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My 98 anniversary RK classic bags are in bad shape. I do like the look of the leather bags and considering going hard bags to update the king. With the anniversary colors its not an easy color match, would get them color matched painted midnight red.
2001 Road king classic. Found the hard bags for the set at a swap meet for 400$. Hard bags are definitely the way to go. The bags did not come with latches though. I bought some cheap Amazon latches, they were exactly that. If you did not open the bag a specific way the latch would scratch the bag. That was not going to work, so I took them off and bought the Harley latches. The Harley latches are far superior, but damn, they cost about what the bags did.
Last edited by Chasingdrakes; Apr 7, 2024 at 08:36 AM.
2001 Road king classic. Found the hard bags for the set at a swap meet for 400$. Hard bags are definitely the way to go. The bags did not come with latches though. I bought some cheap Amazon latches, they were exactly that. If you did not open the bag a specific way the latch would scratch the bag. That was not going to work, so I took them off and bought the Harley latches. The Harley latches are far superior, but damn, they cost about what the bags did.
looks awesome , did you have a local shop custom paint the bags ?
My 98 anniversary RK classic bags are in bad shape. I do like the look of the leather bags and considering going hard bags to update the king. With the anniversary colors its not an easy color match, would get them color matched painted midnight red.
anyone done this or have pics of their bike?
thx
If you have a 1998 Road King in an Anniversary Color with the fat white wall tires then leather bags would probably look best.
The leather bags are much easier to hide scrapes and scratches with some leather scuff cover.
What destroys the leather bags for some is the failure to use the required mounting spacers and also adding a few additional metal washers to the bag frame mounting pointing points.
Without the extra spacing the bag hinge edge gets ripped & damaged and the top flat part gets damaged too.
Especially if a back rest is used.
The spacers and washers described allow bag to lean away from bike frame at the top.
If you still decide on hard bags then color matching would be the way to go along with making sure that key lock is the same as ignition.
But because of the anniversary paint with maroon/wine and gold/tan color...I think a color matched bags might not look as nostalgic with those fat white walls.
Go online and look at the anniversary colored dresser (Ultra) with hard bags for an idea.
The hard bags and leather bags use the same mounting for that era.
IMO hard bags look better than what comes with the FLHRC. They look fake. Or go with after market leather bags that look like leather bags, not ammo cans wrapped in leather.
If you have a 1998 Road King in an Anniversary Color with the fat white wall tires then leather bags would probably look best.
The leather bags are much easier to hide scrapes and scratches with some leather scuff cover.
What destroys the leather bags for some is the failure to use the required mounting spacers and also adding a few additional metal washers to the bag frame mounting pointing points.
Without the extra spacing the bag hinge edge gets ripped & damaged and the top flat part gets damaged too.
Especially if a back rest is used.
The spacers and washers described allow bag to lean away from bike frame at the top.
If you still decide on hard bags then color matching would be the way to go along with making sure that key lock is the same as ignition.
But because of the anniversary paint with maroon/wine and gold/tan color...I think a color matched bags might not look as nostalgic with those fat white walls.
Go online and look at the anniversary colored dresser (Ultra) with hard bags for an idea.
The hard bags and leather bags use the same mounting for that era.
thanks for the advice.. the problem with my bags are that the plastic structural pieces that fit form the leather are all cracked and deformed. Not sure if they make replacements for that part
It reads as if the plastic lid of each saddlebag has cracked.
The bags are a leather covered plastic unit.
It is generally the under lid plastic that cracks and not the sides.
The plastic can crack and deform too.
Unfortunately the lids are not sold as an individual item and I have not seen any plastic glue-on repair kits for underside of lids.
I have seen color matched hard bags used on a purple looking road king with black wall tires and a black road king with black wall tires and both looked good.
My 98 anniversary RK classic bags are in bad shape. I do like the look of the leather bags and considering going hard bags to update the king. With the anniversary colors its not an easy color match, would get them color matched painted midnight red.
1998 RK Classic in Violet Pearl updated with factory paint matched hard bags. Sold off the Classic bags in good condition, I prefer the hard bags. I also have a factory paint matched king tour-pak and aftermarket Hoppe fairing in Violet Pearl.
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Who has changed their RK classic bags for hards?
05 RK with hardbag upgrade...
