Do you ride with your Hard Bags?

[Knifemaker]

[SIZE=14pt]ATBATT[/SIZE]

KM

 

[zorkler]

Off . Only on when its overnight or longer . I have a tank bag that is allways on and can hold stuff you would need for a day trip .

 

[Draggon Rider]

between the sliders and bags, my legs were well protected. Now I leave them on.

When I went down it wasn't the case, my ankle was pinned between the bike and a curb. Fractured one of the ankle bones.

 

[Draggon Rider]

I ride with mine on about 85% of the time. If I am headed out for a short jaunt and the bags will be empty, I take them off and go with the tank bag. Short jaunts just don't seem to be my thing, hence me buying the FJR, and I am not a big fan of having a backpack on so most the time the bags are with me.

and Yet your avatar shows your bike without the bags. :clapping:

 

[Draggon Rider]

[SIZE=14pt]ATBATT[/SIZE]

KM

:lol:

 

[BrettB]

Ride with mine on pretty much all the time. As others have said, handy to have storage in case the wife calls and needs something picked up from the store on the way home. I pack a laptop in one side case every day for work. The other is usually empty. Have thought about a tailbag (or really small topcase) to put the laptop in instead because I think the bike would be more balanced that way. I hate backpacks, especially in the summer when I want cool breeze not something to sweat against.

Here's something that hasn't been posted yet though, and only matters if you ride in the rain...After the locking mechanism fell off (didn't read the posts about that little gotcha until too late) and I was waiting for replacements I rode for a couple of weeks without the bags, and one thing became VERY apparent. The bags change the airflow dynamics a LOT. Riding in the rain with the bags on, my overpants get wet (on the outside), but only very marginally dirty. Riding in the rain with the bags off, my overpants got downright FILTHY. the bags shield a lot of tire spray from hitting your legs. Just FYI

I have taken a short spirited run in good weather with the bags off, and I thought I did notice a (positive) handling difference... I think if I find another good way to pack the laptop I would ride with bags off in the summer in good weather, and with bags on in the winter rain (and have to make a separate trip to the store when needed, just means more time on the bike, right? )

 

[RollOn1]

I ride with mine on about 85% of the time. If I am headed out for a short jaunt and the bags will be empty, I take them off and go with the tank bag. Short jaunts just don't seem to be my thing, hence me buying the FJR, and I am not a big fan of having a backpack on so most the time the bags are with me.

and Yet your avatar shows your bike without the bags. :clapping:

You got me on that one!! I would like to amend my previous statement to 84% of the time, I also leave them off for washing.

 

[FJR DaveH]

I can't remember riding with the bags off. Sure as I take 'em off I'll have to pick something up and wish I had the storage. I'm a little surprised handling improves. I would think the small change in weight or aero dynamics would be minimal.

 

[Texan]

[SIZE=14pt]ATBATT[/SIZE]

KM

+1 for bags again. Yesterday I was on the FJR on Park Road 4 near Marble Falls Texas - a beautiful hilly road in some of the best Texas hill country. Longhorn Caverns are out there and so is Inks Lake State Park.

Sure enough, the park patrol in a brown pickup zapped me with pop radar. I looked down and was going 65 - but the speed limit is on 50. I hit the rear binders to slow without seeming obvious and as I passed the ranger, I got a friendly salute and a slow-down sign.

Bags = law abiding old man. Sport bike = hotshot deserving a ticket.

I'm buying bags for the ZX14 also.

 

[FJR13A]

Always ON, I tried to take them OFF, don't like the feeling.

Seems the FJR is designed w/ the side bags.

I think it's not a mater of weight but a mater of aerodynamic and CG.

If you take them OFF the make the CG higher and thus less stable at high speed.

FJR13A (2006)

 

[Rolavine]

My bike came without the hard bags, so I put nylon ones on. Then I bought a set of the stock hard bags and ended up selling them. I felt the stock hard bags were hard to use, heavy, required a key to open them, stuck out very wide, had a strange shape that made it hard to pack things, the lids opened down pretty far, making it hard to load them (must be why they came with loading bags?), and they gouged a motorcycle helmet I tired to carry in them - as they have 'hard' insides.

Since I didn't need the security aspects of the hard bags that was no advantage, the hard bags can hold more weight but that hasn't been an issue either.

The nylon bags are narrow yet can expand out to carry more (expanded they are something like 20" l x 12" h X 10" d, they are light, they are made of thin material so they don't waste the space of a thick outer shell, they are easy to remove from the bike and are easy to carry as luggage, they have several outside zippered compartments for quick storage, and they hold more volume when expanded. In short, I'm much happier with these throw over bags and I ride with them almost all the time. I also have a nylon bag on the back rack that is always on the bike too. In a big rain I have to put the plastic covers on these bags but they are bright yellow and good for visibility.

On the down side the nylon bags rub against plastic parts and it shows, the straps go over the passenger seat, when expanded they loose a lot of their shape, and these latest ones I have are hard to load because of a single zippered opening (the last bags had a dual zippered system that opened a flap in the top). I think when these wear out I'm going to get some fake leather ones to give the bike a bit of the cruiser look. Don't worry I'll avoid the concos and the fringe.

I guess I'm just a soft bag kind of guy.

 

[mcatrophy]

QUOTE (Rolavine @ May 4 2009, 05:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

... the lids opened down pretty far, making it hard to load them ...

Fix for one out of seven:

From this . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to this:



(Click on any image for a larger view)

described here.

Can't help with the other six

.

 

[Fingerflicker]

I just want to through this out to the collective wisdom.When riding 2 up the bike was sluggish, well yeah, it's overloaded.

But I removed the Hard Bags to try and lighten the load.

To my surprise the handling improved 100%.

Empty the 2 bags weigh about 25 pounds, so that shouldn't affect the

handling that much.

I bought the FJR mainly because of the Hard Bags and the top Case.

But now I'm riding with only the top case, even when I'm riding solo.

The Bags are sitting in my Garage, and looking very sad.

A year ago I saw a add for a FJR where the bike and the bags were being

sold seperately, the saler said the bags had never been used, that the bike

had always been riden without the bags. At the time I thought this was kinda

wierd, but I'm really geting a kick out of the bike without the bags.

So who else usually rides without the bags?

I commute daily with the bags, too much stuff for work. Plus I HATE wearing a back pack during the warm weather! The bags don't bother me when I split lanes.

 

[FJRocketMan]

I leave them on. don't notice that much of a difference in handling. I like being able to actually carry something in the empty side. other bag I always keep tools, tire repair "stuff".

 

[DELETE-PLEASE]

I too am ATBATT. Including topbox. If I use them to pack clothes for a trip, I bring the bags inside and unpack. But I'll put them back on the next day in case I see something I want to buy or just fo helmet/jacket storage.

Alexi

 

[Bulldog9]

The bags come off???? :dribble:

 

[ceddec]

The bags come off???? :dribble:

That's the rumor but watch out. Next thing someone will try to tell you the bike has needs a fifth gear or something.

 

[FuzzyRider]

The bags come off???? :dribble:

That's the rumor but watch out. Next thing someone will try to tell you the bike has needs a fifth gear or something.

Heh, I've never hit the rev limiter in fourth gear so I don't see how someone could logically tell me the bike needs a fifth gear...unless they're smoking crack. :crazy:

Of course I always leave the bags on mine - one of the reasons I liked the FJR over the other ST bikes was its looks with the bags on.

 

[Karmak]

I leave mine on most of the time due to the convenience of carrying what I consider are "essentials." It also seems (as someone above mentioned) that they may offer some protection from getting your (or a passenger's) leg ground under the bike in a get-off.

 

[Road Runner III]

I leave the bags on all the time, I like the storage and one never knows when you need to put on warmer clothes or your rain gear. I also keep at least a day or 2 of clothes just in case.