I want to put some hard bags on my 2012 Deluxe, but am not sure what to look for. I was thinking about trying to find some used bags off a touring model, would this work? What, if anything, will hard bags encroach on the bike? I am running the factory exhaust now, I imagine that this will need to be swapped out. But what would work with a hard bag setup?

 

I like these http://www.bbreproductions.com/prices.htm

Check out DynaJ's thread https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...dont-know.html

 

J&P cycles has 3 different kits. 2 supply the bags. The third you supply glide bags. All look pretty good and I'm planning to do it myself

 

bb reproduction....I put them on my Deluxe a couple years back I love and so does everyone who sees them...replica of PanHead bags...when I bought them I took a ride outside State College, PA and picked them up and Rich gave me a tour of his place...great people who are very concerned with the customer...old school nice guy!! If you live close enough take the ride/tour amazing heated hydraulic press he built from scratch to make these things...

 

bubble bags are really cool. But they really dont have much for capacity compared to the harley bags

 

Once you replace the stock shotgun exhaust, your bag options quadruple. With the stock exhaust, you are limited to much smaller bags. If you want to swap out the exhaust, cycle visions makes a great system that allows the gigantic touring bags to bolt right on. Leather Pros, Boss Bags, and others make quality bags that bolt right on without changing the exhaust, if your not ready for the expense.

 

I don't agree with this....I had the HD factory Deluxe Nostalgia bags on my FLSTN before purchasing the bubble bags(sold them)...lost very little if any capacity...neither is overly large. I would agree HD makes a larger capacity but they would detract from the appearance of the Deluxe and a poor fit...."practical is never cool"...for those times you need more get a large sissy bar bag that easily comes off...

 

A note concerning the exhaust swap you mentioned, you can learn from ny mistake. This became an expensive nightmare for me as I originally went with Rush slip-ons and K&N air filter to get the sound I wanted....being new to the fuel injection I went with a dyno adjustment and the SERT recommended by the dealer to "have it run great". Well two years and four dyno adjustments later(as well as more arguments than I can remember with the dealer) I was ready to sell it as the way it ran was totally unacceptable. I've come across numerous riders with similar stories including my cousin and his Heritage(who I also tuned with a TMax). I decided to try replacing the ECU with a Thundermax...glad I did. If you have some basic PC computer skills you can tune it yourself...and TMax will assist via map exchange. The best part is you can make additional changes and it selftunes or is easily re-mapable. I changed my pipes 2nd time to retro style and retuned...and it runs great with no additional charges. Purchasing the TMax was cheaper than the SERT and dyno and I'm free of the expensive dealer who had dozens's of reasons his poor tune was my fault, or ignorance....not! If you go with the dealer most future changes will require a new dyno and the real possibility it won't be right. By the way I have Rush slip-ons for sale if thats the look/sound you want...they did run great with the T-Max but I wanted a different look...write and I will discuss if you want...

 

I went to my local Harley Dealer and told them what I wanted to do. They gave me a set of hard bags mixed color matched that were take offs of wrecks. I took them to my friend who owns a body shop and he fixed them and painted them for me. Cycle vision brackets. Vance and Hines Longshots.

 

IMHO, you should get after market hard bags that are properly proportioned for the Softail. The bags from the touring models just do not look right on a Softail. Just my opinion.