so i'm looking to buy saddlebags, probably one of those saddlebags + tailbag deals...any recommended sizes / brands?  and what to look for to shield from the heat from the exhaust?


- alex

something like this mayhaps?

http://www.newenough.com/tour_master_cortech_sport_saddle_bag_page.htm

or this?

http://www.newenough.com/joe_rocket_velocity_saddle_bag_page.htm

Those both look like decent setups.  

Here are a few related threads.  I found them by searching for "sport cortech":

Any experience with this soft luggage?

Wanted: Tour Master Cortech SPORT tank, tail and saddlebags

Saddlebags for Sport Touring[/list:u]You might also try searching for other related terms.  Maybe "saddlebags", "luggage", etc.  There must be some informative posts out there that don't mention "Cortech" or "sport".   Here's one: Try keyword "luggage" and author "Kerry".  

PS - If you care to borrow my non-Sport set of Tour Master Cortech bags (THIS plus THIS) ... let me know!  I'd be willing to send them to you (for the cost of shipping) for, say, 2 months for you to try out.  That way you could see what you think and get a better idea of what you're looking for.

Try these.  I don't have them but a guy on a DL650 site said that these
were a good deal.  Price is right.


http://accwhse.com/nelson_r.htm#Saddlebags

Which of these saddle bags can you get a helmet into ? Just the expandable ones?

kerry, thanks for the generous offer...i just wanted to know about fit, really...since you have the cortech bags i was wondering mainly about the exhaust - do the bags rest on the exhaust?  or are they short enough to sit a bit above the exhaust?  thanks...


- alex

The way I adjust them, they sit above the exhaust.  The height adjustment is made by overlapping the large over-the-seat Velcro flaps - one from each side - to a greater or lesser extent.  The bags have a silverish heat shield on the underside as well.

The bags are kept in place by mounting 4 clips to the bike (not permanently, but by making use of the attached fabric? loops) and then clipping the bags to them.

Are you sure you don't want to try them?    If not, then I'll offer the same "loaner" deal to anyone else who is seriously looking into buying soft luggage for their bike.

This looks like a good setup.  I wonder how it will fit my DL650.
How does the tail bag work without the saddle bags?

Quote from: mp183How does the tail bag work without the saddle bags?

Are you asking about the Tour Master Cortech set that I have?  The tailbag (which normally clips into the saddlebags) also has a pair of bungee cords under the storage compartment that tuck away when not in use.  They cross over each other in an 'X' pattern, and have hefty plastic hooks on either end.

I used the bungee cord mounting method on my recent Winter Ride from Globe, Arizona to Orem, Utah.  See the third photo on the Day 2 page.  The partly empty, duffle-shaped Cortech bag is on the back of the seat.  The smaller 17-liter Tour Master tailbag is in the very back, sitting on my tail rack.  Both bags use a similar bungee cord mounting method; I believe I hooked them both to the same points on the bike for that trip.

i have these
http://www.newenough.com/joe_rocket_sport_saddle_bag_page.htm

paid 115 CDN for it...

it's the GS perfectly...and decent for the price...

Kerry, is there a story behind the wing-nuts on the bar-ends?

It better be good.    :mrgreen:

Yep, it's my home-made "Throttle Retainer".  If it weren't for that I couldn't have even taken that picture of my shadow.  

Do you mean to tell me that you still haven't browsed my web site?   :lol:

PS - There is no wing nut on the left end of my handlebar.

I have added a new Accessories page to my website:

Installing Tourmaster Cortech Saddlebags & Tailbag on a (pre-'01) Suzuki GS500[/list:u]Sorry about the lack of contrast in some of the photos.  Not only was I forced to take a bunch of black-on-black shots, but the clear blue sky last Saturday made for some harsh sunlight.  What can I say?  :dunno:

Darn - I forgot to take pictures with the rain covers in place!  :x

So, why should anyone care about how to mount these particular bags?  Because I'm thinking about making an offer....  

I shipped my Tour Master Cortech bags to alexXx so he can try them out for a month or two.  The shipping wasn't as cheap as I had hoped/calculated.  (It was $17 something for UPS Ground - from UT to CA.)

It occurred to me that if several folks are interested in trying these bags out on their bike, we could share the cost by sending the bags in a "circle" just like we're doing with the valve adjustment tool kits.

Whether you mount the bags temporarily just to test the fit, or you use the bags for a multi-day road trip, the offer would be open to all long-time GStwin members.  All I ask is that you insure them for $150 when you pass them on to the next person on the list.  (The insurance only added $1 to my UPS bill).

If you can figure out a way to stuff the bags into a non-oversized box and get it under 15 lbs the rate should go down by a few dollars - assuming the "hop" only crosses 1 or 2 UPS zones.  (My so-so packing method used a Compaq tower PC box, little "air pillows" and peanuts and came out to 15.12 lbs.)

Any takers?  This could be just the thing for someone who wants to TRY touring / camping but doesn't want to invest in luggage up front, just in case they don't like it after all.

about 8 months too late. :x

As you may recall, my Dad still had the bags in Arkansas back then.  :x

But that's OK - they wouldn't have held your 200 lbs of stuff anyway.  

just bought the cortech sport tail-bag and saddle-bags off newenough.com.  got em last night and should have a report after the weekend.  i've fondled them in store before, so I know how nice looking and well made they are.  just hoping they fit well, and i'm sure they will.

now, what to put in them?

foot-long sandwich?

what else?

I use the Joe Rocket  Sport  saddle bags http://www.joerocket.com/jrf/products/product.cfm?products_id=389
They work nicely on the GS.  They clear the exhaust with no problem, they mount easily with no brackets & yes, they will carry a helmet if you unzip the expansion zipper thingy.  I dont have a picture of them on the GS, but here they are on my REX after 1500 miles of West Virginia twisties (pardon the dirt).

Quote from: hairballnow, what to put in them?

foot-long sandwich?

what else?

Well, I have never used my Cortech saddlebags for "around town" stuff.  Although I have used one of my hard bags on the Five*Stars tailrack for the same kinds of things:



On a long trip I would fill either kind of bag with:

a couple of liter bottles of water
MREs
a camp stove and fuel bottle
a cook kit
a camp towel
a first aid kit
a few pairs of socks
an extra pair of jeans
several shirts
a small road atlas
a book or two to read at night
maybe an FRS/GMRS radio
a toolkit, including spark plugs, fuses, etc.
my Haynes manual

lessee ... what else?[/list:u]I suppose you could haul certain kinds of groceries in them, or a broken-out case of motor oil, or ....