Poor Man's Smuggler

[paulie]

I don't like riding around town with the saddlebags on, but I need a way to stop at the store for groceries or a six pack. The Smuggler at $800 seemed ridiculous. I can't stand having a top box hanging out there all the time. A cowboy mount is so much better than "hopping" on, dontcha think? I rarely ride two-up, so I don't mind not having the passenger seat in place most of the time. What to do?

Here is what I came up with: A Nelson Rigg CL 150 tail bag fits perfectly in the hole where the passenger seat normally locks. It is simple and I think it will work well. The bag covers the hole completely so there should be no water issues - and even if some gets in, there's nothing there that can be hurt. Time will tell.

Here is the hole with the passenger seat removed:

Here is the bag in place. It fastens in with the four included bungees. The saddlebags fit with no problem. Your helmet zips right in.

So does 20 lbs of cat chow:

The bag comes with a rain cover - sorry I didn't include a picture. Here is the whole setup in place. It is low enough that you can do a cowboy mount. It doesn't interfere with normal rider seating. It holds plenty for a normal trip to the grocery store. Looks pretty good. What's not to like?

I'm sure there are other bags that would fit the space. This one just seems perfect for what I need.

 

[TriggerT]

Sweet.

FYI, you can bolt the bag to the bike as is shown in this link:

https://home.nycap.rr.com/pnelson1/FJRtailbag.htm

Sorry to say, but you aren't the first person to come up with this idea. I have had a Nelson CL 100 bolted on my bike for about a year and a half now.

Can you PLEASE post a few more pictures of the bag as you have it on the bike? Specifically, I am wondering how the two small side pockets might be in contact with the grab bar on the back of the bike.

I strongly recommend bolting the bag to the bike. It is easy to do, and makes it a lot more secure.

 

[twistedcricket]

I was trying to figure out a solution to this same dilemma for my trip to NAFO. I'd prefer to run the twisties without the saddlebags, but still have something along to pack in rain gear or the like.

I have a CL-800; I might see how that fits after work. It might interfere with the saddlebags a little, but I don't think I'm going to try to bolt it to the bike.

Getting a CL-100, or comparable, might be the next farkle

Great idea!

 

[TellurideFJR]

You dont need to take the rear seat off for this. I run a cortech tailbag there sometimes.

Looking at the pic, yours does sit lower without the seat.

 

[TriggerT]

I think we know that we don't HAVE TO take the back seat off, but many of us choose to take the rear seat off to either bolt the bag on the bike, or to cut down on the profile.

 

[odot]

Can you fit a 30 pack of keystone light in there?

 

[uctofeej]

Can you fit a 30 pack of keystone light in there?

Does Keystone make a 30 pack? They've been shortchanging me here...

 

[twistedcricket]

Can you fit a 30 pack of keystone light in there?

Does Keystone make a 30 pack? They've been shortchanging me here...

why not just water down a 6-pack of bud...that's a 30-pack of keystone... and easier to carry...

jeebus, next you'll ask if you can get the commemorative 24pack of Schlitz in a tankbag....

i'd prefer to remove the pillion seat; reduces the chance that I tear/damage that nice expensive Russell seat Found a CL-150 on CL; hopefully I can get this done for NAFO!!!

 

[uctofeej]

Can you fit a 30 pack of keystone light in there?

Does Keystone make a 30 pack? They've been shortchanging me here...

why not just water down a 6-pack of bud...that's a 30-pack of keystone... and easier to carry...

jeebus, next you'll ask if you can get the commemorative 24pack of Schlitz in a tankbag....

i'd prefer to remove the pillion seat; reduces the chance that I tear/damage that nice expensive Russell seat Found a CL-150 on CL; hopefully I can get this done for NAFO!!!

Is the commemorative 24 pack out already? Been waitin' for that!

As for tailbags, I use an Eddie Bauer duffle bag from Target, a WP bag inside to keep my stuff dry, a cargo net, and still come out thirty bucks cheaper than a CL-150 bag.

 

[twistedcricket]

As for tailbags, I use an Eddie Bauer duffle bag from Target, a WP bag inside to keep my stuff dry, a cargo net, and still come out thirty bucks cheaper than a CL-150 bag.

does it look as cool though? didn't think so

 

[uctofeej]

As for tailbags, I use an Eddie Bauer duffle bag from Target, a WP bag inside to keep my stuff dry, a cargo net, and still come out thirty bucks cheaper than a CL-150 bag.

does it look as cool though? didn't think so

I thought havin' Eddie Bauer shit was supposed to be cool. At least it was in the 1990s...

BTW, this marks the momentous occasion of my 500th post. Put on your party hats! :blink:

 

[odot]

..........it also means yer buyin the beer tonight.

 

[TriggerT]

My hope is that the CL 150 will not contact the grab bar, since the 150 would hold my Aerostich without bursting at the seams the way the Cl 100 does.

 

[paulie]

Well, free beer. I'll have to make more posts if that's what it gets me. For TriggerT, if you look in the second picture down you can see that the side pockets don't touch the grab rails. I know that a 'Stich fits in the CL 150 with room to spare because I've had mine in there. I hadn't seen the link on bolting the bag on - seems like a good idea, although it is very secure with the bungees. It would just make it a bit more work to get set up for a date ride.

Odot, yes a 30 pack will fit, and you don't even have to take it out of the cans. However if you did take it out of the cans you could pour all the beer in the bag and stock it with trout. Then you could wet a line at the roadside rests. Although I must say I'm not sure I would want to catch any trout that would swim around in Lite beer. Yech!

 

[odot]

We'll stock it with saltwater rainbow trout from lake iliamna. Break out the fly fishing rods.......

 

[twistedcricket]

My only "concern" with this farkle is that now your front seat could be "borrowed" on the GEN II bikes...unless someone devises a way to lock it w/o the rear seat being there.

I'm exploring options. I found a CL-150 on Craigslist for $70 shipped

 

[TriggerT]

Taking the bag on and off, even when bolted is a 5 minute job, once you get the hang of it.

Yes, someone could steal your seat, but getting at the seat release when the bag is bolted down is no easy task. As a matter of fact, I almost didn't do this farkle because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get at my tool kit under the seat if I needed to once the bag was bolted on. You can get the seat on and off, but you need to know where the release is, and getting it back on takes a little bit of practice.

Thanks for the info about the pockets not making contact. DAMN, another farkle added to the post NAFO list. SHOOT, this stuff is starting to add up.

 

[twistedcricket]

Thanks for the info about the pockets not making contact. DAMN, another farkle added to the post NAFO list. SHOOT, this stuff is starting to add up.

"post-NAFO" ??? I'm doing this one for NAFO

 

[paulie]

Hmmmm . . . a "saltwater rainbow trout" is also know as a "steelhead". It's one of the baddestass fish going. I'll pass on having them in my tailbag, thanks. A nice little rocky mountain cutthroat would suffice . . .