When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I don't carry much in my saddlebags and if I do need to carry more I have a nice wheeled luggage system that goes on the luggage rack and sissy bar. Still, if they were a little bigger it would be better. I mostly just keep my rain suit and gloves in one of them.
If I could have had Viking or even boss bags to touch and feel, I probably would have went that way. Still not sure if I made the right move since they won't ship until the 21st and from there it will be 7 to 10 days before I get them. I hope they really are available and I am not waiting all that time needlessly.
New saddlebags arrived yesterday in the late afternoon. They are gorgeous and feel great. I am thinking about what kind of hardware to reinstall them with. My goal is to have something that won't stress the plastic backing as much by spread the load more. I also would like to have something easy to remove for cleaning, such as something involving wing nuts or something like that. They came with a container of leather conditioner. The design etc is no different the originals, as I do not see evidence of the backing being reenforced or anything.
I would glue a piece of metal on the inside there where the connection goes. Preferably shaped to that shelf shape if you can, otherwise just flat. And I would avoid wing nuts. I use stainless 1/4x20 Phillips head screws to hold my bags on, with a captured nut mounted on the frame. I made the captured nut, but you can purchase them as well. Just a nut on a clip.
So I finally started putting it back together and I may have figured out what caused the problem to begin with. The rubber grommets that hold the threaded inserts were not in the best of shape and one of the threaded inserts was missing.
Went to the dealer and the woman that usually helps me was off and the other guy was busy. So, I had to deal with a woman that gets it wrong more often than not but I was in a good mood and figured this is pretty simple. She pulled up the diagram etc. Then out of nowhere she got so sassy and smart mouthed with me, so I left and drove to another dealer two hours away. They were very helpful. They had the rubber grommets but the threaded inserts are obsolete. They offered to try order them for me through vintage parts network, but instead I asked them to give me the part number. Surdyke had them in stock so I ordered them.
I installed the new floorboard rubber inserts. The old ones were very hard, so these new ones should give more isolation. Take your time and push on one side while pulling the nipples through the other side. By the time you are done removing the old ones and installing the new ones, your finger tips will hurt. Make sure you pull each one through all the way so the lip is past the flange.
I installed the new floorboard rubber inserts. The old ones were very hard, so these new ones should give more isolation. Take your time and push on one side while pulling the nipples through the other side. By the time you are done removing the old ones and installing the new ones, your finger tips will hurt. Make sure you pull each one through all the way so the lip is past the flange.
Next time use needle nose pliers and your finger tips won't hurt when you're done.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
