hard saddlebags

hello everyone i have a 81 xj650 maxim. has anyone added a hard saddlebag to there bike or know of anyone who has i'm wondering how it would look. I found some GA hard saddlebags for about 115.00 there 17" lenght 12 height, and 7 thickness. I looked close and it looks as if i could fit them on my bike i know i'll have to move the signal arms. I made a cardboard box of the size of the saddlebags and it looks like enouth room. just wandering if anyone tryed this or not. would love any input on this. thanks. WWW.mutazu.com

 

I have leather bags on mine, the only thing I have found is that unless you pull the signal arms off the length will be the biggest problem. Also if you carry a passenger make sure there is room to get to the passenger pegs. MY leather bags are 12long and 14 high (i think - they need to be raised beacuse they hit the exhaust) they just fit with the signals pushed back an inch and you can still get a passenger on.

 

Ace,

Some hardbag carriers have turn signal relocators built into them. On mine, the backrest relocated the signals back a bit, solving that problem.

I've got a hardcase set in the basement... not sure what I'm going to do with them as I no longer have an XJ and the current owner isn't that interested in them (I don't think?).

Woot.

 

There was a kit from Yamaha to move your stock turn signals to the rear for this same reason. It consisted of a bracket that attached to the two upper licemse-plate mounting bolts and a set of wires to extend the original turn-signal circuit.

The bracket would be easy to make, as it's just a piece of steel strap in a very flat "U" shape with a total of 4 holes. Let me know if you want to make one, and I'll get its' dimensions for you.

 

You guys are right, I wasn't saying it couldn't be done, just a few little tips from experience

 

certainly... it was an important note - I'm just chucking some pennies after yours

 

At one time, Yamaha offered a set of Krauser bags (as in BMW), detachable, 40 liter, with nylon mounts. You can see them on my 650 Seca in the photo gallery.

Marc

 

thanks for the info i checked again and the hardbags do have turn signals built into them. just have to wire them in. i think they would look good on the bike. just didnt want to get them and not like the look. thanks for the input guys.

 

I like.

If I recall my dimensions right, these are just about the same size as the leather ones I put on my bike. To have any hope of putting a passenger on I had to move the turn signals. Looks like you got this covered.

I was able to fab up a support bracket that attached at the front bolt on the grab bar and to an open hole on my sissy bar bracket. It'd be no great trick to mount those bags to my bars.

I think you could also easily fab a bracket that attached to the place formerly holding the signal stalks.

 

I've got a set of those Yamaha hard bags from Germany but I haven't mounted them on the bike yet because I couldn't get the mounting hardware.

 

my 83 xj750rk came with the factory saddle bags and trunk, the turn signals were relocated to the licence plate bracket, I removed mine they were beat up and just didn't like the look of them. that's just my opinion. Just waiting for my turn signal mounts so I can move those back to were they should be.

The saddle bags look ok but the trunk looks like a cherry red helmet on the back,

I like the look of leather saddle bags over most hard bags(that's just my opinion) but my 77 goldwing has hard bags and I like them, There more ovalish then the normal vetter or bates bags, Have no Idea what brand they are but I like them.

 

I was going to put my Givis on, but haven't gotten around to it yet. The wingrack is ugly as heel but is universal, but you would buy or make a mounting kit once you figure out how where you want the bags.

Here are some ideas:

Home made kit

Magna homemade kit

 

I have a set of hard bags on my XJ650K Maxim. I hhave the detachable ones with the quick-release mounts. I did have a couple simple mods to do........I had to make two small brackets, which are simply flat steel bent to contour with a hole drilled in each end and then painted flat black; the other mod was the relocate the turn signals onto the quick-release mounts (which simply involved lifting the seat in order to splice and lengthen the turn signal wires. I'm going to try and include the pic here. If it doesn't come through, and you want to see a pic, email me direct at hogfiddles@hotmail.com

 

THANKS FOR THE PIC HOGFIDDLES PICS WORTH A THOUSND WORDS FOR ME THAT IS

 

When i bought my 82 XJ750J, it came with a set a Krauser Givi bags and trunk. Original owner had them installed about a year after he purchaed the bike. I'm the 3rd owner.

I don't have the trunk mounted but both the bags and trunk have lights in them and there is plenty of passenger room. The original turn signals had to be removed to install the rack for the bags.

Pic one, without the bags mounted, you can see the mounting bracket on the back of the bike.



Here is with the bag and trunk mounted.

 

Hey Justice, those mounts look a lot like a set I just pulled off of a 81 virago frame. I wonder if they are the same thing..... this frame came with the mounts but no bags so I was wondering what would have been on them.

BobC, if you need pics of the mounts without the bags, let me know and I'll shoot some for you (bike is at the shop for inspection and carb cleaning so it would be a few days before I can take the pics) email me direct at
hogfiddles@hotmail.com if you want.

 

So where can I get a set of bag supports? I was wanting to add a set of bags like These, but I wasn't sure if they will work, and I have no idea where to get supports that bolt on to the grab bar. hmmmm....any ideas?

 

From what I can see, they do not require supports. They hang over the rear seat and will rest against your rear shocks. Not much to it. Not a bad price either.

 

yeah I didn't think about that. Perhaps I'll just get them and see what I need. I guess I'll also find out if I need to move the turn signals.

 

I found that when I had weight in my bags they were wearing against the shock spring. I ended up making supports.