Question about saddlebag purchasing

[bikerbroad60]

Hello,All. I want to buy saddlebags for my bike,but am unsure which ones to get,and where I can find the best prices.I checked out the helpful sites that were listed here,and found a lot of saddlebags,but,being a novice,I am not sure what size to get.And prices range from like 90 bucks to 100-200 or more!!
If anyone could steer me towards a good online store,I would really appreciate it.
TIA!
Annie :rawk:

[JIBTEXHNKA]

MEASURE

before you buy anything

my fake-leather saddlebags have a hole melted through the bottom of the right one because it sits right on the muffler. i just discovered this a few days ago and my short-term solution involves cut-up oven mitts and safety pins; although i am actively searching for a better fix. some kind of heat-resistant tape or a patch seems promising, if there is such a thing.

[Sarris]

Moose;

Cut two identical pieces of aluminum sheet and sandwich the bottom of the bag between, then pop rivet the sheets together. It'll fix the hole and be heat resistant.

:2tup:

[Easy Rider]

Moose;

Cut two identical pieces of aluminum sheet and sandwich the nottom of the bag between, then pop rivet the sheets together. It'll fix the hole and be heat resistant.


Good plan! :tup:

In addition, I would think that you still need to fix it so the bag (or the patch) doesn't contact the muffler or doesn't have the exhaust blow directly ON it. Hopefully you can cinch the yoke up one more notch and/or shift them slightly to raise the one over the muffler.

[Tonckawa]

My saddle bags are almost 6 inches above the muffler. My wife unstrung the bags, made extra holes, overlapped them better and restrung. Put underneath back seat. Looks good.

I bought the non-slant River Road - Compact Classic saddle bags with hidden quick release and I love them.

http://www.cycleluggage.com/river_road_21176.html

[bikerbroad60]

Okay...I went to www.cycleluggage.com (http://www.cycleluggage.com) ,and while there looked over the sissy bar bags.I saw a really cool one that you can order in your color of choice.
So my question is:What's your opinion on sissy bags versus saddlebags??
Sorry to be a pest,but I wrenched my back a few days ago and all I can do is online shopping for my bike. :cuss:
Thank you to all who answer.
Annie(Quasimodo)

[Easy Rider]

So my question is:What's your opinion on sissy bags versus saddlebags??


Last bike, all I had was a single bag on that back of the passenger's back rest; assume that is the sissy bar bag you refer to.
For 5 years, I found it enough because I never got far from home.

The bags ARE nice,though for carrying a few small packages.....without having to stuff them in your jacket !!
I can now make trips to the store that I couldn't do before.....or was difficult to do.

[JIBTEXHNKA]

Moose;

Cut two identical pieces of aluminum sheet and sandwich the nottom of the bag between, then pop rivet the sheets together. It'll fix the hole and be heat resistant.

:2tup:

right now i've got an oven mitt in the bottom of the bag to protect my stuff (i melted the lens on a pair of sunglasses) and my next plan was to make a patch out of it and stitch it onto the bottom, but your idea sounds better. unfortunately i don't know where to get thin sheets of aluminum or how to rivet them together. well there's always a firsttime for everything

[Sarris]

Just go to your local home supply store (Home Depot, Lowes, etc) and they can fix you up. Just ask for some small aluminum sheet (not too thin), some cheap metal shears (or have them cut it to size) and a cheap pop rivet gun. Probably $20 or less for all.

I'm sure they can give you instruction on how to rivet the sheets together.

Good luck!

:2tup:

[Easy Rider]

I'm sure they can give you instruction on how to rivet the sheets together.


Or you could use some small bolts with nut and washer......and Locktite.

[JIBTEXHNKA]

we've actually got a little rivet gun where i work... still in the packaging. i'm gonna try and do that.

[rusty rider]

I had the same problem, I cut a old license plate in half, and used gorilla glue and attached it to the bottem of the bag. The glue has held up to the heat, and a couple of monsoons. Took me about 5 minutes to install. :cool:

[Easy Rider]

The glue has held up to the heat, and a couple of monsoons. :cool:

+1 on the Gorilla Glue. Good stuff. Used it to seal a pin-hole leak in a 1000 lb. lawn roller !!!

Might want to use that in addition to the rivets.

[JIBTEXHNKA]

i like the license plate idea; i'm a fan of any excuse to cut up pieces of metal that i have laying around. but i think i'm gonna go with the high(er)-tech solution, if for no other reason than i really need to learn how to use a rivet gun. and it's less permanent... assuming someday i buy a new bike and decide to keep the same saddlebags. if there's plenty of space between them and the exhaust, it would look pretty awkward to have something stuck on the bottom.