The American Eagle Leatherworks Bags that I bought have steel backing on that side, as they're only meant to be used with some kind of "easy" bracket or other. They were expensive ($500 plus) But I remember the metal shavings that came out when I drilled the holes to install Brent's easy brackets. Of course, they, like other saddlebags, are very careful to state a recommended weight limit for the darned things. :-( Sorry to hear about your bags, thanks for the pic though.
