Saddle Bags

[Shotgun]

I have a 98 Standard with OEM saddle bags.  I'm thinking about replacing them without going broke in the process.  I've been looking at the Viking bags.  They have a fiberglass shell covered with leather.  Does anyone have any experience with them? Thanks.

[rodeo1]

has anyone discussed with you what the OEM bags are worth on the market ? i wouldn't get to worried about breaking the bank. the last set i sold i got $1,000 for.

[9Ball]

has anyone discussed with you what the OEM bags are worth on the market ? i wouldn't get to worried about breaking the bank. the last set i sold i got $1,000 for.

not for the OEM leather bags....take a look at his avatar.

[Hef]

Go for the Tsukayu bags. They are a great heavy duty product and look great.

[BF]

What's your spendometer peg at before going broke.....and what's a good bag worth to you?  That's what your gotta ask yourself.  You honestly get what you pay for.  Your OEM leather bags are a very nice bag for a soft sided leather bag.  

I have them on my Valk.  

However, I want a hard bag that's bigger than what I've got and also lockable.  Looked long and hard and narrowed the choices down the OEM hard bags, Champion Patriot hard bags, Tsukayu bags, or Mustang bags.  

The OEM hardbags are hard to find in a very nice condition, and when and if you do, they're extreamly spendy....upwards to 1300 bucks for some......used.  Even beat up and trashed & rashed bags go for a more than what I think they're worth, 'cause then you gotta fix and paint them.  The Champions are upwards to 1500 bucks.  Ouch.  

Too rich for me.....narrowed the search down to the Tsukayu "Strong" bags or the Mustangs.  Tsukayu makes a fiberglass hard bag that they also offer covered in a leather looking material too.  The Mustangs come covered in the same stuff and are offered plan or studded.  

Found out later that the Mustangs are actually Tsukayu "Quick Release Strong" bags that are coverd in Mustangs material and in their style.  The studded Mustangs can be had for around 700 bucks, the plain cheaper.  The Tsukayu in the 600 plus range.  

The Tsukayu Strong bags mount with their mounting system (pretty stout looking)....and the Mustangs can mount with either an Easy bracket type mount.....OR.....you can use your existing OEM leather bag mounts to mount them with (an easy mod....just cut off the lower portion of the mount).  

The current problem with the Mustangs though is that they're out of stock everywhere.  I've had a set on back-order since early April.  I emailed Mustang the other day and got a response day before yesterday.  Direct quote (and in part)......

"We have the facts here for you.  Mustang is not the manufacturer; we are buying the saddlebags complete from a manufacturer in China.  They have been overwhelmed with orders from Mustang and others, and they have not been able to deliver as quickly as promised.  We have outstanding orders for nearly forty sets of bags at this time."

I assume that the "others" is Tsukayu.  

If you can afford them...and can wait to get them, the Mustangs and the Tsukayus are a great alternative to the Honda OEM hardbags...or any other hard bag.  

http://www.tsukayu.com/products.htm

http://www.mustangseats.com/

But if you like the look of a leather bag, and want the benefits of a hard bag, there's also BossBags....

http://www.bossbags.com/

Video of some guy with the Mustangs on his Yamaha (with a LeatherLyke trunk).....

MUSTANG HARD MOTORCYCLE SADDLEBAGS	powered by Aeva

Pic of a fellow VRCC'er with the Mustangs mounted with Easy Brackets....





Good luck in your search.  

[Shotgun]

Thanks for all the responses.  I like the look of the leather bag and the Mustangs are appealing because they look like they will match my Mustang seat pretty well.  I've looked at the Tsukayu but didn't want the extra expense of having them painted.  If the Mustangs really are  "private labeled" Tsukayu, then that may be the best way to go fo me.  Money never used to be an object.....until I got two kids in college.  That changed everything.  I was wondering about using my existing OEM bracket and figures I would have to cut off the bottom part of it.  I think I'll opt for another bracket because I'll probably sell my OEM baags with the brackets.  They are in great shape and not deformed the way a lot of them are and hopefully I can offset the cost of the new ones.  The only reason for the change is that I want something a little larger and I like the hard shell.  The Mustangs seem to fit the bill.