I've got a question that hasn't come up before, to my knowledge. Back in October, I crashed my 2005 Heritage. When the repairs were done, the dealership only replaced the left saddlebag despite the fact that they both sustained damage. When I complained, I recently got the right saddlebag replaced by the same dealer. Now the question. The saddlebag on the left has the same snap closures at the ends of the top of the saddlebag as the originals. The new right saddlebag that I got yesterday does not. The left saddlebag has a metal brace that goes from left to right (or right to left) just inside the lip of the bag. The right saddlebag does not. The left saddlebag has a narrower seam that joins the front panel of the bag to the bottom and sides. The right saddlebag has a wider seam. My question: what's the deal here? How could saddlebags designed for the same model and year be different??

 

Well I can tell you that my 09 heritage had the plastic quick disconnect clips and some flimsy leather straps. I sent my bags off to boss bags and had them put the stiffener kit in them and upgrade the straps and buckles...... man what a difference, the straps and buckles are great now, and the bags don't have that sag anymore.

 

My '09 has the snap buckles and I'm not sure about the "Left to Right" metal brace.
I do have an older model leather Tour Pak, and it doesn't have the snap buckles so I imagine the bags are no different in that newer model years had buckles and older ones did not.

As for yours; I don't know if in 2005 the bags had buckles or not.
You stated your original ones had buckles so either the '05 model years had buckles or perhaps yours were replaced by a previous owner.

In any case, whether or not you want the new model (buckles) or the older model really depends on what you like.

I prefer the buckles so I would take the right one back and see if it can be exchanged for one with buckles.

 

I guess I wasn't clear. BOTH saddlebags have the buckles and the quick-release plastic clasps. What's different between the left bag and the right is that the left bag has two black snaps -- one on either end of the top flap -- that secures the lid closed; whereas the right back does not have those snaps. Further, the left bag has a metal/plastic "stiffener" that goes the width of the bag, whereas the right bag doesn't. The bags both LOOK the same, but aren't. You know what I mean?

 

I've never heard of a bag with lid snaps and the metal brace seems like an aftermarket add on.

Perhaps the left bag is used and was previously modified by it's previous owner.

My 09 bags have not snaps or braces.
I've added "gotsaggybags" to them though.

 

Pictures might also help out with the difference and if they are from the same model year or are from two different models.
Double check the part numbers, if you still have them. The dealer might have gotten the wrong one for you bike.

 

Sounds like a less expensive knock-off. Of course we can't tell without some pics.

 

I have an '01 and my factory bags have both the snaps and the brace.

Both bags should be identical I would talk to the dealer.

 

I worked as a service manager for a dealer and when we did accident repairs were subject to repair only what the insurance would write up. I would get with the insurance company if you made a claim for the repairs and discuss the issue with them. We did a softail that had a split tank and we only were instructed to repair the left side. Well the tank paint from 15 yrs did not match and the customer was pissed. We directed to his insurance company and they replaced the right side.

 

There have been subtle changes to the bags over the years, but they all look the same. They all have two straps with snap buckles. To my knowledge none have stiffeners fitted, unless the Harley stiffeners have been fitted, which is a metal frame which goes around the top of the bag. Or a kit has been fitted like saggy bags. They should all have a brace bar fitted from the bottom of the bag to the frame, which a lot don't bother with.