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Starting Member
      
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Last Login: 6/11/2008 6:20:58 PM
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i'm looking for soft saddle bags to fit my 91 honda nighthawk. i've never had any and have no idea what characteristics i should be looking for or which companies make decent products. if anyone has bags they are happy with, please tell me the model and company.
thanks, paul
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Welcome to the forum Paul. For me the down side of soft bags is when it rains but you didn't ask that. I have used Nelson Riggs tank bags and been happy with them. I also owned a T-Bag several years ago that I thought was overpriced for what I got. I think I could have done just as well by buying a nice pack from Gander Mountain for half the cost. Of course the down side of that is I doubt you will find one in black at GM and a black bag just looks cool on a bike.
Torqueman Battle Creek, MI V-Strom 06 Goldwing 03
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Average Member
      
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I've always felt that in order for soft bags to stay mounted securely you need a mounting frame or at the very least a rigid frame inside the bag itself, otherwise they may tend to swing or move dangerously close to your rear wheel. So if you already need a mounting frame why not get hard bags? Waterproof, lockable, some fit your helmet, etc.
Even though that is how I feel in general I don't like saddlebags at all. I prefer to bungee my stuff on the bag in a haphazard manner as if I am running from the law, or a woman...
Now, let me get this right - is it one down, four up?
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Advanced Member
      
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Come on Rootie how often do you have to run from a woman? I always pictured it the other way around. 
Torqueman Battle Creek, MI V-Strom 06 Goldwing 03
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Average Member
      
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Well, after the restraining order...
Now, let me get this right - is it one down, four up?
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| By "soft" bags, I presume you mean a fabric throw-over type. In the past, I've run different HARD bags (Krauser) and of course, the H-D fiberglass (stock) for my dresser. However, in the past few months, I've splurged a bit...and wanting to change the "look" of my bike, I found iron bags (ironbags.com) that make an absolutely first class leather product...with an absolutely first class price tag. I don't think this helped...but........
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Senior Member
      
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| I have never had anything but soft bags. They are fine if I am camping. The bags stay on the bike for the trip and work fine. The few times that I have moteled it with the bags, it was a PITA getting them on/off the bike and schelping them in/out of the motel. All my soft bags except one shipped rain. Thus a rainproof liner (read; trash bag, zip-loc, etc) was necessary. If you are going to be toting your gear through motels, it is well worth the effort to get some bag liners with handles. If you have access to a sewing machine, you can make your own. Otherwise your local seamstress, upholstry shop, car seat guy, boat cover guy, etc will whip up whatever you need. Soft bags usually have a bunch of tie-down points. Getting them strapped on usually results in a bunch of straps trailing through the motel lobby when you bring them inside. As bad as that is, leaving the bags on the bike and checking in with the trash bag liners aint the soul of propriety. Sole of propriety is more like it. Recently i have been using cheap nylon gym-type bags as liners. That works ok for me as my ego was destroyed years ago. You may still be trying to have a decent self image. I have dry bag saddle bags from riderwearhouse.com. Ortlieb makes them. They aint cheap. Reflective material patches fore&aft mean that I dont have to be carefull how I throw them over the seat. Unless my mounting straps only fit one way. I was interested in the conspicuity of the yellow. All black is available. The yellow bags on my black bike are truely hidious. Hideous works for me as no one will ever come near enough to bother me or my gear. The bags are DRY. No frog-strangling downpour, or all day soaking rain ever got past the bag. I haven't immersed them in a river crossing or a flooded underpass yet. So I dont know how that would fair. The bags come with a bit of plastic to help shape. It can be dispensed with if you need to compress your gear with some bungees. Note: bag closure takes some time to get used to. Every cheap soft bag kept my gear together. But they might as well have been mesh bags for keeping my stuff dry and clean. Years and years ago, I was dumpster diving and found 5-6 Pelican cases in nearly pristine condition. I didnt salvage/rescue them at the time because I didnt know what they were. Nor had I ever seen a set on a bike. Now that I know much much better. I have never found even one case since then. If you dont travel in inclement weather, any dang bag will probably work ok. You will get better suggestions if you post up how the bags will be used 90% of the time. My next multi compartment tank bag system will probably be Ortlieb's waterproof tank bag. Ortlieb's dry saddle bags worked. And I will use them until I can get some hard cases to fit my budget. I havent fallen on the bags. Yet. Crashing bags is a whole nother problem. edit; A single dry duffle might be the best option. It has handles. Is usually easy to set up for fast bungee work including raincloth over the pillion/tailpiece. And can easily hold more stuff than two saddle bags with better access to all of it.
nobody rides half as well as they know how.
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