| General -> Accessories. | Dart Flyscreen for TBird av... - Saddle Bags---AGAIN | | | | Categories : |
|  | Topic : Saddlebags |  |
| | | hogeyphenogey | | Set |  |  | | Reg. Date | : | 21/02/2010 | | Posts | : | 461 | | Location | : | Chicopee, Mass, United States |
|
| | Posted : 06 Jul 2011 - 10:02 Post title : Saddlebags | | | Yes, another saddlebag thread.... But I'm wondering if anyone has ever used www.vikingbags.com To get their saddlebags. You can order them by bike, and some look pretty nice. They are reinforced and can be hard mounted, and I'm thinking they may go along with easy brackets pretty well. I simply don't have the funds for the oem set at this point, but I desperately need a set of bags.
| A full tank and a day off... Absolute Heaven!
2015 Victory Gunner
|
|
| | | xerkie | | Set | | | Reg. Date | : | 25/06/2011 | | Posts | : | 103 | | Location | : | Ellensburg , WA, United States |
|
| | Posted : 06 Jul 2011 - 15:46 Post title : Re: Saddlebags (Re: hogeyphenogey) | | | The pictures they have of the bike have the bags photo shopped on I think...
| 2016 Indian Dark Horse
|
|
| | | hogeyphenogey | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 21/02/2010 | | Posts | : | 461 | | Location | : | Chicopee, Mass, United States |
|
| | Posted : 11 Jul 2011 - 03:02 Post title : Re: Saddlebags (Re: xerkie) | | | Anyone have the dimensions of the oem saddlebags? I cannot find the info anywhere online. Thanks!
| A full tank and a day off... Absolute Heaven!
2015 Victory Gunner
|
|
| | | Domino | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 29/08/2010 | | Posts | : | 230 | | Location | : | Portsmouth, Hampshire, United Kingdom |
|
| | Posted : 11 Jul 2011 - 15:14 Post title : Re: Saddlebags (Re: hogeyphenogey) | | | Just been out and measured the external dimensions.
Bearing in mind that the saddle-bags are a rounded trapezoid shape and slightly saggy, you'll have to regard these as approximate.
Overall length: 550mm
Height: 310mm
Width: 230mm (not including the floppy buckles  )
Internally a fair amount of space is lost, due to the hard plastic back-shell which is moulded to give very generous clearance to the shock and also has a 20mm lip all the way round, to facilitate stitching it to the leather.
This should give you an idea of overall size but let me know if you need more specific dimensions.
|  
Best money I ever spent.
|
|
| | | jsprunner | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 31/01/2011 | | Posts | : | 91 | | Location | : | Houston, TX, United States |
|
| | Posted : 29 Jul 2011 - 14:49 Post title : Re: Saddlebags (Re: hogeyphenogey) | | |
hogeyphenogey wrote:
Yes, another saddlebag thread.... But I'm wondering if anyone has ever used www.vikingbags.com To get their saddlebags. You can order them by bike, and some look pretty nice. They are reinforced and can be hard mounted, and I'm thinking they may go along with easy brackets pretty well. I simply don't have the funds for the oem set at this point, but I desperately need a set of bags. |
|
For what it's worth, I just bought a set of the Viking "Spear Shock-Cutout Saddlebags (#CHAR-800-PL)" direct from the website. As yet I've only taken them out of the box to see if everything showed up, and I don't know when - if ever - I will actually install and use them. I really don't like the look of the Tbird with ANY bags, but I just wanted a reasonably priced set to throw on (and easily remove) in the event that I decide to do an overnighter or something.
Quality seems OK, but I have no idea what to expect if they're ever caught in a downpour. I don't believe they make any claims in terms of being waterproof. Hardware was provided for both a "permanent" install, as well as a throwover install with included support brackets. I don't have EZ brackets so I can't help you there either. They are externally lockable, and in the throwover configuration, they can be removed separately via a couple of bolts inside each bag - I'm not sure if the OEM bags have either feature. Certainly, they are at a much more attractive price point ($249 + $24 shipping), than the Triumph bags. Particularly if you're as cheap as me (unlikely), and certain you won't use them regularly (like me).
By now you're undoubtedly thinking, "why did this guy bother to post this?" Two things:
1) they seemed to be sized well for the Tbird. Holding them up, they fit right along the shock, above the pipes, and there is no need to relocate the turn signals.
2) I made the mistake of placing the order BEFORE I googled the company. If I had taken that simple step first, it's likely I would never have ordered the bags. Lots of negative comments out there on the company, some of their products, customer service - you get the idea. So I ordered on a Monday afternoon and the website touts shipping within 24-48 hours. I get two separate emails from the company with the (same) tracking number - one on Tuesday afternoon, another on Wednesday. By Thursday, I still couldn't find the shipment in the UPS system and I just assumed that although they had generated a tracking number, they still hadn't delivered it to UPS. Based on all the negative stuff I'd seen on the internet, I was all set to simply cancel the order on Friday (if they still hadn't shipped) when I checked UPS one more time. Incredibly, the bags were already in my area out on the truck for delivery! Not sure what or who caused all the shipment tracking confusion, but I actually got the bags much sooner than I was expecting. So that part worked out.
Anyway, a long story, perhaps without a lot of useful info, but that's my marginal contribution to this thread.
Jeff
|
|
| | | hogeyphenogey | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 21/02/2010 | | Posts | : | 461 | | Location | : | Chicopee, Mass, United States |
|
| | Posted : 30 Jul 2011 - 00:19 Post title : Re: Saddlebags (Re: jsprunner) | | | Actually, I think they do mention waterproof info. So... Will you try the bags on the bike? If so, that was one of the bags I looked at on their site. Let me know what you think!
| A full tank and a day off... Absolute Heaven!
2015 Victory Gunner
|
|
| | | jsprunner | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 31/01/2011 | | Posts | : | 91 | | Location | : | Houston, TX, United States |
|
| | Posted : 30 Jul 2011 - 20:56 Post title : Re: Saddlebags (Re: hogeyphenogey) | | | hogeyphenogey wrote:
Actually, I think they do mention waterproof info. So... Will you try the bags on the bike? If so, that was one of the bags I looked at on their site. Let me know what you think! |
|
Just for you! Put them on this morning and they look OK to me - you can make your own judgment from the included pics (please pardon my somewhat unorganized garage). Sizing seems on par with the OEM bags but that's only from a visual of each. I guess that's easy enough to confirm if it's important to you. Here are the initial issues I see with them:
1. The throwover install seems most convenient for my needs, and that's what I did. I like the idea of being able to unscrew a couple of wingnuts inside each bag, grabbing the handle on top, and just taking the whole bag with me overnight. The only real issue with it is each bag comes with strap on the bottom you're supposed to use to secure the bag to the support brackets. The directions say you should pull tight then clip together - except for the life of me, I can't find a way to clip the strap ANYWHERE(?). I guess you can tie them to the support brackets somehow, but it kind of defeats the purpose of "quick release". You can see each strap currently dangling over each pipe - I guess I'll have to figure something out before I actually use these. Without the bags firmly secured to the support brackets, it's really not that convenient to open the bags (velcro alert) without pulling them away from the bike near the bottom - and loosening the strap. Easy to take the whole bag, though, once you have them open. I'll try to call Viking on Monday and see if I'm missing something.
2. The only differences I can see with the permanent install is that you don't need the throwover that goes under the seat, and you need to drill holes in the bags so the support brackets are actually installed from INSIDE the bag. This will be much sturdier, but you won't be carrying the bags around by the handles. Whatever you've got in them, you'll be taking out of the bag when you get to where you're going. This may or may not be an issue for you, and is probably the best way to use these. Maybe the EZ brackets will work with them - perhaps Fast Eddy or someone will know. Hope that helps.
     
| | Post edited by jsprunner on 30 Jul 2011 - 21:05 |
|
| | | hogeyphenogey | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 21/02/2010 | | Posts | : | 461 | | Location | : | Chicopee, Mass, United States |
|
| | Posted : 30 Jul 2011 - 22:33 Post title : Re: Saddlebags (Re: jsprunner) | | | They look decent on there. Also, NICE SEAT AND BACKREST! What is it? Got a driver backrest too?
| A full tank and a day off... Absolute Heaven!
2015 Victory Gunner
|
|
| | | jsprunner | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 31/01/2011 | | Posts | : | 91 | | Location | : | Houston, TX, United States |
|
| | Posted : 31 Jul 2011 - 14:15 Post title : Re: Saddlebags (Re: hogeyphenogey) | | |
hogeyphenogey wrote:
They look decent on there. Also, NICE SEAT AND BACKREST! What is it? Got a driver backrest too? |
|
Corbin. You can get two backrests if you like, but I only felt like I needed one - you can switch it between rider and passenger. Great, but expensive, seat - I can ride all day and I don't even think about it anymore.
Re: Viking Bags. I think I would recommend that you stay clear of these. As I mentioned, the throwover install was not too stable. I was going to call Viking Monday and see if I simply missed something, but I got impatient and tried the permanent install yesterday. Drilled the holes, got them fitted, then was putting them back in the box for when I might actually use them. One end of one of the bag handles popped out. I guess it would have to be stitched back together.
I guess I'll now find out about their customer service - I doubt they'll take them back with holes drilled in them. Ironically, you wouldn't be using the handles with the permanent install anyway, but it still sucks. I really should have stuck to my longtime mantra: It's OK to be cheap - just don't buy cheap stuff. There's no future in it.
|
|
|
| |
| |
|