Hi everyone, I just needed to let you all know about my little meltdown yesterday. I bought a set of Nelson Rigg saddlebags (CDSB-1000 CRUISER SADDLEBAGS) a few days ago and for several days everything was fine. Yesterday, though while I was on my way back from a meeting, somehow the right saddlebag slipped down and touched on the exhaust. I didn't notice until I stopped and by then it was too late to save either the rain cover or the bag. These bags are throwover bags which use velcro to secure them to one another, and buckle anchors to secure them to the frame. I had to do a couple of mods as the frame anchors didn't seem to fit anywhere on my Vulcan, but as I said they were fine for several days. Then meltdown city. I am bummed because I am sure it was something I did, but I can't for the life of me figure out what made them shift. The left bag didn't seem like it had moved at all. Anyhoo I just had to let off some steam and let you guys know that these may not be the deal they appear to be at first. :mad: :confused:

Glad you said something Kait.The Gremlins strike again.Sorry for you misfortune. I am thinking about getting a set of throwovers myself I will be extra careful securing them.I am as new to saddlebags as you are.Always had hard bags on previous bikes that were there when I bought them.Beter luck with your next set.

Bummer Kait.
I currently have a set of Willie & Max bags mounted as throw-overs, which haven't been any problem, but I'm waiting for a set of MotoPak nylon bags to show up any day now.

Do you have any kind of saddle bag supports on your bike?
I don't now, but if the nylon bags look like they might come too close to the exhaust, I just may have to see about making a set. I think the bags I'm waiting for are a little smaller than the CDSB 1000's.

Maybe now you can turn the remaining good bag into a tankbag ?

I have the Willie and Max also. I mounted the throw over part under the seat. The bags unzip for easy removal. I run supports also.

I wish my W&M bags had the zipper! That's one of the reasons I got the Motopak ones (they have the zipper).
But more than likely, if I mount them under the seat, I figure I'll probably need the supports.
Just gotta wait till they show up to find out for sure.

Okay, since I started this thread I guess I can modify it a bit. Can anyone out there who has made a set of saddlebag supports make a second one for my bike and I will pay him 40 bucks plus shipping to my house? I am sick and tired of trying to find a decent price on the damn things and I REFUSE to pay over 165$ for the Kaw set. After the meltdown of the Nelson Rigg set I am down to 60 bucks that I can afford for the supports. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Kait:motorcycl

Hey Fergy, you listening?

I went to get the supports and bags I won on ebay put on my bike today... I don't know if it is just me and the guys at the Ducati dealership (he used to sell Kaws but no more), but these things DO NOT FIT. At least we can't make them. I think we were just unwilling for the bags to look like they were on a tilt a whirl (whee) but I just wasn't going to look like that... I have no idea what we were doing wrong, but we just couldn't fit them... So, I said to hell with it, I will sell the ones I have on ebay, and ordered the universal support from Willie and Max and some nice bags all for the price Kaw wanted for the supports.

DONE with EBAY! Well, after I win or lose that damn rear luggage rack I am paying too much for...

grumpy grumpy grumpy.... :mad: :mad: :mad:

The guys at the shop were great though. Despite it all they changed my oil, soldered (sp?) my stator wires and took off and put back on my t/s for 30$ worth of labor... pretty damn nice. :smiley_th

Final chapter in the saddlebag saga

I got the saddlebags and Willie and Max supports today and the guys at the Ducati shop (Moto Milano in Windham, ME) just watched me and made sure I was doing it right... I also needed help taking off those damn helmet locks! We ended up getting them partly off and then cutting the stupid screws (with obvious blue loctite) off the bike. What a PITA! But I put the supports on (very easy) and then the bags... I am still deciding where I want the bags, but they look great and they are expandable to a huge size. I really like the shape and look of them. I will try to get pictures up in a few days.

but they look great and they are expandable to a huge size

(In Fat Bastard's voice):
Just like my belly! Baby, get in my Belly!

Good to hear these ones worked out for ya Kait !
My helmet locks were snug, and ya could see the loctite on them, but they came off pretty easily. No cutting needed. I'm still looking the bike over to see if there's some other place I might mount the locks. I did see something kind of like the T.S. relocation brackets Knifemaker made that had helmet locks instead of T.S.'s, so maybe something like that.

Wow, guess I was sleeping or working for once!

Mine are throw overs, but they're permanently mounted. They go under my seat, and I had to cut out holes where the bolts are for my luggage rack to get my seat to fit over them. Plus, I had to cut holes in them for where the supports bolt on to the side. So, they can't slip. My supports are made from 1/2" copper pipe with 90 degree elbows to make the bends. Ends are hammered flat and drilled to mount under the grab bar. Wrapped them in black electrical tape to hide the copper. Some pics of them in my link in the sig.

So far no sagging and they stay full with my rain gear, a light jacket and my bike cover, some assorted tools etc.

I have a set of bags that are leather and have the KAW logo on them. They are swingovers but here's the interesting thing. They are not connected in the middle, from one side to the other, they are held together with a few beefed up zip ties underneath the seat. They are not attached to the frame just to each other.

Like I said I have no idea where they came from but they work really well. They are firm enough to not need a bag supports.

New to the forum and trying to contribute a little. Not sure what my point is here, or if I have one.

I have a set of bags that are leather and have the KAW logo on them. They are swingovers but here's the interesting thing. They are not connected in the middle, from one side to the other, they are held together with a few beefed up zip ties underneath the seat. They are not attached to the frame just to each other.

Like I said I have no idea where they came from but they work really well. They are firm enough to not need a bag supports.

New to the forum and trying to contribute a little. Not sure what my point is here, or if I have one.


You can probably find out what model they are by going to buykawasaki.com and looking them up... did you get them new? did they come with the bike? It sounds like the beefed up zip ties are probably a mod someone did when they couldn't make the original ties work.

kait