Harley Davidson Forums - For those Softail owners who travel or bring passengers rarely - a relatively affordable Tour Luggage / Backrest Solution

My 2023 Breakout 117 is used almost entirely for short rides and day trips, BUT I want to be able to do the occasional overnight trip to a nice riding area in the nearby mountains too far away for a day trip. I also want to at least once per year do a multi-day vacation tour. I would like to also offer my wife a backrest the few times she expects to ride as a passenger.

The Breakout is of course not designed for either passengers or long distance touring as a primary mission. Plus, its long and low “dragbike” styling would be seriously hurt by adding permanent luggage capability. It’s NOT a ‘bagger”, and I don’t want a bagger for three good reasons:

A bagger looks and feels “too big” for my taste in motorcycles
I only need the luggage capability relatively few times per year
I only need passenger capability relatively few times per year
The combination of weight and size in a permanent luggage solution would make the bike more difficult for me to use for everyday riding, especially since I am only 5’7’ tall, have only a 29” inseam, and am 73 years of age
My retirement budget couldn’t and won’t ever likely justify a “real” bagger

Some of you may identify with the above, and if so, it’s for you I took the time to prepare this posting.

Objectives:

Based on all the above, I thought for quite a while about what my OBJECTIVES are for a temporary, use-when-needed luggage and passenger capability, and came up with this list:

Retain the Breakout’s long low appearance
Prefer any black versus chrome finish on hard parts to deemphasize the parts added that detract from the dragbike look
Minimize weight since it will be located either high or wide relative to the OEM center of gravity
Minimize width since excess width makes the bike harder to balance at low speeds and when stopped
Find a luggage solution that is inherently waterproof without having to install a rain cover when it starts to rain. Plus, rain covers don’t always truly keep a bag dry
- No exposed zippers to leak water into the luggage when it rains
Prefer a soft versus hard exterior to better mold to the bike and protect the bike’s finishes, AND to adjust the luggage overall size DOWN when traveling “light”
Planned “typical” touring volume and weight to be carried = 1300 cu in and 17 lb. To determine this, I collected up all the items I would need to take with me on a multi-day vacation trip (hoteling and using hotel laundries, not camping), measured and recorded the weight and cubic inch volume of each item, and built an Excel worksheet that I could add to or subtract from for specifically customized trip itineraries. The worksheet will enable me to easily and quickly pre-plan the overall size and weight of the luggage load for any individual trip
Additional capacity beyond 1300 cu in and 17 lb “for extras” needed for a specific tour or unanticipated purchases is strongly preferred, but only if the actual deployed size can be altered proportional to the actual need (i.e. overall capacity and physical size can be varied! I do NOT want to be stuck with an “always” oversize and overweight solution when I might only need one rarely)
Location of the luggage on the bike is an important consideration. For minimized adverse effect on balancing and controlling the bike at low speeds and in turns, a low location is desirable. But, a low location also necessitates (for appearance and balance reasons) luggage on both sides of the rear wheel, puts the luggage close to the rear wheel where it gets dirty very quickly, and puts the luggage close to the hot exhaust. And unless you spring for a costly detachable bag system, it interferes with both cleaning the bike and mechanically maintaining the bike. Toss-over saddle bags are out because they scratch the fender over time
So after considering all these factors, I figured the best compromise is a solution that places the baggage high enough to avoid all the issues listed except the balance and control issue, which is minimized by simply keeping the weight under 20 lb and keeping it as narrow as possible. My modest luggage weight and size needs make this possible.

The selected solution:

Although I considered a number of solutions, after considering all the above, I ultimately decided that the best solution for ME might be a “dry bag” (often used in kayaking and other water-centric activities), fastened to and supported by a SHORT sissy bar (short to keep as much of the long low Breakout look as possible, and to enable carrying the dry bag horizontally, like cowboys in The Old West used to carry bedrolls on their horses.

One unique advantage of a good dry bag is that its actual packed “volume” can be CHANGED. i.e. it can be fully filled and folded shut, OR partially filled and then sealed by folding the mouth closed using more folds. This means that, within reason, it is only ever as “big” as your current trip requires!

One advantage of the sissy bar approach to luggage is that a sissy bar with a backrest pad can also make your significant other notably more confident and comfortable when she rides as your passenger.

Harley-Davidson does offer a dry bag solution (the HD Overwatch Dry Bag) that can work with a sissy bar, but after examining it, I ruled it out because:

- It is designed for VERTICAL use, so needs a HIGH sissy bar, which I do not want

- Its 2 external thin pockets have exposed zippers and are NOT waterproof, making those pockets useless for wet riding
- The price, at $215 Canadian, is over double what several good non-HD dry bags cost

The Dry Bag:

Although I have other existing dry bags from when we tried kayaking, they were way too small for this use. I searched the amazon.ca site and selected this Kronox bag:

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...6088aeac08.jpg

I selected this specific bag for multiple reasons, despite it being larger than ideal:

Made of relatively robust 500D PVC material

Heat-sealed seams

Waterproofed but visible “pocket” with see-through exterior, to hold a tag with my name and contact phone number (in case I get separated from the bag during a trip. This is important to me as I carry critical medical equipment and supplies.

roll-top closure positioned for HORIZONTAL, versus vertical, loading, unloading, and closure with a very wide “mouth” for easy access to its interior. This makes loading and unloading items VERY easy. This also means a short sissy bar - one that rises only about a foot above the seat - will be sufficient to secure the bag.

IPX6 waterproof rating, which is an actual test rating that means its interior should stay dry in any rain and road spray conditions short of actual IMMERSION into water

Its 40 liter = 2400 cubic inch capacity generous interior capacity is much higher than the 2000 cu in or so maximum I could picture conceivably ever needing, but since it folds down to actual needed volume, the excess size is reducible. Also, the only other available size version of this bag is a huge 60 liter version

The bag being waterproof is not capable of ‘breathing” air out through its fabric as I fold it closed. But, like other good dry bags, the bag is equipped with an air valve, so I can fold it closed pretty tightly and then close the valve. You can see the air valve in the photo, on the left side of the bag

The basic design volume when closed at FULL 2400 cu in capacity is about 26” wide x 11” high x 11” deep. The width is larger than I thought, because it apparently holds MORE than 40 liters when filled. That makes it wider than I would have liked, but that size will fit nicely horizontally onto the passenger seat of my Breakout and the Sissy bar, with the sides extending sideways off the seat by about 8.5” on each side. In fact, the Breakout itself is 23” wide from the RH passenger footpeg to the outside of the primary drive cover, so the bike’s visual profile is only widened by 3”. and, as you will see in a photo below, the air cleaner actually sticks out further than the luggage bag! When filled with 1300 cubic inches, the bag is less than 5 inches high!. That low height minimizes the adverse balance effects on the bike. I can minimize the adverse effects of the 26” width by loading the heaviest items in the central portion of the bag, and lighter items on the left and right.

My long distance touring packing checklist totals up to just under 17 lb of items that need to be in the bag. The bag itself weighs 2.5 lb. So, the total weight I am adding to the bike is only about 19.5 lb. Considering that this is my LONG DISTANCE touring kit, that’s pretty lightweight. And it is consistent with keeping the weight and size as low as practical for balance and control reasons.

The actual buyer reviews were mostly very positive, with the only negatives mentioned being immaterial to my use. One user felt the material might not take real “off-road” use where lots of flying debris, branches, rocks, and falls can be encountered, and 2 users thought the straps and buckles used to attach it to a sissy bar or luggage rack don’t look very robust (I agree). But I will not be going off-road. And, I prefer to use 2 regular strong (500 lb working load rated, 1500 lb breaking strength) lashing straps cut to appropriate length to secure the bag to the sissy bar. So, these potential weaknesses won’t affect my usage.

For what it might be worth, the manufacturer provides a warranty

The bag’s black and orange colour scheme seems particularly appropriate for use on a Harley, and since my Breakout’s paint is black with reddish /orange trim, the bag seems like a particularly good “style” and colour choice. :)

This Kronox bag sells for $92 Canadian = $68 US taxed and delivered on Amazon.ca. That seems like an acceptable cost for something that I will use only a few times per year. It’s not a huge investment.

The Sissy Bar:

In an earlier posting on the forum, I mentioned that the genuine HD detachable sissy bar solution for the 2017 Breakout 117, including the sissy bar, the backrest pad, and the correct docking kit, costs over $500 Canadian with tax here in Canada - IF you can qualify for free shipping. That seems a bit much given my occasional usage plans.

On Amazon.ca, I was able to buy a detachable sissy bar including a backrest pad, for $245 Canadian = $181 US taxed and delivered. Here is a photo:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...1d9fae1406.jpg

Its key features are:

Made specifically to fit the post-2017 Breakouts and Fat Boys

15” high (from mount docking points to upper tip), so keeps the low height Breakout look, but provides enough height to secure the Kronox dry bag

Pad is 8” wide x 6” high, which is large enough for the mission and small enough to not detract too much from the long low Breakout image

All pre-assembled except that the pad needed to be fastened to the sissy bar (hardware included to do so)

Welds are nice, generous, and innocuous

Powdercoated (toughest paint you can use) black, with a VERY impressive quality, depth, and gloss. The black powdercoat looks GREAT, but also keeps the sissy bar from attracting attention away from the Breakout itself. A chrome version was available, but that WOULD have detracted from the Breakout’s low profile appearance, and chrome cannot be touched up if damaged or if rust develops.

Latching mechanism similar to HD, and works with HD Docking Kit for the 2023 Breakout 117.

Requires the correct HD Docking kit or clone (I bought a clone kit, designed for the post-2017 Breakout, for $48 Canadian, but during initial installation, it was shown to be defective in both design and durability. HD wanted $72 Canadian plus shipping, but unlike the clone kit, the HD one did not break during installation. :)

My sissy bar weighs 6.9 lb including the backrest pad, so it adds very little weight while providing a solid support for the dry bag

Summing up the weight of this luggage solution, before adding the luggage into the bag:

Sissy bar assembly = 6.9 lb

Docking hardware kit = 0.5 lb more than the OEM bolts it replaces

Kronox dry bag = 2.5 lb

Total weight = just under 20 lb plus whatever little weight the tie-downs add when cut to ideal length.

Here is how the low, black sissy bar looks on my Breakout:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...8a227b998.jpeg

Here's a photo with the bag in position (not yet secured y lash straps in this photo)

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...fa004c995.jpeg

Here's another view

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...7be43662e.jpeg

And here's a photo that shows the width of the bag versus other items on the bike:

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...3050f629c.jpeg

Notice:

How narrow the overall package looks despite the actual 26” width of the bag
How the combination of size, shape, and colours minimizes negative appearance effects
- How the OEM air cleaner actually “widens” the bike more than the luggage bag does!
The extra leg lift required to clear the bag when mounting the bike is modest with the bag loaded to my "typical" 1300 cubic inches load (as in the photo)

Lashing straps:

When I went looking for “lashing straps” at the Home Depot website, I discovered to my pleasant surprise, that I could buy a pair of black 8’ long straps with orange trim colour! However, they do NOT come even close to matching the HD orangy-red paint trim on my Breakout. :(

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...a6aa13005.jpeg

The pair cost only $14 Canadian = $10 US, and I was able to cut them to the specific length I needed for my use!

Lashing straps come in two basic varieties: those that have big metal ratchet mechanisms and those that have much simpler metal “jaws” that simply clamp onto the strap at the point that you want them to do so. I wanted the simpler ones because (a) they are much simpler to use, especially when it’s cold or wet outside, and they won’t damage the bag’s material or the sissy bar if they contact either. These have the “simple jaws”. Perfect.

They are more than strong enough too despite the modest price. The working load limit is 500 lb, and the breakage limit is 1500 lb, so they are overkill for my usage. And the simple metal jaws hold well against slippage if you use them correctly.

On this project, I’m pretty pleased with both the total cost and the end results. Hopefully, it might help others on the forum.

Jim G