|
| HooRad | | Set |  |  | | Reg. Date | : | 19/01/2010 | | Posts | : | 280 | | Location | : | Richmond, VA, United States |
|
| | Posted : 14 Apr 2010 - 00:13 Post title : Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags | | | So I got my Cruiser III Slant Saddlebags the other day. My first impression was that they were pretty solid construction and decent looking (for bags, that is - no a huge fan). I got the large ones which measure 11"h x 15.5"w x 8"d and have a zip open lid and a zip off fastener to the center support. Pretty nifty functionally, if not a huge capacity. Getting the bags to hang so that they would hang right and not impact certain important things like wheels and pipes took a little doing. These are designed with a center support which is split into two halves with a lace up fastener.
In order to make the center support narrower and, therefore, the bags sit higher on the bike, you have to unlace it and overlap the two halves more, bypassing one or more support holes. I think I ended up bypassing three of the holes to make is hang right. The front and rear support are a little tricky as well. The bags come with male fastener straps attached to the bag up front and rear which couple with a blind looped female fastener strap which you can hook around whatever you need to keep thinks secure. You can shorten both the female and male straps with a buckle, BTW. I ended up hooking the rear female straps together and pulling them under the indicator stalks and around the license place "nub", which seemed secure enough. The front was trickier, but I settled on looping them around the seat frame immediately in front of the rear shock and threading the front bag strap under the shock so that they attach immediately behind the shock head. The result seems pretty secure and free from rubbing, but I have yet to load them up and have a pillion.
The final dilemma was to lay the center support over or under the pillion pad. I initially had them as throwovers on top of the pad, but it didn't seem as stable as it was once I put it under the pad. That seemed pretty sturdy and held up at 80 mph. Here are some pics.
 
| Not likely to die of natural causes. At least I hope not.
|
|
|
|
| Thatch | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 24/06/2009 | | Posts | : | 3,655 | | Location | : | Savannah, GA, United States |
|
| | Posted : 14 Apr 2010 - 00:32 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: HooRad) | | | Nice set of utility bags you've got there. I am similarly disposed to bags but occasionally they are nice to have. Wouldn't mind a set like that myself for just such an occasion.
Where'd ja get em?
|
|
|
|
| HooRad | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 19/01/2010 | | Posts | : | 280 | | Location | : | Richmond, VA, United States |
|
| | Posted : 14 Apr 2010 - 01:18 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: Thatch) | | | Ordered them from a local dealer Velocity motorcycles. $119 + tax. I'm pretty happy with 'em so far. I will say that these are larges and are a pretty tight fit, given the bird's dimensions. I'm not sure that the XL would fit or not.
| Not likely to die of natural causes. At least I hope not.
|
|
|
|
| FTL40 | | Jupiter | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 13/10/2009 | | Posts | : | 1,122 | | Location | : | massachusetts, United States |
|
| | Posted : 14 Apr 2010 - 14:14 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: HooRad) | | | wonder if they would work with EZ brackets
| 2010 tbird 1700 silver (fastest color) BC exhaust, BC airbox removal
|
|
|
|
| zolti | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 23/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 3,127 | | Location | : | newcastle , United Kingdom |
|
| | Posted : 14 Apr 2010 - 17:13 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: HooRad) | | | definitly look better under the pillion, seem to sit very well and look a neat fit 
dont forget to protect your paint work?
|
|
|
|
| mat1600 | | Thunderbird | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 06/03/2010 | | Posts | : | 8,596 | | Location | : | Bridlington, Democratic Independant State of Yorkshire, United Kingdom |
|
| | Posted : 14 Apr 2010 - 19:18 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: HooRad) | | | Yip -- These are the ones for me. They look pretty cool. Is black the only colour - I don't suppose they do blue with a white stripe do they ? Very smart and good pics - cheers.
| My first natural instinct is to breathe. My second is to evade tax's.
|
|
|
|
| feduke | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 11/08/2009 | | Posts | : | 2,441 | | Location | : | Daytona Beach, Florida, United States |
|
| | Posted : 14 Apr 2010 - 21:25 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: mat1600) | | | Tourmaster makes great stuff. Nice choice. They look like they were born there.
| I'm a secondhand vegetarian. Cows eat grass. I eat cows.
|
|
|
|
| HooRad | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 19/01/2010 | | Posts | : | 280 | | Location | : | Richmond, VA, United States |
|
| | Posted : 15 Apr 2010 - 17:28 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: zolti) | | |
zolti wrote:
dont forget to protect your paint work? |
|
I forgot to mention that they come with a fairly soft cushoined innre liner to protect the paint. I haven't had the chance to load them up and take the on the road to see if they protect from scratches at all. They seem pretty soft, though. Then again, I get swirls in my paint just from looking at the bird the wrong way, so all bets are off!
| Not likely to die of natural causes. At least I hope not.
|
|
|
|
| FTL40 | | Jupiter | | | | Reg. Date | : | 13/10/2009 | | Posts | : | 1,122 | | Location | : | massachusetts, United States |
|
| | Posted : 15 Apr 2010 - 18:30 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: HooRad) | | | think the bags could be used with ez brackets? or would they need some sort of frame made inside
| 2010 tbird 1700 silver (fastest color) BC exhaust, BC airbox removal
|
|
|
|
| feduke | | Thor | | | | Reg. Date | : | 11/08/2009 | | Posts | : | 2,441 | | Location | : | Daytona Beach, Florida, United States |
|
| | Posted : 15 Apr 2010 - 19:31 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: FTL40) | | | RE: EASY BRACKETS
You would have to make a solid piece of something to fit against the inside of the back of the bag. The brackets need a place for 4 bolts with washers to grab on to. It would be far better if it were solid and should work well. The brackets are great though and wouldn't need all of the material and laces to fit over the fender (and risk scratching it.)
The guys at the company are great and I am sure they could help you. They may even already have a solution. Go to their web page for the 800 number and give them a call.
| I'm a secondhand vegetarian. Cows eat grass. I eat cows.
| | Post edited by feduke on 15 Apr 2010 - 19:32 |
|
|
|
| Kando | | Chaac | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 08/11/2009 | | Posts | : | 780 | | Location | : | United States |
|
| | Posted : 17 Apr 2010 - 04:26 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: HooRad) | | | Great job Hoo...I was thinking about these too, contacted Tourmaster for sizing and they said they wouldn't fit the TBird. Thanks for proving them wrong. I like the HardStreet solid bags posted elsewhere but can't afford the high cost yet. These for less than $125 are very nice looking and functional. I was wondering about how they would hook up, over & under the seat. Thank God under looks better as for a passenger over looks to hurt the wifey. Looks like I'l be ordering those too and thanks again I was wondering about the large vs Xtra lrg. Keep us posted on the performance loaded.  
|
|
|
|
| Kando | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 08/11/2009 | | Posts | : | 780 | | Location | : | United States |
|
| | Posted : 28 Apr 2010 - 04:29 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: HooRad) | | | Hoo....have you loaded up the bags yet? any update on how they are doing? any flapping around? I am getting ready to order soon.
|
|
|
|
| Kando | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 08/11/2009 | | Posts | : | 780 | | Location | : | United States |
|
| | Posted : 01 May 2010 - 21:58 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: HooRad) | | | HooRad,
I just got my tourmaster lll also and was trying ti install. I have a couple of obstacles. I have the Sissy bar spacers to contend with and it makes it hard to wrap the bags close. from the looks of it you don't have the spacers to deal with. I tried fitting them with the Sissybar in place and almost had it except with the xtra stretch of the cross over support I couldn't fit the small passenger seat back on. I tried again without the sissybar and got them tied down but when I had them tight they were running against the tire. How tight are they in your setup and stil leave ample clearance for the tire? btw I thought of a slightly cleaner setup for the front straps. I am looking for a better loop to use but I hooked the 2 females over the battery down the spce between the fram and in back of the shock. I connected them with an old dog collar by running through them and clipping it. Once I find another solution to the dog collar I'll let you know but it is much easier to hook up.
|
|
|
|
| HooRad | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 19/01/2010 | | Posts | : | 280 | | Location | : | Richmond, VA, United States |
|
| | Posted : 02 May 2010 - 20:14 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: Kando) | | | Kando - I don't think the sissy bar spools gave me too much problem. How many rows did you skip with the lacing? I can't remember for sure, but I think I skipped two. Mine were a couple inches off the wheel and looked like they would stay clear. Since I haven't ridden with them loaded, or with a pillion, for that matter, I'm not sure if that is enough, though. Since I have recently installed the dual touring seat, my fitting will definitely change. I'll have to try to re-position them, with and without the sissy bar. I like your dog collar solution, though. Very inventive. As a dog guy, I have a few spares laying around, so I'll give it a try!
| Not likely to die of natural causes. At least I hope not.
|
|
|
|
| Kando | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 08/11/2009 | | Posts | : | 780 | | Location | : | United States |
|
| | Posted : 03 May 2010 - 14:58 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: HooRad) | | | HooRad,
I will take another look at my lacing job maybe it's not high enough. can you get me a little more detail o how the straps hang under the fender for the rear support? I had actually wrapped them around the signal stocks and then accross to the male clips. maybe it wa too tight of a connection squeezing the bags to the wheels.
|
|
|
|
| Flash | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 07/02/2010 | | Posts | : | 165 | | Location | : | South Coast, MA, United States |
|
| | Posted : 04 May 2010 - 02:36 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: HooRad) | | |
HooRad wrote:
Kando - I don't think the sissy bar spools gave me too much problem. How many rows did you skip with the lacing? I can't remember for sure, but I think I skipped two. Mine were a couple inches off the wheel and looked like they would stay clear. Since I haven't ridden with them loaded, or with a pillion, for that matter, I'm not sure if that is enough, though. Since I have recently installed the dual touring seat, my fitting will definitely change. I'll have to try to re-position them, with and without the sissy bar. |
|
Quick question for you: Were you able to mount the bags under the dual touring seat without issue?
I have the dual touring seat also. The Cruiser II Slant bags I mounted underneath the seat were overlapped at the yokes to give the bags clearance over the pipes. I could not bolt the seat down because of the extra fabric thickness under the seat. So I had to cut back on the length of the yokes to make only a single layre of material under the seat, (no overlap). But, the back fitting of the seat still doesn't line up true with the mounting hole in the fender.
Marty
| 2010 Blue TBird-1700
Triumph Rally: May 28,29,30, 2020; Bennington, VT, USA
Link
|
|
|
|
| Kando | | Chaac | | | | Reg. Date | : | 08/11/2009 | | Posts | : | 780 | | Location | : | United States |
|
| | Posted : 04 May 2010 - 04:03 Post title : Re: Fitted my new Tourmaster Cruiser III slant saddlebags (Re: HooRad) | | | HooRad,
I see from your pics that there is 2 sets of holes that you skipped. I show 2 also, can you get me any more detail on the under the fender hookup? thanks! also as to the other question, how difficult was it to put the small seat back on with the 2 overlapping layers? I am also looking to get the Touring seat, is it easier to mount under that one? and pics of that setup?
|
|
|