Motorcycle Saddlebags Installation For Safe Riding

• Table of Contents
• 1. Overthrow bags
• 2. Luggage Racks
• 3. The Final Nail

Those motorcycle riders and riding enthusiasts who do not have built-in motorcycle luggage space needed to install some luggage on their bikes. Motorcycle saddlebags are the most used common bags among the riders. They can give a great new look to the bike while increasing your space and reducing the stress or carrying stuff. There are a lot of options available and at times it becomes difficult too.

1. Overthrow bags

Make sure to take the measurements of your bike before buying a bag. These measurements include distance rider’s seat to rear blinkers and distance from fender to exhaust. This will help you select the right bag for your bike. To protect the bag from damage, make sure there is a clearance of a few inches between the exhaust and the bottom of the bag. Following is a guide for your motorcycle saddlebag installation.

Most of the overthrow bags have an adjustment option that holds two bags together. All you have to do is adjust it according to your liking and throw the bags over or under the seat. Do check your bag and tighten the mounting straps every time before getting on the bike. This will take very little of your time and save you from big troubles.

2. Luggage Racks

Semi-hard or hard luggage requires rack or mount installation. Some bags come with the installation kit while others don’t so in that case you have to get one that is suitable for the bag. There are a lot of mounting systems that offer quick mount and dismount option, go for those if you can.

These mounting brackets have one or multiple points to be hanged. Using a torque wrench will definitely get the job done easily! Replacing and dismounting these racks is not much of a problem either. There you go, now you have a quick mounting and dismounting bag.

Of course, making sure of the proper positioning of the bolts and either they are tightened appropriately is important. If your rack is still free from one end or floats and shakes at times then get it checked or see if something is wrong. Then the next step is to get the problem fixed. If not fixed on time it could worsen the situation and ruin your trip right in the middle of things. Mounting a rack does not mean you should forget about the ground and exhaust clearance unless you want your bag ruined and luggage distributed over the road. Here are a few more tips on how to take care of your luggage.

Wait we are not done yet. You have to check the mounting hardware from time to time and see for any problems. Bolts could loosen up with time, bars could be fractured or rusted, or you could have just missed a bolt.

3. The Final Nail

Either it is hard to bag or soft, installing a saddle bag should be followed by some important things. Firm attachment, the bag or rack should not flap even when off-roading, there should be clearance between bag, exhaust, road, and wheel. Most of the bags come with a guide so make sure you follow that. If you decide to go on your own path while installing the bag or rack it will take more time and you can end up wasting time instead of figuring out how to do the installation properly.

Read the instructions properly and get familiarized. Gather any tools you need before starting the job this will not only save your time but protect you from a headache. Protect painted parts of the bike from bolts, racks, and studded parts of the bags. After you are all done and sure everything is right, check it again.

What I do is after doing the job, I take some time off, watch TV or do some other work and return to check it after that. This takes my mind off things and I’m open to seeing flaws if there are any. Remember if you tighten or fasten very few bolts and straps the bag is more likely to get off the bike and go its own way.