Leatherlyke Saddlebags

[dallastar]

how many different ways can i say these are a bad cheap setup ...they were on bike when i bought my 98 standard [I would never recommended theses bags to anyone] with that said  they all break at the rear eye hole mount from stress or whatever [yes ive even contacted leatherlyke and their very aware of this problem/issue way b4 i called ] yet they have no help or fix or any replacement at all [well underconditions they might] but their not in biz to fix or replace ...
with that said I ask this   has anyone repaired fixed the Leatherlyke bags [yes i seen the guys fix in shoptalk] i dont hav a to shop to be banging out metal to repair like that ....
there has to be a way to repair the gromit hole area reinforce it   or something to lift bag up and not hav weight on that area
any ideas suggestions  ...other then getting rid of bags lol  althou im really thinking about that also

[BF]

I could be wrong, but I think Daniel Meyer had some kind of fix for the LeatherLykes at one time.  Check with him. 

[Daniel Meyer]

Yep, they suck.

http://lifeisaroad.com/stories/2004/10/27/leatherlykeProblemsAndModifications.html

-dm

[dallastar]

yes as i stated ive already seen/read this      i dont hav the shop nor time to do this at this time     

Yep, they suck.

http://lifeisaroad.com/stories/2004/10/27/leatherlykeProblemsAndModifications.html

-dm

[The Anvil]

Well, to repair something like that you could do composite materials like fiberglass. You can work fiberglass in your kitchen with basic tools like scissors. The most difficult part is the mixing of the resin. You'll need an accurate scale.

[dallastar]

NOPE on fiber glass  the owner b4 me already tired that and it dont stick/stay its all weak and broken  its craps also

when i called Leatherlyke i also sent them pics of the damage  and they seen the attempted  fiberglass repair job and they said no no no,,,  NO fiberglass will  adher to their bag material AND GUESS WHAT THIER RIGHT LOL

Well, to repair something like that you could do composite materials like fiberglass. You can work fiberglass in your kitchen with basic tools like scissors. The most difficult part is the mixing of the resin. You'll need an accurate scale.

[The Anvil]

NOPE on fiber glass  the owner b4 me already tired that and it dont stick/stay its all weak and broken  its craps also

when i called Leatherlyke i also sent them pics of the damage  and they seen the attempted  fiberglass repair job and they said no no no,,,  NO fiberglass will  adher to their bag material AND GUESS WHAT THIER RIGHT LOL

Well, to repair something like that you could do composite materials like fiberglass. You can work fiberglass in your kitchen with basic tools like scissors. The most difficult part is the mixing of the resin. You'll need an accurate scale.

Well they're kind of right. But it's not the glass that sticks, it's the resin. You have to choose the right one. I can make the right resin stick to just about anything. But if that's already been tried then it's probably not worth attempting again.

[rodeo1]

take them to a body shop that has a plastic welder. they have ABS plastic sticks that will repair it 100%

then don't load them down past there limit. i've had a set on mine since 99, they are still pristeen and are going to barstow ca to live with their new owner. like anything made of ABS plastic, they have their limits.

[The Anvil]

take them to a body shop that has a plastic welder. they have ABS plastic sticks that will repair it 100%

then don't load them down past there limit. i've had a set on mine since 99, they are still pristeen and are going to barstow ca to live with their new owner. like anything made of ABS plastic, they have their limits.

That doesn't really explain Daniel's failure. He only had 14 lbs in it.

I gotta say, I looked at their mounting system and was shocked at how under engineered it is. 

[art]

I did the same repair with thin sheet alum. and it has held for 5 years so far.
for the price it's kinda hard to complain too much .I guess I'm stuck with them for now

[Farther]

Maybe try a big-ass fender washer.  Fender washers are lighter in weight and easier to bend and are available in various inside hole/outside diameter combinations as big as 60 mm OD.   http://www.zorotools.com/g/00056672/k-G3015354?utm_source=google%20shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google%2BShopping%2BFeed&kw={keyword}&gclid=CKWP45jDqqsCFQx3gwod3nTPzw

[Momz]

A cheap alternative is to replace your bags with large ammo cases from your local Army surplus store.
If you break those, you'd break anything without toching them.

I just bought a set today because I'm sick and tired of the OEM  leather bags sagging, leaking, openg and closing them takes forever and looking like crap. Yep 50 caliber ammo boxes are cheap, strong and look sooo baaad too.

[Fritz The Cat]

Well hell, just went out and looked at mine and sure enough they're the Leatherlykes. And yep, the mounting is definitely under engineered. Pisses me off how some motorcycle accessories are over priced junk. 

[Earl in Pensacola]

A friend bought a standard with leatherlykes and yep there was splitting around the mounting holes.  And Yep the company was no help.  So, we found a couple of strong thin steel strips that fit just right above the mounting holes, where the pressure of the weight is.  We laid down a layer of JB Weld, then the strips, then more JB Weld.  The only modification he had to make was to bend the locking latch arm a little so that it would still lock.  So far, it's held for a month or so. 

[MarkT]

I wrote up this repair about 10 years ago.  You can do it with hand tools - tin snips, pop riveter, drill.
http://www.horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/LL_Reinforcement_Mod/ll_reinforcement_mod.html

It's just a piece of 22ga steel on both sides of the plastic, sandwiching it.  This lasted for many years until I had a wreck which ruined the bags and other parts & then the insurance paid to replace them - so I went to Nationals, much better quality.

[Farther]

A cheap alternative is to replace your bags with large ammo cases from your local Army surplus store.
If you break those, you'd break anything without toching them.  I just bought a set today because I'm sick and tired of the OEM  leather bags sagging, leaking, openg and closing them takes forever and looking like crap. Yep 50 caliber ammo boxes are cheap, strong and look sooo baaad too.

Cheap isn't always better.  .50 caliber ammo can hold alot of .50 caliber rounds but not so much other stuff.  If you wanted to go cheaper and unusual probably Pelican cases would work better, hold more and be easier to work with, not to mention the right color.

[rodeo1]

leatherlike makes pretty nice stuff, but yes the mounts do leave a bit to be desired. but ! i drilled a 1/4 inch hole toward the bottom ind through my trailer hitch, then used a 2 inch fender washer on both sides of the bags with a 1/4 inch bolt and nylock nut through the hitch. been there since 99 with zero cracking at the mount holes.

it don't take a rocket scientist to see the way they are mounted is not a freind to vibration and weight. all they needed was a little reinforcement. what mark designed will do the job fine. my repair did well too, and made them really solid. they are really nice looking bags.

[RUDE DOG - Steelers]

A cheap alternative is to replace your bags with large ammo cases from your local Army surplus store.
If you break those, you'd break anything without toching them.

I just bought a set today because I'm sick and tired of the OEM  leather bags sagging, leaking, openg and closing them takes forever and looking like crap. Yep 50 caliber ammo boxes are cheap, strong and look sooo baaad too.

I kind of like the ammo box idea.  How heavy are they though?  I guess I could mount them with EZ brackets.  Let me know how it goes.

[Farther]

Here's a solution:  http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,33223.msg0.html#new

[BonS]

I kind of like the ammo box idea.  How heavy are they though?  I guess I could mount them with EZ brackets.  Let me know how it goes.

If you like EZ brackets you might want to check out Edge Brackets, formerly known as Ghost Brackets.
http://www.edgeleather.com/Honda-Motorcycles/Honda-Valkyrie-Models/Valkyrie-F6C-1997-to-2006.html

[designer]

I wrote up this repair about 10 years ago.  You can do it with hand tools - tin snips, pop riveter, drill.
http://www.horseapple.com/Valkyrie/Tech_Tips/LL_Reinforcement_Mod/ll_reinforcement_mod.html

It's just a piece of 22ga steel on both sides of the plastic, sandwiching it.  This lasted for many years until I had a wreck which ruined the bags and other parts & then the insurance paid to replace them - so I went to Nationals, much better quality.

impressive fix.  although fiberglas depends on a mechanical bond, in most cases unless the surface area is big or you make a chemical bond between both sides via, the fiberglass its only as good as the surface area its sticking too... PSI over the surface area.  Most fiberglas repairs are cosmetic if your depending on an area to hold weight a insert is required with long fiber strands to hold the load over a large area.

I like your fix and if you want to dress it up add fiberglas and paint.

[rodeo1]

while i still don't really reccomend fiberglass over abs plastic, it can be done. chemical bond aside, and i'm not convinced of that, (too many years repairing corvettes in the body shops) what you have to do is grind the area you are glassing with at least a 40 grit wheel, that provides nice deep scratches for the resin to bite into. try grinding a peice of abs and you will know why i would reccomend something like marks rivet job. does anyone know what leatherlike did to improve them.

[Sigrún]

You will be pleased to know that LeatherLyke has listened.  I was inerested in buying new ones and inquired about the cracking.  Their response was that the Valkyrie product has been redesigned to eliminate cracking.

Good news if you want new ones, no news for those of you with the earlier product.

2nd that. Got a new set a while back after a little mishap that did the old ones in ( long story but it was not me  ) and the new ones are indeed redesigned and reinforced around the rear eyes. Seem to hold together a lot better, but no, I still don't think I would load a full 30 case of Miller High life in there for a 1500 mile weekend 

[Chiefy]

We get what we pay for.  The price of the better bags made my anal orifice pucker.  I wanted a bag with a lock, and that is reasonably rain-proof.  In general I don't like the way hard bags look.  So the LL was the closest thing that met my budget and needs.

[Chiefy]

Maybe try a big-ass fender washer.  Fender washers are lighter in weight and easier to bend and are available in various inside hole/outside diameter combinations as big as 60 mm OD.   http://www.zorotools.com/g/00056672/k-G3015354?utm_source=google%20shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google%2BShopping%2BFeed&kw={keyword}&gclid=CKWP45jDqqsCFQx3gwod3nTPzw

How would you mount?  4 screws or strong glue?

[Farther]

I have always like the mechanical joints but there are some incredible adhesives on the market.  However, I would use bolts, not screws, unless youn are using machine screws.  How about both bolts and adhesive?

[The Anvil]

while i still don't really reccomend fiberglass over abs plastic, it can be done. chemical bond aside, and i'm not convinced of that, (too many years repairing corvettes in the body shops) what you have to do is grind the area you are glassing with at least a 40 grit wheel, that provides nice deep scratches for the resin to bite into. try grinding a peice of abs and you will know why i would reccomend something like marks rivet job. does anyone know what leatherlike did to improve them.

You need an intermediate adhesive but it can be done. I've repaired a lot of ABS RC car bodies with glass reinforcement.

But I would do it in metal too assuming I had the equipment (which I do).

[Gore]

Yea, they're pretty flimsy.
That being said, and you having no real tool shop (me either), a fix still needs to happen.
I got some thin aluminum from hardware store, pounded it out on a blanket and some wood blocks to fit the contour and painted black. Then I loaded it up with silicone adhesive (caulk) and pop riveted it on.
Been working great for maybe 3 years now.
Oh and I took a large rubber stopper and a fender washer inside bag and attached to bottom corner of bag so it touches the fender. That helped a lot.

If you want to see pics let me know.

KevdkREMOVE2003@yahoo.com

[dallastar]

thank you very much

but now Ive done my poor mans fix   with plastic sense it is after all abs plastics   
i went got me [plastic epoxy] a purple tube syringe type and  glued a piece of plastic to damged area  and at this point im very impressed with that epoxy all my repair work was done inside no one will ever see the repair  ...but if someone looks close and knows about this area they can see the ole damage from out side  ..but i dont ride a show bike so it dont matter to me

i like the epoxy so much i fixed a broken part of BBQ grill and its still works ..im liking this plastic epoxy    i recommend it anyone now   $6 at Home depot

dont anyone ask for pics i dont have any

Yea, they're pretty flimsy.
That being said, and you having no real tool shop (me either), a fix still needs to happen.
I got some thin aluminum from hardware store, pounded it out on a blanket and some wood blocks to fit the contour and painted black. Then I loaded it up with silicone adhesive (caulk) and pop riveted it on.
Been working great for maybe 3 years now.
Oh and I took a large rubber stopper and a fender washer inside bag and attached to bottom corner of bag so it touches the fender. That helped a lot.

If you want to see pics let me know.

KevdkREMOVE2003@yahoo.com