Put bags on the bike

[indo]

After 1000 miles everything is just fine on the set up although I changed the lower brackets to phenolic resin 6-8mm because there was a little too much flex in the aluminum brackets. I have used phenolic for a number of years and its successor G10 in the boating industry. Some of you guys are lucky in different states as your roads are a lot better than here in California. They are just atrocious! So, if the saddlebags/fender can survive here in the land that can't seem to keep up the roads it should be good to go on much better roads.

[pcarrell]

I am not crazy.....I wore it at home while watching your Toronto team and Ottawa play to get used to the way the helmet fit...

OK, I was going to dispute the first part of this, but I had no idea that you were going to make my case for me!

[greenbarn]

Damn thieves everywhere.   

[CDNRatMan]

I am not crazy.....I wore it at home while watching your Toronto team and Ottawa play to get used to the way the helmet fit....duh ....now get back on course about saddlebags........

[RockinRollin]

Ok, I'll bite. You wore a bike helmet to a hockey game? Must have been a Canadian hockey game.

[CDNRatMan]

  PC the really sad part, is I bought that for inclement weather, and I never got a chance to wear it that trip, and only really wore one night to watch a hockey game to see how it fit..........my new sissy bar pack has a spot big enough for a full face helmet and so it is now secured.

[pcarrell]

In the State of Maryland 2015 I stopped at an accident and when I returned to my bike someone had lightened my load and removed a full face helmet and bag from under my cargo net.......I have since unfriended the offending state and all its people.

Well, that's those freaks out there on the east coast!  I mean, I wouldn't want someones stinky old full face helmet.  That's just nasty!

[CDNRatMan]

  In the State of Maryland 2015 I stopped at an accident and when I returned to my bike someone had lightened my load and removed a full face helmet and bag from under my cargo net.......I have since unfriended the offending state and all its people.

[pcarrell]

Those bags rock!

[mittico68]

I wonder if anyone had parts stolen off their Drifters when out and about?

It's 18 years now since I bought my Drifter and, fortunately, I've never had nothing stolen off it.
But it happened many years ago that a "nice" fellow stole a headlight off my car, while parked in a open lot... Too bad!

[Trall]

Wow those are sweet looking.  I have Viking trunk that locks and high quality.  What a great price......
I wonder if anyone had parts stolen off their Drifters when out and about?

[bambam0099]

While I absolutely love the Iron T bags, two things are preventing me from considering them at the moment, price and the fact I can't lock them.  Surely, someone would steal them.

While perusing around looking at other bags, I came across these new bags from Viking.   Hmmmmm, might actually look good on my Drifter and for $399, how can you lose?!

https://www.vikingbags.com/indian-chief-vintage-motorcycle-saddlebags.htm

[Old Drifter]

I cut those ugly ears off of the frame that hold the original bags. They are just plain fugly! The underside of the fender has three layers of 6oz glass more than enough to strengthen the fender. Plus, the bags are not full all the time and it leaves the bags level with the rack which the original brackets do not.

Wow, seems like cutting off the frame ear mounting tabs is a drastic measure to make it more eye appealing. Cutting off the mounting tabs now limits your mounting choices. A safer alternative would have been to find the correct Drifter solo seat. The skirt would have hidden the tabs.

[Trall]

 Looking great.  I guess my only concern with the mods is the additional stress on the plastic fender accounting for your glass reinforcement with that be enough over time not to stress crack the plastic fender over time or worse breakage?  Also handling with the weight off the factory ears for frame displacement of the weight for bags to all directly on the  suspension and fender support if that will affect the handling and suspension.  I guess you don't ever plan to use  a double seat set-up, sissy bar, or factory racks for it.  That really limits your future options without the frame ears.  Keep us posted over time how things go.

Seedman bag brackets to the frame ears are the safest and 100% tested designed by Kaw engineers for bag weight.  I don't know if anyone here has gone that far with removing the frame ears and putting all the weight on the fender and moving suspension, if so post up on your results.

[CDNRatMan]

powder coat them......

[Zoar]

Well, I had ordered the brackets from Starklite to fit the original rack but I had been waiting 6 weeks for them and just got tired of waiting. So, I made them. Went to the metal supply and bought some aluminum. Unfortunately, since it was scrap it did have some scrapes but I buffed it as good as I could. Hand bend on the radiuses and I made a lower bracket to go on the top bolt of the bracket holding the fender. As I stated in another post, I throughly glassed the under side of the rear fender to make it beefier. It is definitely solid. Since it is a part of the fender it moves with the motion. The advantage to this design is that you can put any type of bag on it as long as it clears the pipe. However, these are not quick detach unless one were to put jam nuts on the bolts on the brackets and use wing nuts to fasten the bags on. The wing nuts would have to be secured from backing out. And then you would have the face of the bracket protruding. So, for all intents and purposes they are semi-permanent. Rack is still fully functional. I utilized Viking Bags as they are very robust and inexpensive. Someday maybe I'll put some Traveleer bags on. Here are some pictures and the last one of my Moto Guzzi which I did a very similar design on.

I dig the red rims!!

Where can I get my rims made red like that??

[indo]

I cut those ugly ears off of the frame that hold the original bags. They are just plain fugly! The underside of the fender has three layers of 6oz glass more than enough to strengthen the fender. Plus, the bags are not full all the time and it leaves the bags level with the rack which the original brackets do not.

[OR Seedman]

Not sure why you would want to put the extra weight and stress on the PLASTIC fender and have all your stuff bounce around....there are options for rigid saddlebag mounts that attach to the seat frame on the 1500 and allow the rear fender to float independently from the bags....and not shake all your stuff around...just my opinion...plus replacement fenders are getting really hard to find....

[bambam0099]

...Someday maybe I'll put some Traveleer bags on....

I think the Iron T saddle bags are the most beautiful bags made.

I think they would look awesome on my bike but I need to see if they lock because if not, someone would surely steal them easily.  Alot of money but you get what you pay for.

http://www.ironbags.com/photo_gallery.phtml#ironT

[indo]

Yes they do move with the fender/swingarm, as one unit. I have pictures of bags on '51-'53 Chiefs with the brackets (original) but the brackets are too obscured to see exactly what they are. I particularly wanted to have the option of camping with the bike and the rack is a must for the tent/sleeping bag as they will not fit in the bags. This system would also work with hard bags. Took her for a ride yesterday and everything functioned perfectly. Thanks for the compliments.

[pcarrell]

Looks like a very clean installation.  Do the bags move with the fender then, since the fender is attached to the suspension?

[bambam0099]

Geez, that came out really nice and clean!  Nice job!

[CDNRatMan]

  very well done.....

[outlaw]

That is very neat, looks the part.

[indo]

Well, I had ordered the brackets from Starklite to fit the original rack but I had been waiting 6 weeks for them and just got tired of waiting. So, I made them. Went to the metal supply and bought some aluminum. Unfortunately, since it was scrap it did have some scrapes but I buffed it as good as I could. Hand bend on the radiuses and I made a lower bracket to go on the top bolt of the bracket holding the fender. As I stated in another post, I throughly glassed the under side of the rear fender to make it beefier. It is definitely solid. Since it is a part of the fender it moves with the motion. The advantage to this design is that you can put any type of bag on it as long as it clears the pipe. However, these are not quick detach unless one were to put jam nuts on the bolts on the brackets and use wing nuts to fasten the bags on. The wing nuts would have to be secured from backing out. And then you would have the face of the bracket protruding. So, for all intents and purposes they are semi-permanent. Rack is still fully functional. I utilized Viking Bags as they are very robust and inexpensive. Someday maybe I'll put some Traveleer bags on. Here are some pictures and the last one of my Moto Guzzi which I did a very similar design on.