Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Accessories Saddlebags ~~ again

Anybody have any experience with this company and these bags? It looks like the bags need the easy brackets at another $150.

http://www.leatherconnexion.com/product1.aspx?Product_ID=4

Never saw those bags.
There was a bag discussion last week and for the life of me I can't find it. There were some nice bags on there!

How about the National Cycle Cruisliner bags? Do they fit the Speedmaster?

I got em with easybrackets. Kinda pricey but custom quality bags.

I am having a hard time choosing bags for my bike. I am leaning toward these bags. The problem that I am finding is the brackets to mount the bags. Is there a less expensive option to the $150 Easy Brackets?

Easy Brackets are a very high quality item...a lot of people here including myself have them, and you'll most likely be very happy with them if you decide to take the plunge.

There is a competing item called Ghost Brackets. They had a different design earlier on, but they dropped that and started making an Easy Bracket copy. The easy brackets seem to be a better product.
There is a low cost alternative. You can get a pair of saddlebag braces made for a Honda Magma and use 'throwover' style bags, but this can be a PITA if you take the bags off frequently because you have to strap or tie the bags to the braces. Also, throwovers will eventually wear out the paint on the fender and, if you ride with a passenger, you have to take the back seat off to run the connecting strap under it.

For those who have Easy Brackets or are going to get them, take a look at their handy-dandy carying handle. It has a pair of double ended mounting studs on the ends to latch your bags on for easy carrying, really nice when you are traveling.

I have K-Drives and love them. I like the fact that they're easily removed and installed in seconds.

http://newspeedmaster.com/html/saddlebags_and_mounts.html

You can get Honda brackets for the Magna, I think - don't know if it's year model specific or not, but somebody here will chime in.

For what it's worth, the convenience (and security) of being able to quickly remove and reinstall that the EZ Brackets affords more than makes up for their cost. I take mine off to clean the rear wheel, check air pressure, chain, etc., and on overnight trips may pack one or both in with me if I need what's in them.

The K-Drive system looks very nice, too, and considering they include the brackets and hardware, that's not a bad deal to be able to do the same thing.

I won't ride much without my bags on, now that I have them, but if and when I want to do that, it looks a heck of a lot better with the EZ Bracket "pegs", than it would with wire
wickets hanging off.

I may change bags someday, but the EZ Brackets are keepers.

Cool idea...

I've considered getting the Easy Totes...

I bet you could make them pretty easily... I'm also thinking about attaching some sort of handle permanently to the tops of my bags...

I ended up ordering the saddlebags from the link but went with the fold over tops instead of the box tops. I went with the quick buckles and lined the top with medium gray piping. To mount them I ordered the Easy Brackets. Should have them here and mounted in less than two weeks.

I went ahead and got the easy-tote with I ordered my brackets, as my saddlebags didn't have handles on top. They work pretty well and makes the bags a lot easier to carry around, particularly when loaded. You could probably make one up.. they are basically just a couple of mounting posts back-to-back with a leather strap attached.

Cheers,
Brad

That's what I figured. I think I can make something up with just some bolts and spacers...

What is the skinny on the Triumph bags? For some odd reason I am wanting to stay with a pure Triumph as much as I can...BUT some of Brett's stuff has found it way on to my Bonnie Blue.

The skinny is they are too skinny

Yeah...waaaay too small for me & I'm a light packer. When I had 'em, I had one bag full with just rain gear, leaving one bag for everything else.