upload8.postimage.org/929853/photo_hosting.html)

http://upload8.postimage.org/929866/DSCF0167.jpg (http://upload8.postimage.org/929866/photo_hosting.html)

This seems so simple, but yet hard to communicate to others. Hopefully, you understand
:rawk:

[Easy Rider]

No, I'm not talking bag rails.

Yes, I understand, but WE WERE talking about installing the bag rails.

:oops:

Oops, my bad. Guess maybe the original post was NOT talking about installing bag rails after all. Sorry. I went back and looked at his picture. His bags are pretty large. I kind of doubt that he would want to cut the flaps down enough to fit between the bolts.........especially if he doesn't have the supports! Anyhow, since he still has the back seat ON, putting the throw-overs under the seat is probably more secure.


The pictures helped a lot. A rather unique mounting method, to be sure. Hope those "wire ties" you used are heavy duty.

[Sarris]

Yeah, I had my bag support rails installed prior to delivery. Four weeks later the bags arrived. And yes, there are about six heavy duty wire ties on each bag.

[Easy Rider]

Yeah, I had my bag support rails installed prior to delivery. Four weeks later the bags arrived. And yes, there are about six heavy duty wire ties on each bag.

You snuck this one in on me while I was "eating crow".

See my edited post. :roll:

[Water Warrior 2]

Happy Hobo and I just installed the factory bag support brackets on her bike. Certain to keep the bags away from the rear wheel. It is a bit of a challenge to get the bolts out and the new longer ones in but it can be done. I found that snaking my hand in from the opposite side and sort of from the rear of the fender allowed me to get at things. Long slender hands and fingers would be a real bonus.