Sunday, May 9, 2010

motorcycle saddlebags

Riding a motorcycle these days is not only fun but with today's gas prices it is also quite economical. The only problem with riding a bike is that their is a serious lack of storage unless you happen to have a Goldwing or maybe a Harley Dresser youre going to need some saddlebags or some sort of tank bag to carry your stuff in. Their are ups and downs to both choices and some of it also depends on your motorcycle. If you have a cruiser your ideal choice is probably some sort of saddlebags or luggage type bags. For Sport Bikes the easy answer is likely to be a tank bag.

If you have a cruiser choosing a saddlebag for your ride is really a matter of taste. Their are so many too choose from its not even funny. Motorcycle saddlebags come in a variety of styles. Most are made of some type of leather or a synthetic material. Modern Saddlebags generally have a hard case liner in side which keeps the shape of the bag. When choosing a saddle bag it is best to choose something that will look good on your motorcycle. If you get something you don't like you are not as likely to use it. Bags come with studs and fringes and even locks if you want. You can choose from either permanently mounted saddle bags or ones that can easily come off the bike. I recommend you get some that can be removed easily so they can be carried in with you if you are planning to ride your bike to work or some other place where you will be away from the bike for a while. Most motorcycle saddle bags can be removed easily and put back on just as quickly. If you decide on some that mount permanently make sure they lock. Some of your more popular saddlebag makers are Saddlemen, Saddle Stow, Willie and

Max, Ace, and ZR. Their are more brands than these but these are the major manufacturers for motorcycle saddlebags. Most of these are easily mounted and come with all the necessary hardware. Also T-Bags makes some really nice Sissy Bar Bags that have a decent amount of storage space. T-Bags also makes motorcycle luggage to fit most cruisers as well as sport bikes.

For sport bike riders the preference tends to be a tank bag. Since saddlebags tend to lean more towards the classic look they aren't to appealing to riders of sport bikes. Tank Bags are actually a great alternative to saddlebags, most are expandable and can carry quite a bit of stuff as wells as that most tank bags have side pockets for extra storage. Most tank bags use a magnetic mounting system in combination with a strap that ties of to the steering head of the bike. This makes it really easy to pull the tank bag of and on with out it being a big pain. This makes it easy to take off the bike and carry with you if you plan on being away from the bike for a while. Most of these bags also have a carrying handle which makes it even easier for you to carry the bag

with you. Their are a lot of different tank bag sizes available so it is important to pick a size the will suit your needs. I recommend one that is expandable which will allow you to make it compact or expand it for more capacity when needed. Also when picking a tank bag you want to pick one that is water resistant in case you get caught in a down pour. Most tank bags are either made from water resistant material or come with a built in rain cover.

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