chromehead
.040 Over
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2007
- Messages
- 74
I've researched this to death by this point, and I have a few more questions before pulling the trigger. I'm hopelessly torn between Beetle Bags and factory leather saddlebags. My problem is that I really love the way the bike looks as it is — naked. It has a bar-hopping bad-assness that I fear will melt away once the bags go on. But I've been inconvenienced too many times already to limit myself to what fits in my pockets for a long day on the bike. So here goes, please help:
Regarding the Beetle Bags, what's the turnaround time? Can a dealer get a better price than an individual? How hard to install? Can they be easily removed for washing, or for that matter, for local riding (or do they leave unsightly brackets?)
Regarding the factory leather saddlebags, I've seen a lot of pictures where the bags have lost their square shape. Is this common, or just what happens when they are overstuffed? The factory brackets seem pretty big — can one have the best of both worlds by mounting them to EZ/Ghost brackets for quick-release, or like most after-market accessories, do those brackets introduce other problems?
I've also been considering the LeatherLykes, as they seem to be easy to take off when not in use, but I can't get excited about mounting plastic boxes to the sides of my prized Rocket. The K-Drives look pretty good, but again, the fake leather is a holdup and the bracket. The Buffalo Bags seem to be high quality, but the bracket is too big.
Thanks. I appreciate the help.
Regarding the Beetle Bags, what's the turnaround time? Can a dealer get a better price than an individual? How hard to install? Can they be easily removed for washing, or for that matter, for local riding (or do they leave unsightly brackets?)
Regarding the factory leather saddlebags, I've seen a lot of pictures where the bags have lost their square shape. Is this common, or just what happens when they are overstuffed? The factory brackets seem pretty big — can one have the best of both worlds by mounting them to EZ/Ghost brackets for quick-release, or like most after-market accessories, do those brackets introduce other problems?
I've also been considering the LeatherLykes, as they seem to be easy to take off when not in use, but I can't get excited about mounting plastic boxes to the sides of my prized Rocket. The K-Drives look pretty good, but again, the fake leather is a holdup and the bracket. The Buffalo Bags seem to be high quality, but the bracket is too big.
Thanks. I appreciate the help.