Saddle Up!

Motorcycles are not known for their practicality. Specifically, one usually doesn't see many bikes parked outside the grocery store on a weekend or at a campsite. When it comes to hauling anything, bikes are severely limited. Sure, there are some bikes that are equip with more capacity than others; and yes, there are trailers available for some models, but you don't really purchase a motorcycle for the intention of hauling groceries or taking the kids camping. 

No place to put the tent!

Many will insist that you should never have really any storage on a motorcycle. I have spoken to many who insist that saddlebags, trunks, satchels or other storage options not only add weight but take away from the pure look of the bike. I get it. I understand why some would prefer a minimalist approach; but I also understand that some practicality can go a long way. 

Even the full touring package does not offer tons of storage.

On the old Suzuki I had in my younger years I was desperate for storage. I honestly didn't really like the way the bike looked and was constantly trying to make it appear more like a touring bike instead. The bike came with a small luggage rack and an old plastic trunk that mounted onto the rack but it looked stupid alone. Just the trunk made the back look heavy. Luckily, my grandfather who was always on the lookout for a bargain, found and gave to me a set of black "leather" bags. These faux leather bags were throw-overs: take the seat up, place them over the rear fender and go! They weren't the best but they made me so happy. The look of the bike had been much improved.

Dad only had saddlebags on his 1960. The other two, his daily riders, had no bags. Instead he strapped bags onto the sissy bar on the back of the seat for storage. Strangely, he would often go to the store on these bikes and buy groceries, requiring him to perform a juggling act on the bike. This didn't seem to phase him much. At his skill level he could have ridden with a baby in one hand and never dropped him. 

Pretty, but bulky.

He didn't like the bulk that the saddlebags added. They limited his mobility and added weight to the bike providing a manoeuvrability nightmare. I could understand but at the same time I couldn't. It was weird. Why would you not put bags on something you use so frequently to make purchases? 

All you need to haul a week's worth of groceries according to Dad.

To each their own. I enjoy having the small increase in storage and practicality that saddlebags provide so I will always have them. 

My uncle's bike, the inspiration for my own adventure, also came equipped with saddlebags. These however, are not leather as one would expect. Instead they are made from a fiberglass material and are quite rigid. Although I was not excited about these "plastic" looking saddlebags at first, I quickly grew to love their retro look and practicality. I don't have to worry if they get wet. 

Restoration

The bags that came on the bike seemed like they were in good shape but looks are deceiving. The more I dig into this bike the more of the "southern" engineering I am beginning to notice. We recently found out that the bags are actually two different bags made of two different materials. One is made from fiberglass and is original and the other is made from plastic and is aftermarket. I will say that the aftermarket one looks very close. We only found out when we drilled out the old bags. 

But here I am rambling again. Here's what we did.

The bags are intended for quick removal. There are two keyed pins with grooves in them that simply turn in the grove and pop out. Once you remove these the bags lift right out. It really could not be any easier. 

Once they were out my wife got to work on cleaning and restoring them. The bags have grooves on the sides which, on a police bike, will have a sticker or plaque saying "POLICE" or something similar. It is unlawful to have these badges displayed in my state so the previous owner removed them. However instead of leaving it blank or putting a decorative insert inside he stuck a poorly placed red reflective sticker that looked awful. Using some heat my wife was able to remove this insert with ease. 

The larger red reflective sticker sitting in the insert groove. A little heat removed this sticker!

There was also a red plastic reflector on the side of the bag. We are aiming for a clean look, without red or orange so we decided to replace it with a black and white reflector. I bought these relfectors, which are standard, since it would compliment the colors of the bike. In order to remove the old ones my wife, once again, applied heat to the area and slowly worked the reflector off with a screwdriver and razor blade. Once it was removed she used heat and the razor to carefully remove the adhesive and level the surface as best she could. Once it was clean she simply stuck the reflector on and held it in place with pressure for a few minutes.

Sticker removed and new reflector applied! Notice the holes drilled for the new inserts. 

Changing the inserts was a bit more complicated. I left this job to my uncle as he is far superior when it comes to precision work. He provided me with some aluminum, grooved inserts which had 3 threaded studs coming out the back. Before we drilled my wife spent about 30 minutes cleaning and polishing them with a buffing wheel for magnificent results. Once buffed my uncle used some paint on each end of the studs and then placed the studs on the insert area. This created a perfect templete for him to drill the needed holes for the bags. This wasn't a quick process. He had to slowly expand the holes in order to get them just right. It was a pretty involved procedure but one that came with incredible results. If you intend to replace these inserts I cannot stress the slow but steady part enough. It is very difficult to repair these bags and even more costly to replace them. 

Before and after comparison of the polishing. The aluminum shined like chrome. 

There are some differences to discuss between a Road King and a Road King Police model. The Police model does not use the same latching system. Where my insert goes is where the normal latch would go on a Road King. Instead of side latches there are "hockey puck" turn knobs on the top of the bags that provide quicker access to the bags.The police bags also have a black strip above the recessed area for the insert that is a pain to find and replace. Finally, the bags use wires to hold the lid in place when open. After using both styles I must say that I prefer the quicker access afforded by the police models. 

Cleaned and reinstalled. The picture cannot capture all of the shininess! 

My wife, again and as usual, spent around an hour with rubbing compound and wax in order to restore the bags shine and remove all the dirt and grime from what seems like years of neglect. The end results look amazing. I had no idea those bags could glow as they do now!