Saddlebags on an 81 550 Seca

Has anyone mounted saddlebags on an 81-83 550 Seca?

I'm looking at using it to become my primary commuter now that the weather's (finally) starting to return to ridable, and I'd like to be able to mount some saddlebags on the bike instead of having to carry everything in a backpack (laptop, books/notepads, etc)

I'm thinking along the lines of the GIVI T427's or the GIVI T421's. Basically, something in a throw-over style that would be large enough to fit a laptop, etc.

I'm assuming the saddlebag mounting brackets would be needed, in addition to the bags them selves. Anyone have any idea where to find those?

I'm not terribly concerned about having a passenger when I'm using the bags, so any issues with having to relocate the turn signals, etc is only a secondary concern for me.

 

The 427's don't look like they need brackets and being designed as "scooter-specific" they are probably small enough to not interfere with anything.

 

You could probably secure them to the passenger "oh sh!t" bars right behind the rear shocks. I agree with Fitz that they should just sling over the seat... or under it

 

There's only one "grab handle" and it's on the left, for putting the bike on the centerstand.

There are MOUNTS on both sides, because Yamaha's accessory luggage rack mounted there, and replaced the grab handle in doing so.

Under the seat won't work on a Seca 550 because the tail section begins its "slope" too far forward.

Is there someplace near you that stocks them? It might be worth a test-fit first if possible.

 

Hmmm, that's weird because my bike has 2 grab handles, one on each side. Guess when it was purchased by one of the PO's, they got another handle and installed it.

 

jhicks, I was looking at the throw-over style, as I figured they'd be easier to deal with (install) than trying to argue with hard mounted bags. Since I don't really have the need to lock them, hard bags would just end up being overkill anyways.

bigfitz, I just listed those Givi bags as an example of ther style of bags I'm looking at using on my bike (Throwover, fabric/textile). I do have several motorcycle dealers and a couple motorcycle supply/accessory shops in my area (including a Givi dealer), so I'll be checking out different bags in person to make sure they have the storage capacity I need.

Next question - Any idea if bags like these would need saddlebag supports to keep them out of the wheel/chain/suspension? If so, does anyone have any idea which one(s) would work?

I am curious though - does anyone have any pics of the accessory luggage rack for the 550 Seca's?

 

Quick question, how much are you planning on carrying? if its only a small amount, why not get a rear seat/tank bag. When I bought my bike, the PO threw in his old tank bag which fastened with a couple clips to some strapping under the tank and it was fairly easy to anchor the straps under the seat. The bag itself is fairly big and can hold a full face helmet. The other plus is it came with another strap to convert it to a cross chest backpack.

Thats my 2 cents.

 

I'm pretty much looking at what's in my laptop bag:
Laptop (this is the trickiest because of the shape and size - most saddlebags have a slant to them...)
Notebook(s)
Power adaptor
Cables
Other small office supplies (Blank CD's, pens, etc)
A couple technical books (300+ pages each)

Unfortunately, I have yet to find a tank bag that would actually fit a laptop. I only have the 1 grab rail and no sissy bar/luggage rack, and I'm extremely leery of bungeeing/strapping anything to that plastic tail piece. Hence my interest in some decent sized saddlebags.

I'm finding that I don't like the weight distribution of riding with a backpack, especially on the freeway. I'd rather try and put it in saddlebags to keep the weight lower and distributed on the bike instead of me.

 

did you ever think about one of those bungee nets, just put your bag on the seat and put the net over it, they work pretty good and their cheap (walmart)
is your laptop case padded ? you don't want to loose that padding if you go to saddlebags
i would think soft bags like that work best balanced side to side

 

Didn't someone on this forum lose a friend to a bungee cord inadvertently getting caught in a wheel while going down the freeway?

When I had my Virago I found a nice set of nylon bags by putting an ad on Craigslist. Keep an eye open on eBay also.

When I commute to work I just carry a stethoscope around my neck. No bags needed!

 

is that to find a valve tap ?

 

You don't have to get slanted saddlebags, they make straight (square) one too. I have leather bags on my Seca that hold quite a bit for as small as they are. They came with the "over the seat/fender" straps, but I cut'm off and hard mounted them on homemade brackets I made.

 

Yep! Valve taps, murmurs, rales, crackles, all kinds of little sounds!

Nice ride PainterD. The red just absolutely pops against that black paint!

Very very nice!

 

I have used a set of soft saddlebags for 25 years. They have a strap across the seat and a strap front and rear to keep them from flapping in the wind. It's going to take a few minutes to put them on and take them off every time.


I just bought a new set because a zipper finally broke. These are what I bought. Haven't tried them out yet.

http://www.motopakluggage.com/gts60.html

The front and rear straps all use quick release buckles.

 

Did I give you good advice or what???????? I was perusing Portland Craigslist and what should I find? Hard bags for a 550 Seca! Complete with all mounting hardware.

I will be glad to take a look at them if you would like me to.

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/mcy/1099982826.html

 

Man I would snap up those hard bags in a NY Second if I needed them....it will probably be 10 more years before another custom-fit set of those became available for sale......

 

Boy, I wish I did. I had TWO of them, one on each of my SR500s, ordered through the Yamaha dealer.

I can tell you they looked a lot LIKE this one, but this is an aftermarket rack from a company called GSM who is still around but out of the motorcycle accessory business from what I can tell.

THIS IS NOT THE FACTORY RACK:


The "real" Yamaha rack was about 1/3 again longer, hanging out past the tail light, but about the same shape and design. The mounting points were horizontal tubes that lined up exactly with the grab rail mounting holes. The rear mounts on this one do NOT line up and require brackets, a crude but effective detour around better engineering.

 

Polock, I have a small bungee net already. It only works so well because there really isn't anywhere sturdy enough to hook it to to hold my laptop. As for the padding issue, I'd be picking up one of those slimline cases or a padded laptop sleeve for it for exactly that reason. As for balancing the weight, I'm not that worried, I'll be carrying more than just the laptop (books, notepads, etc).

PainterD, I am looking to find something more squared like yours, as the slanted bags won't work too well for stuffing a laptop in them I really like what you did with yours though. For someone without much of a shop available, how difficult would it be to do the same thing you did with yours?

Ranger G, I'd like to find out more about how well those GTS 60's work out on your bike - what the inside dimensions are, how well secured they are, how quick/easy they are to remove, any passenger or rear turn signal issues, etc. They look like they might be exactly what I'm after (and the price is pretty nice too...)

As much as I'd like to say "Yeah man, go ahead and let me know", with shipping those are a bit out of my budget for the time being (still have to do the sprin maintenance on the bike...). That, and I'm not sure about the internal dimensions of the cases...
Someone else from here should definitely snap them up though.


Bigfitz, I really like that rack, but it's a little too small for what I need. Thanks for posting that though

 

I had to make my own frame to hold the saddlebags onto the frame rails. I used 5/16 round stock to fabricate the brackets and weld flat tabs on the ends to bolt them to the frame.
When/if you come and see my bike, we can also discuss me making supports for your bags when you get them. You can maybe just bring your bike over and leave it here for a week or so? >PD<

 

D if you ride a 550 you'll want one...

 

Woah! $200!? Yikes. My 550 cost $300!

 

Attached photo shows a liter/quart bottle of oil and varsol sitting inside. Two more would easily fit standing up. Inside dimensions are about 15" X 10" X 5". These bags expand width wise to about 8".


This is the front strap looped around the passenger peg bracket.


I crossed the rear straps under the licence plate to the opposite bag.


This shows the main strap over the seat.


You could still carry a passenger but they would be sitting on the main strap and the back of their legs would be pushing on the saddlebags. There are no problems with turn signals being in the way. The shocks keep the bags away from the tire and wheel. It's going to take a minute or two to hook and unhook the straps. If you look on E-bay, these bags, and the larger model, are always for sale. I paid $82.00 US.

 

RangerG, those are pretty much exactly what I'm looking for size and style wise. Even the mounting system looks like it would be pretty easy to swap them on/off the bike without too much effort.

I followed your lead and did a search on eBay for Saddlebags. I found that set and a couple others as well from places like Nelson Rigg, Fieldsheer, Tourmaster, and Motogear. I even found a set of "Commuter" saddlebags from ISS that are specifically designed for carrying laptops (one on each side...).

Thanks everyone for their input. It's appreciated.