Saddlebags- On or Off?

[OlyFJR]

I ride this daily to commute to work and leave the bags on for my emergency items in one bag and work stuff in another. I want to add a tail bag but can't decide on which one would fit me best. I'm leaning towards Axio. Anyone have any experience with this tailbag?

 

[SacramentoMike]

I agree.....bad planning on y'alls part. Keep the bags on.....keep the beer cold. And, iffn yer storin the beer in the top case...use the saddle bags for ice.

Try this: half of the beer and half of the ice in each bag. Much colder that way.

 

[jtc]

Kinda late in this thread but here is my 2cents: Bags off almost all of the time.

1. I have to carry nice clothes to work each day and they just fold over real nice in the givi topcase. They get trashed in a saddlebag. The rest of my daily work crap goes in a tail bag that hooks to the back seat. So I spend a minute unloading and loading the bike twice a day, rather than 5 minutes or more fiddling with those saddlebags and liners.

2. Bike parking gets tight at work and the bags just make me fatter.

3. Not sure what a saddlebag costs, but must be close to $500. I think the topcase might work as a slider in case of going down - it did before on the VFR. But the slider idea is a good one that I may have to rethink some more. I just hate for something to happen to a bag when it is empty and could have been in the garage.

But I love the bags and the look. They definitely go on when I need 'em for all the reasons already mentioned.

 

[CRMH Eagle]

Mine are off unless I take a long day trip. I like the look & feel of the bike w/out the bags. Whatever works for you... who cares... just ride it!

 

[JimLor]

Always on. Figure they'll help protect my legs if I go down. Chicks dig 'em too!

 

[The Kansas Kid]

:angry2: [SIZE=12pt]I have had mine off for a few weeks. To and from work 50 miles daily.[/SIZE]

 

[deanw]

Call it 40k miles on my '04. The saddlebags have 20 miles. That's 20, not 20,000. As in, if we were talking years, not enough to be legal to drink, 20.

Maybe concidentally, it's 20 miles from the dealership I bought it at, to my house.

Also coincidentally, the E460 topbox has ~39,980 miles on it.

I can cram a lot of stuff into that topbox...

 

[jeff62]

On.

 

[johnny80s]

Mostly off unless I have some thing to carry then the side cases go on. E52 goes on last. Don't like the way the bikes feels with the E52 for sportier riding.

 

[jnor]

So far...I haven't taken mine off....kinda why I bought a bike with hard bags. In the future I might leave them off when the "newness" wears off, but with my previos FZ1, I was always trying to tie stuff down, hang tail bags on etc.

 

[sprtdiver]

99% of the time off. In LA area keep the bike a little more narrow for lane splitting and when I go on longer, overnighters then I'll put them on for stowage

 

[WBill]

Mine are mounted most of the time for a couple of reasons. First, and probably foremost, my garage is so stuffed with stuff that the motorcycle is just the best place to store them. They only get in the way and get kicked around otherwise. Second, I have conspicuity stickers on their rear surfaces, and they make me feel safer out there.

I do like the way she handles without them mounted, though.

 

[SkooterG]

One on. One off.

I'm different.

 

[randy3116]

I searched but couldnt find a matching topic.
What do you guys do? For daily commuting? Short day trips?

What are the pros and cons of leaving the bags on vs. off?

Right now I have them off because I am enjoying the streamlined look, but I plan on using the FJR for daily commuting to work. I am sure I will figure out what works best for me but I was just curious as to what you all do...

TIA!!!

I'm still a rookie FJR owner but so far I've kept the s-bags on regardless of the trip length. I will confess that the thought of taking them off (to keep the showroom shine) for short commuting rides has crossed my mind, though.

 

[cometman]

On 95% of the time. I love those side bags and I ride my FJR 500 miles a week.

 

[Wolfhound]

One on. One off.
I'm different.

There not talking 'bout wheels on the ground . . . . . . . . :crazy:

 

[Change]

Always on. Considerable reflective material on the rear of the bags for night commuting. With the Givi top case with brake light, I am pretty brightly lit.

 

[05fjrBluedevil]

For the last year have been using mainly a top case- but i have even decided to drop that off as well. so no bags for me on a daily bases.

unless i were going on a trip, then i would use something- I have decided it is easier to just pack the helmet and gear into work...

then i am 95 percent geared up and ready to roll once i get out to the bike, when leaving. besides.

i am only alloud to have half the garage even though it is suppose to be mine and with the bags off i can get the bike put up with out moving stuff around.

 

[iliveforcurves]

I leave the bags and trunk on all the time to make me more visible to the cagers and invisible to the police.

 

[mr.paul]

All the cases all the time but...

When my beloved '06 Feej was in the shop recently, waiting for an ignition switch (5 weeks) and an ECU, I kept the bags at home. Da wife was getting a bit tired of them filling the dinette space in the kitchen. When I rode the bike home, without any bags, it felt like a different bike. Can't remember the last time i rode 'er naked (the bike). Nice difference. however, I have a GIVI V46 with the optional top rack. That rack is amazingly heavy. Makes a difference in C of G. Even though, I have a cosiderable top-heavy C of G of my own.

I love having the bags as there always seems like there is something to carry. I use mine for a daily commuter and couldn't imagine doing that without all my storage. The left one carries way too much "just in case" stuff. Gotta be prepared you know. I try and keep the right one open for stuff, but my other face shield is always in there. My GIVI trunk has most of my different gloves, a couple of rags and a can of Plexus and a can of Honda Performance cleaner/polish, plus an Aerostich Wind triangle (amazing warmth for something so simple).

I need to find a way to carry less stuff. When I had the bags all of I swear I am toting another 100 pounds around. However, if I know it is a sporty ride around town, I might pull them of every once in a while now. THere is definately a differnce.

recently the 16 year-old once again parked her car poorly in the driveway. Is it that hard of a concept? Park at the edge of the drive so I can get by! Guess it is for her. I need to "lane split" between her car and my van to get Feej into the garage. I thought I might be able to make it though and took on the challenge. I found out how handy those rubbery side strips are on the side of the bags. Left a mark on my van, but I can rub it out.

paul from Minnesota